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the "official" dish by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain Email: marsha@ripandmarsha.com
International Sensation DJ Aron Makes his New Orleans Debut @ Oz Feb. 8 Dance Club of the Year Oz New Orleans, 800 Bourbon Street, will present the New Orleans debut of international circuit sensation DJ Aron (Aron Abikzer) on Saturday, Feb. 8th at 11pm. The evening begins at 6pm with resident DJ Bull. You'll also enjoy the hot Men of Oz Dancers throughout the night, along with lights by Johnny Eubanks. DJ Aron started his career in the circuit scene 10 years ago and has played all over Europe, Brazil, Israel, the United States and Canada. His tribal house beats mixed with high energy vocals keeps the crowds mesmerized to the very end, usually wanting more from this master mixer. Aron is holding his residency at Barcelona’s largest gay event ”Circuit Festival” as well as being featured for Tel Aviv Pride, NYC Pride VIVA - NYC and the amazing parties in Toronto, Miami (White Party) for their spectacular pride weekend. Not only a great talent as a DJ, Aron has an unparalleled ear for original. production work which he features in his podcasts and live sets. Oz has something for you every night of the week including Monday SIN Night; Tattoo Tuesday with midnight Best Tattoo Contest; Wednesday 10:30pm Show Night; Thursday midnight Strip-Off Contest; Friday 6-8pm Deals, Dares & Dancers; Saturday Dance Night; and Funday Sunday with 6pm Dingo, 8pm Boy Next Door Strip-Off Contest, and 9pm Show Night. Visit www.OzNewOrleans.com for additional information.
Ambush Mag Issues Endorsements Ambush Mag urges all Orleans Parish voters to head to the polls this Saturday, Feb. 1st to cast your ballot in this most important race. Polls are open from 6am8pm. Ambush Magazine has issued endorsements in the following races: MayorMichael Bagneris; City Council At Large, Div I-Stacy Head; City Council District ASusan Guidry; and City Council District CNadine Ramsey.
Gay Mardi Gras Season is Upon Us One of the most exciting seasons is here, Gay Mardi Gras . From fabulous balls and parties, to spectacular events, it's here for all to enjoy. All of the balls are by invitation with balcony seats available for purchase when available. (www.GayMardiGras.com)
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This year's schedule includes: Saturday, Feb. 1st ~8pm, Krewe of Mwindo Bal Masque XVI, Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette Saturday, Feb. 8th ~8pm, Krewe of Amon-Ra Mardi Gras Ball XLIV, Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette Friday, Feb. 14th ~8pm, Mystic Krewe of Satyricon Bal Masque XII, Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette ~Lords of Leather, Beer Bust, Phoenix, New Orleans Sunday, Feb. 16th ~8pm, Krewe of Queenateenas 21st King Cake Queen of Gay Mardi Gras Coronation of Barbara Ella as “The Borghese Queen,” by invitation only, Ambush Mansion, New Orleans Saturday, Feb. 22nd ~8pm, Krewe of Petronius Bal Masque LIII, Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette Friday, Feb. 28th ~9pm-12midnight, Friday Night Before Mardi Gras Extravaganza XV, Audubon Tea Room, New Orleans
~9pm-2am, Lords of Leather presents Night of the Black Mask Beer Bust, Phoenix/Eagle, Elysian Fields @ N. Rampart, New Orleans Saturday, March 1st ~9pm, Krewe of Armeinius Bal Masque XLVI, Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette Sunday, March 2nd ~8pm, Lords of Leather Bal Masque XXXI, Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette MARDI GRAS (Fat Tuesday), March 4th ~12noon, 50th Annual Bourbon Street Awards, Oz, Corner of St. Ann at 800 Bourbon St. ~2pm - 27th Annual Official Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss led by King Cake Queen XXI of Gay Mardi Gras Barbara Ella, Ambush Headquarters Balcony, 828 Bourbon St.
Super Bowl XLVIII Even with our New Orleans Saints not heading to Super Bowl XLVIII, many are gearing up in support of New Orleans own Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. The Seattle Seahawks are shunned in most circles here. It will be a spirited game across the Gulf South as Super Bowl parties move into full gear. The date of Super Bowl XLVIII might change if it snows very hard in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2nd. Be sure and check out all the ads in this issue of Ambush Mag showcasing Super Bowl parties from bars and clubs to restaurants and eateries featuring game day eats like venison stew, burgers, traditional hot dogs, chili and more. Most tailgate parties begin around 5pm.
Passing the Torch It does the heart good, when as a vintage couple, we experience the young in our LGBT community stepping up to the plate to do good for our community. We are speaking of a young man who decided he wanted to do something special for his 30th birthday. He contacted us and asked for our help. How could we turn down Frank Joseph Wingerter, better known by all of us as Frankie Fierce. Frankie wanted to turn his party into a fundraiser for a charity with needs in our community. Named to honor the significant work of William J. “Buzzy” Fanning, Buzzy’s Boys & Girls is a 501(c)3 fundraising organization based in New Orleans, Louisiana, which works with local HIV/AIDS support agencies such as the NO/AIDS Task Force, FACES (Family Advocacy, Care and Education Services) program at Children’s Hospital, and the HOP Clinic (HIV Outpatient Clinic) to serve people in the New Orleans and surrounding areas living with HIV/AIDS.
Valentine's, Pre-Mardi Gras issue out Feb. 11 >DEADLINE: Tues., Feb. 4
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THE OFFICIAL MAG
Facebook.COM/AmbushMag Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 • Louisiana-Florida Official Gay Easter Parade Guide Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide Official Gay New Orleans Guide Official Southern Decadence Guide OFFICE/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 USA OFFICE HOURS: 10am-3pm Monday-Friday [Except Holidays] Email: marsha@ripandmarsha.com PHONE: 1.504.522.8049 ANNUAL READERSHIP OVER 1 MILLION: 260,000+ in print/780,000+ On-line CIRCULATION: Alabama-Mobile Florida - Pensacola Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Slidell Mississippi - Bay St. Louis, Biloxi Texas - 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 NEW ORLEANS AD SALES Paul Melancon 504.357.8440 THEATRE/PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC Brian Sands AD REPS/JOURNALISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Blanche-Alabama Frank Joseph, Charles Jenkins, Tony Leggio, Frank Perez, Arthur Severio, Rev. Bill Terry-New Orleans Bob Brunson, MIss Cie & John, Leon WeekleyMobile, AL Lauren Mitchell-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 NaquinDelain, 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. ©1982-2014, AMBUSH, INC.,ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDINGAD LAYOUTS, MAPS and PHOTOS. AMgrant - AMbush Advertising Grant Donation
day, Jan. 11th at Oz New Orleans. In addition to a delicious buffet catered by some nine restaurants and eateries, the evening brought both a silent and live auction, as well as a sizzling hot fashion show featuring underwear from Bourbon Pride, and exotic couture by Gerald Kenokouture Watson, plus a fabulous drag show with many New Orleans stars. The event raised a whopping $4,531.85 for Buzzy's Boys & Girls. Many thanks to all who donated auction items, food and their amazing talents to make this a reality, and of course, to the many sponsors. We personally are so proud of Frankie, and know that he will lead a new generation of LGBT philanthropists which will move the generosity of our community into the future.
The Frankie Fierce 30th Birthday Party & Charity Fundraiser was hosted on Satur-
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moments in gay new orleans history by Frank Perez E-mail: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
“Interest in the Up Stairs Lounge Fire is at an All-Time High”
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Carnival Programming Continues with Donald Harrison and Rex Den @ the Cabildo After a successful opening of the Louisiana State Museum’s newest exhibit, Krewe of Hermes: The Diamond Jubilee, Friends of the Cabildo’s Carnival Season continues with three events. On Friday, Jan. 31st, Big Chief Donald Harrison and the Congo Square Nation will be playing the Friends of the Cabildo Concert Series Concert at the Old U.S. Mint at 7pm. Harrison, a world-renowned jazz musician is also a member of the Guardians of the Flame Mardi Gras Indians that his father founded. Harrison will bring his mix of Mardi Gras Indians songs, funk and jazz to a rare performance of him in full Mardi Gras Indians regalia. Tickets are $20 for FOC/ LMF Members and $30 for the general public. Ticket can be purchased online or by calling the Friends of the Cabildo Office at 504.523.3939. Two familiar Friends of the Cabildo Carnival events round out the season with a Rex Den showing Saturday, Feb. 1st, 1-3pm. Guests are allowed to explore the Rex Parade almost a month in advance of their annual ride on Mardi Gras Day as well as shop in the Rex Mart at the Den. Tickets are $20 for FOC/LMF Members and $30 for the general public. The annual Hidden Treasures of the Louisiana State Museum: Carnival Edition hosted by Carnival Curator Wayne Phillips is set just a week ahead of the first parade of the season. The twice-nightly tours/lectures will be held at the LSM Collections building at 1000 Chartres on Feb. 11th and 13th, 6pm and 7pm. Tickets are $25 for FOC/LMF Members and $35 for general admission. Guests are given unprecedented access to all items that the Museum collected over the past year including favors, throws, gowns and costumes. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact Kaydee Nenninger at 504.523.3939 or go online at www.friendsofthecabildo.org.
Lords of Leather Royalty Appreciation Party Feb. 9 Reigning Lord King XXX Pat Johnson and Lord Consort XXX Joey Landry would like to invite all members of the community and especially all members of Gay Mardi Gras Krewes to Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 9th for Lords of Leather’s Annual Royalty Appre-
Until today I had never actually been inside the space that once housed the Up Stairs Lounge. Ascending the stairs, where the arsonist started the fire, I thought of the 32 people who climbed that stairwell on Sunday evening, June 24, 1973, and it occurred to me that probably none of them thought it would be the last time they would make that climb. Then I thought of the stairwell at my apartment on Royal Street and also of the stairwells at some of my favorite bars and it occurred to me how climbing those stairs always made me happy because at their top was a place of refuge and rest, of safety and sanctuary, of good times and happy memories. Upon reaching the last few steps, I noticed the coal black char marks on the walls and ceiling. Part of the wood had rotted away and left a gaping hole, still there after 40 years. Upon entering the space, which is now used as a storage area for Jimani, the bar downstairs, I was greeted by Sheri Wright, Clayton Delery, Jimmy Masacci and a survivor of the fire, who was visiting the site for the first time since that fateful night. They were all there to be interviewed by Wright for a documentary film she is making about the fire. As the interviewing commenced, Delery and I stepped outside the building and began chatting about the upcoming release of a book he has written about the fire, The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-two Dead in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973. He pointed out to me the window where Luther Boggs and Eddie Gillis jumped to the sidewalk while they were on fire. A bartender from the neighboring Midship bar ran out and poured pitchers of ice water on them. Boggs would later die in the hospital. Delery also informed me that Jean Gosnell, who escaped with Boggs and Gillis through the same window, and who lived across the street, had to move after the fire because seeing the burnt building everyday was so painful. There were other stories like that and I quickly concluded that Delery’s book promises to be the most detailed account of the tragedy and perhaps the definitive treatment on the subject, though not the first. In 2011, Johnny Townsend published Let the Faggots Burn: The UpStairs Lounge Fire, the bulk of which was written in 19891990. Consisting primarily of biographical sketches of the victims of the fire, Townsend’s book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Up Stairs Lounge fire. In addition to both Townsend’s and Delery’s books, two documentary films about the tragedy are currently in production. Both films, by Robert Camina and Sheri Wright, are scheduled to be released later this year. Camina’s last film, a documentary about a police raid on gay bar in Fort Worth, Texas, called Raid of the Rainbow Lounge, opened to rave reviews and won multiple awards at film festivals around the country. Wright’s film will be her first. Both books and both documentaries are indications that popular and academic interest in the fire is on the rise. Time magazine ran an article on the fire last year that coincided with 40th Anniversary of the tragedy. Also last year, playwright Wayne Self produced a dramatic musical based on the fire. And the local Commemoration Ceremony last summer garnered much press in both the print and television media. All this historical interest is a good thing, of course, even if it has come a little late. The Up Stairs Lounge fire was, after all, the deadliest crime against gays and lesbians in our nation’s history. Yet, the fire remains largely ignored in LGBT+ historical narratives. To my knowledge, The Advocate has never run a story on the fire. Even many locals don’t know about it. But along with this flurry of interest in the fire come questions. What is the fire’s significance in our collective history? Why has it been neglected in the media for so long? Why is it important to remember the fire? And what can we learn from it? There are some who say the fire was our Stonewall. It’s an interesting comparison but not entirely accurate. Whereas Stonewall caused people to raise their voices and spurred them to action, the Up Stairs Lounge fire did not spark a movement of gay activism in New Orleans. In fact the silence after the fire yields an important insight about the mentality of gay folk in New Orleans in 1973. When the Reverend Troy Perry and others came down after the fire to chastise the gay community for its apathy, they were called carpetbaggers and told to mind their own business. Those Friends of Dorothy had grown so accustomed to their status as second class citizens, and invisible at that, that they settled for the closet. They didn’t want to come out and even if they did, they clearly weren’t ready to. In retrospect, it’s easy to say the fire and the pathetic public response to it should have caused more outrage, more action. The real question is why it didn’t. I’m hoping Delery, Wright, and Camina explore that question in their upcoming work.
ciation Party. Festivities honoring the 2013 royalty from Amon-Ra, Satyricon, Petronius, Mwindo, Armeinius and Queenateenas will go from 2-4pm. A $10 donation is asked and there will be a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres served. A silent auction of original Mardi Gas wreaths designed by members will be held as well. (www.LordsOfLeather.com)
Armeinius French Quarter Walking Tour Feb. 9 Explore the historic French Quarter in a way that you’ve never experienced it before. Come to see some of America’s oldest houses and see history come to life before your eyes. Enjoy a new New Orleans tradition of drinking cocktails and learning history at the same time in this one-of-a-kind Krewe of Armeinius Tour. It is set for Sunday, Feb. 9th 2-5pm with the French Quarter Walking Tour beginning from stop #1 – Little Vic’s – 719 Toulouse St. at 2, 3 and 4pm, plus a complimentary “Adult Beverage” at each stop (additional beverages available for purchase). Visit www.Armeinius.org for tickets or more information.
"I Wanna Meet A Pornstar" Performing Live @ Bourbon Pub & Parade Feb. 15 New Orleans own Bourbon Pub & Parade, 801 Bourbon Street, brings "I Wanna Meet A Pornstar" featuring Falcon Studios Exclusive and Gay America's new heartthrob Ryan Rose performing live on stage. He will be joined by Louisiana's own Ethan Shade with an 11pm sneak peek downstairs at the Pub. Then on to the Parade upstairs at 1am for the main event with Falcon Studios Exclusive giveaways followed by a meet & greet, and photo signing with the stars. And don't forget the weekly lineup. The
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marriage equality louisiana The Adams and Eves Versus Louisiana by Scott J. Spivey, Esq., scott@spiveyesq.com As many of you know, Rip and Marsha On November 26, 2013, Judge Martin Naquin-Delain were married in New York Feldman dismissed the AG. The motions to this past year. amend and for reconsideration were deIndeed, many devoted same-sex nied. couples have taken the trek to a state that The plaintiffs have appealed the disallows same-sex marriage - only to return to missal claiming that the concept of soverLouisiana - a state that is compelled by the eign immunity applies only to money judg2004 amendment to the Louisiana Consti- ments - not to civil rights violations. In tution and the amendment to the Louisiana addition, the plaintiffs filed a new lawsuit on Civil Code to refuse any recognition of the January 14th against the State Registrar of “purported marriage”: Vital Records, the Secretary of Health and Article XII, Section 15 of the Louisiana Hospitals and the Secretary of Revenue Constitution. (as individual actors rather than a repreMarriage in the state of Louisiana shall sentatives of the State). On January 17th consist only of the union of one man and the new lawsuit was transferred back to the one woman. No official or court of the state original judge and on the 21st, the lawsuits of Louisiana shall construe this constitution were consolidated. or any state law to require that marriage or On January 22, 2013, Robert Welles the legal incidents thereof be conferred applied to secure a marriage license to upon any member of a union other than the marry Garth Beauregard from the Orleans union of one man and one woman. A legal Parish Marriage License office and was status identical or substantially similar to summarily refused. That afternoon, Rob that of marriage for unmarried individuals and Garth were added to the lawsuit as shall not be valid or recognized. No official well. Once served or service is waived, the or court of the state of Louisiana shall new defendants will have 60 days to file an recognize any marriage contracted in any answer or any other responsive pleading. other jurisdiction which is not the union of So it will be after Mardi Gras until we hear one man and one woman. anything. However, with the strides in Article 3520 of the Louisiana Civil Code: Oklahoma, Utah and Ohio, the spectrum A. A marriage that is valid in the state looks brighter than it has ever been. where contracted, or in the state where the The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal very parties were first domiciled as husband and recently held the LGBT community to a wife, shall be treated as a valid marriage heightened scrutiny status as a protected unless to do so would violate a strong public class and held that a potential juror could policy of the state whose law is applicable not be struck because of his or her status to the particular issue under Article 3519. as a member of the class. This Ladies and B. A purported marriage between per- Gentlemen is huge news in the world of law. sons of the same sex violates a strong Under constitutional scrutiny - a state must public policy of the state of Louisiana and show that it has a compelling reason to such a marriage contracted in another state discriminate. Obviously, as it applies to shall not be recognized in this state for any discrimination regarding marriage, Louisipurpose, including the assertion of any ana has neither a legitimate nor a compelright or claim as a result of the purported ling reason to survive such scrutiny. Excelmarriage. sior. The legal effect of this ranges from the For additional information, visit http:// ability of an insurance company to protect www.robicheauxvscaldwell.com. the spouse, recognition to spousal status when a spouse dies, rights to be informed the "official" dish ...from 6 and make medical decisions for a spouse, and the ability for a parent to be recognized Pub downstairs lineup includes Monday as a natural tutor or for same-sex married SIN Comedy Night, Tuesday Creative 90's, couples to adopt, and more. Indeed, as we Wednesday Showtunes & Divas, Thursprepare for tax season, same-sex married day Request Night, Friday and Saturday couples in Louisiana may not file “married Music Videos, and Sunday Retro Videos. filing jointly” - and cannot honestly state Upstairs in the Parade host Tuesday girlbar that they are single. New Orleans with the Carnival Kings, ThursIn July 2013, Jonathan Robicheaux day Sing Your Heart Out Karaoke, Friday filed a complaint in federal court, midnight Boys on Parade Strip-Off, Satur13-cv-05090 USDC EDLA, against the day Boys Night, and Sunday 6-8pm Tea Louisiana Attorney General, James Dance Drink & Drown with 8pm Lipstixx Caldwell, to recognize his marriage in Iowa Ladies on Parade. Visit in 2012 to his husband, Derek Penton. www.BourbonPub.com for additional inforDerek along with Courtney and Nadine mation. Blanchard, who are also married and have a son together, with Courtney being the biological mother and Nadine being the Friends of the birth mother, were added to the lawsuit. In Cabildo Walking Tour response, the Attorney General (AG) filed a motion to dismiss invoking “sovereign im- Guide Class munity” under the 11th Amendment to the Love History? Become a walking tour Constitution, which states: “The Judicial Guide for the Friends of the Cabildo! The power of the United States shall not be Friends of the Cabildo (FOC) Walking Tour construed to extend to any suit in law or Guide Training Program provides intensive equity, commenced or prosecuted against and comprehensive training for tour guides. one of the United States by Citizens of The classes are under the expert direction another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of of Friends of the Cabildo Board Members, any Foreign State.” Mrs. Jane Molony, Mrs. Jackie Graff and
Mrs. Kathryn Mouton, who are assisted by a staff of volunteer FOC tour guides. The program provides an intensive overview of the history of Louisiana. In addition to the academic component, trainees are provided training in presentation techniques, procedures for conducting tours, and other practical guidelines. An extensive reading list is also provided. Trainees must also complete a series of “tag alongs” with certified FOC guides to give them proper field experience. Students are guided in the creation and practice of their own self-designed walking tours of the French Quarter. Students must pass a one-on-one tour with an evaluator, as well as a critiqued tour with a group under the observation of an evaluator. Students are prepared for a written examination conducted by the city of New Orleans as a prerequisite to obtaining a tour guide license. Those who complete the program are required to make a commitment to the FOC to serve as a volunteer guide for a period of two years. Guides are generally on the schedule one or two times per month during this period. The walking tour class is offered one time per year at the Cabildo. The 2014 Walking Tour Guide Class starts March 12th. Please email Kaydee Nenninger, kaydee@friendsofthecabildo.org, if you are interested in becoming a Friends of the Cabildo Walking Tour Guide! Acceptance into the program is contingent upon an interview process following application.
Calling All Sweetheart Couples Ambush Mag is seeking photos from LGBT sweetheart couples to feature in its next issue celebrating Valentine's, Pre-Mardi Gras. Please send one photo with both of your names, years together, and whether you're in a relationship, engaged, or married (include the date married in what city, state) to marsha@ripandmarsha.com by deadline of Tuesday, Feb. 4th. It's our effort to put a face on loving couples who are making a difference in LGBT society today.
Patti LaBelle Headlines Zulu Ball Feb. 28 The Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc. is proud to announce Grammy Award Winner Patti LaBelle will be the featured
entertainer for the 2014 Annual Zulu Coronation Ball to be held Feb. 28th at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. in New Orleans. Tables are on sale now for the Coronation Ball and may be purchased at the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc., 732 North Broad Street. For additional information, call 504.827.1661 or visit our website www.Kreweof Zulu.com.
Lucky Pierre's sets Wednesday, Thursday & Friday Lineup New Orleans newest night club Lucky Pierre's, 735 Bourbon Street, will host three nights on its exciting weekly lineup. Wednesdays will bring the ultimate DJ contest "So you think you can DJ?" Four DJs will compete each week in the 6 week contest. The grand prize winner wins a residency at Lucky Pierre's. On Thursday you can take home $200 as winner of the "best orgasm on the Lucky microphone." Can you just imagine what you might hear? Are you DTF? That is Down To Friday with drink specials, and a hot Go Go Dancer Contest with the winner taking home $200 each week. To find out more on this new club, visit www.LuckyPierresNOLA.com.
Costume Making & Mardi Gras Revelry @ OCH Market Feb. 8 Come build your Mardi Gras costume with at the OCH Art Market on Feb. 8th in New Orleans’ most eclectic, up and coming neighborhood. A wide variety of vendors carrying costume accessories and know how will be on site to help you create your ensemble. There will also be a 2 hour sewing class beginning at 12:30. “Wild Man John” of the Mardi Gras Indians will be on hand selling bead work accessories. Entertainment will include a live drum circle, libations, and the Krewe of Skinz and Bonz. Vendors include Dante’s Masquerade, Mardiclaw, Wildman Ellis, Bijou’s Big Easy, Gamache Designs and more. Carolina Gallop, a seamstress with 15 years experience will he hosting a Sit N Sew class from 12:30 to 2:30pm. The two hour class costs $15 and is open to all skill levels and to ages 10 years and up. Bring your fabric and your machine and put together your best costume ever. Food will be served by New Orleans’ newest vegan restaurant, 3 Potato 4, which has inked in a deal to be serving the food at the OCH Market for months to come. The menu includes organic baked fries with a variety of savory sauces vegetarian chili. The Faubourg Lafayette Neighborhood Association will also be at the market hosting their first monthly Sidewalk Sale where residents can come sell, trade and shop for second hand treasures. The FLNA will be organizing this recycling and community building enterprise for months to come and are expecting to have clothes, appliances, furniture and more. The family friendly atmosphere and easy to access location provide important exposure for artists of all mediums in Central City and New Orleans as a whole. All crafts are hand made as the market gives a place for both burgeoning and experi-
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candidate interviews by Frank Perez E-mail: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Interview with Judge Michael Bagneris, Candidate for Mayor of New Orleans FP (Frank Perez): Judge Bagneris, what do you know about the gay community in New Orleans? JB (Judge Michael Bagneris): Actually, I’m even perturbed by the question because it kind of indicates the gay community for some reason should be separate and distinct from the overall community. The gay community, the straight community, we are all one. We’re all people. I know everything about the gay community that I know about the heterosexual community. I don’t know why there should be some line of demarcation. It’s like saying what do you know about the heterosexual community or the white community or the black community. We’re all people. So I know everything there is to know about the gay community because I know everything there is to know about people. FP: Last year we commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Upstairs Lounge fire with a program at the Historic New Orleans Collection. The current mayor was invited but declined to attend. If you’re elected mayor, would you be willing to attend such events? JB: Let me start by saying that the initiation of gay pride weekend—I was the one who brought that, not into being because the gay community did that, but I’m the one that issued the proclamation for it because I had then convinced my then mayor that it was the right thing to do, and that was Mayor Morial. And he agreed but when it came time for the press, he asked me to do it and I proudly went down and ushered in the gay weekend. So I did it then and I have not changed my views or stripes or opinions. So the answer to your question is yes. FP: And you were Executive Counsel for Mayor Morial?
the "official" dish ...from 8 enced artists to showcase their work in an easy to reserve vendor format. The market is free, open to the public and family and pet friendly and with plenty of parking. The OCH Art Market is in its fourth year and is always held on the second Saturday of every month at 1618 O.C. Haley Blvd, right in the heart of Central City. This building, also home to the Zeitgeist Theatre, is a protected historic landmark and with its 18 foot ceilings is a tourist attraction in itself. The market seeks to provide a foothold for returning Central City and Dryades Street to its former glory as a thriving commercial district second only to Canal Street. Since its beginnings in November 2010, the OCH Art Market has risen to the occasion and provides a venue for not only New Orleans citizens to explore what Central City has to offer, but also for visitors from out of town looking to shop in an historic New Orleans neighborhood. More information on this market can be found at www.ochartmarket.com.
Judge Michael Bagneris JB: Yes, that’s correct. FP: And I understand at that time you helped draft some legislation that prohibited LGBT discrimination? JB: Yes, that always has been part of my background in terms of how I started off this conversation. Every right that a heterosexual has, a gay individual ought to have. So anytime we can bring those rights into being through an ordinance or a statute, through court action or whatever it is, then we should because it’s the right thing to do. FP: You attended law school at Tulane, is that correct? JB: That’s also correct. FP: And before that Yale? JB: Yes, I went to undergraduate school at Yale. FP: As you are aware, Southern Decadence is one of the city’s biggest annual events. Last year, Roughly 150,000 people came for Decadence and estimates peg their economic impact for the city at $1.1 billion. Also last year, for the first time in Southern Decadence’s 41 year history, the city charged the Southern Decadence Grand Marshals $6,600 for sanitation fees. This raised a number of questions that no one at City Hall has been able to answer: Why the sanitation charge now whereas there had never been one before? On what basis is the fee calculated? Do other groups such as the Sugar Bowl and Bayou Classic have to pay such a fee? And if so, how much? And no one at City Hall has been able to provide an itemized list of how the $6,600 fee was spent. If you are elected, can you offer the organizers of Southern Decadence some relief on this fee or at least answer some of the aforementioned questions? JB: I’ll give you straight answers. I can’t say I’m going to give relief because I don’t know the details but I will make sure everybody plays on a level playing field. If everyone was charged a sanitation fee
based on some formula, then I’d have to enforce it across the board. But if everyone was not charged a sanitation fee, then we would have to adjust that provision and again make sure that everyone is treated equally. FP: So that’s something you would be willing to look into? JB: Absolutely. FP: Let’s talk about crime. Your platform calls for hiring more police, which, I suspect, most people think is a good idea. The question is how do you pay for them? JB: First of all, we already have the money to pay for 1,537 police officers. That was the budget. We have less than 1,100 officers right now. So when you talk about where you’re going to get the money to pay for it, the money was already in the budget. The better question would be where is the money that was budgeted. FP: What are your thoughts on Chief Serpas’ performance? Would you replace him and if so, what criteria would you use in appointing a new Chief of Police? JB: I’ve already indicated several times that my first act as Mayor will be getting a new Police Chief, so Serpas is gone. In terms of what I would look to in replacing him, I would look to the best practices rule. New York just appointed a new police chief and all of the newspapers indicated that they went through a very good procedure. I’ve already requested all the documentation that New York City used in order to determine how they were going to select their police chief—not that I’m going to adopt it just outright but I think it’s a good idea to look at that which has been certified as a good practice and procedure and look at that roadmap and see what we can use. FP: There is a sense among French Quarter residents that the police presence in the Quarter is primarily for the tourists. There is a tremendous crime problem in the Quarter. People are getting mugged and robbed and harassed on an almost daily basis. I can personally name half a dozen people who have gone to the 8th District to file police reports and been convinced not to and, in addition, been made to feel guilty for wasting the officer’s time. JB: That goes back to the lack of police problem. Let me tell you—every district feels like they don’t have enough police. If you go to New Orleans East, they are always complaining, rightly so, because for a 70 square mile district, they more often than not have one patrol car patrolling that whole area. And the same thing is true in Algiers and Central City and the lower 9th Ward and the fact of the matter is we don’t have enough police officers. We don’t have enough boots on the streets and until we get more boots on the streets we’re not going to have the public safety the citizens warrant and deserve. So we have to immediately increase the police force. FP: Another quality of life issue is the so-called “Noise Ordinance.” What are your thoughts on that controversy? JB: Well, first of all I get upset when people refer to it as a noise ordinance. Call it a sound ordinance, call it a volume ordinance but no music coming out of New Orleans should be referred to as noise. Plus, it gives you a certain mindset; you know, who is going to be in favor of noise? No one. So let’s rephrase it and put it in its proper perspective and then after we do that let’s get an ordinance drafted that everyone who is affected can participate in. So that’s the artists, the club-owners, the residents, even tourists—you could have
representatives from the Convention Bureau—so that everybody who is a stakeholder has an opportunity to give their viewpoints and make the arguments. FP: What are your thoughts on Malachi Hull and the recent turmoil at the Taxi Cab Bureau? JB: Well, Malachi Hull only represents the same type of leadership the current administration has been dealing with. It’s not one that believes in being collaborative. It’s a dictatorship. It’s my way or the high way. And that starts from the top. So if people would just communicate with the taxi drivers, they have a lot of good issues. For instance, why should a seven year old vehicle be the determining factor? You could have a seven year old vehicle that has no mileage on it and looks brand new and you can have a one year old vehicle that has 200,000 miles on it. Shouldn’t we look to other things other than the age of the vehicle? FP: Would you be in favor of revoking the recent cab requirements? JB: No, I would be in favor of sitting down with the taxi drivers and listening to their particular grievances and then make a determination. For instance, right now they are mandated to put in certain credit card machines. I’m told these are fairly expensive, whereas the taxi drivers say they would like to have the credit card phone swipes, which is a negligible cost, but accomplishes the same end. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to do that? So wherever there is a reasonable objection to what’s in the ordinance, then I think we ought to take a look at it. But again, that’s a question of communicating with the stakeholders. FP: Would you say the current Administration is marked by a lack of communication or unwillingness to listen? JB: That’s unquestionably true. We have a mayor right now who knows everything. Knows everything about every area. Knows everything about policing, knows everything about transportation, he knows everything about everything, so he doesn’t have to communicate and he doesn’t. FP: There are some business owners in the French Quarter who feel the Vieux Carre Commission is very selective in their enforcement, especially with regard to signage. JB: Well obviously I’ve indicated that I believe that everybody should be on the same level playing field, but until I know more about what the specific complaints are I won’t make a decision one way or the other. Again, as I told you earlier, I would need to hear from everybody and once I hear from everybody then I could make a call on that. FP: Why do you want to be mayor? JB: I want to be mayor because my city, our city, is in peril. We’ve already indicated the public safety problem. Everybody knows the public safety problem is the number one concern on all citizens’ minds. Quickly following the public safety problem is the business and job problem—the creation of business and the creation of jobs. If we don’t have public safety, we’re not going to have businesses and if we don’t have businesses, we’re not going to have jobs. If we don’t have jobs, a person’s not going to be able to feed their family. If you can’t feed your family, then you move out of town. If everybody moves out of town, we have no New Orleans. So I stepped down
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candidate interviews ...from 10 from the bench in order to voice this concern and tell individuals I recognize the problem, which the present administration doesn’t even recognize because he is saying everything is hunky dory. So I recognize the problem and I’m ready to face the challenges of doing something about it. And together, we can do something about it. FP: What do we do to create more jobs? Do you have any concrete ideas? JB: Right now, all we have is tourism. We need to have lots of small business opportunities particularly in those areas I mentioned before as being unattended. New Orleans East, 9th Ward, Algiers, Central City, Gentilly—what we need to do in terms of small businesses is we were talking about having an outlet mall in New Orleans East, which never came to fruition. If you had an outlet mall, that would bring in a whole lot of money for the city that wouldn’t only be on the burden of the residents because you would be able to go to all the hotels, like they do in New York, pick up the tourists and bring them to the outlet mall, let the tourists spend their money out there. Most people don’t know that Orleans Parish spends $1.9 billion in Jefferson Parish because of Lakeside and Esplanade Mall and Best Buy and Target and all of those things. We don’t have those options in Orleans Parish so Jefferson Parish reaps the benefit. Of $1.9 billion, the city would have approximately $100 million of taxes. Do you know what we could do with $100 million, not to mention all the jobs that would also create. We’re talking about, in terms of something new, we really shouldn’t be spending all of our time looking at tourism. It is the number one money-maker for New Orleans right now but how about expanding and diversifying our portfolio? I’m going to look at what’s called value-added opportunities. For example, we are the largest importer of lumber from South America. Yet we don’t have a furniture manufacturer anywhere around. We could have a furniture manufacturer like High Point in North Carolina, where people drive from all over the country to get their furniture not only because its good but also because it’s less expensive. We could have that right here because our transportation costs would be next to nothing in terms of getting the lumber here. We should be the coffee capital of the world, not Seattle, because of all of the coffee beans we get out of Colombia. We have no added-value; we get all the raw materials and what do we do with it? We send it on to the other places in the country. And speaking of raw materials one thing that we're bristling with and never take advantage of is all the raw talent we have here in New Orleans. We have all that great talent, but we don’t have the music industry, we don’t have the business of music, we don’t have the production and the distribution and the marketing and the publishing of music. Our great musicians have to go elsewhere in order to get that done. Why does a Terrance Blanchard have to go outside of the city in order to do a score for a film? He shouldn’t have to. We have to deal with the business of music because that is where the money is and we have the raw talent here to deal with it. FP: Will you raise property taxes if elected? JB: Before we start looking for new revenue, we have to look at the budget.
One thing I am not going to do is try to raise money on the backs of the people who can least afford it by raising utility rates or sanitation or sewage and water or anything of that nature. We have to look first to the budget and see what we can get out of the budget. Now I know for example that this mayor’s budget, this mayor’s office, is $7.3 million more than his predecessor and that $7.3 million is a result of the deputy mayors and the urban specialists. Well, I’m not going to have deputy mayors or urban specialists. The people will be my urban specialists because that is where I get most of my ideas from. For example, I had a young lady tell me, “you know, New Orleans is so hot, why don’t our parks simply have these water sprinklers where the kids could just run through. It’s like a little waterfall. It doesn’t cost much money at all and the water is recyclable and you’re not using a whole lot of water and you could put it in the neighborhood parks and I thought that was an excellent idea. Most of the excellent ideas come from the people. FP: Is t here anything you would like to add before we conclude? JB: I love this city because I know its residents do and working together we can make it the Queen City once more. FP: One last question. If you had to pick three words to describe New Orleans, what would they be? JB: Talent-filled. Unique. Loving.
Interview with Judge Nadine Ramsey, Candidate for City Council District C FP (Frank Perez): In your opinion, what are the primary challenges facing District C? JR (Judge Nadine Ramsey): The top issues that I see are certainly crime, blighted property, and slow economic growth. FP: Let’s take each one of those. In recent days there have been a couple of high profile muggings and assaults in the French Quarter and crime is a perennial problem, especially in the lower Quarter. A lot of Quarter residents feel as though the police are here more for the tourists than for them. What would you do increase police presence? JR: I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with some of the residents and this was the very first issue that came up. The slow response by the police department, working with the Commander of the District, and what we’ve been a proponent of is community policing—having a greater presence and also working with the Commander to increase the response time. FP: Under the current administration, the number of police officers has been reduced dramatically. Most probably agree we need more officers but the question is where does the money come to pay for them? JR: Funding the consent decree in the Police Department is certainly going to be a challenge for the administration, but we’ll have to look at ways to make cuts in the budget. Crime is going to be a priority for me. FP: Another quality of life issue has to do with aggressive panhandling, especially by what are commonly called “gutter punks.” A recent court decision prohibits the police from intervening in aggressive begging which creates a catch 22. Do you have any thoughts on how this problem may be
Judge Nadine Ramsey handled? JR: It’s going to have to be a priority. We know the French Quarter drives tourism to the city; it creates a lot of economic growth for us, but it’s not a free-for-all for everyone. So we’re going to have to look at the court decision and to whatever extent we see they're any violations, we will have to enforce the law. FP: Tell me about your plan for blighted properties. JR: It has to be an efficient way across the board and a fair way. We know that when you don’t take care of blight in the community, it draws and attracts crime. So just making sure that throughout the district that the Department of Parks and Parkways keeps up our neutral grounds. That’s a quality of life issue that deals with a cleaner, nicer neighborhood. And to have an efficient and fair across the board enforcement of the law dealing with blight on the books already. FP: The third challenge you mentioned was slow economic growth. What are your thoughts on economic growth? JR: We have several spots in our community that could serve as anchors and economic engines. For example, in Algiers, the Federal City Development. It’s a mixture of government, private, schools and small businesses. To see that development grow and to expand it so that it comes outside the gates of Federal City and it becomes an anchor for growth in Algiers. On this side, we know that there are restaurants coming in and we want to encourage that growth. We have a lot of small businesses already—to work with those businesses, to help them grow. We know that when you support small business, the dollars stay in the community, it creates jobs and those are the types of things I would be looking at doing. FP: What is your opinion of Malachi Hull and the recent controversy at the Taxi Cab Bureau regarding the harassment of tour guides, specifically the assault on Wendy Bosma? JR: I think it was despicable. It should not have happened. It should not have been tolerated and someone should have been called in and questioned and there should have been ramifications for the behavior. I think across the board, that Bureau has been allowed to get away with a lot of things without regard for the taxi drivers, the guides that are in the city. They are the first people our tourists meet and we should be working with them not against them. FP: District C encompasses Algiers, the French Quarter and the Marigny and contains a sizable gay population
JR: I’ve spent time in the gay community and I’m very comfortable with it. I know it’s a large community and I’m proud to have the endorsement of the Forum for Equality. I certainly support rights for everyone and I’m not in any way in favor of bullying, discrimination or anything like that. I’m very proud to have the support of the gay community. FP: Last year we commemorated the 40th Anniversary of the Upstairs Lounge Fire with a program at the Historic New Orleans Collection which was followed by a jazz funeral. We invited the mayor and the city council members to attend but none of them showed up. If you were elected, would attend such events? JR: Certainly, if you go back to my last answer, you know any issues of discrimination or bullying I would not tolerate. And I would have been at the event. FP: As you may be aware, Southern Decadence is one of the city’s biggest annual events. Last year, roughly 150,000 people came for Decadence and estimates peg their economic impact for the city at $1.1 billion. Also last year, for the first time in Southern Decadence’s 41 year history, the city charged the Southern Decadence Grand Marshals $6,600 for sanitation fees. This raised a number of questions that no one at City Hall has been able to answer: Why the sanitation charge now whereas there had never been one before? On what basis is the fee calculated? Do other groups such as the Sugar Bowl and Bayou Classic have to pay such a fee? And if so, how much? And no one at City Hall has been able to provide an itemized list of how the $6,600 fee was spent. If you are elected, can you offer the organizers of Southern Decadence some relief on this fee or at least answer some of the aforementioned questions? JR: I can tell you that I will look into the fees if I am elected and if there is any relief that can be given, if similar organizations are not hit with those fees, then it should be across the board. FP: How do you feel about raising property taxes? JR: That hasn’t been something I’ve put in my platform. When you talk about property taxes, it just raises everybody’s disgust because when you look around our city, we have in Algiers, for example, some of the worst streets in the city. So when you talk about property taxes, people want to know what are you giving me for those tax dollars. But that has not been something I’ve talked about in this campaign. FP: Why are you running for City Council? JR: I’ve been a resident of Algiers for almost 30 years and when I moved into the area it was a quiet neighborhood, a quiet area, I felt very safe and comfortable. In the last few years I’ve seen increasing crime, increasing blight (I’m also a property owner), and neutral grounds not being kept up. As I began to walk neighborhoods and talk to people and businesses, there was an unresponsiveness from the city council and it just didn’t seem to be a desire to include everybody, to talk to everybody. Decisions were made behind closed doors and I find that unacceptable. So I want everyone to know I’m going to be accessible, that when I work with you, I’ll give you an answer and I’m going to stand by it. If I can’t be with you, I’ll let you know and it may be this time I can’t be with you but we can continue working. That’s my training as a judge and a mediator.
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paparazzi
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Frankie Fierce 30th Birthday & Charity Fundraiser brought in $4,531.85 for Buzzy’s Boys & Girls @ Oz ~ New Orleans ~ Photos by Tony Leggio, Rip Naquin
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celebrazzi
Partners Jim Gerhold, Jim Moore, Debbie Stoors, Ron McLeroy, Rodney Myevs, and Jim Daily welcome you to Neon Boots Dancehall and Saloon at the historic Esquire Ballroom (which boasted performances by Willie Nelson, George Jones and Patsy Cline) in Houston, Texas. Located at 11410 Hempstead Highway, the club offers something for everyone including country western dance lessons, karaoke, drag shows, live performances, bands, benefit shows, gay bingo and more. Photo by Darwin Reed. (www.NeonBootsClub.com)
(Left) Out of a field of four contestants, Adikus Sulpizi won Knights d'Orleans' Mr Big Easy Leather 2014 at Rawhide 2010 in New Orleans. He will travel to International Mr. Leather in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend to enter the prestigious contest. (Below) Petronius Captain Daryl Dunaway joins Queen and King Petronius XLII Larry Anderson and Lee Worrells as they welcome guests to the Krewe of Petronius' second annual Gospel Show and Pot Luck Brunch at 4 Seasons in Metairie, Louisiana. The krewe will hold their 43rd Bal Masque on Saturday, February 22nd at Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette. For more information, visit www.KreweOfPetronius.org.
Frankie "Fierce" Wingerter celebrates his 30th Birthday Party & Charity Fundraiser at Oz in New Orleans as Human Relations Commission Executive Director Larry Bagneris presents him with a mayoral proclamation declaring Jan. 2, 2014 as Frank Wingerter Day in the city joined by Oz host Persana Shoulders. The four-hour event raised $4,531.85 for Buzzy's Boys & Girls including a sizzling hot fashion show by both Josh Duffy of Bourbon Pride, and Gerald Kenokouture Watson; along with a silent auction, live auction, fab drag show and buffet. Ambush Mag was a proud sponsor of the event. (Photo below: Bourbon Pride Fashion Show with MC Bourbon Pride's Josh Duffy, and models Casey Cheramie, Nate Maxwell, Mike Lasaka, Frankie Fierce, Derek Correa & Steven Vaughan)
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Preaching the Gospel @ Petronius' Gospel Show & Pot Luck Brunch
Petronius sends Natasha & Lauren One Way to the Lake @ 4 Seasons
Kookie Baker gives us a b-day peek during Jubilee @ Golden Lantern
Allen, Ellen & Craig @ Petronius' Gospel Show & Pot Luck Brunch Even Rusty LaRoux pops in for Jubilee @ Golden Lantern
Sonny Gee & John Groth @ Petronius' Gospel Show & Brunch Athena Jewelle keeping her clothes on for Jubilee @ The Golden Lantern
Queen Petronius Larry, Bebe & Robert @ Petronius' Gospel Show Pot Luck & Brunch
Big Easy Sisters host Tea Room Trade Bingo @ The Phoenix
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Stars de la Scène ~ Metairie, New Orleans ~ Photos by Tony Leggio, Rip Naquin
Knights d’Orleans’ Mr. Big Easy Leather Contest @ Rawhide 2010 ~ New Orleans ~ Photos by Charles Jenkins, Tony Leggio, Paul Melancon
David, Ronnie & John welcome you to Petronius’ Gospel Show & Brunch @ 4 Seasons in Metairie
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under the gaydar by Tony Leggio Email: ledgemgp@gmail.com Photo by: Larry Graham, GrahamStudioOne.COM
Bartender of the Month
Life At Thirty
Mardi Gras is right around the corner which heralds one of the busiest times for the gay bars in New Orleans. The crowds of revelers pour in by the hundreds with one thing on their mind (well some of the trampier ones have two) – having a good time. The right bartender absolutely enhances your experience at a bar; that is why my bartender of the month for February is such an excellent choice. I am talking about Christopher at Oz (and House of Blues) who actually comes to us from Pensacola where he worked at Emerald City.
Thirty years ago the NO/AIDS Task Force started something desperately needed. From then on, it only grew in momentum getting stronger each year. They were a beacon of light, hope and faith for those suffering from this horrible illness and their families. Now there is a major reason to come together and they want the entire community to join them as they reflect on thirty years of serving the New Orleans Metropolitan area and beyond and look forward to what the future holds for NO/AIDS Task Force. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 7th at The Westin Canal Place for a gala dinner like no other. From 6:30pm to 7:30pm, cocktails will be served and at 8pm, there will be dinner with a presentation, followed by dancing. The Westin will offer a $5 parking voucher at their covered parking lot in Canal Place with direct access to the Westin. The dress is festive cocktail attire. Tickets or tables can be purchased online at www.noaidstaskforce.com or via phone by calling 504.821.2601 ext. 216. Please show your support for this organization that literally helps save lives every day.
Apply Now Bartender of the Month Christopher @ Oz He kind of reminds me slightly of Sam Malone, the loveable hunk from the television show Cheers. Though I believe if Sam looked like Chris, that bar would have been way more crowded with Friends of Dorothy. Now that I have just aged myself as a child of the eighties, let’s get back on track. Chris is at the top of his game when it comes to being a bartender. His service skills are outstanding, serving his customers with speed and accuracy even when the crowd is two or three thick. It is hard making friends in a new town, but Chris has quickly charmed his way into locals hearts and draws quite a following now. He is also one of those rare bartenders, especially in the gay bars, that know how to make a good craft cocktail. Bartending is a skill, like any other job. To be good at what you do and get repeat customers, you need to hone your talents. In other words, read a bartenders guide and familiarize yourself with popular names of drinks and how to make them. I do not need you to know how to make exotic or seldom ordered drinks (but you should have a reference manual handy just in case), but if you have to ask me what goes into a madras or a black Russian; then you need not be behind the bar. I am notorious for seeing some guys drinking something on Mad Men or another popular TV show and I want to try it. If Chris does not know it he googles it (gotta love technology). Chris is the perfect storm of bartendering, a good looking stud that is fast, efficient, friendly, and knows how to make a great drink. Seriously, Chris will definitely make your visit to Oz more memorable. Oz is located at 800 Bourbon Street.
PFLAG New Orleans was founded in 1982 and is affiliated with the national organization. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of LGBT persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. One of their major achievements is their scholarships they award every year to deserving students. Education is one of the most important gifts we can receive in our lifetimes and PFLAG is doing its part to help the gay youth in our community with these scholarships. The New Orleans Chapter of Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is now accepting applications for scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. The scholarships recognize outstanding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students and encourage continuing education for self-identified LGBT students, and help these students foster a positive image of LGBT people in society. Most of the scholarships are $1,000, but some can be for much more and there is one four-year scholarship for $10,000. This is an incredible opportunity for students in our community, so if you know of someone who is eligible, please have them register. The rules for eligibility are as follows: the applicant must: a) self-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender; b) be 17 years old or older; c) be a resident of Louisiana; and d) be planning to attend (or attending) a post-secondary educational institution. Also for the second year the organization is sponsoring a $1,000 scholarship referred to as “Straight for Equality.” Indi-
viduals who do not identify as LGBT but are advocates for and supportive of LGBT issues are eligible. Applications and detailed information about the scholarships can be found at www.pflagno.org, or by sending an e-mail to scholarship@plfagno.org. This amazing organization has awarded more than $500,000 to more than 450 students since 1989. This is such an excellent chance for an organization or company to give back to the community by helping our future generations. If you are interested in donating, you may make donations to the scholarship fund by sending a check payable to: PFLAG New Orleans Scholarship Committee, PO Box 15515, New Orleans, LA 70175. Additional information about making a donation can be obtained by sending an e-mail to scholarship@pflagno.org.
Postcards From Paris The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra present a free concert by the Philharmonic entitled “Postcards From Paris” on Wednesday, Feb. 19th at the St. Louis Cathedral. The concert is directed by Nicholas Carter and starts at 7:30pm. Seating is based on a first-come, first-serve basis. The will also be a live internet streaming of this concert on www.LPOmusic.com. This is the eighth installment of Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage. The popular series examines different aspects of the state’s contributions to classical music with a free concert, as well as award-winning educational programming. Selections for this year’s concert will explore the rich cultural and musical connections between France and Louisiana, including compositions by Ernest Guiraud, Frédéric Chopin and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In addition, a trio featuring Dr. Michael White, renowned jazz musician and instructor at Xavier University of Louisiana, will perform his arrangement of Sidney Bechet’s “Petit Fleur,” and the orchestra will close the concert with George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.” Three rising stars from the prestigious Paris Conservatory will be guest soloists, and Nicholas Carter, resident conductor of the Hamburg State Opera, will direct.
Let the Balls Begin Good Lord, can you believe it is already ball season. Hold onto your hats it is going to be a fabulous time with lots of excitement, glitter and costumes. And kicking off the festivities is the Krewe of AmonRa who is having their ball on Saturday, Feb. 8th at the Frederick J. Sigur Center in Chalmette. If you have not had the honor of going to a Mardi Gras ball, then you are missing out on one of the highest gay art forms in the world. The costumes are flamboyant and the show they put on is always worthwhile. This is the krewe’s 49th year. Doors will open at 7pm and the tableau begins at 8pm. This year there is a special after party immediately following the ball in the ballroom. Formal attire is required (long dress or tuxedos). Table seats are by invitation only. But there are plenty of balcony seats still available for a $10 donation. After party tickets are a $20 donation. You can contact any Krewe of Amon-Ra member for tickets. For more details, call John Zeringue, Krewe of Amon-Ra Captain XLIX, 985.710.2876,
ballcaptain@kreweofamonra.com or Rhonda Roget, Krewe of Amon-Ra Ball Lieutenant, 504.487.2333, balllieutenant@kreweofamonra.com.
Party Down Even though I was in Nashville for the first week (you will read about my adventures in Music City next issue), there was still plenty of excitement when I returned to NOLA. Saturday, Jan. 11 may have been when the Saints Super Bowl dreams were dashed thanks to the Seahawks, but it was not a total day of disappointment. New Orleans hottest promoter and bartender Frankie Wingerter (or as he is better known as Frankie Fierce) threw a blow-out bash at Oz for his 30th Birthday Party. Local celebrities came out in droves to help him celebrate his big day. The party was stimulation overload, there was incredible food supplied by local restaurants, a fashion show, drag performances, silent and live auction and even a shot boy running around selling Fireball Whiskey shots (extremely potent). Oh yes, and there was a cake also. Not even the loss could dampen guests’ spirits as guests danced and drank the night away. Fierce used this milestone to not only provide an enjoyable evening for friends and family; he also gave back to the community by raising over four thousand, five hundred dollars for Buzzy’s Boys and Girls. Congratulations Frankie and keep up the good work; you are truly living up to your nickname “Fierce.” Afterwards, a few of us brave (key word drunk) souls ventured into the Quarter for some more fun at the Mr. Big Easy Leather Contest at the Rawhide. The Knights d'Orleans created this new contest in the Big Easy with the winner of Mr. Big Easy Leather Adikus Sulpizi competing in Chicago on Memorial Day Weekend for the title of International Mr. Leather 2014. Congratulations should go out to Bill Naquin and his team for putting on a great event. Still not finished with our revelry, we then traipsed to the Corner Pocket for a quick nightcap. You ever notice that drinks are never quick there. I guess there are just too many distractions. The following day, Beaux, Barrett and I went to Kookie Baker’s birthday party and show at the Golden Lantern. Guests were treated to fun performances by Kookie and her guests followed by the enigmatic Reba Douglas’ Jubilee Gospel Show. Comfort food, drag queens and cocktails, there is no better way to spend a Sunday. Amen! The next week, I went to see “La Concierge Solitaire” at the Elm Theatre in the Warehouse District. The Elm Theatre has another hit on their hands with this show presented by the St. Francisville Transitory Theatre. This one-woman show is entertaining as the wonderfully talented actress Cecile Monteyne takes you on a one hour and change tour through a cast of characters that frequented a once thriving hotel. Now in ruins, the ramshackle structure makes a surreal setting. Directed by Andrew Farrier, who also takes writing credits along with Matthew Norris, La Concierge brings the audience right into the action of a make believe lobby. The Loew’s Hotel located at 300 Poydras Street celebrated their 10th anniversary on Thursday, Jan. 16th with vibrant New Orleans flair. Guests danced the night away to the sounds of Jimmy Maxwell and his orchestra. The music was the perfect
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Emerald City Nightlife ~ Pensacola, Florida ~ Photos by Lauren Mitchell
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under the gaydar ...from 22 accompaniment wonderful soiree the hotel created. The cuisine presentation was as unique as it was delicious. Miniature martini glasses filled with your seafood remoulade favorite (shrimp, lump crabmeat or lobster) were tiered on the elegantly dressed buffet table with a visually stunning whole salmon presentation. For the meat lovers, the carving station offered, veal chops, beef and turkey and oyster shooters were passed to the guests along with other great bites. The New Orleans Fairgrounds Race Course and Slots have given new meaning to “A Night At The Races,” and some friends and I decided to partake in the fun. On Friday, Jan. 17th, they held their monthly nighttime racing Starlight Racing series to a record-breaking crowd. Every month during race season, the Fairgrounds combine evening races with top-notch entertainment. This evening the band Groovy Seven had people dancing the night away in between watching the horses run. Downstairs there was a tent closer to the action where a DJ spun so with your admission, guests could go back and forth from one scene to another. Between the rhythmic beats of the band and the excitement of the races, the atmosphere was exhilarating. Go-go dancers dressed as jockeys punctuated the tent to add to the ambiance of the party scene. The last two Starlight Races will be on Feb. 7th with the Topcats in the Clubhouse and DJ San-D in the Miller Time Beer Garden and March 14th with the Mixed Nuts in the Clubhouse and DJ Kemistry in the Miller Time Beer Garden. For information or to purchase tickets in advance to any Starlight Racing Event visit www.fairgroundsracecourse.com. Saturday was quite a busy day for me. I started my evening by attending “The Queens of King” starring Big Easy Award Winners Lisa Picone and Dorian Rush at the AllWays Lounge and Theatre. The show is a tribute to the stupendous songwriter and singer Carole King. Picone and Rush take the audience through a sentimental journey through King’s life, telling her story and performing numbers that mark milestones for both her and them. After the show, my night became more active, I ran into a group of revelers in the bar of Allways celebrating Derek Stevens move toward Broadway. This talented singer who is a past winner of the Voice of NOLA Pride is leaving our fair city to the Big White Way, so a group of his fans and friends decided to send him off NOLA Style with an epic bar crawl. Good luck Derek, I cannot wait to see your name in lights. Next, I crossed the street in the Marigny to catch the tail end of the Tea Room Trade Bingo which was a fundraiser for the Big Easy Sisters at the Phoenix. With some cool prizes, these sisters had these men throwing money at them for a chance to play bingo with a twist (or twisted). But either way, they gave attendees a good time. Beaux and Barrett then scooped me up and we were off to the grand opening of Louie’s @ Congo Square which was the old Ninth Circle located at 700 North Rampart Street. There were plenty of well-wishers to celebrate the opening night festivities that had food, phenomenal DJs, a drag show and a champagne toast. It is so good to see new gay establishments (or gay friendly) opening up in our city. We then made it a Rampart Street sort of night by going to
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under the gaydar ...from 24 Michael’s On The Park for the Gumbo Revue led by the lovely Regina Adams. Performers included Monica Sinclaire, Raven Kennedy and Opal Vanderhurst. These girls put on quite a show. My Sunday Funday began with brunch at my house for some friends; then after a few Peach Bellini’s, we went to the 4 Seasons in Metairie for the Petronius Gospel Show and Pot Luck Brunch. It was a beautiful day on the patio with great friends, delectable home cooking and of course drag queens. There is nothing like a rousing spiritual performed by a drag queen to get the soul rejuvenated. Petronius members worked guests into a frenzy about their upcoming ball, which is literally almost a month away. That concludes my two weeks; stay tuned because the Mardi Gras festivities are just beginning.
Tony’s Tidbits of Wisdom It is the beginning of the New Year and we now have to have that class again in Facebook 101. Here is a good rule of thumb, if you cannot say something to a person’s face, then do not write it on Facebook. When people talk smack about others on Facebook, it makes them look two things, crazy and desperate. Differentiate your personal Facebook from your professional Facebook. Yes ladies and gentleman, you can be fired from your job by posting (or god forbid twittering) stupid, racist, harmful and derogatory messages on your account. Just ask that PR executive from New York. My new resolution in 2014 is to be honest with people on Facebook, try it out. It will also help clean up your Facebook list and weed out the nut cases. Now do not shame them publicly but send them a private message asking them to rethink their post because some people may think they are (you fill in the blank). Here is a for example, someone posted
on Facebook their DUI woes, saying they blew right under the legal drunk limit and the injustices that have been happening to them. Now you can interpret that in two ways, actually not really, crazy, keep that shit to yourself. And let me know when you are getting behind the wheel of your car again, so I can clear the street. You ultimately just made their case, you were drinking and driving. Example two, when people go off on an ex-co-worker, boss, spouse, and lover, whatever; you do realize that your argument is lost from the beginning. Your rant just proves why you were fired, dumped, etc. for a good cause, because it proves that you cannot control your temper, you are unprofessional and worse of all, you end up becoming the bigger laughing stock. Whenever I see posts like that of people going off, I just chuckle and call the person they were talking about; tell them to go to church, get down on their knees and thank god, they dodged a bullet of crazy. And please do not use God to prove your point or argument, a wise man once said that “religion is last refuge of a scoundrel.” Whenever someone plays the God card, that just means they are guilty as sin. Trust me on this one. Have a great year and remember to post wisely.
To Quote A Queen I always find humorous anecdotes and inspiration in what famous people say and do, so I thought for 2014, I will end each of my columns with a quote that may help brighten your day. The quotes will be from noteworthy gay celebrities, as well as gay icons and allies. “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.” --Harvey Fierstein If you have an event, story or idea, you want covered, contact me at ledgemgp@gmail.com.
a community within communities
by The Rev. Bill Terry, Rector St. Anna’s Episcopal Church Email: fr.bill@stannanola.org
Mardi Gras, Super Bowl and Elections, and life goes on... Its here and its now: Mardi Gras, The Super Bowl, and the greatest sport of all Louisiana election time. Are the elections our time of penance; funny that they fall before Mardi Gras? The Seattle Seahawks will meet the Denver Broncos, Comus will meet Rex, and we will mambo through the streets. This madness can only mean its New Orleans. Where will you be in the midst of all of this? Let’s not forget those Mardi Gras balls either, a lot of work still to be done especially for the Gay Tableau that will graciously work its way into our hearts with the remaining krews. Yet, life goes on. Recently several pastors gathered at Lazarus House for a pastoral care meeting. Kim Moss the Managing Director of Lazarus House gathered us to work out ways that the clients might have more and broader access to spiritual care and health. Such plays no small part in recovery and healing. We chatted about such things as liturgical dance, walking the labyrinth, classes in forms of prayer, and those usual things that a gaggle of pastors might talk about. It was a good meeting with well intentioned and
loving people trying to make this world a bit better and to give safe and warm nurture to the residents of Lazarus House. Representatives included MCC, Presbyterians, Methodist, and Unitarian churches as well as me for the Episcopal Church. It was an eclectic group to say the least. In the midst of the conversations and brain storming Kim told us a very brief story that to this moment I find very moving.
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houston
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Bartender Meagan in the Esquire Room
Bartender James Mann in the back bar
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Baton Rouge, Louisiana ~ Photos by Brad Benedict
Bartenders Chris A & Daniel Martinez in the front bar
Nightlife @ Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon ~ Houston, Texas ~ Photos by Darwin Reed
Partner Jim Daily, PR manager Justin Galloway, bar back Daniel Martinez, GM Robert Harwood, partner Ron McLeroy, bartender James Mann & bartender Chris A.
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trodding the boards by Brian Sands
Email: bsnola2@hotmail.com
Unconstitutional at the Joy Theater Colin Quinn made it clear what his mission was with his opening salvo from the stage of the Joy Theater. “I’m here to do a show about the Constitution. You are here to listen and love it.” And I and the rest of the audience did, mostly, for the next 80 minutes as he delved into the history and ramifications of one of our nation’s canonical documents with an abundance of wit and insight. Having debuted Unconstitutional offBroadway last May, Quinn is now touring the country with this monolog for the smart set. Part stand-up comedy, part stream of consciousness, Quinn’s casual delivery belies the show’s highly structured form. Yet, rather than doing the “same old same old,” Quinn was savvy enough to know that when appearing in New Orleans, he had to tailor things to the unique position the Big Easy holds in America. “New Orleans,” he declaimed at the outset, “you’re not even part of this country with your five different languages and seven different accents. You make up your own laws.” Yeah, you right! From there he jumped into a series of
a community within communities ...from 25 For decades Lazarus House was essentially a hospice. For those that do not know the following history is taken from their website: Project Lazarus was established in 1985 in response to the devastation that was being wreaked by HIV/AIDS. The Archdiocese of New Orleans responded by offering the upstairs of an old convent for the purpose of housing homeless people with AIDS, thus creating the first “Residence House.” At that time, the agency primarily provided hospice care to persons with AIDS who were homeless. The downstairs area of the facility housed the Deaf Center and Food for Friends. Later this area was renovated to create another “House.” Initially the program was staffed entirely by volunteers. Lazarus quickly became known as a place where people could come to live when they had no home, or when friends and family could no longer care for them. The need was great enough that the Archdiocese again responded by allowing the program the use of a second facility. A full time Director was hired, and since that time the program and staff have continued to grow and meet the increasing needs of the community. Over 1,200 people have been served by the agency in its history with hundreds who breathed their last breath at the agency. In the early years and through the 1990s, Project Lazarus was a place where people with AIDS came to die. As the treatments for the disease have evolved, so has the agency as it is now a place where people with HIV/ AIDS come to live. Now, Kim struck me as the sort of
sharp observations about the Constitution as in “We all know it. We just don’t know what it says.” And with all its obscure clauses, this former Saturday Night Live cast member opined that it was “written during a six week drunken crawl.” In a world where too many comedians just talk about their love lives and engage in a lot of navel-gazing, Quinn boldly discourses on ideas that are central to this nation, always leavening them with humor. After discussing how our Founding Fathers’ avoided any final decision about slavery, he deadpanned “What happens to a discussion deferred?”, one of my favorite lines in the show which seemed to go over the heads of most of the rest of the audience. Brashly riffing on George Washington and Andrew Jackson, this was Schoolhouse Rock for the kewl crowd, and Quinn maintained a very high level of comedy throughout the first half. As he came into modern times, however, he lost a little steam; his material about Bush and Clinton was not as trenchant as what had come before. Quinn clearly updates his material incorporating Duck Dynasty references as Papa Phil was making headlines. Surveyperson who is gentle, yet firm, caring yet with boundaries, dedicated but with a personal life beyond his professional life. In short a well balanced loving person. He simply told us, with a gleam in his eye and joy in his story telling, that he recently had driven back to the House. As he pulled into the drive way there before him were a dozen or more hospital beds laid out disassembled. They were the old beds of the house. (PAUSE and take the vision in). You see they were being replaced by more comfortable twin beds! Why? Did you catch the closing of their history? That Lazarus House is now a place for people to LIVE! No longer a loving hospice for people to die! We hear so little of this anymore. Not enough is made of transitions from death to life. Still Lazarus deals with homeless populations mostly people with full blown AIDS but they also work on transitional living; life skills; saying, “you need to learn how to pay rents and light bills because you will be around for quite a while you no longer have a death sentence.” WOW! Most of the people that I talk to in the LGBT community are a bit on the older side. Hmm, wonder if that has to do with my long white beard and very grey pony tail? But I digress. This generation seems a bit puzzled and in a few cases a bit disturbed with a newer generation who seems to lack any concern or knowledge about the passing holocaust when indeed HIV/AIDS was virtually a death sentence. You remember those days when fundamentalist churches said it was God’s punishment (as an aside such ideas are simply bad religion gone really wrong). So many beloved creatures of God passed away victims of a terrible disease gone awry. I have been told that so many younger people act without regard to safe sex and yes my friends it still applies.
ing the Robertsons, the Kardashians and Paula Dean, Quinn’s obviously not pleased with the state of the nation, lamenting that the U.S. was “the hot club for a number of years” but not any more. Perhaps. But any country that can produce someone like Quinn is still doing pretty damn good.
Golden Girls LIVE! at Mid-City Theatre Three years ago, Running With Scissors presented two staged episodes of The Golden Girls using some local performers and some visiting drag queens from San Francisco. The New Orleanians were marvelous. The San Franciscans were terrible. The Girls recently returned as Golden Girls LIVE! with three episodes and a fantastic all-local cast that brought back to life one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. With storylines involving pigs and minks as well as love, lust and menopause, the plots can be silly sometimes. But they can also be warmly, wryly humane with characters as finely etched as in a Restoration comedy. As talk of VCRs and Columbo transported us back to the 1980s, Linda Fried’s period-perfect costumes, Su Gonczy’s rosy lighting, and a pastel hued set created the “Miami Nice” visual equivalent. Even before the lights went down, a boisterous audience was primed to have fun. And they did. As Blanche, Varla Jean Merman outdid Rue McClanahan’s brazen sassiness, heightening some of the scripts’ double
No longer is HIV/AIDS a death sentence, still it is certainly more than the flu, more than a cold, and more than the average STD. BE CAREFULL! Remember, if nothing else, that while the hospital beds are gone, Lazarus House is still necessary. Remember that about 8,300 people died in the U.S. in 2010 due to AIDS; do you feel that lucky? Remember that about 33,000 people contracted AIDS in 2010. Here is one for you, about 1.1 MILLION Americans have AIDS and over 15% or 1 in 6 are unaware of their condition. The most effected group is young Black-American males that are gay, bisexual, or otherwise have sex with other men. At this point I hope that you would rather meet Kim or other pastors in church or in a pub perhaps a restaurant, rather than at Lazarus House. I hope that you KNOW this is not a punishment by God but simply a disease that has serious effects and needs to be taken seriously. You see the faith of my understanding has this to say from the Messiah, “The thief cometh not but to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The “thief” is self loathing, self hatred, and disregard for others. Jesus came to give life! The life that he gives is abundant in that it calls us to self care, grace, and care for the life of all others around us. BE SAFE DURING MARDI GRAS; VOTE WISELY; AND ENJOY THE SUPER BOWL.
Valentine's, Pre-Mardi Gras
DEADLINE Feb. 4th 504.522.8049
entendres that were probably toned down for TV. Sashaying across the stage, Merman moved like a figure from a Cubist painting, all angles and curves. Brooklyn Shaffer endowed Rose with a dizzy sweetness, echoing Betty White’s mannerisms and speech patterns, yet bringing a unique off-kilter charm of her own to the St. Olaf native. In the “straightest” of the roles, Sean Patterson captured Dorothy’s Brooklynborn toughness and her New York sense of irony. And amid the vintage advertisements—some real, some not so—that played on a screen during commercial breaks, it was an uncanny thrill to see Patterson from 20 years ago. Ricky Graham directed smoothly and imaginatively replicated the many locations, indoors and out, of the original programs. Yet as Sophia, Graham was the great Estelle Getty incarnate. Or, rather, without merely mimicking Getty, Graham delivered Sophia’s lines with a matter-of-fact comic aplomb that was hysterical. It’s one of his most memorable comic creations. Brian W. Johnston, an often silent coconspirator, came into his own as a Martina Navratilova-lookalike friend of Dorothy’s who develops a crush on Rose. Like the others, he opted to underplay rather than overdo. While there’s some cheeky fun with props and costumes and an occasional wink towards the audience, the entire cast wisely kept the camp to a minimum which allowed for maximum laughs. There may be more Golden Girls episodes later this year. Stay tuned for details.
Cabaret at Cutting Edge Theater through February 7 One has to admire Cutting Edge Theater. Working out of the Attractions Hair Salon in Slidell, in four short years, Artistic Director Brian Fontenot has grown the theater from a repertoire of mostly smallscale plays to presenting a variety of comedies, dramas and large scale musicals. Still, this is a community theater with all that implies. And so when you go, you don’t necessarily expect to see work of the most polished nature. Of course, when something truly shines, it’s magical. Cutting Edge’s Sweeney Todd was one of 2013’s highlights. If its current Cabaret does not achieve the same level of success, it’s not for lack of trying. Cabaret is a tough show to pull off. Since its original Tony-winning premiere it’s been revived twice on Broadway, once successfully (with a remount soon to come), once not. It has an overlong first act and a book that tends to slow things down; the movie version jettisoned most of it in favor of concentrating on Kander & Ebb’s brilliant musical numbers. Yet it remains a popular show as evidenced by a recent sold out house (salon?) for Cutting Edge. Directed by Fontenot, this Cabaret doesn’t completely overcome the show’s inherent pitfalls; Act One did seem to go on forever. But the more compact second act brought out the cast’s and the production’s strengths and concluded with a very powerful finale. One of Cabaret’s disadvantages is its multiple locations. In Sweeney Todd,
marsha@ripandmarsha.com
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alterations New Orleans, LA [504] Mr. Curtis Alterations, 529.3428
attorneys New Orleans, LA [504] Littlefield Law LLC, Attorney R. Kelp Littlefield, 639 Loyola Ave., Suite 1820, 504.525.1328 Tureau Legal, Troy A. Tureau , Attorney at Law, 8303 Pritchard Place, 70118, 504.602.9511, thelawprofessor@comcast.net
bars Mobile, AL [251] B-Bob's Downtown, 213 Conti St., 433.2262, B-Bobs.COM Flip Side Bar & Patio, 54 S. Conception St., 431.8819, FlipSideBarPatio.COM
GABRIEL'S DOWNTOWN, 55 South Joachim St., 432.4900 THE MIDTOWN PUB, 153 Florida St., 450.1555 Pensacola, FL [850] EMERALD CITY, 408 E. Wright St., 433.9491, EmeraldCityPensacola.COM THE ROUNDUP, 560 East Heinberg St., 433.8482 Baton Rouge, LA [225] GEORGE'S, 860 St. Louis, 387.9798, HOUND DOGS, 668 Main St., 344.0807 SPLASH, 2183 Highland Rd., 242.9491, SplashBR.COM Lafayette, LA [337] BOLT NIGHTCLUB, 116 E. Vermillion, 524.1380 Lake Charles, LA [337] CRYSTAL'S, 112 W. Broad, 433.5457 Metairie, LA [504] 4-SEASONS / PATIO BAR, 3229 N. Causeway, 832.0659, 4seasonsno.com CLUB LAX, 2301 N. Causeway, 834.7979 New Orleans, LA [504] 700 CLUB, 700 Burgundy, 561.1095, BIG DADDY'S, 2513 Royal, 948.6288 BOURBON PUB & PARADE, 801 Bourbon St., 529.2107, BourbonPub.COM CAFÉ LAFITTE IN EXILE, 901 Bourbon Street 522.8397, Lafittes.COM CORNER POCKET, 940 St. Louis, 568.9829, CornerPocket.NET COUNTRY CLUB, 634 Louisa St., TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM, 945.0742
CUTTER'S, 706 Franklin, 948.4200 THE DOUBLE PLAY, 439 Dauphine, 523.4517 THE FRIENDLY BAR, 2301 Chartres, 943.8929 GOLDEN LANTERN, 1239 Royal, 529.2860, Facebook.COM/GoldenLanternBar GOOD FRIENDS BAR, 740 Dauphine St, 566.7191, GoodFriendsBar.COM KAJUN'S PUB, 2256 St. Claude Ave., 947.3735, KajunPub.COM LE ROUNDUP, 819 St. Louis, 561.8340 LOUIE'S @ CONGO SQUARE, 700 N. Rampart, 252.4558 LUCKY PIERRE'S, 735 Bourbon St., 586.1836, LuckyPierresNOLA.com MICHAEL'S ON THE PARK, 834 N. Rampart St., 267.3615, MichaelsOnThePark.COM OZ NEW ORLEANS, 800 Bourbon, 593.9491, OzNewOrleans. COM PHOENIX/EAGLE, 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264, NewOrleansPhoenix.COM RAWHIDE 2010, 740 Burgundy St., 525.8106, Rawhide2010.COM RAINBOW ROOM, 632 Bourbon St., enter thru Fishbowl, 994.1036, Facebook.COM/ rainbowroomonbourbon TROPICAL ISLE: Home of the Hand Grenade, 721 Bourbon St., 529.4109, TropicalIsle.COM VOODOO BAR, 718 N. Rampart, 265.0953 Slidell, LA [985] BILLY'S, 2600 Hwy. 190 West, 847.1921 Biloxi, MS [228] CLUB VEAUX, 834 Howard Ave., 207.3271 Houston, TX [713] NEON BOOTS DANCEHALL & SALOON, 11410 Hempstead Hwy., 677.0828, www.neonbootsclub.com
costumes New Orleans, LA [504] QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633
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framing New Orleans, LA [504] ANGLE CUSTOM FRAMES, 4422 Magazine St., 269.3726
galleries New Orleans, LA [504] Court Yard Gallery, 1129 Decatur, 330.0134
guides America Damron Travel Guide, 800.462.6654, www.damron.com Gulf South/United States AMBUSH Mag, 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137; 504.522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; marsha@ripandmarsha.com International GayBars.COM, 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137; 504.522.8049, marsha@ripandmarsha.com
bathhouse
groceries/delis
New Orleans, LA [504] Club New Orleans, 515 Toulouse, 581.2402, www.the-clubs.com
New Orleans, LA [504] QUARTERMASTER DELI, THE NELLIE DELI, 1100 Bourbon, 529.1416
body rubs
hair salons
New Orleans, LA [504] Cum & Get A Rub Down-Good looking, middle age (but look younger), white guy, available for full body rub downs, servicing the FQ, DT hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, the Marigny & Bywater. Your place only, late night availability too, seniors welcome. Call Allen @ 504.250.8356. [is114]
New Orleans, LA [504] BOBBY BLUE CONTEMPORARY BARBER & BEAUTY PARLOR, 906 Bourbon St., 527.5100 FEE & ARTS REVIVAL STUDIO, 834 Chartres, 917.318.4300 HEAD QUARTERS HAIR SALON, 900 Rue Dauphine, 522.2666 MICKEY NOLAN'S SALON, 815 Toulouse St., 587.7782 SALON D'MALTA, 1233 Decatur, 565.5555, SalonDMalta.COM
book stores New Orleans, LA [504] FAB - Faubourg Marigny Art & Books, 600 Frenchmen St., 947.3700
chiropractic New Orleans, LA [504] DR. MICHAEL LECHLEITER, D.C., 1526 Magazine, 566.1833 [is114]
circuit/events Feb. 28-Mar. 4, 2014, Official Gay Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush, GayMardiGras.COM Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, 15th Official Gay Easter Parade, New Orleans, sponsored by Ambush, GayEasterParade.COM May 23-26, 2014 Memorial Day Weekend, Pensacola, FL, sponsored by Ambush, GayPensacola.COM Aug. 27-Sept. 1, 2014, 43rd Official Southern Decadence Celebration of Gay Life, Music & Culture, end of Summer Blowout including the Southern Decadence Parade & loads of activities, bringing over 150,000 revelers to New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush & SouthernDecadence.COM Oct. 23-26, 2014, Halloween 31, benefiting Project Lazarus, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by AmbushMag.COM, HalloweenNewOrleans.COM Dec. 26, 2014-Jan. 1, 2015, Gay New Year's in New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, GayNewOrleans.COM
hardware New Orleans, LA [504] MARY'S FRENCH QUARTER HARDWARE, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465
health New Orleans, LA [504] New Orleans Urgent Care, 201 Decatur St., 700 Magazine St., 552.2433, NewOrleansUrgentCare.com
lodging/accommodations New Orleans [504] AARON INGRAM HAUS, 1012 Elysian Fields, New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE: 504.949.3110, E-mail us at ingramhaus@yahoo.com. Condos with queensize beds, private entrances; located only six blocks from Bourbon Street and walking distance to most New Orleans attractions. Several favorite bars are within one block. [0713] 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, E-mail us at theburgundy@cox.net. Gay owned and operated in newly renovated 1890's double. Four guest rooms with private baths, guests' parlor and "halfkitchen", courtyard and half-open tubhouse with spa (hot tub/whirlpool). Clothing optional in sun-
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bathing and hot tub area. Walking distance to French Quarter. Immediate vicinity of gay and lesbian bars/venues. [0813] Chateau LeMoyne French Quarter 301 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 70112, Phone: 504.581.1303, http:// www.hiclneworleanshotelsite.com/gay-hotelsnew-orleans. Enjoy a stay enriched with the culture and history of New Orleans at Chateau LeMoyne. Our historic building features all the best of old-time architecture and our prime location allows guests to stay just steps from the French Quarter, while still at enough distance to enjoy a peaceful night’s rest. Versatile guest accommodations include charmingly appointed suites and cottages, while on-site amenities include drinks and dining, a scenic courtyard area and pool, and meeting and event space. When you’re ready to explore, top New Orleans attractions are only moments away. We look forward to welcoming you to the “Big Easy.” THE FRENCH QUARTER GUEST HOUSES, 1005 St. Peter, New Orleans, LA 70116, Phone: 877-681-5087 frenchquarterguesthouses.com. Email: info@stpeterhouse.com. Four meticulously restored boutique Inns located in the heart of the French Quarter’s most popular LGBT neighborhood. Each building’s individual character and charm provides an unforgettably authentic French Quarter experience! FRENCH QUARTER SUITES HOTEL, 1119 North Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116, Phone 504.524.7725, Toll Free: 800.457.2253,FrenchQuarterSuites.COM. Email us at Reservations@bpmhotels.com. Official Host Hotel of OZ New Orleans. A locally owned and operated French Quarter hotel that has been beautifully transformed into spacious multi-bedroom suites. Several historical townhouses are also available to accommodate larger groups of up to 26. Just 3 blocks from Bourbon St., free WiFi, swimming pool, and continental breakfast included. Off street parking is available. 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. [0114] NEW ORLEANS COURTYARD HOTEL, 1101 North Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116, Phone 504.522.7333, Toll Free: 800.457.2253, NOCourtyard.COM. Email us at Reservations@bpmhotels.com, Official Host Hotel of OZ New Orleans. A 19th century home that has been historically restored and transformed into a locally owned and operated hotel. Experience the rich history and hospitality of New Orleans at an affordable price. Just 3 blocks from Bourbon St, free Wi-Fi, swimming pool, and continental breakfast included. Off street parking is available. 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
marketing & printing New Orleans, LA [504] SIR SPEEDY, 343 Carondelet, 586.9812, 586.9817, offering printing and marketing services including web design and hosting. info@sirspeedyneworleans.com, sirspeedyneworleans.com
massage New Orleans, LA [504] RIGHT TOUCH MASSAGE -- Christopher - Full body therapeutic massage (Swedish/Deep Tissue); heated table; private studio; tropical garden; Faubourg Marigny Area, French Quarter. Upgrade (Salt Scrubs Bodywork & Thai/Sport Stretching massage). Call/text 504.458.5996 / For pictures http://www.christophernola.com. License #LA4553 [is2614]
media New Orleans, LA [504] AMBUSH Mag, Official Gay Easter Parade Guide, Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide, Official Gay New Orleans Guide, Official Gulf South Guide, Official Pride Guide, Official Southern Decadence Guide, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; email: marsha@ripandmarsha.com AMBUSHonLINE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049, ambushonline.com, email: marsha@ripandmarsha.com
museum/arts Baton Rouge, LA [225] LOUISIANA ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER / RIVERSIDE MUSEUM, 100 S. River Road, 344.5272 LOUISIANA GOVERNOR'S MANSION, 1001 Capitol Access Rd., 342.5855 LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES, 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 EDGAR DEGAS HISTORIC HOME, 2306 Esplanade Avenue, tours by appointment: 504.821.5009, the house tour lasts one hour, is led by a great-grand-niece of Degas, and includes the award-winning documentary video, Degas in New Orleans: A Creole Sojourn 1850 HOUSE, 523 St. Ann, Tues-Sun 10am5pm GALLIER HOUSE, 1132 Royal, 523.6722, Mon-Fri 10am-3:30pm GERMAINE WELLS MARDI GRAS MUSEUM, 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 MUSEE CONTI HISTORICAL WAX MUSEUM, 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 OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART, 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., 592.4666
organizations Mobile, AL ALABAMA PRIDE FEST, MobileAlabamaPride.COM 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] AIDSLaw of Louisiana, 4560 North Boulevard, Suite 118, 302.5968, AIDSLAW.org 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 METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF BATON ROUGE, 7747 Tom Drive, 70806, Worship Sunday, 11am, Bible Study Wednesday, 7pm, 225.248.0404, mccbr.org 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 OF APOLLO / LAFAYETTE, PO Box 53251, 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] ACLU and ACLU Foundation of Louisiana, P.O. Box 56157, New Orleans, LA 70156, 504.522.0628 x25, Fax: 888.537.0384, laaclu.org AIDS HOTLINE, 821.6050 in New Orleans, 1.800.99.AIDS[2437]-9 toll free statewide AIDSLaw of Louisiana, 3801 Canal St., Suite 331, 568.1631, AIDSLAW.org ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 838.3399 BELLE REVE NEW ORLEANS, AIDS Residence for Families, PO Box 3305, 70177; 945.9455 BROTHERHOOD, INC., To decrease the spread of AIDS and HIV among African Americans, 1661 Canal St., Suite 3230, 70112; 566.7955 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 FOOD FOR FRIENDS, 944.6028 FORUM FOR EQUALITY, 336 Lafayette, Suite 200, 70130; 947.2981, ForumForEquality.COM FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE MARDI GRAS (FNBMG), PO Box 791376, New Orleans, LA 70179-1376; 733.3311, fridaynightbeforemardigras.com, fnbmg@cox.net
GAY APPRECIATION AWARDS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049; AmbushMag.COM/GAA GAY COUNSELING LINE, 833.1500 GAY EASTER PARADE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, info@gayeasterparade.com, GayEasterParade.COM GAY MARDI GRAS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM GAY NEW ORLEANS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayNewOrleans.COM HALLOWEEN IN NEW ORLEANS, INC., PO Box 52171, 70152-2171; halloween neworleans.com/ambush HATE CRIMES NATIONAL HOTLINE, 206.350.HATE (4283), National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233), Hate Crimes Hotline at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 800.552.6843 KREWE OF AMON-RA, PO Box 7033, Metairie, LA 70010, KreweOfAmonRa.COM KREWE OF ARMEINIUS, PO Box 56638, New Orleans, LA 70156-6638, kreweofarmeinius.org KREWE OF MWINDO, PO Box 51031, 70156; 913.5791, KreweOfMwindo.ORG, krewe@kreweofmwindo.org KREWE OF PETRONIUS, 1701 Frenchmen St., New Orleans, LA. 70116 KreweOfPetronius.ORG, petronius1961@cox.net KREWE OF QUEENATEENAS / KING CAKE QUEEN ROYALTY CLUB, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM/KCQ KREWE OF URSUS, kreweofursus@aol.com LaCARP [Louisiana Community AIDS Research Program], 584.1971 LA-LIFT, Social Club for Lesbians, age 50+, who have fun together on weekends. E-mail: armyvet20@webtv.net LAMBDA CENTER, 831 Elysian Fields Ave., 70117 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEW ORLEANS, 234 Loyola, Suite 421, 70112; 581.9106 LORDS OF LEATHER, P.O. Box 770435, New Orleans, LA 70117-4035, LordsOfLeather.COM
Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans, services at 10am, 6200 St Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118; 504.270.1MCC www.mccneworleans.org MCLNO HOP Clinic, 136 S. Roman Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112; Appts.: 504.903.6959, www.hopclinic.org MYSTIC KREWE OF SATYRICON, 2443 Halsey Ave., New Orleans, LA 70114, 504.906.7990 Todd J. Blauvelt / Secretary, krewe.of.satyricon@gmail.com, MysticKreweOfSatyricon.COM NEW ORLEANS BEAR AND BEAR TRAPPER SOCIAL CLUB, P.O. Box 57756, New Orleans, LA 70157-7756, 504.452.3564, theneworleansbears.com NEW ORLEANS GAY MEN’S CHORUS, 322.7007, nogmc.com; nogmc@aol.com NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL, nojazzfest.com 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 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 PRIDE NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATION NOLAPride.ORG PROJECT LAZARUS, A Residence for PWAs, PO Box 3906, 70177-3906; 949.3609 REGIONALAIDS INTERFAITH NETWORK [RAIN], 523.3755 RENEGADE BEARS OF LOUISIANA, PO Box 3083, New Orleans, LA 70177; renegadebearsoflouisiana@gmail.com SOFTBALL LEAGUE – Great fun for all skill levels, beginner to advanced. Visit
Sout hernDec adenc e.COM • J an. 28-Feb. 10, 2014 • Facebook.COM/ AmbushMag • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 31
nolasoftball.com for full details and find us on Facebook. SOUTHERN DECADENCE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, SouthernDecadence.COM ST. ANNA'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1313 Esplanade Avenue New Orleans, LA 70116 947.2121, stannanola.org Until It Is OVER, Inc., Executive Director Don S. Evans, Sr., 5837 De Bore Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70126, Phone 504 722 1694, Fax 504 286 5784 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] PHILADELPHIA CENTER, PO Box 44454, 71134-4454; 222.6633 YWCAAIDS MINORITY COMMUNITY OUTREACH, 700 Pierre Ave., 71103; 226.8717
pets New Orleans, LA [504] DR. MIKE'S ANIMAL HOUSE, 1120 N. Rampart, 523.4455
pharmacy Baton Rouge, LA [225] AVITA DRUGS SPECIALIZED PHARMACY, free discrete delivery serving Louisiana, Mississippi & Texas. Certified pharmacists caring for HIV/AIDS, new-to-market & hard-to-find medications including Serostim. Local pharmacy that supports the LGBT community. www.AvitaPharmacy.COM. New Orleans, LA [504] MUMFREY'S PHARMACY, 1021 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 70043, 504.279.6312, www.MumfreysPharmacy.COM. Supporting & serving the LGBT Community for over 20 years. Local pharmacy offering personalized family-like service, automatic refills & free metro wide confidential pickup & delivery. Also offering shipping for out-side our delivery area. When you call us you speak to a person, not a machine. See our ad.
photography New Orleans, LA [504] Arthur Severio Photography, 834 Chartres, New Orleans, LA 70116, 917.318.4300, ArthurSeverio.COM
GRAHAM/STUDIO ONE NEW ORLEANS, by appointment, grahamstudioone.com
real estate New Orleans, LA [504] Gay-Owned Agency — New Orleans Relocation LLC, Mark Boline, Realtor/Broker, mark@nolarelo.com, 504.273.0088, 1027 Touro Street, New Orleans, LA 70116. Visit NOLArelo.com to search all NOLA properties for sale. Latter & Blum INC/French Quarter, Steve Richards, LGBT Realtor, 712 Orleans @ Royal, Cell: 504.258.1800, Office: 504.529.8140, Website: www.SteveRichardsProperties.com, Email: SRichards@LatterBlum.com LATTER & BLUM, Agent Brian M. Pawlowski, brianrealtor@aol.com, Agent Stace McDonald, stacerealtor@aol.com, 840 Elysian Fields, 451.2495
525.9355, TheRubySlipperCafe.Net
retail/shopping New Orleans, LA [504] BOURBON PRIDE, 909 Bourbon, 566.1570 COK (Clothing or Kinkl), 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264 HIT PARADE, 741 Bourbon St., Facebook.COM/HitParadeNOLA MARY'S FRENCH QUARTER KITCHEN & BATH, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465 QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633 RAB DAB CLOTHING AND GIFTS, 918 Royal St., 525.6662 SECOND SKIN LEATHER, 521 St. Philip, 561.8167 XXX SHOP EROTIC BOUTIQUE, 1835 N. Rampart St., 232.3063
restaurants
spas
Mandeville, LA [985] The Po-Boy Shack, 1703 N. Causeway Blvd., 626.1303 New Orleans, LA [504] Borracho @ Kajun's Pub, 2256 St. Claude, 267.6108. Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., 598.1010, CloverGrill.COM Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM, 945.0742 Deanie's Seafood, French Quarter: 841 Iberville, 581.4141; Bucktown: 1713 Lake Ave., Metairie, 831.1316; Deanies.COM Fatoush Mediterranean Grill, Coffee House & Juice Bar, 2372 St. Claude Ave., #130, FatoushRestaurantNOLA.COM, 504.371.5074 Gene's Po-Boys, 1040 Elysian Fields, 943.3861 Krystal, 116 Bourbon at Canal, 523.4030 Lil Vic's Rosticceria, 719 Toulouse, 304.1238 Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, 95 French Market Pl., 522.9500 Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., 522.6746 Organic Banana, 1100 N. Peters, Bay 27, 587.7903 Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. , 529.1416, QuartermasterDeli.NET The Ruby Slipper, 2001 Burgundy,
Metairie, LA [504] Body, Health & Wellness, 3262 Severn Ave., 267.4549 New Orleans, LA [504] Club New Orleans, 515 Toulouse, 581.2402, www.the-clubs.com Planet Beach, A Contempo Spa, 301 Burgundy St., 525.8266, PlanetBeach.COM
theatres New Orleans, LA [504] ALLWAYS LOUNGE & THEATRE, 2240 St Claude Ave., TheAllwaysLounge.NET CAFE ISTANBUL, 2372 St. Claude Ave., #140, 504.974.0786, CafeIstanbulNOLA.COM JOY THEATER, 1200 Canal St., 208.1180, TheJoyTheater.com MAHALIA JACKSON THEATRE OF PERFORMING ARTS, 801 N. Rampart, Armstrong Park, mahaliajacksontheater.com, 525.1052 MID-CITY THEATRE, 3240 Toulouse, 488.1460, MidCityTheatre.COM NEW ORLEANS FRINGE FESTIVAL, NOFringe.ORG Slidell, LA [985 CUTTING EDGE THEATER, 742 Robert Blvd., 649.3727, CuttingEdgeTheater,COM
tours New Orleans, LA [504]
trodding the boards ...from 28 Fontenot overcame this with a fluidity as one scene bled into another. For Cabaret, he’s chosen to go the old-fashioned route and the multiple scene changes slow down the momentum whenever it starts to build. On the other hand, this is one of the best looking and best choreographed productions that Cutting Edge has mounted. Richard Fuentes designed the set that contrasts the old world charm of Fräulein Schneider’s boarding house with the blackand-red Bauhaus sleekness of the Kit Kat Klub. Since the movie shifted the focus to the Klub, Cabaret sinks or swims mostly based on its Sally Bowles and Emcee. In Slidell, both performances had strong and weak points. Fontenot cast himself as the Emcee; I suspect it’s a role he’s longed to play as it looked like he was enjoying himself on stage. Yet, as is often the case, even the best directors tend to lose their objectivity when it comes to their own acting. Fontenot’s indescribable accent (part German, part Southern, part I-don’t-knowwhat) can be overlooked. And his larger, more intimidating silhouette, unlike the smaller, more lithe Joel Grey or Alan Cumming, is not a problem though he could’ve worked it more into the character. But his laid-back, rather than world-weary, approach, just doesn’t seem right. The Emcee requires some teeth to give Cabaret the bite it deserves and prove why the Kit Kat Klub is the “hottest club in Berlin.” Fontenot is much better in Act Two, first with the wicked If You Could See Her and then the despairing I Don’t Care Much, which sits perfectly in his vocal range. Katie Lynn Cotaya makes a quite good
[continued on 33] Gay New Orleans Walking Tour, Crescent City Tour Booking Agency, 638 St. Ann St., 568.0717. follow Gay New Orleans Walking Tour @ Facebook.COM
32 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • J an. 28-Feb. 10, 2014 • Of fic ial Gay Mar di Gras Guide • GayMar diGras.COM
The holidays are a good time to read and sometimes re-read a good book. I reread Kevin Sessums’ autobiographical novel Mississippi Sissy, 2007 (St. Martin’s Press) over Christmas. Kevin is from Forest, Mississippi. He went to college in Jackson and then was off to New York City to pursue a journalism career. He was Executive Editor at Interview Magazine and then
a contributing editor at Vanity Fair for 14 years. He is now Editor-In-Chief of 429 Magazine, a glossy, $12.97 magazine that focuses on the LGBT community. 429 is a bi-monthly coffee table magazine with an oversized format and amazing photography. Sessums was born in 1956. Mississippi Sissy covers his life before leaving
for NYC. His father was a good old macho boy who sometimes referred to Kevin as “girl” ...his mother encouraged his cross dressing. His dad was killed in a car crash when he was 7 ...his mom died the following year of cancer, making Kevin an orphan by age 10. Mississippi Sissy is about being a sissy in Mississippi during the 1960s. I can identify, being an Alabama sissy from the same era. My dad wanted me to hunt and fish but Santa left a doll under the Christmas tree for years. Mississippi Sissy is about a childhood of being different, small town race relations, grief and loss, and self discovery. Kevin makes his way to Jackson, works with a local theatre group, befriends local newspaper editor and theatre booster Frank Hains who introduces him to famed writer Eudora Welty. His life is full of
trodding the boards ...from 32
Kit Kat Klub after she’s fired that Manager Max feels the need to rehire her. Of the other cast members, Sara Pagones is the standout as Fräulein Schneider. With her excellent German accent and eyes that betray a fear always lurking beneath the surface, she was the heart of the show seeing her chance for happiness evaporate as the Nazis come to power. Especially fine was her questioning What Would You Do?. It’s almost hard to believe that just ten months earlier she was the evilly pie-making Mrs. Lovett. Jim Pagones, Sara’s husband, makes an ingratiating Herr Schultz, a Jewish grocer who’s not worried about the emergent Nazis because he was “born a German.” Unlike his wife, however, neither Pagones’ accent nor his bearing fully convince us that
he’s a Berliner. In the thankless role of Clifford Bradshaw, the bisexual American trying to write the “great novel” who’s modeled on Christopher Isherwood (whose I Am a Camera is the source material for the musical), Joey Cruse, like the others, comes into focus as the evening progresses, his moral outrage trumping his passion for Sally by Act Two. Fontenot seems to have been inspired in some of his directorial choices by Sam Mendes’ landmark revivals in the West End and on Broadway in the 1990s. While that should be acknowledged in the program, Fontenot’s use of vintage photos from Berlin and various concentration camps ends the show with a sucker punch to the gut. Which is just as it should be.
reVIEW... by Blanche Email: ambushreview@aol.com Photo by Larry Graham, GrahamStudioOne.COM
Mississippi Sissy
Sally Bowles but she needs to project more, especially in the beginning of first act. She warmed up as she went along and after Maybe This Time, an audience member could be heard to comment, “She aced that one.” I agree. She also aced the title song in the second act. I’ve enjoyed Cotaya’s performances over the years, most recently as the neurotic lawyer Joanne in Cutting Edge’s Rent. Her Sally, though, has room to grow. This may be a rare case where an actress is not dramatic enough. Cotaya’s Sally has a nascent charisma that she ought to develop further; after all, we have to believe that attendance drops off far enough at the
twist and turns, like most peoples, and you want more, especially in his relationship with Welty. But he is a writer schooled in journalism. Mississippi Sissy ends with the gay-bashing murder of Hains ...with Kevin finding the body. Mississippi Sissy may not be a fun read but it is very interesting ...about a very different time in the South. It is now out in paperback and available on Kindle.
XXII Olympic Winter Games
Super Bowl 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII will be coming your way on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 2. The Denver Broncos will face the Seattle Seahawks. World renowned soprano Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will join Bruno Mars for the halftime festivities. Enjoy the game, watch for the commercials ...all things considered, I say go Broncos.
The XXII Winter Olympic Games from Sochi, Russia will come your way starting Feb. 6 through Feb. 23 ...the opening ceremony will be Feb. 7. NBC has scheduled over 1,000 hours of coverage on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC and the USA Network. There are plenty of security concerns, but Putin says gays will be fine as long as we leave the children alone ...he really needs to get a life.
Mardi Gras 2014 Mardi Gras is just around the corner. The parades begin Feb. 15 with Mardi Gras Day being March 4th. Work hard, play hard and play safe.
Sout hernDec adenc e.COM • J an. 28-Feb. 10, 2014 • Facebook.COM/ AmbushMag • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 33
ambush
paparazzi
Chris & John getting the latest Ambush @ Lafitte’s Bar Baroness Collette behind the bar @ Le Roundup, oh my!
GM John in the Patio Bar @ 4 Seasons in Metairie
Patrick & Rachard in for cocktails @ Voodoo Bartender Byron @ Rawhide
Bartender Lil with Frank @ Voodoo Bartender Jessie @ Cafe Lafitte in Exile
New Corner Pocket bartender Steven
Oz GM Greg Jones & Wood Enterprises’ Chris Ward @ Oz
Kenneth, Ken & Jaz @ Louie’s Grand Opening
Josh, Glenn, Kenneth & Joe @ Louie’s Grand Opening
Oz bartenders Frankie & Matt Second Skin’s Ted & Phoenix’s Justin
XXX Shop’s Paul with Doug & Shawn @ Louie’s Grand Opening
Kristen & Joe @ Golden Lantern
Paul, Sebastian & bartender Will @ Double Play
Le Roundup GM Candise with Deanna @ Le Roundup
Bartender Chuck “Nun of your business” @ 4 Seasons
John & Country Club’s Bert @ Louie’s Grand Opening
34 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • J an. 28-Feb. 10, 2014 • Of fic ial Gay Mar di Gras Guide • GayMar diGras.COM
Dans les Rues ~ New Orleans, Metairie ~ Photos by Paul Melancon, Rip Naquin
Bobby @ Quartermaster
ambush
la Fête ~ New Orleans, Metairie ~ Photos by Tony Leggio, Paul Melancon, Rip Naquin
Angle Frames’ Ron & Tim in for Louie’s Grand Opening
paparazzi Jeremy snags one @ The Corner Pocket
Richard Perque, Nadine Ramsey & Frank Pizzolato @ Oz
New Golden Lantern manager Damon Marbut behind the bar @ The Golden Lantern
Gloree Bea Divine & Eileen Eulick @ 4 Seasons for Petronius’ Gospel Show & Pot Luck Brunch Kenneth with the show girls @ Louie’s Grand Opening
Monica Synclaire-Kennedy in the Gumbo Revue @ Michael’s On The Park
Paloma & Monique join Kookie Baker’s birthday bash @ Golden Lantern
Darwin, Coca & Marsha @ Cafe Lafitte in Exile
Caroline & Lady Facille join Petronius’ Gospel Show & Pot Luck Buffet @ 4 Seasons
Raven Kennedy in the Gumbo Revue @ Michael’s Frankie & Persana hop on Frankie’s b-day swan @ Oz
Taylor welcomes you to Lucky Pierre’s Regina Adams headlines the Gumbo Revue @ Michael’s On The Park
Dancing on the bar @ The Corner Pocket
Kookie joins her fans for Kookie Baker’s birthday bash @ The Golden Lantern
Rikki Redd on the streets Saturday night running from gig to gig
Bartender Chris @ Bourbon Pub & Parade
The group join Derek Stevens farewell bar crawl @ AllWays Lounge
Opal, Darwin, Marsha & Rip in their t-shirts courtesy of Neon Boots @ Cafe Lafitte in Exile
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36 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • J an. 28-Feb. 10, 2014 • Of fic ial Gay Mar di Gras Guide • GayMar diGras.COM