‘People need to be with community’: Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce hosts 9th annual holiday celebration
Attendees at the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Jingle participate in dances during its annual holiday celebration, which was held this year at Stampede Houston in North Houston, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Houston. (Douglas Sweet Jr. for Houston Landing)
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ business and community members made their way to nightclub Stampede Houston Dec. 11 to unwind and have a few drinks at the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce’s annual Holiday Jingle.
For a few hours, attendees networked, line-danced, rode on a mechanical bull, went ax throwing, and sang along to their favorite songs on karaoke, while exploring items at the “Rainbow market,” which showcased LGBTQ+-owned businesses to support for the holidays.
“Being a part of the community, LGBTQ+ is not what it was yesterday, or the year before the decade before, but it’s still a bit taboo in some spaces. So where do you find comfort? You find it here,” said Stacy Williams, who leads employee engagement at HP, one of the event sponsors, and attended for the first time. “It’s about that camaraderie amongst like-minded people.”