Rhys is a Houston native who started in HIV outreach and sexual health education at the Houston Health Department. He joined the non-profit sector as the inaugural director of advocacy for Impulse Group Houston. In addition to his professional work, Rhys is a community organizer, activist, and advocate. He has worked with the Black Lives Matter movement and around the Sandra Bland case in Waller County. He has worked alongside BLMHTX, a collective of activists, artists, and educators. Rhys founded the Black Queer Magic Empowerment Brunch, an annual event honoring Houston’s Black LGBTQIA+ community members. In 2017, OutSmart Magazine named Rhys one of the Top Black LGBTQ leaders. He is currently featured in the “Declaration of Independence” exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.Rhys received a bachelor’s from Prairie View A&M University.
