Out at the Rodeo: A Beacon of Inclusivity at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Amidst all the cowboy boots, livestock, fried food, and entertainment, Out at the Rodeo will hold forth once again at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in a dedicated tent for the LGBTQ community that will create a unique space to celebrate visibility.

“Our goal is simple yet powerful,” Out at the Rodeo vice president Anthony Ferrell says. “We want to create visibility and representation for the LGBTQ community during an event that’s a cornerstone of Houston’s culture.”

Founded in 2016, Out at the Rodeo was borne out of a desire to ensure LGBTQ voices were seen and celebrated at Houston’s rodeo. For years, the event has functioned as a beacon of inclusivity, offering members of the LGBTQ community a place to gather, connect, and enjoy the rodeo festivities.

The event’s grassroots energy quickly caught the attention of the rodeo’s leadership, who applauded its diversity and vibrant spirit. Ferrell, who works as a Microsoft senior project manager (and also owns the apparel company OG 713), is busily preparing for an exciting 2025 lineup.

“This year, we’re expecting over 2,000 attendees in our tent,” Ferrell says. “The response has been incredible, with people asking how they can bring their friends, their companies, or just show up in support.”

“It should be our largest event yet, as we have one of the strongest teams putting together the programming, organizing volunteers, and reaching out to the communities,” Out at the Rodeo founder and president Eric Hulsey adds.

The 2025 event will feature a dedicated tent in the Champion Wine Garden with clear sidewalls to accommodate overflow crowds. Brooks & Dunn will be performing on the same night as the Out at the Rodeo main event, adding to the evening’s excitement. Local drag queens are set to perform, and Ferrell says he hopes to one day bring an LGBTQ artist to the main wine garden stage—a long-term goal that symbolizes the community’s growing integration into the rodeo’s lineup.

Hulsey, who designed the event’s logo and merchandise (and who works full-time in the energy field), says Out at the Rodeo’s outreach to the LGBTQ community during the rodeo is a powerful reminder that representation matters.

“Celebrating diversity at one of Texas’ most iconic events is a milestone that shows how far we’ve come, and how much further we can go,” he says.

But Out at the Rodeo is about more than just celebration. It’s about creating a space where everyone feels seen and supported.

“The Houston Rodeo is such a significant part of our city,” he says. “We want everyone to know there’s a place for them here, where they can celebrate their identity without fear or hesitation. For Houston’s LGBTQ community, having a presence at the rodeo is a declaration of belonging, a celebration of Pride, and a bold step forward in making sure everyone has a voice in our shared cultural fabric.”

Hulsey shares his personal connection to the event’s origins. “I have lived here in Houston the majority of my life and have a deep love for Houston and its people. After graduating from college with a degree in graphic design, I was driven to create a more focused LGBTQ+ group that would cater to the video gaming community. I worked with a group of friends to build the nonprofit Houston Gaymers and successfully ran that organization for 15 years. Out at the Rodeo was an idea formed around celebrating one of the city’s largest events as a queer community together, and being able to uplift rodeo workers who identify as queer themselves. Doug Mason and I were the original team behind the first two years that set the groundwork for what Out at the Rodeo has become today. Anthony Ferrell joined my efforts as he saw great potential in growing this organization, and he’s been extremely instrumental in shaping the vision.”

Hulsey notes that each year more and more Houston Rodeo committee members come by the tent to celebrate with LGBTQ attendees.

“Allies who want to support us or their fellow committee members show up and ask to don rainbow bandanas to show visibility, or they ask how they can get involved,” he says. “We also have many queer volunteers who have been coming back year after year, always showing off their commemorative pins from previous years as a badge of honor. To them, it’s their favorite day of the rodeo season.”

The event also serves as an entry point for first-time rodeo attendees, Ferrell says.

“We’ve had people tell us they’ve never been to the rodeo until they heard about Out at the Rodeo. Now, they’re regulars.”

Looking ahead, Ferrell and his team are focused on sustainability.

“Our vision is to create something that can grow and thrive even after we’ve passed the torch,” he says. “We’re building a playbook, developing committees, and engaging with volunteers to ensure this event becomes a lasting tradition.”

For Ferrell, the goal is clear.

“We want to celebrate diversity, build connections, and leave attendees with the feeling that they belong—not just at Out at the Rodeo, but as a vital part of the Houston Rodeo itself,” he says.

As the countdown to the 2025 rodeo begins, Ferrell extends an open invitation to all.

“Come as you are,” he says. “Enjoy the music, the food, the carnival, and the sense of community. Most importantly, know that you are welcome here.”

With its blend of heartfelt community, lively entertainment, and Houston pride, Out at the Rodeo is sure to be a highlight of this year’s rodeo season, Hulsey says.

“When I started this back in 2016 with the goal of adding another LGBTQ event to the Houston landscape, I had no idea what it would come to mean for me or for the community it impacted,” he says. “This is proof that inclusion is not just a possibility, but a growing reality. It inspires us all to believe that every step forward is a victory for love and acceptance.”

What: Out at the Rodeo 2025
When: March 22, 2025, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: The Champion Wine Garden at NRG Stadium
Info: linktr.ee/outrodeo