Ambush magazine volume 27 issue 08 by Ambush Publishing

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 1

2 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

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the "official" dish by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain RipandMarsha.COM E-mail: marsha@ripandmarsha.com

The News Is Not Good For Donald "Donnie Jay" James

s many of you know, New Orleans legend Donald "Donnie Jay" James had surgery on Friday, March 27 to remove a tumor on the brain. The pathology report came back diagnosing the cancer as glioblastoma, a fast-growing malignant brain tumor composed of spongioblasts; nearly always fatal. In younger patients which are in good health, chemo and radiation is sometimes used, but very often are not successful. In Donnie's case, with his other health conditions and age, the doctor's are not going to put him through chemo and radiation treatments. Therefore, doctors think he has a very short time left. By the time this edition comes out, Donnie should be moved to hospice care at St. Charles Nursing Home. Many of us will be going to visit him there. If you decide to go, he is under the name of Donald James. A couple of fund-raisers are in the works to meet Donnie's current expenses and his final expenses. At press time, a fund-raiser was being planned at Tubby's Golden Lantern, 1239 Royal Street, on Donnie's birthday, Friday, April 24. Please contact Will at the Lantern for details, 504.529.2860. Timm Holt is also planning one tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 1 at All-Ways Lounge, formerly Cowpokes, 2240 St. Claude Avenue. Please watch for details and come out and support Donnie Jay who is loved throughout the community for his compassion, wit and generosity.. A fund is being set up in Donnie's name to handle all funds by Donnie's Donald "Donnie Jay" James power of attorney Timm Holt. For additional information you can contact Timm Holt at 504.319.7013.

8th Super Star Studded Drag Extravaganza Raises $3,255 for 10th Gay Easter Parade

he 8th Annual Super Star Studded Drag Extravaganza & Auction raised $3,255 for the 10th Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food For Friends. Hosted at JohnPaul’s in New Orleans, the event was emceed by Easter Grand Marshal X Tony Leggio and EGM VII Opal Masters. Top bid for the Blue Easter Basket Auction from Lord King XXVI Gary Vandeventer brought in $675, while Double Play's Chuck Turner's top bid of $225 brought home the Bronze Easter Egg, and Cutter's Mac McAll's top bid of $150 brought home the Tibet Necklace Shadowbox Auction. The once in a lifetime Man I Feel Like A Woman Put Rip in Drag Auction raised $1,092 with top bids of $80 for the dress from Gary Vandeventer, $65 for rouge from Alan Kelley, $125 for lip stick from Elizabeth Bouvier, $100 for eye lashes from Safonda Peters, $80 for earrings from Rhonda Roget, $170 for the wig from Food For Friends Director Glen Kahrman, $100 for the name of Miss Raunchy from Gene, $100 for the song Man I Feel Like a Woman from Dawn Leggio, $100 donation from Marty Curtin and Koo Gaffney, and $172 from stage performance tips. The event also raised $680 from door donations and $433 in stage performance tips. The only expense was $50 for the DJ. Special thanks to all of the performEGMs X Marcy Marcell & Tony Leggio ers who donated their time and talents (Photo: Larry Graham, including: EGMs X Tony Leggio, Marcy GrahamStudioOne.COM)

Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Pre-Memorial Day due out Tues., April 28 DEADLINE: Tuesday, April 21

inside

10th gay easter parade thank you chop chop/nola restaurant guide trodding the boards drag extravaganza paparazzi/nola purple party paparazzi/nola memorial weekend/pensacola the pink pastor celebrazzi red stick paparazzi/baton rouge classifieds

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hot tails of red stick/baton rouge allons acadiana/lafayette acadiana paparazzi/lafayette acadiana paparazzi/lafayette out & about in mobile mobile paparazzi ambush paparazzi/nola in the spotlight/glenn timpe ambush paparazzi/nola 38th southern decadence

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Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 828-A Bourbon St. • New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 • 504.522.8049 info@ambushmag.com Marcell, EGM VII Opal Masters, EGM III Teryl-Lynn Foxx, EGM I Marsha Naquin-Delain, KCQ XVI Tami Tarmac, Queen Amon Ra XLIV Rhonda Roget, Mr. and Miss LSGRA Denny Summors and Elizabeth Bouvier, Prom Queen Cathy Fox, and Athena Jewelle.

10th Purple Party Raises $4,311 for 10th Gay Easter Parade at The Double Play

he 10th Annual Purple Party: Official Easter Grand Marshals Reception, Buffet & Auction hosted by The Double Play brought in $4,311 for the 10th Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food For Friends. The event raised $3,711 plus $600 in sponsorships. Top bids in the auctions included $100 for the Inside Out Photo Book donated by FAB from Electra City and Tittie Toulouse, $350 for the Emerald Easter Egg from Chuck Turner, $250 for the Silver Comb & Hairpins Shadowbox from Hoyle Byrd, $225 for the Christopher Scott Brumfield Rabbit Sculpture from Franco Butirro, $700 for the 12 Person Wagon in the Easter Parade from Kurt Goodman donated by Lords of Leather, $600 for the Purple Easter Basket from Elizabeth Bouvier, $225 for the Emerald Easter Egg Re-Auction from Rhonda Roget totalling $2,450. Door donations brought in $495, raffles $424 and egg raffles $342 totalling $1,261. Sponsorships included $200 from Ron Dewhirst, $100 from Orlando Aloe/ Society Page, $100 from Charlie Hooper, $100 from Larry Miller and $100 from Lee Worrells. The only expense was $25 for the door person. The party honored Easter Grand Marshals (EGMs) X Tony Leggio and Marcy Marcell, and all past grand marshals. Past Grand Marshals include EGMs I Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, EGMs II Larry Bagneris and the late Miss Do Moreland, EGMs III Timm Holt and Teryl-Lynn Foxx, EGMs IV George Simons and Electra City, EGMs V Brett Messmer and Princesse Stephaney, EGMs VI James Swire and Lisa Beaumann, EGMs VII Doc Reed and Opal Masters, EGMs VIII Michael Elias and Tom "Rona" Conners, and EGMs IX Orlando Aloe and Safonda

Peters.

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THE OFFICIAL MAG

GulfSouthEntertainment/TravelGuideSince 1982 • Texas-Florida Official Gay Easter Parade Guide Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide Official Gay New Orleans Guide OfficialSouthernDecadenceGuide OFFICE/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 USA OFFICE HOURS: 10am-3pm Monday-Friday [Except Holidays] E-mail: marsha@ripandmarsha.com PHONE: 1.504.522.8049 • 1.504.522.8047 ANNUAL READERSHIP: 650,000+ in print/3.5 Million+ On-line NATIONAL CIRCULATION: USA... Alabama-Birmingham, Foley, Mobile Florida - Pensacola Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Shreveport, Slidell Mississippi - Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson Texas - Austin, Dallas, Houston

STAFF: PUBLISHER/EDITOR R. Rip Naquin-Delain, New Orleans PRODUCTION DIRECTOR M. Marsha Naquin-Delain, New Orleans GULF SOUTH/NEW ORLEANS AD SALES Rip Naquin-Delain • 504.522.8049 LESBIAN/POLITICAL ISSUES Toni J.P. Pizanie, New Orleans THEATRE/PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC Brian Sands, Patrick Shannon AD REPS/JOURNALISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Brad Benedict-Baton Rouge, LA Patrick Clinton-Lafayette, LA Rev. Clinton Crawshaw, Donnie Jay, Gary Glitter-New Orleans Bob Brunson, DJ Chromatic, David Long, Craig Powell, Leon Weekley-Mobile, AL Roy Williams-Pensacola, FL NATIONAL ADVERTISING REP Rivendell Media~212.242.6863 AMBUSH Mag is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush, Inc., R. Rip Naquin-Delain, President. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 4pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: marsha@ripandmarsha.com, except for special holidays. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual's name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual's sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc., appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of AMBUSH Mag. Subscription rate is $45 for 1/2 Year; $75 for 1 year. Sample Copy is $3 First Class Mail. ©1982-2009, AMBUSH, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS and PHOTOS. AMgrant - AMbush Advertising Grant Donation

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Special Thanks from 10th Gay Easter Parade Board

he Gay Easter Parade Board of Directors would like to express its thanks to all who supported and volunteered their time, talents and efforts to the fund-raisers, and especially to all of the sponsors of the 10th Gay Easter Parade. This year marked the largest number of sponsorships in the history of the parade. In the next edition of Ambush, the board will release the complete financial report on this year's parade and the total donation to Food For Friends. Please join in thanking the parade's sponsors including: Platinum ($1,000): Bobby Connell/ Phoenix, Harrah's H.E.R.O.'s (Harrah's Employees Reaching Out); Gold ($500): Lord King XXVI Gary Vandeventer & Lord Consort XXVI Bruce Orgeron, Krewe of Amon Ra, Jack Saucier & the late Glenn Timpe, In Memory of Steve Mettner, John Vignone & Paul Chiriaco/JohnPaul's, Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli; Silver ($250): 16th King Cake Queen Coronation/Tami Tarmac, EGM VIII Tom "Rona" Conners & Bob Boler, Stephen Murrell & Elizabeth Bouvier, David & Rhonda Roget, Krewe of Petronius, EGM IX Safonda Peters & Stuart Nettles, EGM VIII Michael Elias & Jay Sewell/ The Corner Pocket, Darwin Reed & EGM VII Opal Masters, Nick Olivares & Roy Smith, Wood Enterprises, FourPlay, Oz; Bronze ($100): Dawn C. Leggio, Jill E. Dolese, EGM X Tony Leggio, Michelle Calachino, Mike Cookmeyer & Matt Giglio/700 Club, NACE (National Association of Catering Executives), Bebe Scarpinato & Chris Linwood, Jay Cooper & Gizelle Bouvier, HENA (Hospitality Education & Networking Association), Dwain Hertz & Al Dugas, Thomas Schoonenberg, Nicole Dubois, French Quarter Festivals, Inc., Glenn O'Berry & Roger Copenhaver, EGM IX Orlando Aloe/Society Page, Ron Dewhirst, Charlie Hooper, Larry Miller, Lee Worrells, Mona Lisa Restaurant, King Satyricon IV Todd Blauvelt; and Venue/In-Kind: 4 Seasons, 700 Club, Billy’s, Double Play, JohnPaul’s, Starlight By The Park, GrahamStudioOne.COM, Mardi Gras Productions, Glazer’s Companies of Louisiana: Tito's Vodka & Barefoot Bubbly Wines. The Board of Directors of the Gay Easter Parade includes Electra City, Tom "Rona" Conners, Opal Masters, Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, and Tittie Toulouse. Visit GayEasterParade.COM.

French Quarter Fest April 17-19

he French Quarter Festival is April 17-19 and is a free wheeling and free sam-

pling of the city’s great musical traditions. The festival is a favorite with locals, who unknot their ties and kick off their heels to indulge in world-class music and food in the historic Vieux Carre. French Quarter Fest serves up 18 stages throughout the French Quarter featuring the best in traditional and contemporary jazz, rhythm & blues, Cajun, Zydeco, funk, and swing. Revelers should also plan attending Jackson Square, the Old US Mint, Woldenberg Riverfront Park’s funky picnic – the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch” with more than 60 booths dishing up food and drink from the city’s greatest restaurants. From Cajun meat pies and pork chops on sugarcane sticks, to gumbo and muffalettas, French Quarter Festival has authentic local fare right down to red beans and rice. For more information about the French Quarter Festival, call 504.522.5730 or visit FQFI.COM.

LSGRA Wacky Wagon Race April 18

SGRA is hosting its 2nd Annual Wacky Wagon Race Saturday, April 18. This year the grand raffle prize is a large screen LCD TV, and the 2nd place prize is 2 tickets to the LSGRA Rodeo Roadtrip on April 19. The Wacky Wagon Race is a fun way to raise community awareness for LSGRA, raise funds to help support the organization’s charities, its operations and enable LSGRA to produce the first IGRA sanctioned gay rodeo in Louisiana right here in New Orleans in March 2010. Mr. and Miss LSGRA 2009 Denny Summors and Elizabeth Bouvier will cheer on the teams. The race begins at 12noon at Napoleon's Itch. Lineup is at 11pm with a free BBQ at the Itch. The route includes: Good Friends, Rawhide, 700 Club, Starlight by the Park, Lafitte's, Tubby's Golden Lantern, Friendly Bar, Cutter's, Phoenix, and ends at JohnPauls announcing the winners.

Teams consist of four persons. Your team will need a four wheel wagon (build, borrow, buy). Wagons cannot be motorized or horse drawn. You and your team must push or pull the wagon through the French Quarter and Marigny. Wagons must be small enough to be wheeled down sidewalks. Teams will travel through the Quarter and Marigny making stops at designated “watering holes”. At each establishment, each team member must consume a drink, three of the four team members must have/finish an alcoholic beverage. One team member can be the “designated driver” and may purchase and consume a non-alcoholic beverage. Note that team members can purchase their own drinks or get someone to purchase them for them. However, the beverages must be consumed in that bar. Each establishment will have the team compete in some challenge. Once your team completes the challenge, you

receive a flag and then are on your way to the next watering hole. One team member must be in “cowgirl drag” consisting of hat, wig, dress, hose, shoes, lipstick and eye-shadow. To help raise money for LSGRA, team members will sell raffle tickets. Raffle drawings will be held once the race has ended. The team selling the most raffle tickets will receive $500 for the team to use as they see fit - a charity/organization fund-raiser or split the money between the team members. The team that wins the race/first to collect all challenge flags will receive a $250 cash prize. Contact President Lance Pippin 504.915.3339 for additional information.

LSGRA Angola Rodeo Road Trip April 19

he LSGRA Angola Rodeo Roadtrip III is set for Sunday, April 19. There are very limited seats still available. Included in the package is transportation to/from New Orleans to Angola on a Party Coach Bus, entry to the rodeo, dinner at the Roadside BBQ and lots of fun on the bus ride - all for $60. As in the past, alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase on the bus. Contact President Lance Pippin 504.915.3339 for tickets and information. 2009 LSGRA membership dues are also now due - $25 for full members, $15 for associate members and $150 for corporate members. To renew or become a member, get your form at LSGRA.COM.

Satyricon Presents Premiere of Varla Jean and the Mushroom Heads! April 23

he Mystic Krewe of Satyricon will present the opening night performance of Varla Jean and the Mushroom Heads!, Varla Jean Merman’s latest madcap cabaret act also starring Ricky Graham and Brooks Braselman, as a benefit for the carnival krewe, on Thursday, April 23, 8pm, at Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave. All tickets for this performance only are $30 and may be obtained by calling 504.525.4498. For all other performances, please call Le Chat Noir at 504.581.5812. Otherwise known as Jeff Roberson, Varl Jean’s new show will have musical accompaniment by Tom Shaw and is directed and choreographed by Donna Drake with costumes by Cecile Casey Covert.

Obama Administration Announces New Campaign to Refocus National Attention on the HIV Crisis

ashington - Every 9 ½ minutes another per son inAmerica becomes infected with HIV. Officials from the

White House, Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today a new five-year national communication campaign, Act Against AIDS, which highlights this alarming statistic and aims to combat complacency about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States. According to CDC data released last year, about 56,000 Americans become newly infected with HIV each year - significantly more than was previously known - and more than 14,000 people with AIDS die each year in the United States. “Act Against AIDS seeks to put the HIV crisis back on the national radar screen,” said Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. “Our goal is to remind Americans that HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious health threat in the United States and encourage them to get the facts they need to take action for themselves and their communities.” The campaign will feature public service announcements (PSAs) and online communications, as well as targeted messages and outreach to the populations most severely affected by HIV/AIDS, beginning withAfrican-Americans, with subsequent phases focusing on Latinos and other communities disproportionately impacted. To help achieve widespread use of the campaign messages within AfricanAmerican communities, the Obama Administration also announced today the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), a partnership with 14 of the nation’s leading African-American civic organizations to integrate HIV prevention into each organization’s outreach programs. To promote broad use of the campaign messages, CDC is also collaborating with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to focus on outreach and technical assistance to the media and the entertainment industry. The Act Against AIDS campaign will be supported by a CDC budget of roughly $45 million over the next five years, as well as the efforts of community, media and public health partners across the country to promote and utilize campaign materials and messages. The first phase of the Act Against AIDS campaign, called “9 ½ Minutes,” uses a series of video, audio, print and online materials to increase knowledge about the severity of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States. The campaign highlights the simple fact that every 9 ½ minutes someone in the United States becomes infected with HIV. The materials released today direct Americans to “get the facts” by going to the Web site www.NineAndaHalfMinutes.org as a first step toward learning how they [continued on 8]

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the "official" dish ...from 6 can help protect themselves and others. The site provides basic education about HIV/AIDS as well as referrals to HIV prevention and testing services and organizations throughout the nation. “Right here in the United States, every 9 ½ minutes someone’s brother, sister, best friend, father or mother becomes infected with HIV,” said Jeffrey Crowley, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. “Yet, research shows that many of those becoming infected do not recognize their risk. This is a major concern, because lack of knowledge contributes to increased risk behaviors.” The next phase to launch will focus on African-Americans, who, by far, bear the greatest burden of HIV in the United States. While accounting for just 12 percent of the U.S. population, blacks

represent roughly half of new HIV infections and AIDS deaths every year. Targeted communications to encourage increased HIV testing among the two groups of African-Americans most severely affected, gay or bisexual men and women, will begin shortly. Future phases of the Act Against AIDS campaign will focus on reaching specific populations at greatest risk with HIV prevention messages tailored to meet their unique needs including Latinos and other high risk groups. To encourage broad use of Act Against AIDS campaign materials and messages, CDC is partnering with the Kaiser Family Foundation - a leader in health policy and communications - to enlist widespread participation in the campaign from the media and entertainment industries. The initiative will establish a coalition of media partners who are committed to increasing knowl-

edge of HIV/AIDS in the United States. Industry partners will be encouraged to use the PSAs, and to undertake their own additional efforts. “The media and entertainment industries are powerful forces in breaking through complacency and focusing national attention on important issues,” said Drew E. Altman, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Kaiser is pleased to partner with the Obama Administration and the CDC to help build and sustain a coordinated national media response to HIV and AIDS in the United States with particular focus on the most impacted communities.” The Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) will work with leading organizations in multiple sectors of the black community - civic, business, media and education - to deliver campaign messages and conduct commu-

nity outreach activities. The initiative’s participants include: 100 Black Men of America, American Urban Radio Networks, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, National Action Network, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Coalition of 100 Black Women, National Council of Negro Women, National Medical Association, National Newspaper Publishers Association, National Organization of Black County Officials, National Urban League, Phi Beta Sigma and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. While many of the organizations funded today have long been committed to addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis among African-Americans, the new initiative will enable each organization to support a full-time HIV/AIDS coordinator to promote the use of the Act Against AIDS campaign materials and messages through the organizations’ national and local networks; enhance their HIV prevention activities; and collaborate with other AAALI partners, members of the African American faith community and the CDC. “Reducing the disproportionate toll of HIV in black communities is one of CDC’s top domestic HIV prevention priorities, and African-American leaders have long played an essential role in this fight,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP). “This new initiative will further harness the collective strength of some of the nation’s leading African-American organizations to reach directly into the communities they serve with critical, life-saving information.” The Act Against AIDS campaign is only one component of CDC’s HIV prevention efforts for African-American and other communities at risk, which include tracking the course of the HIV and AIDS crisis, conducting research to develop new HIV prevention approaches, expanding access to HIV testing and delivering proven prevention programs for those at greatest risk through its nationwide partnerships with state and local health departments and community-based organizations. For more information on Act Against AIDS campaign and partner activities, please visit www.aids.gov or www.cdc.gov/hiv/aaa. For information about 9 ½ minutes, visit www.NineAndaHalfMinutes.org.

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chop chop by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain www.ripandmarsha.com E-mail: info@ambushmag.com

New Orleans Restaurant Guide Bywater Restaurant, Deli & BBQ, 3162 Dauphine St., is noted for its gumbo, barbeque, pizza, sandwiches and specials serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours are 9am-9pm Mon.-Fri., and Sat. & Sun. Closed Wed. Call 944.4445 for additional info. MasterCard/Visa accepted. Cafe Amelie, 912 Royal St., offers romantic courtyard or indoor dining along with both eclectic culinary creations and drinks. Serving lunch and dinner, Wed.Sat. 11am-9pm, Sun. brunch 10am-3pm and special Lundi Gras opening 11am3pm.. Call 412.8965 for reservations or additional information. Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., is open 7 days and features breakfast including build your own omelettes. But let’s not forget their fab burgers grilled right under a hub cap and then there’s all those sandwiches, sides, desserts and shakes. Call 598.1010 or visit CloverGrill.COM. Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St. Under the new direction of Chef Coy LeBeau, he has taken attention to detail and ingredient, and focused on a more contemporary menu at an even more affordable price point. Still the best food, but at even more unbelievable value! Serving 7 days 11am-10pm 7 days and Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm. Visit TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM or call 945.0742 for more information. Krystal, 116 Bourbon at Canal, Open 24 hours, it's one of the best stops for fast food with tasty burgers, hot dogs and breakfast. Call 523.4030 for more info. Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, 95 French Market Place is famous for its wood fired gourmet pizzas, pastas, salads and appetizers. Open 7 days from 11am10pm, call 522.9500 or visit LouisianaPizzaKitchen.COM. Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., features Italian specialties including salads, pizzas, sandwiches and both lunch and dinner entrees. Lunch 11am-5pm Thurs.-Mon., Dinner 5pm-10pm 7 days. Call 522.6746 for info. Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St., was voted Restaurant/ Deli of the Year once again and is open 24 hours 7 days. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the deli offers free delivery. Call 529.1416 to order.

Special Combo Pizza (pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, onions, mushrooms, green peppers & black olives with jalapenos & anchovies optional) at Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St.

New Orleans Muffuletta (generous helping of ham, salami, provolone and olive salad) at Restaurant/Deli of the Year Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St.

Eggplant Crab Benedict (fried eggplant topped with crabmeat, poached egg & hollandaise) on the weekend brunch menu at Bywater Restaurant, Deli & BBQ, 3162 Dauphine St.

(left) Blackened Ribeye with pecan butter, corn pudding & black-eyed peas at The Country Club, 634 Louisa St.

(right) Roasted "Maple Farms" Duck Breast with a warm orange vinaigrette over mashed potatoes and haricots verts at Cafe Amelie, 912 Royal St.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta (jumbo shrimp with garlic butter sauce over angel hair pasta) at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, 95 French Market Place

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trodding the boards by Patrick Shannon, III E-mail: nedcat@earthlink.net

Carmen

(Carmen), Sarah Jane McMahon (Micaela), and Mark Schanible (Escamillo). Rinat Shaman was a seductive almost trashy Carmen; and her mezzo soprano voice was lovely smooth as thick velvet and well centered. Mark Schnaible’s voice was good but weak. He seldom rose above the orchestral sound. Fernando de la Mora was a handsome military officer. Good stage presence and strong vocalizations. The favorite of the evening was our own local lady, Sarah Jane McMahon who played Micaela with great stage presence and a strong and well center voice. Many other locals performed the gloriCarmen (Photo: Janet Wilson, New Orleans Opera) ous chorus directed In this ever popular opera verite, the by Carol Rausch; but I only recognized lead roles were performed by Fernando Steve Kubick who played butch roles for de la Mora (Don Jose), Rinat Shaham a change, a flirtatious army officer in Act I and a strong-arm gypsy in Act II. Gorgeous sets were by Paul Shortt, originally done for the Cincinnati Opera. Wonderful lighting was by Don Darnutzer; colorful costumes were from the Cincinnati Opera company, and David Morelock, in his last opera staging, created the visually stunning tableaux. Carol Raush did a wonderful job with the chorus. She always alway does just that. This whole joyful sensuous opera was directed with a careful mastery by Robert Lyall, who did his job before a full and appreciative house.

igh culture and soaring voices were seen and heard at the recent performance of Georges Bizet’s opera Carman presented by the New Orleans Opera Company and the Freeport McMoRan Foundation at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.

Songs for a New World

rannie Rosenberg did a fantastic job of directing Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World which graced the stage of Le Chat Noir this March. I’m not sure if there was meant to be any plot or a connecting dramatic theme to this show, but the twenty songs sung by eight

Songs for a New World (Photo: Jeremy Blume)

highly talented actor/vocalists of out town was a vocal and visual triumph. Ms. Rosenberg kept her performers in white cottony costumes and had them do some fancy footwork/choreography all of which this reviewer found inspired and lovely. I guess this show was meant to expose audiences to the potential abilities of the book/composer’s music more than his ability to write a musical drama or play; and I thought it did that exceptionally well. High praise goes to Musical Director Natalie Turner, Director and Choreographer Frannie Rosenberg and to the brilliant small band of musicians, with pristine lighting by Su Gonczy and the sound operation Thad Griffin, and to the entire excellent cast of great voices: Christopher Bentivegna, Katie Coplen, John Giraud, Philip Gordon, Lisa Picone, Meghan Shea, Jeffrey Springman, and Meredith Long.

Simply Barbara

teven Brinberg is a friend from New York. He is also, in his oneman show, a perfect clone of Barbara Streisand. Recently Mr. Brinberg did his remarkable impersonation of La Streisand at Voila, a large sports bar/cabaret at 300 Decatur Street. His every hand motion, facial construct, vocalization WAS B. STREISAND.

And his voice it’s as if he is channeling La Streisand from the Broadway-Hollywood-spirit world; the vocal intonations and clear bell tones with just that touch of the nasal from the real La Streisand is PERFECT. (Adding to this perfection are subtle comedic dead pan references to her legend.) And when he sings a duet with himself and his alter ego/male persona he tops any thing I have ever seen in the world of theatrical impersonation. Brava/bravo Mr. Briberg for BECOMING La Streisand here and around the world. And your own voice is a remarkable instrument too. What an amazing one man act!! You can hear him and see him at www.simplybarbara.com. Amaze yourself...

Sick

ick a fascinating play by Zayd Dorhn about a family of germaphobes who lock themselves up in their ever-cleaned, disinfected and filtered apartment. (This

Sick (Photo: John Barrios)

dark comedy was staged recently at Southern Rep, and directed with a well focused vision and a steady hand by Amiee Hayes. Once again Ms. Hayes guided her cast in a smooth au courante play with high production values and a cast of excellent actors.) Only the father of this family, Sidney, played with great flair by Bob Edes, Jr., ever leaves the sterile apartment to go out into the world. One day he brings home a [continued on 14]

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trodding the boards ...from 12 student, Jim, who sets the action of the play into motion when he meets the daughter, Sarah. Jim was played by Sean Glazebrook with an intensity of charm; and Sarah was played by Jessica Lewis with precision and depth. Maxine, the overly germ conscious

mother was played by Liann Pattison with tight professionalism. Davey, was done with acute believability and cunning by Andrew Farrier. This cast held the audience mesmerized as they acted out their roles upon a clever set by James K. Faerron, with lighting by Drew Yerys, sound by Eric Shim and costumes by Kelly James-

Penot. Once again Southern Rep brought to life another cutting edge play with a high quality production. High praise to every one involved in this professional interpretation of Mr. Dorhn’s play Sick.

Marie

legance and lyrical beauty were seen and enjoyed by a full house of ballet lovers when the New Orleans Ballet Company (NOBA) presented the Houston Ballet company in a local premiere of the new ballet choreographed by Stanton Welch inspired by the tragic life of Marie Antoinette who at age 14 in 1770 was sent to France to become the bride of the equally naive and young Louis Auguste the 14 year old Dauphin of France. The ballet in several scenes does not shy away from suggesting that neither of the two Royal teenagers knew anything about sex. As depicted in several pas de deux of tender and delicate beauty between the principals, Mirelle Hassenboehier (Marie) and Ian Casady (Dauphine Louis August) they slowly become familiar with each other and discover love it is presumed. Set in the gold gilt and rococo court of Louis IV, the Sun King, the various sets and costumes by Kandis Cook were glorious and suggested the opulence and gaudiness of Versailles. Mr. Welch utilized the various and difficult classical ballet steps blended with unbroken lines with some more modern concepts. It was such a pleasure to see the classical ballet on stage again danced to the music of Dimitri Shostakovich played by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of David Briskin who led the orchestra with a dignified and sensitive understanding. Lisa J. Pinkham’s lighting design was dramatic and increased the high quality and beauty of the entire evening of seemingly floating dancers and technical expertise of everyone involved. Space does not permit me to mention the entire cast of this magnificent company each of whom exemplified the highly disciplined and dedicated danseurs required for such a large and artful enterprise. It was an evening of inspiration and great art.

Scandalous! The Musical Based on the Life of D. H. Lawrence

resented on stage by the Jefferson Performing Arts Center for a four day run was a remarkably unique musical theater staging about the life of D. H. Lawrence. Glyn Bailey wrote the music and worked on the book with Keith Thomas and Theasa Touhy. The music was soaring and quite lovely in part but mostly quite repetitious. The lyrics written by Mr. Bailey were distractingly sophomoric and did not work with the subject matter. The orchestrations by Ricki Holmes were lush and lovely but how much of this kind of sound can one enjoy? It was a long show and should be tightened. Stephen Duckham directed and the wonderful Lynne Lawrence did some clever choreography. Glyn Bailey was also the Musical Director and our own Dennis Assaf did a great job directing the JPAS Pit Orchestra. The performances were splendid with the handsome Bart Shatto playing D. H. Lawrence and Lindsay Hamilton playing his wife Freida von Richthofen. Great voices and stage presence. Our own Vatican Lokey had bit parts as two snobbish Englishmen, Arthur Lawrence and John Galsworthy, which he did with great snobbishness and well. The large cast for this very big production was too numerous to name and even though this was a thoroughly professional company, I was never truly engaged. Perhaps the subject matter is to unique for a pop musical and could be better done as a grand opera. Sex after all can be quite operatic for many. And sex was what D.H. Lawrence was all about. And he does die at the end but rises from his death bed to sing again, strongly and well and long.

Indecent Proposals

ctor’s Theatre of New Orleans had another top notch winning play on the boards with its production of Scott Woldman’s play Indecent Proposals. The show consists of a eleven vignettes [continued on 16]

14 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

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22 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

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the pink pastor by Rev. Clinton Crawshaw, 504.214.4340 E-mail: pastor@bigeasymcc.com www.bigeasymcc.com www.thebigeasymccblog.blogspot.com

Does the Bible have anything to say to Christians about homosexuality? PART I [I thought I would reproduce here part of a piece I wrote for our new website (out soon!) as it is the most common subject that I am asked about as a pastor] have decided not to call my little piece Homosexuality and The Bible because this assumes a common set of assumptions about what we call homosexuality. It assumes that the various people whose writings and written speech went to make up what we call the Bible would share a concept that could be translated from Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic into homosexuality. Firstly let us ask what it means to be a Christian. This is not as simple as it sounds – from the point of view of scripture I would suggest it is an acceptance of the primacy of Christ, that we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ above all other human wisdom, and hold that same Jesus of Nazareth to have been the wellspring of Divine Wisdom – in a very real sense, the Son of God. Further, we accept that Jesus of Nazareth to have been very God and very man; that is truly divine yet truly and fully human. This means that we must always look to The Gospels and possible personal revelation as to the nature of Jesus and his teaching over and above any other utterance if that utterance contradicts the core and undeniable teaching of Jesus Christ – the one we follow. Although it is uncomfortable for many to accept, there are numerous parts of Holy Scripture that stand in direct ‘literal’ defiance of Christ – but if not read literally, but as part of the gradual unfurling of Israel’s love affair with The Creator then we see instead the struggle of dozens, or hundreds of Godloving people to understand where their lives best lead to that same God. Like all of us they frequently stumbled, and there is selfishness and politics in The Bible as much as in the modern church. We read of genocide and incest; appalling violence and cruelty - infanticide and forced marriage, slavery, polygamy and murder as all having divine sanction in the Old Testament. In The New Testament we read that women are to be submissive and slaves are to obey their masters – we read that marriage is a second best to celibacy and that the world should have ended nearly two thousand years ago. All that I have just written, while being in The Bible does not define the Bible – the core message that runs through The Bible is best summed up by the Hebrew word Hesed – meaning lovingkindness. This lovingkindness finds it glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and of course, Jesus’ teaching flatly contradicts the human brokenness that led to all those horrors our ancestors in the faith tried to cover with the pall of religious respectability. In truth they were then what they are now – examples of bankrupt and broken behavior that leads away from the bosom of the loving, compassionate God who created us all and hates nothing thus created. God calls us to be whole human beings – to offer ourselves up for startling transformation, not to suppress ourselves into bitterness and spiritual deformity. Already, I hope that we glimpse that the message The Bible has regarding LGBT Christians is much the same as the message it has for Heterosexual Christians! We are called to an ever more loving and compassionate way of living – of great personal responsibility but also great understanding for human weakness. We are called for honesty as we serve the God of truth, and not for blindly pretending A is B just because it doesn’t fit in with our world view. Homosexuality, just like race and left handedness is a ‘pre moral’ condition outside of human free will. It is subject to the same biblical injunction that leads to light, compassion and love as is every other aspect of the human condition. The

way we behave as homosexuals, or people of color, or left handed people is subject to the same call to love as it is for everyone else – within the obvious constraints of our orientation, color or left handedness! In order to love and cleave ever closer to God in growth and responsibility it is not necessary to either pretend or seek to be straight, to plaster oneself in white pancake or attempt to write with one’s right hand. When Jesus said ‘love one another as I have loved you’ we are forced to concede that such love is difficult, unconditional and seeks to convert by example - by sheer glory of existence rather than browbeat with crude ‘one size fits all’ morality. In some ways it is hardly necessary to visit the various passages that people have identified as condemning homosexual orientation, because as none of them came from the lips of Christ, we may be content to offer the entire person, teaching, death and resurrection of Christ as direct contradiction to an approach that seeks to leave a sizable portion of humanity as either damned or doomed to leave a lonely life without hope of marriage and companionship. However, it just so happens that I don’t accept that these passages speak to what we know of as an inherent orientation to love those of the same sex. I say love deliberately, because sex is here rather a red herring. In the grand scheme of things, heterosexual-

ity is a tendency and orientation to form relationships with the opposite sex, whilst homosexuality is a tendency top form relationships, and indeed to fall in love with the same sex. This is what truly defines the issue – both straight folk may on occasion and under certain circumstances have sexual contact with the same sex and vise versa, this does not define them – it is their loving relationships that define them over and above mere physicality. The existence of heterosexual rapists, polygamists, and widespread adultery divorce and promiscuity no more renders heterosexuality as a whole immoral that does the same patterns of behavior amongst homosexuals. What is more to the point is the need to find condemnation of healthy, loving, mutually chosen homosexual relationships within the pages of The Bible, not unhealthy and unhelpful patterns, otherwise all that is being denounced are those unhealthy and unhelpful patterns, NOT an entire orientation. Look out for part 2 next issue. Rev. Clinton Crawshaw is the fulltime pastor of The Big Easy MCC. They meet every Sunday at 5pm, for full details of Christian Education classes, social functions and events, and also to check out online sermons, go to www.bigeasymcc.com. Tel: 504.214.4340 to speak to the pastor or e-mail at revcrawshaw@yahoo.com.

24 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

aster Grand Marshals joined the 8th Super Star Studded Drag Extravaganza & Auction which raised $3,255 for the 10th Gay Easter Parade at JohnPaul’s in New Orleans. Funds were raised through five auctions, stage performance tips and door donations. The parade minus expenses benefits Food For Friends. Visit GayEasterParade.COM for more information. (Photo: EGM VII Opal Masters, EGM X Marcy Marcell, EGM VIII Michael Elias, EGM IV Electra City, EGM I Marsha Naquin-Delain, EGM X Tony Leggio, EGMs IX Orlando Aloe & Safonda Peters, and EGM III Teryl-Lynn Foxx)

he Man I Feel Like A Woman Put Rip in Drag Auction brought in $1,092 for the 8th Super Star Studded Drag Extravaganza & Auction at JohnPaul’s in New Orleans. Nicole Dubois assisted in creating the finished product, while Gary Vandeventer put on the dress, Rhonda Roget put on the earrings, Gene named the new diva Miss Raunchy, the finished product Miss Raunchy, Dawn Leggio paid for the Man I Feel Like A Woman song performance, Food For Friends’ Glen Kahrman put on the wig, Easter Grand Marshal IX Safonda Peters put on the eyelashes, Jeff Mallon (aka Elizabeth Bouvier) put on the lip stick, and Alan Kelley put on the rouge. Cutter’s Mac McAll was top bidder for the Tibet Necklace Shadowbox Auction.

o-Emcee/Easter Grand Marshal VII Opal Masters, Queen Amon Ra XLIV Rhonda Roget, King Cake Queen XVI Tami Tarmac, Miss LSGRA and Entertainer of the Year Elizabeth Bouvier, Easter Grand Marchals I Marsha and Rip Naquin-Delain, Prom Queen Cathy Fox and CoEmcee/Easter Grand Marshal X Tony Leggio were just some of the stars lending their talents to the 8th Super Star Studded Drag Extravaganza & Auction at JohnPaul’s in New Orleans. Other stars not pictured included Easter Grand Marshal III Teryl-Lynn Foxx, Mr. LSGRA Denny Summors and Athena Jewelle.

aster Grand Marshals X Marcy Marcell and Tony Leggio received their official EGM X pins from outgoing EGMs IX Safonda Peters and Orlando Aloe at the 10th Purple Party Easter Grand Marshals Reception & Auction hosted by The Double Play in New Orleans. The event raised a whopping $4,311for the 10th Gay Easter Parade. Seven auctions, raffles, egg raffles and door donations brought in $3,711 with another $600 in sponsorships. (Photo: EGM IX Safonda Peters, EGM X Marcy Marcell, Double Play proprietor Chuck Turner, EGM X Tony Leggio & EGM IX Orlando Aloe)

celebrazzi (celebrations-paparazzi)

he Board of Directors of the Gay Easter Parade joined Easter Grand Marshals X Marcy Marcell and Tony Leggio to celebrate at the 10th Purple Party Easter Grand Marshals Reception & Auction hosted by The Double Play in New Orleans. The board thanked all who have made this year’s Easter Parade the huge success it is benefiting Food For Friends, a vital service of the NO/AIDS Task Force. (Photo: Tittie Toulouse, Electra City, Easter Grand Marshals X Marcy Marcell & Tony Leggio, Opal Masters, Tom “Rona” Conners, Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain)

ack Saucier hosted the fabulous A Gift of Love from the Late Glenn Timpe for his Family & Friends for his late partner at JohnPaul’s in New Orleans. It included a massive buffet catered by Bywater Restaurant, Deli & BBQ, a moving show featuring Teryl-Lynn Foxx, Marcy Marcell and Rusty LaRoux doing performances chosen by Glenn, culminating with a second line celebration led by Marcy Marcell and the 3rd Line Brass Band. Yellow was Glenn’s favorite color so the umbrellas for the second line were either yellow or trimmed in yellow and throughout the club were hundreds of beautiful flowers. What a send off!

ood Friends manager Neel joins the newly crowned Miss Trailer Park, Screw Driver, along with emcee Ama Rosa following stiff competition for the coveted 15th Annual Trailer Park Beauty Pageant hosted at Good Friends Bar in New Orleans. Contestants were judged in Evening Wear, Swim Wear and Talent. 1st Runner-Up was Cherry Farm, 2nd Runner-Up was Cleary & Wisner Avenue (the Siamese Twins), and 3rd Runner-Up was Ursuline Burgundy.

he 10th Purple Party Easter Grand Marshals Reception & Auction brought Easter Grand Marshals I Marsha Naquin-Delain, IV Electra City, V Princesse Stephaney, X Marcy Marcell, X Tony Leggio, VII Opal Masters, VIII Rona Conners and IX Safonda Peters together to toast the whopping $4,311 raised at the event for the 10th Gay Easter Parade.

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 25

trodding the boards ...from 14 about the reactions of men and women to various types of marriage proposals, most of which are comedic and one of two of which are heart breaking. At first the vignettes seem to be separate sketches about the subject, but the author cleverly weaves them into a de-

worked together often enough to have become a very able and highly commendable ensemble company. This is especially evident in this play that has no set other than chairs and tables which makes the play especially dependent upon the ability of the actors to perform their roles with near perfection

The Glass Menagerie (Photo: Glenn Meche)

Indecent Proposals

nouement that makes them all pieces of a satisfying whole. The performances of the actors also add up to a very satisfying whole. This group of players mostly seen on the stage of Actor’s Theatre of N. O. has

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to create the hilarious world of the playwright’s imagination. This they do without exception with excellent timing and self confident skill enthralling the audience from beginning to end. Playing the various roles are Terence Foster, Krista Schafer, Kevin Songy, Jen Allison, Erin Frederic, and Robert Facio. These actors create a charming, delightful and thoughtful evening of good theater well worth a visit to their venue. They were superb and the production as a whole is a wonder of chic self confidence. Actor’s Theatre of New Orleans just gets better and better. Indecent Proposals is as good or better than many an off Broadway NYC production I’ve seen; high praise goes to everyone involved.

imagined soil of her own mind and determination... she changed her from a spindly little bush with one anxious azalea blossom past its prime into an iron camellia growing from an evergreen plant strongly rooted in her hopes and dreams. Ms. Owen was a refreshing and more realistically realized Amanda, a mother who was determined to get her fragile daughter a husband. It was a bravura display of acting keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Brava Lyla Hay Owen who was brave enough to change Amanda from a shrinking violet into an iron camellia and do it without sacrificing feminine grace and charm.

And bravissimo to the rest of this all star cast: Keith Launey who seems to have a natural instinct for the art of acting and who did a heart breaking interpretation of the son, Tom Wingfield; and ditto for the beautiful Liz Mills who was an outstanding Laura Wingfield. Leon Contravesprie made for a handsome, hearty but sensitive gentleman caller, Jim O’Conner. Glenn Meche both directed and did the workable sets. This production was stunningly beautiful. There was not a dry eye in the audience as the play ended. What an elegant kind of cathartic experience this Glass Menagerie turned out to be!

The Glass Menagerie “There’s such a high price for negligence in this world.” (T. Williams, Glass Menagerie, Amanda) ecently To Do Productions presented a very splendid interpretation of T. Williams’ lyrical and lovely play The Glass Menagerie at Theatre Marigny. Glenn Meche directed a very moving production with an all star cast, including one of our own top talents, Lyla Hay Owen, in the starring role of the neurasthenic and opportunistically self-deluded mother, Amanda Wingfield. Ms. Owen created a completely unique and earth bound Amanda very different from the ones I have seen on stage several times in other productions. Instead of a totally deluded T. Williams’ heroine, all flighty and fluffy in filmy flowered dresses, Ms. Owen took the character with both hands like a dying azalea bush, cut and slashed her weaker parts away and planted her with deep demanding roots in the richly

The Glass Menagerie (Photo: Glenn Meche)

16 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

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Easter Grand Marshal III Teryl-Lynn Foxx Prom Queen Cathy Fox

EGM IX Safonda Peters’ top bid put on the eyelashes in the “Put Rip in Drag Auction”

snap paparazzi

Co-Emcee & Easter Grand Marshal VII Opal Masters

Easter Grand Marshal X Marcy Marcell Athena Jewelle Rhonda Roget’s top bid put on the earrings in the “Put Rip in Drag Auction”

Co-Emcee & Easter Grand Marshal X Tony Leggio Queen Amon Ra XLIV Rhonda Roget

Gary Vandeventer’s top bid puts on the dress in the “Put Rip in Drag Auction”

Alan Kelley’s top bid applies rouge in the “Put Rip in Drag Auction” Mr. LSGRA Denny Summors

Food For Friends Director Glen Kahrman’s top bid puts on the wig with the help of Mr. Nicole Dubois in the “Put Rip in Drag Auction”

Gene’s top bid names the new drag Miss Raunchy

Miss LSGRA & Entertainer of the Year Elizabeth Bouvier

Easter Grand Marshal I Marsha Naquin-Delain

King Cake Queen XVI Tami Tarmac

Jeff’s (aka Elizabeth Bouvier) top bid put on lip stick in the “Put Rip in Drag Auction”

Dawn Leggio’s (Tony’s Mom) top bid kicked off the performance with “Man I Feel Like A Woman”

18 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

8th Super Star Studded Drag Extravaganza raises $3,255 for 10th Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food For Friends at JohnPaul’s ~ New Orleans

Queen Satyricon VII Wedon Brown, Queen Amon Ra XLIV Rhonda Roget, Lord King XXVI Gary Vandeventer, Lord Consort XXVI Bruce Orgeron & King Cake Queen XVI Tami Tarmac

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 19

Silver Sponsors Darwin Reed & EGM VII Opal Masters

Bronze Sponsor 700 Club’s Mike Cookmeyer & EGM I Marsha Naquin-Delain

EGM X Tony Leggio & EGM VI Lisa Beaumann

Presenting Sponsors’ Queen Fashions’ Electra City & Tittie Toulouse

Petunias’ Hoyle Byrd & Silver Sponsor/ EGM VIII Rona Conners EGM V Princesse Stephaney & Bronze Sponsor Dawn Leggio (Tony’s Mom)

Gold Sponsors Lord Consort & Lord King XXVI Bruce Orgeron & Gary Vandeventer

Kajun’s Pub’s Joann & Lisa Silver Sponsors Roy Smith & King Amon Ra XLIV Nick Olivares Bronze Sponsor Society Page’s/EGM IX Orlando Aloe & Joe Truxillo

Gold Sponsors JohnPaul’s John Vignone & Paul Chiriaco

Silver Sponsor Jeff Mallon (aka Elizabeth Bouvier) & EGM X Marcy Marcell Bronze Sponsors Glenn O’Berry & Roger Copenhaver

4 Seasons’ Chuck doing the egg raffles while Brad (not pictured) did the regular raffle sales

snap paparazzi

Silver Sponsors EGM IX Safonda Peters & Stuart Nettles

Silver Sponsors Queen Amon Ra XLIV Rhonda & David Roget

Bronze Sponsor Thomas Schoonenberg & EGM X Tony Leggio

EGM I Marsha Naquin-Delain, Petunias’ Chef Jay Loomis & EGM X Marcy Marcell

20 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

10th Purple Party Easter Grand Marshals Reception raises $4,311 for 10th Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food For Friends at The Double Play ~ New Orleans

Easter Grand Marshals X Tony Leggio & Marcy Marcell

NO/AIDS Task Force Exe. Dir. Noel Twilbeck, EGM I Marsha Naquin-Delain & Food For Friends Dir. Glen Kahrman

red stick paparazzi

Chansley on the bar

Danny at Splash

Shelby and Luther

Andy and Ronnie

Having fun at George’s

Entertaining at George’s

Shelby strikes a pose Hound Dogs’ Johnny

Raymond and Chris

Nicky (aka Nicole Foxx)

Out for a night on the town

Damon at his library dedication

Adorable Andy, Richard and Ronnie

Splash bartender Brad

Karaoke time at George’s

Playing pool at George’s

Ty and Stephen at Splash

Erik at a recent parade

Richard with Belinda

26 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

Entertaining, Dedications, Playing ~ Baton Rouge, Louisiana ~ Photos by Brad Benedict

Cody and Richard

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 27

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circuit/events

groceries/delis

May 22-25, 2009, Memorial Day Weekend, Pensacola, FL, sponsored by Ambush, GayPensacola.COM June 4-7, 2009, One Mighty Weekend, Gay Day Weekend at Disney sponsored by Ambush, OneMightyWeekend.COM Sept. 2-7, 2008, 38th Official Southern Decadence-A Celebration of Gay Life, Music & Culture, end of Summer Blowout including the Southern Decadence Parade & loads of activities, bringing over 125,000 revelers to New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush & SouthernDecadence.COM Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2009, Halloween 26, benefiting Project Lazarus, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by AmbushMag.COM, halloweenneworleans.com Dec. 30, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010, Gay New

New Orleans, LA [504] QUARTERMASTER DELI, THE NELLIE DELI, 1100 Bourbon, 529.1416 VERTI MART, 1201 Royal St., 525.4767

New Orleans, LA [504] THE GAR WILLIAMS SHOW, Every Wed. &Sat., 8:30am & 8:30pm, Access Television Channel 78

casinos New Orleans, LA [504] HARRAHS NEW ORLEANS, Canal at the River, 800.HARRAHS

chiropractic

hair salons New Orleans, LA [504] BOBBY BLUE CONTEMPORARY BARBER & BEAUTY PARLOR, 906 Bourbon St., 527.5100 HEAD QUARTERS HAIR SALON, 900 Dauphine St., 522.2666 MICKEY NOLAN'S SALON, 815 Toulouse St., 587.7782 SALON D'MALTA, 1233 Decatur St., 565.5555

28 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

laundries New Orleans, LA [504] RALPH'S QUARTER LAUNDERETTE & DRY CLEANING, 1101 Bourbon St., 522.9274 WASHING WELL LaunDRYteria since 1949, City Wide Pick-up, Fluff Dry or Finished, 1 Hour Service, 841 Bourbon St., 523.9955 or 525.3983 [is709]

lodging/accommodations New Orleans [504] BURGUNDY BED AND BREAKFAST, 2513 Burgundy St., New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE/ FAX: 504.942.1463, Toll Free (Continental US only): 1.800.970.2153, theburgundy.com, Email us at theburgundy@cox.net. Gay owned and operated in newly renovated 1890's double. Four guest rooms with private baths, guests' parlor and "half-kitchen", courtyard and halfopen tubhouse with spa (hot tub/whirlpool). Clothing optional in sunbathing and hot tub area. Walking distance to French Quarter. Immediate vicinity of gay and lesbian bars/venues. [is809] CRESCENT PALMS MOTEL, 3923 Martin Luther King Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70125; PHONE: 504.821.7773, FAX: 504.267.7366, CrescentPalmsMotel.COM, E-mail us at crescentpalmsmotel@yahoo.com. The Crescent Palms Motel is located in the heart of New Orleans, minutes from the French Quarter and other famous attractions. Our newly renovated, vintage motel offers 24 spacious guest rooms, large bathrooms, ample closet space, a cocktail lounge and complimentary off-street parking. Each room features two brand new double beds, complimentary high-speed wireless internet, a refrigerator and more. Please come visit soon! [is1109] MARIGNY MANOR HOUSE, 2125 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA 70116, PHONE: 504.943.7826, Toll Free: 877.247.7599, marignymanorhouse.com, E-mail us at info@MarignyManorHouse.COM. 1840’s Grand Greek Revival guest house, large spacious bedrooms, private baths, antique 4 poster queen beds, wireless internet access, tv/vcr/dvd/ cable, telephone, complimentary continental breakfast and off street parking. [is0110] BON MAISON GUEST HOUSE, 835 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504.561.8498 BOURGOYNE GUEST HOUSE, 839 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504.524.3621

massage New Orleans, LA [504] RIGHT TOUCH MASSAGE -- Christopher - Full body therapeutic massage; heated table; private studio; tropical garden; Faubourg Marigny Area, French Quarter. Upgrade (Salt Scrubs Bodywork). Call 504.458.5996 / website www.righttouchnola.com for pictures, location & special. License #LA4553 [is1509]

media New Orleans, LA [504] AMBUSH Mag, Official Gay Easter Guide, Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide, Official Gay New Orleans Guide, Official Gulf South Guide, Official Southern Decadence Guide, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; email: info@

ambushmag.com AMBUSHonLINE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8047, ambushonline.com, email: info@ambushonline.com

models/escorts New Orleans, LA [504] MIKEY/NUMBER 1 MALE ESCORT IN NOLA-hot, cute muscle stud, pics at m4rn.com, ID #190508, friendly & discreet. In/Out/Hotels. Body rubs & 4 hands avail. 7 days, 6am-11pm. 504.756.9443 [is809]

museum/arts Baton Rouge, LA [225] LOUISIANAARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER / RIVERSIDE MUSEUM, 100 S. River Road, 344.5272 LOUISIANA GOVERNOR'S MANSION, 1001 Capitol Access Rd., 342.5855 LOUISIANA STATEARCHIVES, 3851 Essen Ln. LOUISIANA STATE CAPITOL, State Capitol Dr. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HILLTOP ARBORETUM, 11855 Highland Rd., 767.6916 LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY RURAL LIFE MUSEUM, I-10 at Essen Lane, 765.2437 LSU MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE and MUSEUM OF GEOSCIENCE, LSU Campus, 388.2855 MAGNOLIA MOUND PLANTATION, 2161 Nicholson Dr., 343.4955 OLD ARSENAL MUSEUM, State Capitol Complex, 342.0401 OLD BOGAN FIRE STATION, 427 Laurel St., 344.8558 OLD GOVERNOR'S MANSION, 502 North Blvd., 344.5272 OLD PENTAGON BARRACKS, State Capitol Dr. at River Road, 342.1866 OLD STATE CAPITOL, 100 North Blvd. at River Road, 342.0500 or 342.4479 USS KIDD/NAUTICAL HISTORICAL CENTER, Government St. at River Rd., 342.1942 New Orleans, LA [504] BEAUREGARD-KEYES HOUSE, 1113 Chartres, 523.7257, Mon-Sat 10am-3pm CABILDO, 701 Chartres, Jackson Square, Tues-Sun 10am-5pm CAC [Contemporary Arts Center], 900 Camp St., 528.3805, cacno.org 1850 HOUSE, 523 St. Ann, Tues-Sun 10am-5pm GALLIER HOUSE, 1132 Royal, 523.6722, Mon-Fri 10am-3:30pm GERMAINEWELLSMARDIGRASMUSEUM, 2nd Floor Arnaud's, 819 Bienville HERMANN-GRIMA HISTORIC HOUSE, 820 St. Louis, 525.5661, Mon-Fri 10am-3:30pm HISTORICAL PHARMACY MUSEUM, 514 Chartres, 524.9077, Daily 10am-5:30pm HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, 533 Royal, 523.4662, Tues-Sat 10am-4:45pm LONGUE VUE HOUSE AND GARDENS, 7 Bamboo Rd, Metairie, 488.5488, Mon-Sat 10am4:30pm, Sun 1-5pm MUSEECONTIHISTORICALWAXMUSEUM, 917 Conti, 525.2605, Daily 10am-5:30pm NATIONAL D-DAY MUSEUM, 945 Magazine, 527.6012 NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART, City Park, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, 488.2631, Tues-Sun 10am-5pm

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 29

OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERNART, 925 Camp St., 539.9600 OLD U.S. MINT, 400 Esplanade, Tues-Sun 10am-5pm PRESBYTERE, 751 Chartres, Jackson Square, Tues-Sun 10am-5pm ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL, Jackson Square, Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1:30-5pm

music New Orleans [504] SKULLY'Z RECORDZ, 907 Bourbon St.

organizations Mobile, AL ALABAMA PRIDE FEST, MobileAlabamaPride.COM AQUA, THE PARTY, PO Box 145, Mobile, AL 36601, TheAquaParty.COM BAY AREA INCLUSION, BayAreaInclusion.ORG FUSION, MobileFusion.ORG GULF COAST BEARS & LEATHER ASSOCIATION, b-bobs.com/gcbla.htm THE SOUTHERN RENEGADES, a Levi/ Leather Club, southernrenegades.com Pensacola, FL [850] APPETITE FOR LIFE, INC., provides 2 nutritionally balanced meals a day-lunch & dinner, for some 60 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, 1842 West Cervantes St.; Mail: P.O. Box 308, 32592-0308; 470.9111, Fax: 470.0201, gaypensacola.com/appforlife GULF COAST TIDE, INC. w w w . G u l f C o a s t T I D E . o r g ; info@GulfCoastTIDE.org Alexandria, LA [318] CLASS [Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services], 103 Bolton Ave., 71301; 1.800.444.7993, 442. 1 0 1 0, FAX: 443.5216 Baton Rouge, LA [225] HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two), 4550 North Blvd., #250, 927.1269, Fax: 927.7367, haartinc.org, haartinc@aol.com GBLSU [Gays, Bisexuals, Lesbians & Supporters United], glsapres@unixl.sncc. Isu.edu, Kristy Price, President, 388.5160 KREWE OF APOLLO / BATON ROUGE, PO Box 3591, 70821; kreweapollobr.org KREWE OF DIVAS, kreweofdivas.com, 343.0380 LAMBDA GROUP, 2937 Greenwood Dr., PO Box 82775, 70884-2775, 907.3665, www.lambdabr.org, info@lambdabr.org LEWIS HUMPHREY’S FOOD FOR FRIENDS, 387.9798 METROPOLITANCOMMUNITYCHURCHOF BATON ROUGE, 7747 Tom Drive, 70806, Worship Sunday, 11am, Bible Study Wednesday, 7pm, 225.248.0404, mccbr.org MYSTIC KREWE OF ROYALTY, PO Box 66571, 70896; 926.1698 PFLAG Baton Rouge, President Harold Truax, 225.218.8320 Lafayette, LA [337] ACADIANA CARES [Concern for AIDS Relief, Education, and Support], PO Box 386, Lafayette, LA 70502; 203 W. 3rd St., 70501; 233.2437, FAX: 235.4178; 800.354.2437 KREWE OFAPOLLO / LAFAYETTE, PO Box 53251, 70505 LEAGUE FOR EQUALITY, PO Box 53425, 70505 PFLAG/LAFAYETTE, PO Box 31078, 70503 ROYAL ORDER OF UNICORN, PO Box 3985, 70502 Monroe, LA [318] GO CARE 2121 Justice, 71201, 325.1092 New Orleans, LA [504] AIDS HOTLINE, 821.6050 in New Orleans, 1.800.99.AIDS[2437]-9 toll free statewide ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 828.3399 BELLE REVE NEW ORLEANS, AIDS Residence for Families, PO Box 3305, 70177; 945.9455 BIG EASY M.C.C. (Metropolitan Community Church of Greater New Orleans), Sunday Worship at St Matthew’s UCC, 1333 S. Carrollton Ave. at Willow. Fellowship after service. Mailing address: 1333 S. Carrolllton Ave. New Orleans, LA, 70118; 213.4340,

p a s t o r @ b i g e a s y m c c . c o m , www.bigeasymcc.com BROTHERHOOD, INC., To decrease the spread of AIDS and HIV among African Americans, 1661 Canal St., Suite 3230, 70112; 566.7955 CAVALIERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB: Gay motocycle group sponsors monthly day rides and other riding events in New Orleans area. Visit www.cavaliersmc.comc or call 782.5625 or e-mail info@cavaliersmc.com. CHURCH OF CHRIST THE LIBERATOR, Sun. 11am Service, 607 Marigny St. (behind The Friendly Bar), ChristTheLiberator.ORG COMING OUT SUPPORT GROUP, meets 1st Wed. of each month, 7:30-9pm, Info: Liz 482.4012; Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 2114 Decatur St., 70116; 945.1103 COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK, a project of the NO/AIDS Task Force which works with the gay community to implement HIV prevention activities, 507 Frenchmen St., 945.4000, noaidstaskforce.com COPS 8 (Citizens' Organization for Police Support in the 8th District), 840 N. Rampart St., #51, 70116; 588.COPS (2677), cops8.org DRAMA! [A Gay & Lesbian Arts Organization], PO Box 52565, 70152; 948.9924, DramaNO.org, DRAMA@DramaNO.org FOOD FOR FRIENDS, 944.6028 FORUM FOR EQUALITY, 336 Lafayette, Suite 200, 70130; 947.2981, ForumForEquality@aol.com FOUNDATION FOR MACRO BIOTIC WAY, enjoy-life.com GAY APPRECIATION AWARDS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049; AmbushMag.COM/GAA GAY COUNSELING LINE, 833.1500 GLSEN [Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network], 482.4081, Fax 595.8587, E-mail: glsenno@hotmail.com, glsenno.org GULF GENDER ALLIANCE [GGA], NonProfit Support Group for Transgender persons. Monthly meetings, socials and political activism. Privacy respected and expected. Interview required. Nondiscriminatory. Call 504. 324.4035 or write PO Box 56836, New Orleans, LA 70156-6836; gga.org, E-mail: info@gga.org HALLOWEEN IN NEW ORLEANS, INC., PO Box 52171, 70152-2171; halloween neworleans.com HATE CRIMES HOTLINE, c/o Family Service of Greater New Orleans, 504.202.2131. The Hate Crimes Project offers to assist those who feel that they may have been a victim of a hate crime. The project provides advocacy for persons victimized due to race, religion, gender and gender identity, age, disability, and/or sexual orientation. IN THIS TOGETHER, HIV/AIDS Case Management, 2511 Bayou Road, Suite B, 70119; Office: 504.962.3245, Fax: 504.962.3246; 962.3245, www.inthistogetherinc.org, michael@ittnola.org KOCKTAIL BUNCH BOWLING LEAGUE, Contact Glenn Culp, 504.861.0233 KREWE OF ARMEINIUS, PO Box 56638, New Orleans, LA 70156-6638, cetubby@cox.net, KreweOfArmeinius.ORG KREWE OF AMON RA, PO Box 7033, Metairie, LA 70010, KreweOfAmonRa.COM KREWE OF MWINDO, PO Box 51031, 70156; 913.5791, KreweOfMwindo.ORG, krewe@kreweofmwindo.org KREWE OF PETRONIUS, PO Box 71665, 70172, Pres. Arthur Alarcon 451.9507, Capt. Bill McCarthy 430.6695, Sec. Mae Falgout 484.6045, http://kreweofpetronius.tripod.com KREWE OF QUEENATEENAS / KING CAKE QUEEN ROYALTY CLUB, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM/ KCQ LaCARP [Louisiana Community AIDS Research Program], 584.1971 LA-LIFT, Social Club for Lesbians, age 50+, who have fun together on weekends. Email: armyvet20@webtv.net LAMBDA CENTER, 831 Elysian Fields Ave., 70117 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEW ORLEANS, 234 Loyola, Suite 421, 70112; 581.9106 LESBIAN & GAY COMMUNITY CENTER

OF NEW ORLEANS, 2114 Decatur St., 701162013; 945.1103, Fax 945.1102, Email: info@lgccno.net LORDS OF LEATHER, P.O. Box 770435, New Orleans, LA 70071-4035, LordsOfLeather.COM LOUISIANA STATE GAY RODEO ASSOCIATION (LSGRA), 915.3339, lance@lsgra.com, LSGRA.COM MCLNO HOP Clinic, 136 S. Roman Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112; Appts.: 504.903.6959, www.hopclinic.org METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS, Sunday Friendship Hour 4:15pm, Worship/Celebration, 5pm at St Matthew’s UCC, 1333 Carrollton Ave. at Willow; Mailing Address: PO Box 71024, 70172; 945.5390, www.mccgno.com MYSTIC KREWE OF SATYRICON, 1021 Gov. Nicholls St., 70116, 525.4498, MysticKreweOfSatyricon.COM NEW ORLEANS GAY MEN’S CHORUS, 948.6884, nogmc.com; nogmc@aol.com NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL, nojazzfest.com NEW ORLEANS WOMEN’S MUSIC COLLECTIVE, 2903 Jefferson Ave., 70115; Ann 838.7918, Sydney 833.2834 NO/AIDS TASK FORCE, 2601 Tulane Ave., Suite 500, 70119; 821.2601; NOAIDSTaskForce.COM N'R Peace, 3201 Gen. DeGaulle Dr., Suite 201, 70114, 364.1950 MOC/NO [Men of Color/New Orleans], 482.5341 OFFICIAL GAY EASTER PARADE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, info@gayeasterparade.com, GayEasterParade.COM OFFICIAL GAY MARDI GRAS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM OFFICIAL GAY NEW ORLEANS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayNewOrleans.COM OFFICIAL SOUTHERN DECADENCE, 828A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, SouthernDecadence.COM PEOPLE OF SUBSTANCE, INC. (POS), 7210 Arbor Dr., 70126, 244.1920, posnola.com PFLAG/NO [Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays/ New Orleans], PO Box 15515, 70175; 895.3936, 392.0001, pflagno.org, info@pflagno.org PROJECT LAZARUS, A Residence for PWAs, PO Box 3906, 70177-3906; 949.3609 REGIONALAIDS INTERFAITH NETWORK [RAIN], 523.3755 TAU HOUSE MINISTRIES, 1029 Governor Nicholls, 70116, roddyssnd@aol.com, 529.3569. Mass on Sunday 4:15pm; Vespers on Monday, Wednesday, Friday 6pm. Everyone is welcome! TO DO PRODUCTIONS, 948.9608, www.todoproductions.org VOLLEYBALL NEW ORLEANS, PO Box 13306, 70185-3306; volleyballneworleans.com, postmaster@volleyballneworleans.com WILLIAM J. FANNING FOUNDATION [Buzzy’s Boys & Girls], 2301 Chartres, 70117; 943.8929 Shreveport, LA [318] KREWE OF APOLLO/SHREVEPORT, PO Box 4918, 71134 PHILADELPHIA CENTER, PO Box 44454, 71134-4454; 222.6633 YWCAAIDS MINORITY COMMUNITY OUTREACH, 700 Pierre Ave., 71103; 226.8717

pets New Orleans, LA [504] CHI-WA-WA GA-GA, 37 French Market Place, 70116; 581.4242; chiwawagaga.com FRENCH QUARTER PET ASYLUM, 513 Dumaine St., 302.9845 DR. MIKE'S ANIMAL HOUSE, 1120 N. Rampart, 523.4455

pharmacy New Orleans, LA [504] MUMFREY'S PHARMACY, 1021 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 70043, 504.279.6312

photography New Orleans, LA [504] GRAHAM/STUDIO ONE NEW ORLEANS, by appointment, grahamstudioone.com

plumbers New Orleans, LA [504] AVALON PLUMBING, residential & commercial repair & remodeling, call Michael 237.0888

printers New Orleans, LA [504] SIR SPEEDY, 343 Carondelet, 586.9812

real estate New Orleans, LA [504] GREEN FIELDS REAL ESTATE, Agent Mary Lind, 874.4905, 598.1700 PRUDENTIAL GARDNER REALTORS, Agent Brett A. Rector, Cell: 453.2277, Office: 861.6400, brettinla@aol.com PRUDENTIAL GARDNER REALTORS, Agent Cathy Espenan, Cell: 344.2116, Office: 861.7575

restaurants New Orleans, LA [504] Bywater Restaurant, Deli & BBQ,3162 Dauphine St., 944.4445 Cafe Amelie, 912 Royal St., 412.8965 Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., 598.1010, CloverGrill.COM Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM, 945.0742 Krystal, 116 Bourbon at Canal, 523.4030 La Peniche, 1940 Dauphine St., 943.1460 Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, 95 French Market Pl., 522.9500 Magazine Perks, 4332 Magazine, 899.2911, MagazinePerks.COM Marigny Perks, 2401 Burgundy, 948.7401, MarignyPerks.COM Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., 522.6746 Petunias, A Restaurant, Cajun, Creole, Crepes, Cocktails, 817 St. Louis, 70112; 522.6440 Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. , 529.1416

retail/shopping New Orleans, LA [504] ALTERNATIVES, 907 Bourbon St., 70116; 524.5222 BOURBON-STRIP TEASE, 205 Bourbon St., 70130; 581.6633, bourbontease.com ESTATE TREASURES CONSIGNMENT SHOP, 2014 Magazine, 679.6600 THE HERB IMPORT COMPANY, 711 St. Peter [in French Quarter], 525.4372; 5055 Canal St. [near City Park Ave.], 488.4889 PANDA BEAR, 415 Bourbon St., 529.8064 QUEEN FASHIONS.COM, queenfashions.com, exoticfashionmall.com RAB DAB CLOTHING AND GIFTS, 918 Royal St., 525.6662 SERENDIPITOUS MASKS, 831 Decatur St., 522.9158 SECOND SKIN LEATHER, 521 St. Philip St., 561.8167 TOP DRAWER ANTIQUES, 4310/18 Magazine St., TopDrawerAntiques.NET

spas New Orleans, LA [504] CLUB NEW ORLEANS, 515 Toulouse, 581.2402, www.the-clubs.com FLEX NEW ORLEANS, 700 Baronne St., 598.FLEX [3539] SPA ATLANTIS PROFESSIONAL SPA & SALON, 740 Gravier St., 566.8088, SpaAtlantis.NET

30 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 31

hot tails of red stick by Brad Benedict E-mail: bradhottails@hotmail.com

Spring Is In The Air

pring is a time of renewal, and the gay community knows how to bring this about in a style and class that stands out for all to observe. That is evident in the annual Gay Easter Parade in New Orleans. It’s like a new beginning once more, and the season lends itself to this festive look at the upcoming months of delightful extravaganzas. The other way to see this new and vibrant rush to another year of beauty is to take a look at your neighbors. The shirts are off. The shorts are on. The swimming pools are being cleaned and made ready for the new activities to be held in these charming locales. The neighbors are all out talking shop – everything from bragging about new plants being added to the landscape to admiring the cleanup activities in all the gardens in the area. It’s a time of a renewed camaraderie as the winter blues are shoved far into the background. After all, the warmth of another year beckons one and all to a new revival of interest in things fresh and vibrant and active. Sometimes the system of spring cleaning takes a step back while the latest cold front blows through, but that always happens around Easter, so most people expect it. It is like winter taking a last gasp of air as it becomes just another season to remember. Spring has sprung. Never fear. It is here, and we look forward to all the freshness that it has to bring to us.

Stepping Up To Cool

ever has the new season brought so much emphasis on the male body. At least that is true from my vantage point. It would

tattoos/piercings New Orleans, LA [504] AARTACCENT TATTOO & PIERCING, 1041 N. Rampart in French Quarter, 581.9812

theatres New Orleans, LA [504] LE PETIT THEATRE DU VIEUX CARE, 616 St. Peter, 522.2081 MARIGNY THEATRE, 1030 Marigny St., 947.0505

websites CRESCENT CITY, CrescentCity.COM GAY AMERICA, GayAmerica.COM GAY AUSTIN, GayAustin.NET GAY BARS, GayBars.COM GAY PENSACOLA, GayPensacola.COM OFFICIAL GAY EASTER PARADE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayEasterParade.COM OFFICIAL GAY MARDI GRAS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM OFFICIAL GAY NEW ORLEANS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayNewOrleans.COM OFFICIAL SOUTHERN DECADENCE, 828A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, SouthernDecadence.COM

seem that the clothes are coming off rapidly and definitely to the delight of all the neighbors and those passing by in cars. It’s even so nice that the tops are coming off the convertibles, and studs of all ages are cruising around town. All I can say is “bring it on,” or off, or something like that. Neighborhood stud David is not the only one leading the way in this newly found openness. He is even taking friends with him to work out, and I suppose that is a good thing. I rather think that Walker might be the factor for this growth in sudden making of body beautifuls. Whatever the case or cases might be, things are really looking up when it comes to buff and sensational bodily improvements. That is the healthy thing to do, and it does improve the scenery. Joy is always the cool one when I stop in at Hound Dogs. I had just gotten over an allergy condition last week when I stopped by, and I declined her usual hug, but I’m definitely taking a rain check. She can definitely squeeze me as can my buddy Jeannie. I’ve been so busy trying to catch up that I need to just reserve an afternoon when I can sit down with both of them and hear what has been going on. I usually have to get there early in order to get to chat with Joy. She knows how to draw a crowd with her charms, and the bar is usually packed when she is working. A lot of guys and gals stop by on their way home from work, and she provides the charming atmosphere that everyone needs after a hard day of work at the office. Of course, for Jeannie, this is a given. Her car refuses to pass Hound Dogs without stopping. When it comes to cool dudes, I only have to mention Luther by name, and everyone seems to be at attention. It’s difficult catching him when he isn’t really busy, but when I want my Luther fix, I just invite him out to a restaurant – with or without Gerry. Otherwise, it’s a three-way situation, and that’s good. Friends don’t come any better than these two guys. Here again, Gerry is another of those really busy types, but his job demands it, and he meets the challenge to the best of his ability. This work ethic is the same for Luther. He’s just the best at whatever he sets out to do. When you have this stud to depend on, you know you are in good hands. Goodness! That sounds erotic! Karen is another of the cool ones. This sweetheart works constantly, and I’m sometimes amazed at all the things she can accomplish and still have time to work with the Greg T. Bell Charity. It seems that she spends a lot of time here and in New Orleans and even points around the parish. It just seems that she always finds time to take on these activities, and that is the sign of someone who can manage her time and still have time for other things. You do need some rest, sweetheart. Don’t overdo it. We need a happy music specialist to entertain us at Splash. You seem to know how to do it up just right because you keep lots of people up and dancing the nights away. Just take care of yourself. Little Corey is another go-getter. He

has a great job with the state, but he manages to do things at night too, especially the sports variety. He is one of those LSU fans that can keep up with work and extra curricular activities. You can tell how much he enjoys life when you talk with him. He has a kind of enthusiasm that is catching. His personality is so vibrant, and that smile just melts you through and through. He definitely knows how to turn on the charm, but that is something that lots of others need to practice. With Corey, it seems to come naturally. It’s called “good raising.” He’s just one of those wonderful guys who have worked hard to get to this point, and he deserves all the rewards that come with the success. Someone else that keeps up with a heavy schedule is none other than Guy. More and more of his time is now spent closer to home and at George’s. With Chansley in charge as manager and Luther doing his part as assistant manager, there are still lots of things for Guy to keep up with. Everything has changed so much over the years. There was a time when we strolled through our gardens, exchanged plants, relaxed with Richard and others, but now we seem to never stop long enough to smell the roses. Hopefully, that will change soon. It would be nice to just sit down over dinner and chat. We haven’t done that since that time so many years ago over at El Rio Grande Restaurant. It just seems there is never enough time to complete things, but I’m working on that problem, and Guy is doing the same. Someone else who rarely finds time to step out is the BC Boy himself. This guy finds bicycle riding to be a good pastime when he isn’t working in the medical field. I talk with him frequently, but we seldom have time to get together for dinner or nice conversation. We tried recently to get a group together at El Rio, but it didn’t really jell, so to speak. I suppose if we keep trying that we will eventually hit a spot when everyone will be able to partake of a little relaxation. BC Boy is just one of the finest human beings I know. He is kind, gentle, and extremely wise. It is always a pleasure to be in his company. I hear Robert and Brandon may be off to Paris soon, probably by the time you read this. With all the work in landscaping their home, it would seem to be a fine reward for themselves. I’m sure dinner in one of those nice restaurants and visiting all those historic spots in France will be a welcome reprieve from their days of

manual labor in the garden. They have really been active lately adding more flora to an already well-landscaped lawn. However, what they have just completed really brings out the best look possible for their pool area. The plants will allow them the privacy they deserve when relaxing in this scenic area. White seems to be Robert’s signature color. That’s good and adds a virginal touch to the surroundings.

Recalling The Cool

ometimes the good ones get away. That is or was the case with that sexy UPS guy who went into real estate. He was a fun one for awhile, but then he settled in for a nice marriage and new career. I can still see him especially during the summer months when he wore those shorts. Now that is a wonderful way to enjoy the brown. He was such a muscular little dude too and was what I have to describe as an extremely handsome individual. He knew he turned heads too, and this wasn’t just with the ladies. I sometimes noticed that smile when he knew he was being watched, and I could pick up on the good vibes when he would casually mention something. I used to see him a lot at Hibiscus Bookstore. He was definitely a popular attraction for the brown team, and now he’s selling real estate where he knows that the timing is simply everything. He always knew that. It also pays to stock up on bottled water especially when some gorgeous stud is handling the goods. Whether it’s a business or home delivery, it is always nice to see a handsome stud coming in with the goods. One in particular used to deliver to my home, and this is one that always took my breath away. He was bigger than the UPS variety, but he also knew he was strutting his stuff for everyone to view. That brings me to the uniform. I don’t know what it is about a man in uniform, but guys just seem to go ape over the sight especially the man in white. Men and women seem to be charmed by the sight of these guys, but for others, anything in uniform does the trick. Whether it is in service of our country or looking out for the neighborhood, the uniform transforms the man or woman, and that transformation is definitely a welcomed sight. Don’t tell me you haven’t zeroed in on a guy in uniform. It’s true, and you know it. [continued on 33]

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before my very eyes. What was once a quiet downtown dominated by the gay community had morphed into a strip, filled with bars and restaurants, and of course there was an effect of the gay scene. Times were changing fast, and these shifts taught me a great deal about the people who comprise the gay nightlife. When I first came to Lafayette, there was The Sound Factory, Images, Backstreet, and Jules, all gay owned establishments and all within walking distance of each other. It was like a breath of fresh

allons acadiana by Patrick Clinton Email: BlondAtULL@aol.com

air knowing that there was not only a variety of places to choose from, but a group of bar owners who all actually gave a damn about the gay people in the city. As more mainstream establishments moved into the downtown, I watched in horror as [continued on 38]

s many of you already know, I’m moving away. I came to Lafayette in July of 2000 to attend graduate school, and at the time I had no real expectations, except perhaps to further my education. When I first arrived, I didn’t know a single soul, and was quite lucky how everything turned out. Wanting to make friends, I happened into the Sound Factory one night and met John and Mark. I hoped to land a job bartending, but instead ended up writing for Ambush magazine, a relationship that has continued until present. While I was pursuing first my Master’s degree and then my PhD, I noticed that the city I moved too was transforming hot tails of red stick ...from 32

In Sympathy

y sympathy goes out to TTT in the loss of his father. I know what its like to lose a loved one, and to have this happen at this season is even more difficult. You are in my thoughts and prayers, Tommy.

Long Live Henny Penny

here is no more cackling in the neighborhood, and the sky didn’t fall either. However, our cluck ing friend was found deceased recently and done in by a fox according to her owner. I rather think it might have been due to an extremely hungry stray (and giant) pussy. At any rate, Henny Penny is missed. She is gone, but definitely not forgotten. Long live the memory of Henny Penny.

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acadiana

Through the Years with Lafayette Ambush Rep Patrick Clinton ~ Lafayette, Louisiana

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Through the Years with Lafayette Ambush Rep Patrick Clinton ~ Lafayette, Louisiana

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out & about in mobile by Bob Brunson n spite of economy, this year the 2009 Mobile Alabama Pride Festi val and Parade looks to be one of the most exciting LGBT festivals to be held in Mobile, Alabama. The weekend will kick-off on Friday, April 24th, with a fabulous opening party at the beautiful Skyview Lounge atop the Holiday Inn in Historic downtown Mobile featuring a lavish cocktail party with hors’d oeuvres and incredible entertainment by the one and only Tony Award Nominee, Sharon McNight. Looking out over the entire city of Mobile and Mobile bay, you will experience a one

allons acadiana ...from 33 the powers-that-be tried to push the gay community out. Many fought back, but most simply sold out. Even more horrific was the growing trend of straight entrepreneurs attempting to exploit the gay community. I watched as bars switched from gay to straight and back again, all in the goal of making money. At first I tried to keep up, believing it was my duty to cover any establishment that decided (usually on a whim) to have a gay night. What I eventually learned was that these so-called “gay” establishments were really hurting the gay community. Who can forget the New Year’s Eve when a prominent “gay” bar decided to switch to a straight bar? Gay patrons who had paid a hefty cover charge were unceremoniously thrown out at midnight when they kissed their same-sex partners. It was an injustice that shouldn’t have been tolerated, yet members of the gay community are so quick to forget. Not two years later, other faux “gay” establishments decided to cash in on the community, and yes, we welcomed them with open arms, again to the detriment of the gay establishments that actually care about our community. I finally came to my senses about two years ago. I guess it’s better late than never, but what really bothers me is that so many other people have yet to catch up. Of the original gay owned establishments that were here in 2000, only the Sound Factory is left. The rest have either been pushed out or sold off. Isn’t it sad that a thriving community has been reduced to only one gay owned and operated bar? I’m not trying to say that there is anything wrong with straight owned clubs; in fact, I love dropping by the Green Room or City Bar. What concerns me is a general lack of loyalty by many gay patrons. It seems to me that we as a community would want to support our gay brothers and sisters, yet so many continue to line the pockets of straight people who care only about making a profit. It saddens me that we can be so easily exploited. Over the last nine years, I have watched a nationwide attack on gay communities. Who would’ve believed that Louisiana could pass a Constitutional Amendment that made gay people second-class citizens? Since when do we

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of a kind show from one of broadways all time greats. The following day, on Saturday, April 25th, at noon, the 2009 Pride Festival in the park will begin with vendors from across the country and entertainment all day long from noon until 6pm, right in downtown Mobile’s beautiful and historic Bienville Square. The entertainment line-up is exquisite and is opened by the Port City Men’s Chorus and includes some of Mobile’s very own talents such as Lisa Christian. Josh Zuckerman will bring you his awesome talents all the way from New York City and the afternoon will be head[continued on 41]

vote on civil liberties? Do you really believe that African Americans or women would have equal rights if it had been left up to voters? I fear for our future because we can’t seem to stick together. It’s time we all stood up and screamed at the top of our lungs, “NO MORE!!” But we don’t. We support the very people who aim to keep us down. And it is a sad day when we choose not to defend ourselves. Wake up people! Do you really think a straight owned bar cares about you? Imagine a Lafayette where there are no gay owned bars. Then what will happen when the straight owned establishments decide it’s more cost effective to serve only a straight clientele? Don’t act like it hasn’ t happened before, and it will happen again. The only gay establishments we can truly depend on are the ones who have a vested interest in the gay community, those that have gay owners. Many of you have asked me why I only cover the Sound Factory and Back Side in Ambush. The answer is simple; they are the only two gay owned and operated bars left in Lafayette. Doesn’t it frighten you that so many gay owners have been pushed out? Don’t you think it’s time we stand up for ourselves? It’s not too late. Just say no. We can take back our community. We just have to stand together. Boycott businesses that try to exploit the gay community. Show them we won’t be taken advantage of. Because if you don’t, you’re going to wake up one morning and find yourself with no place to call home. I love Lafayette, and I love the people who live here, both straight and gay. It has a wonderful, accepting culture. It is because of this love that I keep harping on and on, because I have learned a great deal in my nine years here and only want the best for our community. I’m going to miss being in Acadiana every day; I consider it my home. You, the readers of Ambush, are my family, and I will miss you dearly. I just hope that I have a community to return to when I come back for visits. Do the smart thing. Support the establishments that work so tirelessly to support you. And if you make a conscious effort to do so, I promise you, the Lafayette Gay Community will thrive. Please, just don’t let it all slip away. I’ve watched it happen in too many places. It’s a trend that I’d hate to see repeated here. In my absence, have fun and be safe. I hope to see you all again soon.

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Travelin’ with Miss Cie ~ Mobile, Alabama

Mobile Alabama Pride Fest April 24-26

mobile

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Tom, John, Bob & Paul cocktailin’ at Oz Marcy Marcell kicks off the second line with the 3rd Line Brass Band

Friends join the celebration

ambush

Matt giving a sneak peak at Oz Lou Bernard & Double Play’s Chuck Turner

Phoenix’s Red joins in the second line Good Friends bartender’s Blake, Chris & Justin dressed for the 15th Trailer Park Beauty Pageant

Boy Next Door Winners - The Bud Boys Neal & Blake on stage at Oz

Mwindo’s Larry celebrates in the second line

Trailer Park Beauty Pageant Judge’s Megan, Todd, Joe & DJ Myke

Rusty LaRoux & Bywater Restaurant’s Mike Murray

Kenny Petit, Bruce Frederick & Jamie Temple

JohnPaul’s staff: John, Dennis, Therese, Paul & Danny

Master of Ceremonies Gary Glitter

Teryl-Lynn Foxx

Teryl-Lynn Foxx does Josephine Baker at Oz

Miss Trailer Park Winner Screw Driver in Swim Wear Competition

Coca always a surprise at Oz

Miss Trailer Park 1st Runner-up Cherry Farm in Evening Wear Competition

40 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

Nightlife in The Big Easy ~ New Orleans

A Gift of Love from the Late Glenn Timpe for his Family & Friends at JohnPaul’s ~ New Orleans

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Contestant’s Ursuline Burgundy, Cherry Farm, Screw Driver, Cleary & Wisner Avenue, (front) MC Ama Rosa & Miss Trailer Park '08 Tammy Evelyn Crawford in the 15th Trailer Park Beauty Pageant at Good Friends

acadiana

Through the Years with Lafayette Ambush Rep Patrick Clinton ~ Lafayette, Louisiana

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38 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

Travelin’ with Miss Cie ~ Mobile, Alabama

Mobile Alabama Pride Fest April 24-26

mobile

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 39

Tom, John, Bob & Paul cocktailin’ at Oz Marcy Marcell kicks off the second line with the 3rd Line Brass Band

Friends join the celebration

ambush

Matt giving a sneak peak at Oz Lou Bernard & Double Play’s Chuck Turner

Phoenix’s Red joins in the second line Good Friends bartender’s Blake, Chris & Justin dressed for the 15th Trailer Park Beauty Pageant

Boy Next Door Winners - The Bud Boys Neal & Blake on stage at Oz

Mwindo’s Larry celebrates in the second line

Trailer Park Beauty Pageant Judge’s Megan, Todd, Joe & DJ Myke

Rusty LaRoux & Bywater Restaurant’s Mike Murray

Kenny Petit, Bruce Frederick & Jamie Temple

JohnPaul’s staff: John, Dennis, Therese, Paul & Danny

Master of Ceremonies Gary Glitter

Teryl-Lynn Foxx

Teryl-Lynn Foxx does Josephine Baker at Oz

Miss Trailer Park Winner Screw Driver in Swim Wear Competition

Coca always a surprise at Oz

Miss Trailer Park 1st Runner-up Cherry Farm in Evening Wear Competition

40 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • April 14-27, 2009 • Official Gay Easter Parade Guide • GayEasterParade.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM

Nightlife in The Big Easy ~ New Orleans

A Gift of Love from the Late Glenn Timpe for his Family & Friends at JohnPaul’s ~ New Orleans

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in the spotlight by Gary Glitter, New Orleans E-mail: gglitter04@yahoo.com

A Gift of Love from the Late Glenn Timpe

nd what a gift it was, from the moment you walked in the door at JohnPaul’s, and signed the guest book manned by Regina Adams, you were totally enraptured with Glenn’s favorite color of the "yellow rose", and the slides of Glenn on the monitors. When you signed in you were given a pair of beads and a yellow kerchief. All of the tables were festooned with yellow tablecloths and arrangements of yellow roses, with yellow and white fuji mums and pompoms. Even the edges of the stage were outlined with the same type of floral arrangements. Flowers everywhere. Next to the stage the pool table had been draped in black and on the top was an extremely large white urn that contained “100 yellow roses” and a picture of Glenn, and with them, and on the floor in the front were yellow, white, and black umbrellas trimmed with yellow feathers. All of the bartending staff were wearing yellow polo

out & about in mobile ...from 38 lined by the incredibly fabulous Tony Award winner and Two Time Grammy Award winner, the original Dreamgirl herself, Jennifer Holliday!!! You can’t beat this spectacular entertainment at even the largest of pride festivals in the country. On Sunday, April 26th, the Pride Festival in Bienville Square will continue with many vendors and the always awesome volleyball tournament. Many teams will compete and the fun is endless. After living in San Francisco for 25 years and only returning to my hometown here in Mobile 3 years ago, it never ceases to amaze me what the LGBT community of my beautiful hometown can pull off. You have to see it to believe it! What most people assume is small-town, USA is so much more and has so much to offer. Mobile is not holding back at all when in comes to making a change in the south and especially when it comes to the rights of the LGBT community. Come out, get involved and be a part of making a difference. It’s up to you to support these groups with their efforts as they work so hard to support our community. Your Rights, Our Rights, Human Rights!, is the theme of this years’ Pride Festival and this theme says it all. I challenge you to take part even if just for a day. Who knows, you may even enjoy it. See you there. Pride will be April 24, 25 and 26, and you can go to www.mobilealabamapride.com to get the schedule and all the information on Pride Events.

shirts to honor Glenn. Upstairs in the Victorian Rooms was the biggest buffet compliments of the Bywater Restaurant, filling 5 rooms with every type of delicacies imaginable. It was truly a sight to see and they did themselves proud with the food

and their wait staff. And of course not to be out done, the “yellow rose” floral theme continued on in every room of the upstairs. The festivities started at 6pm with the buffet and an open bar. At 7pm, in the main bar downstairs Jack Saucier gave a “toast” to Glenn, who had given instructions that this party be for all of his friends. And Jack carried out his wishes to the very last letter. After the “toast”, a short program ensued with all of Glenn’s favorite songs as he had requested, along with some video clips of Glen and Jack on some of their journeys. The program was MC’d by Gary Glitter, and featured Glenn’s favorite performers, Teryl-Lynn Fox, Marcy Marcell, Rusty LaRoux, and Uncle Dave, who had performed at Glenn and Jack’s wedding. Lights and sound were by Ritchie Rich. Immediately following the program the 3rd Line Brass Band came in and put all the umbrellas, and kerchiefs to good use with a second line out the door and down the street and back into the bar, where they played until 9pm. Before leaving everyone was asked to come up to the pool table and take a rose as a final gift from Glenn. A beautiful gift to remember a beautiful person. How very Glenn, to do this for his family, friends, and co-workers. Of course much praise goes to Jack, to John and Paul of JohnPaul’s, Larry and Carl of Floral Affair, and Mike and Craig of Bywater Restaurant. I’m sure that Glenn is smiling knowing that his last wish was fulfilled - big time!!!!!

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Josh, Frankie & Drew behind the bar at Cafe Lafitte in Exile KaCey, Ben, Ken & Pat join the Lords of Leather Rush Party at the Phoenix Mr. LSGRA Denny doin’ potato duty for Meat Night at Rawhide

Glenn slingin’ cocktails at Kajun’s Pub

Has Been Miss Trailer Park Tammy Evelyn Crawford & Crack Whore 10 Frankie at Good Friends

Emanuel slingin’ cocktails for Rawhide’s Meat Night

Lord King XXV Michael & Lord Ed celebrate at the Lords of Leather Rush Party

Lafitte’s Aletha welcomes Tubby’s Golden Lantern’s Rick Prom Queen Cathy Fox & Barry join the Purple Party at Double Play Bruce asleep behind the bar at The Corner Pocket again

Lord Consort & Lord King XXVI Bruce & Gary host the Lords of Leather Rush Party

Lords of Leather Capt. David welcomes new members at the Phoenix

Easter Grand Marshal V Brett & Becky Allen cocktailin’ at Starlight

Kevin & Mac have a moment at Cutter’s

Justin, Kyle & EGM X Marcy at the 10th Purple Party Miss Raunchy & Marsha on stage at the 8th Drag Extravaganza at JohnPaul’s

Easter Grand Marshals X Marcy & Tony flank Miss Raunchy at the 8th Drag Extravaganza

Robert & Gary pop in for the 10th Purple Party at Double Play

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Cruisin’ The Big Easy ~ New Orleans

Jack serves up Oyster Shooters Fridays in the Balcony Bar above Lafitte’s

Lord Consort XXV Doug & Michael at the Lords Rush Party at the Phoenix

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