Building Belonging in the Rio Grande Valley | |
Local Leadership, Community Connections, and the Power of Showing Up
In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, LGBTQ+ community life reflects the region itself—deeply rooted in family, culture, and local relationships, yet shaped by challenges that can be very different from those in the state's larger metropolitan areas.
For LGBTQ+ Texans in South Texas, access to affirming spaces, supportive services, and opportunities to connect may require navigating geographic distances, limited resources, and the complexities of living in close-knit communities. Yet across the Valley, local leaders are creating their own solutions, building networks of support grounded in an understanding of the people and places they serve.
During a recent visit, Robert Salcido, Chief Community Impact Officer at Texas Pride Community Foundation, spent time with two organizations helping shape that future: the South Texas Equality Project (STEP) and GENTex.
Their work offers a compelling example of why Texas Pride's statewide mission matters: LGBTQ+ Texans deserve opportunities to thrive wherever they call home, and the people closest to their communities are often best positioned to lead that change.
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South Texas Equality Project: Building Community Through Connection
Founded in 2014, the South Texas Equality Project (STEP) has grown from four founding organizations into a coalition of more than 40 partners working to advance inclusion, education, advocacy, and community engagement throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
In a region where LGBTQ+ resources may be scattered across multiple cities and communities, collaboration is particularly valuable. STEP helps connect organizations, advocates, and residents, creating opportunities to share resources, strengthen relationships, and address common challenges.
Its work includes educational forums, support groups, town halls, and community gatherings. These efforts provide more than individual programs. They help build the relationships and local leadership that sustain communities over time.
(Photo above: Robert Salcido with STEP staff member John Taylor DeLaGarza and Board Chair Hector Ruiz.)
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One visible example is RGV Pride, which has grown from approximately 300 attendees to an estimated 3,000. STEP assumed leadership of the celebration in 2025, continuing an important regional tradition.
For many participants, Pride is more than a celebration. It is an opportunity to see themselves reflected in their community, connect with others, and experience the reassurance that they are not alone.
STEP's recently expanded shared space represents another important step forward. By providing a welcoming place for gatherings, collaboration, and partnerships with other social justice organizations, the space strengthens the infrastructure that makes community organizing and sustained engagement possible.
The significance extends beyond a larger facility. STEP is helping build the connections and organizational capacity that allow LGBTQ+ communities across the Valley to grow stronger together.
(Photo above: John Taylor DeLaGarza, in STEP’s new shared space. A welcoming environment designed to foster collaboration, connection, and community-led change.)
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GENTex and Casa Kimberly: Meeting a Critical Need for Safety
For transgender and gender-diverse Texans, access to safe, affirming housing can be especially difficult when discrimination, family rejection, or violence threatens their well-being.
In McAllen, GENTex is responding to that need through Casa Kimberly, a temporary shelter for transgender people who have experienced violence.
GENTex also provides education, advocacy, social activities, and opportunities for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people to find support and connection throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
Casa Kimberly addresses a particularly important gap. For someone experiencing violence or an unsafe living situation, finding shelter where their gender identity is respected can be essential to regaining stability and rebuilding their life.
In a region where specialized LGBTQ+-affirming services may be limited, locally developed resources like Casa Kimberly take on added significance.
The organization's work demonstrates an important principle: Safety and dignity should not depend on where someone lives or whether they have the means to travel elsewhere for help.
By responding directly to the needs of transgender and gender-diverse residents, GENTex is helping make that principle a reality in South Texas.
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Why the Rio Grande Valley Matters to Our Statewide Mission
The Rio Grande Valley reminds us that there is no single LGBTQ+ experience in Texas.
The realities of life in McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen, or smaller surrounding communities are not necessarily the same as those in Dallas, Houston, or Austin. Geography, cultural traditions, economic circumstances, and access to resources all influence how LGBTQ+ Texans experience their communities.
Yet the Valley is also home to remarkable resilience, collaboration, and leadership. Organizations like STEP and GENTex are not waiting for solutions to arrive from elsewhere. They are identifying local needs, building partnerships, and creating responses that reflect the communities they know best.
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This is precisely why Texas Pride Community Foundation exists.
As Texas' statewide LGBTQ+ community foundation, our responsibility extends beyond the state's largest cities and most established nonprofit organizations. We are committed to strengthening the network of community-led organizations serving LGBTQ+ Texans, particularly in regions and populations that have historically received less philanthropic attention.
That commitment begins with listening.
Visits like Robert's help us better understand the distinct strengths, challenges, and aspirations of communities across Texas. They deepen relationships with local leaders and inform how we approach grantmaking, partnerships, and long-term investment.
They also reinforce an essential lesson: Meaningful statewide philanthropy is not about bringing answers to communities. It is about recognizing local expertise and helping ensure that community leaders have the resources to turn their vision into lasting impact.
The work underway in the Rio Grande Valley demonstrates what is possible when people organize around shared needs and a common sense of belonging.
For Texas Pride Community Foundation, the opportunity and the responsibility is to help ensure that this kind of community leadership can flourish in every corner of Texas.
The future of LGBTQ+ Texas is being built not only in our largest cities, but in communities like those of the Rio Grande Valley by local leaders who understand that lasting change begins close to home.
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Questions? Ideas? Comments? We are all ears.
Write to us at info@TexasPrideCF.org.
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