The Hill Country Has Always Been For All of Us
- Cynra McGuire
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
You don't have to earn your place in this community. You don't have to show up loudly, explain yourself, or wait until the world is ready for you. The Hill Country is yours: the bluebonnets, the front porches, the small towns, all of it.
Pride of Dripping Springs exists not to invite you in, but to remind you: you have always belonged here. Queer people have always lived on this land, loved on this land, built lives on this land: often quietly, often without recognition, but always with roots that run deep.
"You have always belonged here. We see you."
This April, as we celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week and honor the full, complicated reality of what it means to be LGBTQIA+ in Texas right now, we hold both things at once: the joy of belonging and the honest acknowledgment that belonging is still being fought for every single day. Our trans community members carry that fight with a particular weight, and we don't look away from that. We carry it with you.
This place is ours. All of it. All of us. 💛
April 20–26, 2026 🧡🩷 Lesbian Visibility Week
To every lesbian in the Hill Country and beyond! You are seen, celebrated, and loved. Not just this week. Every week.
Lesbian Visibility Day falls on Sunday, April 26th. Celebrate loudly, celebrate quietly, celebrate however feels most like you. There's no wrong way to exist in your own joy.
Event Recap
The Crawfish Boil Was Everything 🦞
The 2nd Annual PODS Crawfish & Shrimp Boil happened on April 18th at Beerburg — and if you were there, you already know. If you weren't, we're sorry and here's what you missed.
📷 Some favorites from the evening: the boil, the crowd, the music, the joy.
Fresh crawfish, shrimp, all the fixin's, jambalaya, and more! Live music by the incredible Wrongbird (EZ Baker). Music bingo hosted with so much heart by Ken Turner. And a crowd of neighbors, friends, and community members who showed up and showed out for the Hill Country.
This is what Pride of Dripping Springs is. Not just a parade. Not just a month. A crawfish boil on a Saturday afternoon in April where everyone is welcome, the food is good, and you can just be exactly who you are.
And we're just getting started. Coming up this summer:
Business Spotlight
Home Is Where the Heart Is 🍺
If you've been to a Pride of Dripping Springs event in the last year, you already know Beerburg. Tucked out on Fitzhugh Road in the heart of the Hill Country, Beerburg is the kind of place that feels like it was built for exactly this: good people, cold drinks, live music, and a backyard big enough for the whole community.
Ross Nearburg is one of Pride of Dripping Springs' own, and Beerburg has become more than a venue. It's a place that said yes when yes mattered. An affirming, welcoming space in a region that doesn't always make that easy.
When we talk about the Hill Country belonging to all of us, Beerburg is proof of what that looks like in practice. We are proud to partner with Beerburg to bring events like last year's Boos and Brews, our 2nd Annual Crawfish Boil, and our upcoming June Pride celebrations to the community.
Community Shoutouts 💛
The People Who Make It Real
Scott Syrdal 🦞
Volunteer · Crawfish Boil Lead
Scott is from Louisiana, which means crawfish isn't just food to him — it's heritage, it's craft, it's a love language. For two years now he has poured that love into the PODS Crawfish Boil, and this year was no exception. What most people don't know is that Scott's fingerprints are all over PODS events going back years — quietly, behind the scenes, making sure everything runs the way it should. He is the last person to want a shoutout, which is exactly why he deserves one. Scott, we see you. We are grateful for you. Thank you. 💛
Ken Turner 🎵
Performer · Music Bingo Host
Ken brought the energy, the laughs, and the music bingo magic. There's a particular gift in making a whole crowd feel like they're in on something fun together — Ken has it in abundance. Thank you for making the evening feel alive.
Wrongbird 🎸
Live Music · EZ Baker
Live music changes everything. EZ Baker of Wrongbird gave us the soundtrack for the evening and we are grateful. If you haven't heard Wrongbird yet, be sure to seek them out. Hill Country has good music and this is some of its finest!
Bingo Prize Donors 🎁
Resource Spotlight: Know Your Rights in Texas 📋
Equality Texas
Texas-Based LGBTQIA+ Advocacy & Legal Resources
We don't look away from what's hard. In Texas right now, knowing your rights isn't just empowering — it's essential. Equality Texas is your go-to resource for understanding the laws affecting our community, finding legal support, and staying informed about legislation that impacts LGBTQIA+ Texans directly.
They work on the ground, in the Capitol, and in communities like ours. Bookmark it. Share it. Know it's there.
Lambda Legal
National LGBTQIA+ Legal Defense
For national-level legal defense and civil rights litigation, Lambda Legal has been fighting for LGBTQIA+ people in courts across the country for over 50 years. If you or someone you know needs legal support, this is a place to start.
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