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the "official" dish by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain Email: marsha@ripandmarsha.com
SKYY® Vodka & Freedom to Marry Raise A "Toast To Marriage" SKYY® Vodka, the number-one premium vodka made in America, and Freedom to Marry, the sole national organization dedicated to winning marriage nationwide, have partnered on "Toast To Marriage," a national campaign to draw together communities to increase visibility and raise funds to support public education programs in places where same-sex couples are currently excluded from marrying. “For decades, SKYY Vodka has partnered with LGBT events, festivals and organizations, but we knew we could contribute in a fresher, more substantial way,” said Kathleen Schuart, Senior Marketing Director, SKYY Vodka. “We worked hand-in-hand with Freedom to Marry to develop Toast To Marriage as a way to help our friends, families, colleagues and communities win the freedom to marry nationwide.”
Gay couples can currently marry in 44% of the country and are banned from doing so in the other 56%. “We know that the more Americans talk about gay families and why marriage matters, the more our national majority for marriage grows in every part of the country,” said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. ”Through partnerships like the SKYY Vodka ‘Toast to Marriage’ campaign, Freedom to Marry aims to spark more conversations in states where marriage discrimination persists, highlighting that unfairness and helping grow support for bringing the freedom to marry home nationwide.” The campaign launched in Atlanta, Georgia on June 16th with an attempt at the Guinness World Record™ for the Largest Arms-Linked Toast. Entertainer and activist Lance Bass led the effort by linking arms with his husband, Michael Turchin, and raising a toast in support of the freedom to marry. Georgia is one of the 31 states without the freedom to marry, and it has a constitutional amendment banning any legal relationship recognition for samesex couples even though a majority of Georgia residents support marriage. On April 22, 2014, Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit seeking the freedom to marry in Georgia and recognition for marriages legally performed elsewhere. Through August, SKYY Vodka and Freedom to Marry hosted a series of fundraising events in Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Columbus, and Houston. Events will be held in Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Here in New Orleans the event is set for Sunday, Sept. 28th at The Country Club from 1-5pm. At each event, renowned photographers will take
iconic portraits of couples toasting in support of marriage equality. Photos will be available at www.toasttomarriage.com. To honor the partnership, SKYY Vodka has also created a signature cocktail, The SKYY Vodka Proposal, which will be available at events and bars nationwide this summer. SKYY VODKA PROPOSAL 2 oz. SKYY Vodka 4 oz. Ginger Ale 1/2 oz. Lime Juice 3 Dashes Angostura Bitters Garnish with two limes Stay up to date with the Toast To Marriage campaign at www.toasttomarriage.com and by searching for #ToastToMarriage on social media. Learn more about Freedom to Marry at www.freedomtomarry.org. To learn more about SKYY Vodka, visit http:// www.facebook.com/SKYYVodka or Twitter: @SKYYVodka. Campari America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI - Bloomberg CPR IM). At the heart of Campari America are two legends in the American spirits industry. The first, Skyy Spirits, was founded in San Francisco back in 1992 by the entrepreneur who invented iconic SKYY Vodka. The second is the world-famous Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, where they have been making the world’s finest whiskies since the 1800s. Both companies were purchased by Davide Campari-Milano and together they form Campari America, which has built a portfolio unrivaled in its quality, innovation and style, making it a top choice among distributors, retailers and consumers. Campari America manages Gruppo Campari’s portfolio in the US with such leading brands as SKYY® Vodka, SKYY Infusions®, Campari®, Wild Turkey® Straight Kentucky Bourbon, American Honey®, Russell’s Reserve®, Glen Grant® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Cabo Wabo® Tequila, Espolón® Tequila, Appleton® Estate Rum, Wray & Nephew® Rum, Coruba® Rum, Ouzo 12®, X-Rated® Fusion Liqueur®, Frangelico®, Cynar®, and Carolans.
National Leaders Join Cartoon Network’s “I Speak Up” Call-toAction Against Bullying Recognizing bullying as a health, educational and legal issue that affects millions of kids and families each year, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have joined Cartoon Network’s recently announced “I Speak Up” call-to-action asking one million people to upload and share “I Speak Up” mobile videos to help fight bullying. The pro-active fall
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campaign serves as a focal point to CARTOON NETWORK’S SPEAK UP WEEK (Sept. 29-Oct. 3), the latest phase of its award-winning “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” initiative, which leads into National Bullying Prevention Month. Both officials have shared their personal videos at www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com and are using the hashtag #ISpeakUp to encourage others to unite with them in supporting this important effort. The goal is to collect one million user-generated videos that unite the voices of kids, parents, educators, celebrities and government officials all saying “I Speak Up,” demonstrating that through combined efforts toward a united cause, speaking up is one of the most effective
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Pre-Halloween, OktoberFest, Natl. Coming Out Day out Oct. 7, DEADLINE: Sept. 30
inside
the "official" dish 4 obituary 6 moments in gay new orleans history 10 snap paparazzi/nola, metairie 16 a community within communities 22 under the gaydar 22 wear it out 23 book reviews 24 trodding the boards 25 classifieds 26-27
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the "official" dish ...from 4 ways to help bring a bullying situation to an end. Select videos that are uploaded to www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com will become part of new campaign spots to appear on Cartoon Network, its digital platforms and Boomerang throughout October. Participants are also encouraged to share their videos on their own social media platforms using #ISpeakUp to help spread the word. “Bullying and harassment can have devastating effects on kids of all ages,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “That’s why, alongside our partners at the Department of Education, the Justice Department is striving to reduce abusive behavior against and among students of every grade level. We’re committed to promoting safe and inclusive learning environments for all of America’s young people. And I’m proud to join Cartoon Network in calling on every student, parent, and educator to pitch in, and do their part, to speak up against bullying.” “Our schools must be safe and nurturing places for every child. We can’t make excuses for any behavior that makes our students feel unwelcome or afraid,” Secretary Duncan said. “Putting an end to bullying will take all of us, and I’m thrilled to partner with Cartoon Network in this important effort to encourage all kids—and adults—to take a stand.” Other notable voices who have shared their support so far include: Howie Mandel (America’s Got Talent, Deal With It), Scooter Braun (School Boy Records), Jason Beghe (Chicago
P.D.), Sam Champion (Weather Channel) Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer (Franklin & Bash), Henry Winkler (Childrens Hospital), Grant Hill (NBA TV’s Inside Stuff), Reggie Miller (NBA on TNT), Rick Fox (NBA GameTime), Wilson Cruz (Red Band Society), Anderson Cooper (Anderson Cooper 360°), John C. McGinley and Skylar Astin (Ground Floor), Robin Meade (HLN Morning Express), Michaela Pereira (CNN New Day), Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine (King of the Nerds) and Michael Carbonaro (The Carbonaro Effect). “We are grateful to Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Education Duncan for their leadership and longterm commitment to end bullying,” said Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network vice president of social responsibility. “The Federal Partnership on Bullying Prevention and this Administration have provided educators, community leaders, parents and youth with practical tools and the inspiration to put them into action. We are proud to speak up with them, demonstrating the power entertainment media has to motivate positive change.” For anyone interested in sharing their own “I Speak Up” video, easy instructions are readily available at www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com, along with recommendations for optimum video results. All participants will be asked to sign a digital release form to clear use of the video for all on-air, online and/or social media opportunities. Users under the age of 18 will be encouraged to ask a parent for permission and for help in submitting a video. Those that participate are also encouraged to use the hashtag #ISpeakUp to
Attorney General Eric Holder
share videos via their own social media platforms to help spread the word and enlist friends to take part in the challenge. Cartoon Network’s Stop Bullying: Speak Up is an award-winning, multi-platform pro-social campaign, created with experts in the field to raise awareness, build partnerships and empower young people to speak up against bullying safely and effectively. Campaign resources include video, print and online content—including an awardwinning documentary introduced by President Barack Obama—available at StopBullyingSpeakUp.com, available at no charge to schools, community groups and parents to motivate bullying prevention activities or discussions. Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is regularly the #1 U.S. television network in prime among boys 6-11 & 9-14. Currently seen in 97 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
Project Lazarus Executive Director Announces Resignation Kim Moss, Executive Director of Project Lazarus, has announced his resignation from the agency’s directorship effective January 2015 due to family reasons. “I will be returning to Memphis because I am going to be a first-time grandfather in December this year,” said Moss. “My family is a top priority in my life and I cannot imagine missing a single day of helping to raise my new grandson.” Moss has been the director of Project Lazarus since March 2012. “This move is bittersweet to me,” added Moss. “While I am excited about my grandson, I am very sad to be leaving Project Lazarus and New Orleans. It was a dream come true for me to be able to move to this great city and lead such a remarkable organization.” “The Archdiocese of New Orleans and the leadership, staff and residents of Project Lazarus remain grateful to Kim for his leadership and ministry,” said New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond.
obituary Billie Milton Cox Jr. Billie Milton Cox Jr., a prominent figure in the graphics industry, founder of Cox Electronic Publishing and Sir Speedy Printing at 343 Carondelet, passed away on September 8, 2014, at Tulane University Hospital surrounded by loved ones. Billie was born in Springfield, IL and has been a resident of New Orleans since 1977. He served in the United States Air Force as an Airman First Class and continued his love of airplanes as a licensed pilot. He was a member of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. A man of strong Catholic Faith, he served as an Usher and Minister of Hospitality at St. Louis Cathedral. Billie is preceded in death by his father, Billie M. Cox Sr. He is survived by his mother, Naomi B. Cox, and siblings Mary Cox Alvarez, Pat Cox Carnes, Michael Cox and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his life partner, David Tringali, long time business associate, Wayne Chambless and numerous friends and co-workers. Friends and family attended a Memorial Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. Billie will be interred in the Grace Memorial Gardens in Hudson, Florida. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Bishop Perry Center, 1941 Dauphine St, New Orleans, 70116. To view and sign the guest book, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com. “Kim’s boundless energy and enthusiasm, along with his tireless work ethic are a model for his successor to follow,” said Project Lazarus board chairman Bruce Gallassero. “He has transformed Project Lazarus over the past 2 ½ years, and will leave the agency on sound financial footing, with top-notch staff, innovative new programs, and with buildings and grounds that have never looked better. It has been a joy and a privilege to work with him.” Project Lazarus, a program of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, helps heal and empower people living with HIV/AIDS by providing housing, focusing on wellness, and offering important support services. The agency began in 1985 and will celebrate its 30 year anniversary in 2015. Learn more about Project Lazarus online at www.projectlazarus.net and find them on Facebook.
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CrescentCare Unveiled New Health & Wellness Center with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony The new CrescentCare Health and Wellness Center celebrated its grand opening at 3308 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, with a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony. The facility brings patient-centered health and wellness services to the traditionally underserved populations that need them most: the foodservice and hospitality industry, the LGBT community and residents in neighborhoods that have limited access to healthcare facilities. CrescentCare also showcased its new services and community healthcare model with an open house. The ribbon cutting ceremony featured CrescentCare’s leadership team, city officials and industry experts to speak about the value that the new health center adds to the Greater New Orleans community. Speakers included: * Noel Twilbeck, Jr., CrescentCare, Chief Executive Officer *Ronald D. Wilcox, MD, CrescentCare, Chief Medical Officer * DeAnn Gruber, Louisiana Office of Public Health, STD/HIV Program * Joseph Kimbrell, Louisiana Public Health Institute, CEO * Fran Lawless, Mayor’s Office of Health Policy *LaToya Cantrell, City Councilmember, District B * Johnathan Chapman, Louisiana Primary Care Association, Executive Director
ties to tour the facility, meet physicians and clinical staff, learn more about services and sign up for health and wellness appointments on the spot. This event featured live music with light refreshments and was free and open to the public. The open house took place at the new Health and Wellness Center at 3308 Tulane Ave. “Our organization felt called to provide comprehensive, quality and affordable healthcare to those that need it most,” said CrescentCare CEO Noel Twilbeck. “This is an exciting time for healthcare in New Orleans, and CrescentCare is pleased to offer muchneeded services that add to our community’s rejuvenation.” The new facility focuses on providing a “medical home” for Greater New Orleans residents who seek care from a consistent, readily-accessible provider. CrescentCare accepts private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and selfpaying clients. All services are offered regardless of income and insurance status, and fees for services are offered on a sliding scale based on the type of services provided. The new center offers primary care for adults, primary care in pediatrics for children and families, specialized care for the LGBT community, behavioral health, case management, HIV/AIDS and STD services and support, and infectious disease consultation. The center will soon be adding expanded services, including: dental services; nutritionist consultations; a clinical pharmacist; OB/GYN services; transgender care; Hepatitis C treatment; health education; health prevention and counseling; employment counseling; skillbuilding classes; a PrEP clinic; and
CrescentCare ribbon cutting: Noel Twilbeck, Poppy Tooker, Helen Siegel, LaToya Cantrell, Ellie Tinto-Poitier & Dr. Ron Wilcox Noel Twilbeck, Jr., emceed the proceedings. Louisiana Eats! host Poppy Tooker joined Helen Siegel, CrescentCare board co-chair, and Ellie Tinto-Poitier, CrescentCare compliance and risk specialist, to cut the ceremonial ribbon following the program of speakers. The open house offered opportuni-
medication assistance. As a designated Federally Qualified Health Center, CrescentCare is devoted to improving access to high quality, patient-centered healthcare in Greater New Orleans. By using proven interventions and evidence-based prac-
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moments in gay new orleans history by Frank Perez E-mail: f.perez@sbcglobal.net Photo by: Larry Graham, GrahamStudioOne.COM
“All About the Bears” One of the earliest references to Bear culture dates to 1966. According to Bear historian Les Wright, the minutes of a Los Angeles motorcycle club called the Satyrs refers to a “bear club,” probably the Koalas, which published a newsletter called “The Bear Facts.” In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were a number of loosely organized chubby and chubby-chaser networks, out of which grew the “Bear Movement.” The first chapter of Girth and Mirth was formed in 1976 in San Francisco by a chubby-chaser named Charlie Brown; other chapters soon followed: Boston in 1977 and New York in 1978. In 1979, a landmark article entitled “Who’s Who in the Zoo” appeared in The Advocate in which George Mazzei classified gay men into seven types of animals, Bears being one of the categories. In 1987, Richard Bulger and Chris Nelson founded Bear Magazine. The magazine was originally conceived of in 1985 by Bart Thomas, who bequeathed the idea to Bulger before he died of complications from AIDS. In 1989, the Lone Star Saloon opened around the corner from the magazine’s offices and the Lone Star became what might be considered the nation’s first “Bear Bar.” Bears are everywhere now: there are Bear Circuits, Bear Prides, Bear Books, Bear Clubs. There is even such a thing as “Bear Studies” at some universities. The advent of a distinct Bear culture in New Orleans is difficult to pinpoint. To do so requires defining just what a Bear is. This is not as easy as some people suppose because the term “Bear” may be subdivided into a multitude of categories (from Wikipedia): Cub – a younger (or younger-looking) version of a bear, typically, but not always, with a smaller frame. The term is sometimes used to imply the passive partner in a relationship Daddy – A mature bear who is often looking for a cub (or a younger man) for a relationship. Ewok – A bear of short stature, but not younger Otter – A slimmer or less hairy bear regardless of age Chaser – Somebody who is attracted to bears and/or chubs but is not part of the bear culture. Chub – A heavy-set man who might be described as overweight or obese. These men are also a distinct subculture within the gay community, and may or may not identify with the bear movement per se. Teddy – A fully hairy bear. Chest,
back, beard, everything is hairy Musclebear – A bear whose size derives from muscle rather than body fat Ursula – A lesbian bear Goldilocks – A straight woman friendly with bears. Black Bear – A bear of African descent Panda (or Panda Bear) – A bear of Asian descent Koala Bear – A bear of Australian descent Polar Bear – An older bear whose facial and body hair is predominantly or entirely white or grey Grizzly – A dominant bear of extreme stature in height, weight, and/or hairiness Wolf – A slimmer bear, with the behavioral characteristic of sexual assertiveness or aggression Manatee - A hairless, chubby male who is called a bear but does not identify as such As in other cities, gay New Orleans has always been home to people who fit into the aforementioned categories. The question is when did these people begin to collectively identify as Bears? The Phoenix and Rawhide, bars that are often associated with Bear culture were founded in the 1980s and it was in that decade that a national Bear culture emerged. It is generally agreed the rise of the Bears was direct reaction against the mainstream gay community’s tendency to privilege bodies that were thin, toned, young, and smooth. Bear culture is a celebration of the hirsute and hefty. But more than physical attributes, Bear culture embraces a masculine aesthetic that values good-heartedness. In 2002, the Cavaliers Motorcycle Club was founded in New Orleans by David Lester, Poncho LaPerle, Mike Ducote, Doug Minich, Guy Williams, Mark Dee, and George Hoxworth. Like many groups, the Cavaliers began to fizzle out after the Katrina diaspora and by 2010 the Cavaliers were defunct. There has always been a correlation between motorcycle clubs and Bear culture. The Lone Star in San Francisco was home to the Rainbow Motorcycle Club and the Bear Runs of today are vestiges of the gay biker culture of the 1950s and 1960s. Leather, of course, is an integral component of Motorcycle culture and hence the overlap between Bear and Leather cultures. Historically, many members of the various bear clubs have also belonged to Leather organizations such as the Lords of Leather, the Knight’s
d’Orleans, the Crescent City Outlaws and others. In 1994, Mark Thomas, aka Guadalupe (Southern Decadence Grand Marshal XXXIV) and others founded the New Orleans Bear and Bear Trapper Social Club. The NOBBTSC is devoted to social gatherings and charity fundraising. Over the last twenty years, the club has raised money for Project Lazarus, NO/AIDS Task Force, St. Anna’s Food Kitchen, Buzzy’s Boys and Girls, the Gay Easter Parade, and others. In 2012, a group of men led by Duaine Daniels, Kelley Terry, and Ron Schofield broke away from the New Orleans Bear and Bear Trapper Social Club to form the Renegade Bears of Louisiana. The Renegade Bears is primarily a social club. The group sponsors two monthly events—a beer bust at The Phoenix and Alphabet Soup, which consists of members going out to eat at restaurants whose names begin with whatever letter of the alphabet the group is at. The Renegade Bears also host Steak-Night Fundraisers at various bars to raise money for local charities and gay Carnival krewes. The club also provides security at gay Carnival Balls. In 2012, Charles Jenkins and Jimmy
Mondoro founded the Krewe of Ursus. The Krewe of Ursus has donated teddy bears to Children’s Hospital and delivered 1,000 candy filled Easter Eggs to Lazarus House. In addition, the Krewe of Ursus has been a sponsor of the Easter Parade in 2013 and 2014. Ursula’s most recent sponsorship was with the Miss Gay Mississippi America 2015. Not all people who identify as Bears are members of formal Bear Clubs. Scott and Jeff Turberville left corporate careers in Birmingham, Alabama, to move to New Orleans in 2011. Scott notes, “Just because I’m a bear doesn’t limit me to Bear culture. I haven’t joined a local Bear club because I felt it would pigeon–hole me. We’re all one community.” Scott is a member of the Big Easy Bears, a local softball team in the NOLA Softball League. He and Jeff are also part of a bowling league that bowls in Kenner.
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For more than 30 years, NO/AIDS Task Force has been providing hope, care and compassion to thousands of men, women and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Southeast Louisiana. The Task Force acknowledges that the complications of HIV-disease are not just physical, but mental, emotional and social as well. We offer a full spectrum of care at low to no cost, including services such as: an HIV medical clinic, food pantry, home delivered meals, housing, mental health, medication support and many others. NO/AIDS also reaches over 20,000 each year through HIV prevention education efforts. For more information, please visit http:// www.noaidstaskforce.org.
tices, CrescentCare improves outcomes for its patients. CrescentCare has evolved from the clinical work and health outcomes provided through NO/AIDS Task Force, which will retain all of its programs and services as a division of CrescentCare. NO/AIDS recognized a need for offering healthcare services beyond the scope of HIV and AIDS; its extension into community-based, primary healthcare services began in 2008 when the Board recognized that many of the same barriers to care that existed for individuals and families living with and coping with HIV/AIDS also existed in the broader community. For more information, visit http:// crescentcarehealth.org/, Twitter: @CrescentCareHWC, or on Facebook: facebook.com/CrescentCare. CrescentCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing primary care and other health services to individuals and families in Greater New Orleans. Our mission is to offer comprehensive health and wellness services to the community, to advocate empowerment, to safeguard the rights and dignity of individuals and to provide for an enlightened public. We operate a variety of health centers that are dedicated to providing health and wellness services to all, regardless of income or insurance status. Our newest health and wellness center is located at 3308 Tulane Avenue in Mid-City. For more information, visit www.crescentcarehealth.org or call 504.207.CARE (2273).
Today, bears are a sizable and integral part of the LGBT+ community in New Orleans. Their charity fundraising is without parallel and their loyal patronage of several local gay bars is unyielding. Their visibility in the community dispels the stereotype that all gay men are effeminate.
Lords of Leather Wacky Wagon Race Sept. 28 Ready, set, go!! And they’re off to the races! Join the Lords of Leather as they are host the 2014 edition of the “Wacky Wagon Race.” This year’s event takes place on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 28 at 2pm beginning at GrandPre’s on N. Rampart St. (No conflict with a Saints’ game, they play at 7:30pm that night). The race consists of 4 person teams (one of whom must be in drag) and riding in a wagon being pushed or pulled by humans. Starting at GrandPre’s and proceeding to a number of “watering holes” via the sidewalks in the Quarter, each team must complete a challenge or game at each [continued on 12]
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the "official" dish ...from 10 stop before going on the next. (Each team may have a “designated driver”.) A Grand Prize 40" Westinghouse LCD color TV will be raffled off at the end of the race. Team members will sell raffle tickets to bar patrons and curious onlookers along the way with the team selling the most tickets receiving one-half the raffle proceeds and a table at the Lords of Leather Ball on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. This could be a great way to make some money for your club or organization. Prizes will also be given for “First to Finish,” “Best Drag” and “Best Wagon”. For more information and to enter please contact Joey Landry at upthehill27@gmail.com or call him at 504.330.7566.
Call for Submissions My Gay New Orleans is an exciting new book Jeff Palmquist and Frank Perez are editing and will consist of a collection of personal essays from various members of the New Orleans LGBT+ community. Each contributor will answer the same question: What does “gay New Orleans” mean to me? In other words, each contributor will describe his or her gay New Orleans. By sharing your own experience and unique perspective, your story will help illustrate the incredible diversity within New Orleans LGBT+ community. There are no wrong ways to write this essay. All you have to do is describe what gay New Orleans means to you. Do include a working title for your narrative and short bio (one paragraph) for the “About the Contributors” section that will appear at the end of the book. That being stated, here are some writing prompts. You need not answer or respond to all these questions and prompts; these are simply guidelines. * What brought you to New Orleans? Or if you are a frequent visitor, what keeps bringing you back to New Orleans? * What do you do for a living? * What aspects of the gay community are you involved in? Organizations, Carnival Krewes, clubs, sports leagues, etc. * How do you identify yourself with in the LGBT+ community? Lesbian, Bear, Transgendered? Bisexual? Drag King / Queen? Leather person? Etc. * Did New Orleans play a role in your coming out? If so, how? * What role has New Orleans played in your growth as a LGBT+ person? * How does your gay experience in New Orleans differ from other cities? * Any special memories or scandalous stories? * Think of (and write about) one specific event that captures your feelings about being gay in New Orleans Tone: Your choice. Humorous, serious, poignant, angry, a combination thereof—you decide Font: Times New Roman, size 12 Length: 1,000 to 6,000 words or 2 to 12- pages Deadline: November 30, 2014 Submissions should be formatted in Microsoft Word and sent as an attachment in an email to f.perez@sbcglobal.net by November 30, 2014. Please include “MGNO Submission” in the subject line. The main text of the email should include your name
as you want it to appear in the book and your contact information.
Register your Art for YAT-4, Fringe’s 4th Annual Yard Art Tour! The New Orleans Fringe Festival is thrilled to announce the call for submissions for its fourth annual Yard Art Tour (YAT-4), a self-guided walking/driving public art tour during the 2014 Fringe Festival, November 19-23. During the festival, thousands of theatre goers will be wandering around the Bywater, Marigny and Central City neighborhoods and the YAT-4 map will give these folks the opportunity to walk an extra block, turn a different corner on their way from one venue to another venue so they can see another bit o’ art along their way. The YAT-4 map will be available on the Fringe website and at the Free-for-All Tent during the Fringe Fest. YAT-4 is completely free for artists and the public. Back this year are the incredibly popular YAT-4 collector’s cards, which can be picked up at each YAT-4 location and redeemed for prizes at the Free-for-All Tent during the Fringe Fest. Deadline for registering your art for the tour ration is October 15. Apply using our online form. Questions? Contact the Fringe’s Yard Art Coordinator, Heather Byrdie at yat@nofringe.org How does it work? 1. Make or spot some art: In your yard. Tucked into a garden. On the front porch. On a wall, in a window, on a roof, out in a driveway, up on a fence, hanging from a tree, hidden in a bush, inside a couple planters. In the middle of an empty lot. In the Central City, Marigny, St. Roch, St. Claude and Bywater neighborhoods. Folks must be able see it from the sidewalk. Visit www.nofringe.org for guidelines. 2. Send it to the Fringe Festival! Fill out the form on the website to submit your photo and description of the art. Deadline is October 15. 3. NO Fringe will produce a map and legend that will be available at www.nofringe.org and at the Fringe FreeFor-All Tent for the public to use as a guide. NO Fringe will promote YAT-4 specifically and alongside other Fringe events in festival promotional materials and activities, and will provide YAT-4 placards and collectors’ cards at registered sites/artworks. YAT4 is FREE for artists and the public. Fringe is supported by a SEED grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. This program is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. This program is supported in part by a Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans. The grant is administered through the Arts Council of New Orleans.
NOLA Leather to Geaux Oct. 17-19 Just when one thinks New Orleans couldn’t possibly be more decadent, “NOLA Leather to Geaux” comes along. Yes, the news you’ve been hearing that a “real” leather run is returning to our great city is true. Coming soon, “NOLA Leather to Geaux” will launch for the first time the
weekend of October 17-19. It will be a leather weekend where leather folk will have the unique experience of being out and about in this fun-loving and permissive city. "We will be drinking and mingling in the streets with our 'to go' cups in hand as well as frolicking in the dark spaces in our bars, all the while dressed in our leather and/or gear." The weekend’s host hotel is the Olde Town Inn, which is only one block from one of the great leather bars in New Orleans: the Phoenix Bar with its dimly lit Eagle upstairs. "We will have the entire hotel, which is under new management and recently renovated, reserved for our leather family with a special room rate starting at just $89." There are only 36 rooms available so they will sell out fast. To make your reservation for that weekend, please call the Olde Town Inn at 1.800.209.9408 or 504.949.5815 and make sure to mention that you are part of the NOLA Leather to Geaux event. You may also contact Jacques Boutte, the General Manager at gm@oldetowninn.com to discuss your accommodation needs. The list of events is still growing but the $100 weekend package will include happy hour prices at the Phoenix all weekend and the following activities: Friday, October 17 —Registration at Olde Town Inn from 6-9pm with a cocktail party, t-shirts and run pin. —Rawhide 2010 will sponsor a party and provide hot dogs, chili and fixings. NOLA PAH (Pups and Handlers) and Lords of Leather will be with us for this party. —10pm Social at Rawhide, the famous French Quarter leather bar. Saturday, October 18 —Walking Tour of the French Quarter at 11am (included with weekend pass); other sight seeing options are available for additional charges. —Beer Bust and BBQ at the Phoenix Bar 2-5pm hosted by the Knights d’Orleans. —Private party upstairs at the Eagle 25pm. —Dance Party with DJ at Parade Disco upstairs at Bourbon Pub (801 Bourbon St.) 10pm – until ??? Two pieces of wearable leather requested for entry to private bar area. —No door charge at Rawhide 2010 for weekend pass holders. Sunday, October 19 —Brunch 2-4pm followed by a Marigny/ French Quarter Bar Crawl ending at Lafitte’s with the traditional napkin toss. Locals who wish to participate in individual events are welcome to do so by paying a nominal fee at the door. For more information, visit www.nolaleathertogeaux.wordpress.com.
French Quarter Festival Call for Poster Artists French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI) is searching for visual artists to create the 2015 French Quarter Festival poster image. The selected artwork will be used as the official French Quarter Festival poster and “poster t-shirt” sold at the merchandise booths during the event. These are soughtafter collector’s items. The poster is selected by members of the FQFI Merchandise Committee. Poster selections are based on originality, festival theme, and French Quarter atmosphere. How to Enter: Please submit entries either by email to Erin Stover at erin@fqfi.org
or mail/drop off entries to 400 North Peters Street, Suite 205, New Orleans, LA, 70130. Entry may be a sketch and does NOT need to be a finished painting or artwork. However, if submitting a sketch, please also include samples of existing artwork that shows artist’s style or a website where art samples can be viewed. Please do NOT submit original artwork. The deadline to enter is November 7, 2014. Entries received after this date will not be eligible for selection. Submission Guidelines: The purpose of this call is to design artwork for the 32nd annual French Quarter Festival poster. The final version of the artwork is subject to change, as the FQFI Merchandise Committee reserves the right to request changes to the design. The design must contain one or more the following to qualify: * French Quarter Festival Artist (2015 subjects are Irma Thomas or Little Freddie King) * French Quarter scene including something music related There is no size limit. However, traditionally a standard vertical design with a single image and central focal point with vibrant festive colors tends to sell better than other variations. There is no text required on the artwork, it will be digitally added to the poster and t-shirt set up. When designing the artwork, please keep in mind that the image will be silkscreened onto tshirts and needs to translate well as both a poster and t-shirt image. Selected Art and Honorarium: The selected artist will receive media and press coverage before, during, and after the festival. The artist will also be provided with booth space in Jackson Square to sell his or her original artwork, greet fans, and personalize posters for all four days of the festival. FQFI will grant a monetary honorarium to the selected artist along with 25 posters to sell or give away, 10 poster tshirts, and other selected items at the company’s discretion. The artist will sign and number all festival posters prior to the event. The poster will be displayed at the merchandise booths, in press releases, on the website, in festival materials including, but not limited to, brochures, kiosks, and festival signage. Judging and Selection of Poster: The selected design will be determined by the 2015 FQFI Merchandise Committee. The committee’s decision will be final. No further correspondence shall be entered into. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. reserves the right not to select artwork if, in its sole discretion, no suitable entries are received. FQFI reserves the right to disqualify any entrant or entry at its sole discretion. No correspondence shall be entered into. All submitted work must be original and not based on any pre-existing design. The selected artist will be required to sign a contract assigning all ownership of the artwork to French Quarter Festivals, Inc. All entries will become the sole property of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. and may be displayed publicly on the FQFI website. Acceptance: Participation constitutes the entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules. By participating in the call, the entrant is representing and warranting that he/she has read, understood, and agrees to be bound by these rules. Including the guides and rules referred to herein, these Official Rules constitute the entire agreement between the entrant and French Quarter Festivals, Inc. in relation to the contest. Please contact Erin Stover, French Quarter Festivals, Inc. Merchandise Manager, at 504.227.5126 or erin@fqfi.org.
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Mia & bartender Wilhemina with the Official Beer of Southern Decadence Bud Light @ GrandPre’s
Wood Enterprises’ GM Tim Wilson grabbing a cocktail @ Cafe Lafitte in Exile
Rawhide bartenders John & Josh flank Derek @ Lafitte’s
Bartender Chuck welcomes you to Neighbor Bar of the Year Four Seasons in Metairie DJ of the Year JRB in the booth @ Dance Club of the Year Oz
Rick in town visiting bartender Will @ The Double Play Wood Enterprises’ Chris & Rory in for the Saints Game @ Four Seasons in Metairie
Jim, James & Liz Trailer (aka Corner Pocket bartender Bruce) celebrating @ The Phoenix
Stephanie in for the Saints Game @ Tulane Avenue Bar
You can always catch bar barons Pedro & Bertrand @ Tulane Avenue Bar Chuck ready for Halloween already sprouting his devil's horns @ The Phoenix
Ty, Roland & Julien catch the Saints Game @ Tulane Avenue Bar
Rip’s Sister Cathy celebrates her b-day during Dingo with Persana Shoulders @ Show Bar of the Year Oz New Orleans
Cutter’s bar baron Mac & bartender Kevin cocktailing @ The Phoenix
snap
Bartender Daphny welcomes you to Le Roundup
paparazzi
Bartender Keith joins Dad & Mom @ Cafe Lafitte in Exile
Renegade Bears’ Duaine @ Leather Bar of the Year The Phoenix
Rory catches the Saints Game @ Four Seasons in Metairie
Only the best will do for Phoenix bartender Tom
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La Scène Sociale (The Social Scene) ~ New Orleans, Metairie ~ Photos by Rip Naquin
SD Grand Marshal Chad helps Marsha out with a little Skyy, the Official Vodka of Southern Decadence @ Harrah’s
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a community within communities by The Rev. Bill Terry, Rector St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, New Orleans Email: fr.bill@stannanola.org
“Bullies” “If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark.” 1 John 2:9 The Christian faith, scripture, and tradition have much to say on bullying. In fact it is effectively one of the most prominent features of the scriptures. We all know the story of David and Goliath. Not quite a bully but certainly a metaphor for the powerful vs. the weak (which is social bullying). The psalms are rife with conflict and seeking justice in the face of oppression. Oppression by another name is Bullying. As an example: “Break the power of the wicked and evil; search out their wickedness until you find none….The Lord will hear the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their
heart and your ears shall hear; to give justice to the orphan and oppressed, that mere mortals may strike terror no more.” So, many of our children seem to be drawn into bullying. The question must always be why? Why do our children bully? Why do some children move from bullying to murder? Yes, I am talking about the rampant crime we see in our city. Why do some children take it upon themselves to “bash” people innocently riding a bicycle in order to do no other than cause them hurt and pain? What are the roots of bullying? To be clear bullying is not confined to children! It is cast upon adults as well. Verbal abuse is bullying. Domestic violence is bullying acted out.
under the gaydar by Tony Leggio Email: ledgemgp@gmail.com Photo by: Larry Graham
Book of the Month The summer has ended so I thought it would only be fitting to celebrate the close of the season with some of my favorite summer reading. If you follow my column, you know I am a huge James Patterson fan, so near the end of the summer I finished up two of his books in the Women’s Murder Club series, the “11th Hour” and the “12th of Never.” Both books are wonderful additions to this popular crime serial that follows the lives of four San Francisco women, a detective, a reporter, a lawyer and a medical examiner, as they root out some of the most evil serial killers and murderers in print. Patterson, who along with Maxine Paetro who co-authored both books with him keeps the storylines fresh and interesting, delivers two more page turners to enhance this series. In the “11th Hour,” our heroine Detective Lindsay Boxer is pregnant and dealing with two very bizarre cases. A millionaire is gunned down with a weapon from her own department’s evidence locker casting a shadow on the force and having her evaluate close friendships. At the same time, a cache of headless bodies have been discovered in the garden of an actor’s home creating a baffling mystery. As she investigates both crimes, another reporter has targeted her in a string of vicious articles calling both her personal life and reputation into question.
In the “12th of Never” Lindsay’s baby is born and she is quickly back on the job trying to solve the shooting death a star football player’s girlfriend. Hampering this task is the fact that the body has suddenly disappeared from the morgue which imperils fellow Women’s Murder Club member and Chief Medical Examiner Claire Washburn’s career. Then an English professor starts visiting the police station talking about murders he is vividly seeing in his dreams before they happen, but which soon become frightenly real. As with all Patterson’s novels, he delivers a fast-paced storyline that moves at a furious pace from the first page to the finale. The way he weaves the personal lives and daily torments that normal people go through while dealing with these extraordinary circumstances make his characters likeable and relatable. But the heroes of his stories only tell half the tale, the backstories for the villains/killers make these characters more than one-dimensional. You cannot go wrong with either of these two books. To learn more about these titles and many others, go to www.jamespatterson.com P.S. Thought I would give you a preview of coming attractions, I am a major Judy Garland fan, and if you have ever seen me emcee an auction, I pride myself on hawking the most signed
Those perceived in the community as weak are often targets for this predatory behavior. So, for those who are not perceived as weak or vulnerable it is our duty and our obligation to stand in the way of bullies. Have you ever seen a case as you drive down the street of bullying? What did you do? The days of the past of justifying bullying as in some way acceptable are gone! We who are capable must shield the innocent, the vulnerable, and we must teach them the way of confidence and hope. Faith can play a role in that if it is worked out properly. Family can certainly play a role in pushing back against predators. As we have discussed in previous articles the term family is broader than traditional ideas of family. So, how shall we proceed? First, look around your milieu; check out the landscape, that might you identify who vulnerable? When identified, make your very person a safe place to be with or near. Offer support for their very person. Offer words to build them up. Teach them to stand tall in the nature and statue of their humanity. If we are a community, and I believe we are, then we have a duty to protect all of those within our community. If you do not have a child but hear of bullying in a school will you stand by? No. You will contact administrators and decry the violence. If you bear witness in a bar or pub behavior that is preda-
tory will you not at least comment to the owner? Yes you will make comment and ask that the person be removed. If you suspect that a spouse is being abused will you turn your eye the other way? No, you make gentle inquiry into the welfare of the person that is suspected of being abused. Then you will have taken a pro-active role in the life of your fellow human beings. The core reasons for bullying are: acceptance into some group of community, accolades for egos damaged, and attention again damaged egos. Pray for bullies do not hate them. Pray for bullies to be made well again. When you encounter younger ones teach them to love not scorn. When you are in conversations and someone and they begin to put someone down in a critical way push back a bit. If we tolerate IT we get IT. How many times should I forgive the one who sins against me? Seven times, no, seventy seven times. That is a standard that should be used before we jump into the excesses of putting some one down for our own benefit. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. (Proverbs 4:14-16)
stuff ever by the famed actress. Even when they truly were never signed by her, it is sort of a running joke. Either way, I am excited to announce the publication of a new novel “Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and Encounters” edited by Randy L. Schmidt. To find out more before the review, go to www.chicagoreviewpress.com.
designers in this city), but I wanted to also mention an incredible fashion show fundraiser that I am involved in doing. Carolina Gallop’s Fashion Designers and Artists United for Honduras Fundraiser will be on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 6-10pm. This event, which I have been a part of for many years, will take place at The Blue Nile located at 532 Frenchman Street. Margarita Bergen and Ranord Darensburg will join me as emcees for the evening. There will be complimentary food sampling from 6:30-7:30pm, great raffle prizes and over 30 models and designs. The Fashion Designers include Carolina Gallop, Jose Luis Rodriguez, John Delgadillo, Keno Koutoure and Alita Edgar. Female Impersonators Princesse Stephaney and Raven Kennedy will also be on hand to entertain the crowd, as well as music by Paul Edmonds and Carolyn Broussard / Mikhala Iversen.
Go Saints! I love a good Saints game although our boys in black and gold have gotten off to a rocky start, let’s hope for a comeback. Anyway the Krewe of Petronius, the grande dame of the gay carnival krewes, is hosting a game day party on Sunday, Sept. 28 from 4-7pm when the Saints play the Dallas Cowboys. Come be a part of all the action at the Four Season’s and Patio Stage Bar. Tickets are $20 and will get you some great tailgating nibbles. You can get your ticket by contacting your favorite krewe member or the Krewe at petronius1961@cox.net, or just come and pay at the door. The Four Seasons is located at 3229 North Causeway Boulevard in Metairie.
Fashion Forward Now my counterpart at Ambush John will definitely do this story better justice than I will (he is the fashion maven and one of the most talented
Celebrate Oktoberfest: Armeinius Style The Krewe of Armeinius is hosting once again their fabulous soiree Cocktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 7-10pm. If you are in the mood for a sausagefest like no other than this is your party. That’s why this event is billed the most fabulously strange [continued on 24]
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wear it out by Johnny Joseph Delgadillo, Johnny Love E-mail: cuttingedgediva@yahoo.com
CAROLINA GALLOP Designer, Teacher, Diva If you have ever been to any of the more hip charity events or fashion productions in the city, chances are you have seen my next featured designer. Carolina Gallop. Braids and all. Usually sporting colorful casual looks Carolina truly captures the spirit of what New Orleans is all about. Fun, vibrant, and colorful, she is with tons of energy. Carolina Gallop was born in Honduras, Central America. From Honduras she ventured to California and in 1996 Carolina ended up moving to New Orleans where she would use here fashion design talents to start and show in many fashion shows throughout the city. Her first fashion show being in December 1996 was held at The Fashion Cafe. Along with showing in many of the city's fashion galas and charity events Carolina also teaches sewing in the lower 9th ward. “Bam Bam” for that in itself Carolina and thank you. In August of 2005 Carolina held a fashion event at Cafe Brazil and unfortunately a few days later Katrina hit. Carolina like many evacuated and did not come back for two years. Carolina lost her entire sewing and creative studio during Katrina and it took her almost 3 years to get it all back together once she returned. In October 2008 Carolina held her first comeback fashion event raising money and gathering clothing for the poor families who had their homes destroyed during natural disasters in her native Honduras. The event was held yearly for 3 years at the Blue Nile
on Frenchmen and I have had the pleasure of being a featured designer in this fashion showcase. After having taken a two year break from the event Carolina has brought it back and it is once again being held at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen. I will be a featured designer along with Carolina Gallop herself, Jose Rodriguez, Keno Couture, Alita Edgar and more. Carolina calls the charity event Fashion Designers & Artist United for Honduras Fundraiser. In true fashion, as in past years, the event will be held at Blue Nile, 532 Frenchmen on September 24th from 6-10pm. There will be a wonderful cast of performance Divas including Princesse Stephaney and Raven Kennedy. Also performing will be musicians Paul Edmond and Carolyn Broussard along with Mikhala Iversen. Show hosts will be none other
than Anthony Leggio, Margarita Bergen, and Ranord Darensburg. Also, if I am correct, Carolina also welcomes a donation of any clothing that those attending may want to give to the families in Honduras that the event benefits. This year the event is sure to be exciting, fun, and entertaining. It always gets full so arrive early. The show will start promptly at 7:30pm with the doors opening at 6pm. Not completely sure of the cost to get in. Thinking it is $15 and well worth every bit of it. What I truly love about the event is that Carolina herself takes the entire thing on herself and makes it a point to take the trip back to Honduras every year to deliver the clothing and money raised herself. With her huge heart and great talents I can only see this event growing in popularity. Year after year it seems to get better. I love being involved in the event and enjoy having Carolina Gallop in my life as a dear friend. Thank you for making me a part of your drive to create a better place for everyone. If you ever come across Carolina at a event or in the Quarter introduce yourself and see what a colorful person she is. Full of life. Determined to make everything she attends more fun than you could have ever planned. I love this lady. Carolina Gallop gets my Johnny Love “Bam Bam’ for making the World a better place. Thank you diva and keep on keeping on. Nobody does it better. Now for all of you fashion mavens get your frocks together and get you butts to the Fashion Designers and [continued on 25]
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book reviews by Frank Perez E-mail: f.perez@sbcglobal.net Photo by: Larry Graham, GrahamStudioOne.COM
The Holy Mark: The Tragedy of a Fallen Priest Gregory Alexander. Mill City Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-62652-499-6. 290 pages. $14.99. Gregory Alexander’s debut novel, The Holy Mark: The Tragedy of a Fallen Priest, is provocative, disturbing, and compelling. Its protagonist is so fascinating, I read the entire novel in one sitting. This is the story of Father Tony Miggliore, the scion of a powerful New Orleans family whose destiny is fixed at birth when his devoutly Catholic Italian grandmother notices a birthmark on his head and declares it to be a sign from God that the child is to become a priest. Father Tony probably should have never become a priest, but such is the power of familial expectations. Thus, one of the novel’s several themes is introduced early on—the consequences of denying one’s own desires in order to please others; in other words, living in the “closet,” so to speak. The birthmark becomes a powerful symbol of denial and self-loathing throughout much of the novel until it transforms into a symbol of liberation. But liberation is not always a good thing. Sometimes liberation leads to dark places. By illuminating such dark places, Alexander masterfully complicates the cut and dry dichotomy of good and evil by suggesting self-denial may actually be a good thing. Maybe. Alexander skillfully explores the psychology of the “closet” by illustrating not only how shame is a powerful motivator, but also how it shapes our self-perception. And self-perception is really what this book is about. How childhood experiences shape our selfperception. How our own self-perception often differs from how others see us. And how self-perception is a powerful defense mechanism. The story is told from Father Tony’s point of view. Alexander was wise in choosing to tell the story in Father Tony’s voice for in so doing, the reader is afforded a glimpse into the human mind’s extraordinary ability to justify
the most heinous acts. In a way, The Holy Mark is wonderfully subversive in that it problematizes moral absolutism and challenges readers to consider how people we dismiss as evil see themselves. The book demonstrates to readers that even those we condemn as unworthy of a voice may sometimes have a story worth telling, disturbing as it may be. Throughout Father Tony’s long introspection, there are many elements to grab readers’ attention: dark family secrets, the dynamics of Italian-American families, the political machinations of the Roman Catholic Church, and good old-fashioned lust, greed, and revenge. Father Tony is an extremely complex character who invites us into the inner-workings of his aberrant mind and in so doing, he manages to garner both our disgust and our sympathy. That’s no small feat for a debut novel. Alexander, a lifelong Louisiana resident, has degrees from UNO in Psychology and American Literature, both of which disciplines are prominently displayed in the novel. The Holy Mark should appeal to anyone with an interest in Southern fiction, the clergy abuse scandals, Italian-American family dynamics, and classic revenge stories. Cocktoberfest is now going to be celebrated in its new location of 433 N. Broad St in Mid City (located right off the Greenway). This event goes to benefit the Krewe of Armeinius and the Gay Historical Preservation Society and is truly an event that is smash for everyone 21 and up. Come help preserve some of the most unique traditions while enjoying a rooster filled evening of fun. For more information, check the krewe’s facebook site or go to www.armeinius.org.
under the gaydar ...from 22 Oktoberfest in New Orleans. I actually do not know who really said this, because I am sure there have been weirder, but for all intents and purposes, let’s just agree. Your ticket for a mere $30 gets a bottomless beer garden (with your own custom stein), fun German themed entertainment and a delightful dinner. Since the event has grown the past couple of years,
25 Years of Equality The Forum for Equality is celebrating its 25th Anniversary Acclaim Awards Gala on Friday, Sept. 26. This wonderful organization should be applauded for all their hard work as they honor those that are building a state of equality here in Louisiana. The event takes place at the Westin New Orleans with a Champagne Reception for patrons
beginning at 5pm followed by Silent Auction and Cocktail Hour, then Awards and Dinner. Come raise a glass and buy a ticket to this worthy cause that is helping our community fight for its rights in the state. They have been around for twenty-five years of advocating, educating and winning rights for the LGBT community. Since 1989, Forum for Equality has been a leader and champion in Louisiana. The hilariously uproarious Kristen Becker will host the auction, awards and amusements. The Acclaim Awards Gala is the organization’s opportunity to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that are leading the equality movement in many diverse areas here in Louisiana. This year’s 2014 Acclaim Award Winners are: Arts & Entertainment: Katey Red Faith & Equality: St. Anna’s Episcopal Church Legal Justice: Stone Pigman Walther Wittman, L.L.C. Political Activism: Marilyn McConnell Political Leadership: Shreveport Chamber of Commerce This year has brought many changes for our community. Amazing actions are happening across Louisiana thanks to the dedicated people at Forum for Equality. Tickets are Forum for Equality Louisiana Member / Under 35: $150; Non-Member: $175; Patron: $250 and Table of 10 (includes Patron recognition for table captain): $1,600. To book your ticket call 888.627.8180 or go to www.forumforequality.org.
Party Down Fall is creeping up which means the party season is just around the corner. But after Southern Decadence I needed to recharge my batteries so I hate to admit this column will be rather short this issue. My events the week after Memorial Day Monday began on Wednesday when I attended Where Magazine’s Silver Plume Awards at the New Orleans Sheraton. These awards are presented every year by the publication to honor some of the best in the hospitality industry mostly centered on hotels like Concierge and General Manager of the Year. This year’s gala was practically a who’s who in the hospitality world with entertainment, food from different local restaurants and cocktails. The reason why I enjoy this event so much is that so many people in the LGBT community are part of this industry and are honored each year. Then I jumped to Saturday when some friends and I went to the Julia Street Gallery Walk which takes place the first Saturday of each month. Outside of White Linen Night and Art for Arts Sake, these walks are much less crowded giving you a better opportunity to see the art and peruse the shops (and the free wine also helps).
The following week’s parties again began on Wednesday when the National Association of Catering and Events held their annual fundraiser at the Audubon Tea Room at the Zoo to benefit Save Our Cemeteries. The evening was hosted by Angela Hill and Dennis Woltering who I was honored to be seated with at their table. Both of these delightful and well-respected newscasters kept the festivities going throughout the night. This amazing soiree consisted of a five course dinner each prepared by a different chef and pared with wine. The female strings quartet Virtuoso performed during the night. The entire event was Grade A which is not surprising when it is put together by event planners. Then on Saturday, the Friday Night Before Mardi Gras held Splash Glitz at a private home in the French Quarter. And saying they brought out the glitz is an understatement. There were free flowing cocktails, great food, a live auction and hot pool boys tending to your every whim from getting your cocktail to feeding you grapes (I know very over the top). The Friday Night Before Mardi Gras is the premiere Carnival costume party (guess when it is?) that benefits many of the non-profits in the LGBT community. This year it is going to be held at the Cannery in Mid-City. As a prequel to the party and to garner excitement, the board has decided to throw a few events to show people what the organization is all about. The fete was backed and the rain held off so that people partied way after the event ended, now that is what I call a great event. So that is my two weeks in a nutshell, I know somewhat lackluster, but I can assure you that things will be picking up rapidly.
To Quote a Queen The passing of funny lady Joan Rivers touched many a heart in the LGBT community. She was an advocate of gay rights, a pioneer for women in the comedy industry and in general and a person who brought laughter and joy to millions of people. She was brash, insensitive sometimes but always funny. Love her or hate her, you have to admit there was no one like her. So Joan, I tip a glass to you and bid you a fond farewell on your journey to that big stage in the sky. You made me laugh and we will miss you. Enjoy some of her more memorable quotes. * “Life is very tough. If you don’t laugh, it’s tough.” * “I’m in nobody’s circle, I’ve always been an outsider.” * “I have no methods; all I do is accept people as they are.” * “I don’t exercise. If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor.” * “I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware.”
24 • The Official Mag© © : AmbushMag.com • Sept . 23-Oc t . 6, 2014 • Of fic ial Gay Mar di Gras Guide© • GayMar diGras.c om
trodding the boards by Brian Sands
Email: bsnola2@hotmail.com
A Lie of the Mind at Mid-City Theatre through Oct. 4 With the help of Set Designer Leah Farrelly, Director Joseph Furnari has transformed Mid-City Theatre for The Elm Theatre’s exhilarating production of Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind. Rather than just having the actors up on the stage, the space has been bisected by a central corridor that two of the characters will traverse as they journey from their southern California house that’s situated where tables and chairs usually stand to the rural Montana home that occupies the stage proper. Viewers thus watch the show’s action as well as their fellow audience members, a marvelous conceptualization for this most theatrical of plays. Debuting off-Broadway in 1985 he’s beaten his wife Beth to death. The with an all-star cast, Lie of the Mind rootlessness of the American West is remains one of the most resonant and quickly evoked when Frankie asks Jake timeless scripts of the last 35 years. where he is and Jake replies “Some Shepard was at the height of his writing state, they’re all the same up here.” powers then and created a haunting, But as Jake flees back to his Calimythic portrait of America through his fornia birthplace, we discover that Beth almost expressionistic rendering of two is not dead but has sustained a mondysfunctional families bound by mar- strous “injury to the brain.” Her brother riage. Mike helps her in the hospital as her Lie begins with Jake banging the speech and motor skills have been receiver of a roadside payphone as he affected. Parents Meg and Baylor will tries to convey to brother Frankie that eventually make the multi-hour trip to the big city and, with Mike, bring Beth home to recuperate. Back in his childhood home, Jake’s mother Lorraine and sister Sally alternately help and frustrate a delirious Jake who will follow Frankie up to Montana hoping that, if Beth’s still alive, he can reunite with her. In lesser hands this could come off as an overwrought soap opera (see August: Osage County), but Shepard uses this framework to explore the meaning of family, the relationship between the sexes, and the fear of loss, among many other things. Plus there’s dextrous wordplay, gorgeous images (you’ll not soon forget when Jake blows his father’s ashes into the air), and half a deer (kudos to prop coordinator Kate Bartels). Furnari does a terrific job Garrett Prejean in A Lie of the Mind
of balancing scenes that suggest vaudeville routines with others that descend into theater of cruelty as the characters aim verbal bombs and actual bullets at each other. Complete naturalism would be anathema here, so he has wisely guided the cast to give larger than life performances that are still anchored in an identifiable reality, mining the script’s idiosyncratic dialog and outlandish situations for all the richness they can supply. Lie of the Mind has been extremely well cast with actors that actually appear to share the same familial DNA. Garrett Prejean gives a sensational performance, possibly his finest to date, as Jake, finding not only the primal force in this wounded man but the humor as well. When he says “I’m no dummy,” Prejean makes you believe that Jake believes it while giving you the option to respond [continued on 28]
wear it out ...from 23 Artist United for Honduras Fundraiser September 24th at Blue Nile, 532 Frenchmen from 6-10pm. See you there. Peace, Love, and Happiness to all... This has been a public service announcement bitches!!!!!!!!!
Sout hernDec adenc e.c om • Sept . 23-Oc t . 6, 2014 • Facebook.com/ AmbushMag • The Official Mag© © : AmbushMag.com • 25
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accounting Mandeville LA [985] Shirley "Toni" McCord, CPA, #4 Sanctuary Blvd., Suite 304, 985.727.7797, www.tmccordcpa.com Metairie, LA [504] Shirley "Toni" McCord, CPA, 3925 N. I-10 Service Rd., Suite 215, 504.888.8333, www.tmccordcpa.com
attorneys New Orleans, LA [504] Compass & Tureau, LLC, Troy A. Tureau , Attorney at Law, 3801 Canal St., Suite 301 504.483.7777, troy@compasstureau.com, www.CompasTureau.com
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 Lake Charles, LA [337] CRYSTAL'S, 112 W. Broad, 433.5457 Metairie, LA [504] FOUR SEASONS & PATIO STAGE BAR, 3229 N. Causeway, 832.0659, FourSeasonsBar.com 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 GRANDPRE'S, 834 N. Rampart St.,
267.3615, Facebook.com/grandpres KAJUN'S PUB, 2256 St. Claude Ave., 947.3735, KajunPub.COM LE ROUNDUP, 819 St. Louis, 561.8340 LUCKY PIERRE'S, 735 Bourbon St., 586.1836, LuckyPierresNOLA.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 TROPICAL ISLE: Home of the Hand Grenade, 721 Bourbon St., 529.4109, TropicalIsle.COM TULANE AVENUE BAR, 3813 Tulane Ave., 488.1400 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
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 [is2114]
circuit/events 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 Feb. 13-17, 2015, Official Gay Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush, GayMardiGras.COM Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, 16th Official Gay Easter Parade, New Orleans, sponsored by Ambush, GayEasterParade.COM Sept. 2-7, 2015, 44th 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
costumes New Orleans, LA [504] QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633
florists Baton Rouge, LA [225] FOUR SEASONS FLOWERS & GIFTS, 3482 Drusilla Ln., Drusilla Shopping Center, 924.1386, 1.800.237.5381
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
groceries/delis New Orleans, LA [504] QUARTERMASTER DELI, THE NELLIE DELI, 1100 Bourbon, 529.1416
hair salons New Orleans, LA [504] BOBBY BLUE CONTEMPORARY BARBER & BEAUTY PARLOR, 906 Bourbon St., 527.5100 HEAD QUARTERS HAIR SALON, 900 Rue Dauphine, 522.2666 MICKEY NOLAN'S SALON, 717 Toulouse St., 587.7782
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. [0714 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 sunbathing and hot tub area. Walking distance to French Quarter. Immediate vicinity of gay and lesbian bars/venues. [0814] 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 unforgettable 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. MAISON DE MACARTY BED & BREAKFAST, 3820 Burgundy St., New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE: 504.267.1564, MaisonMacarty.com, email: kurt@maisonmacarty.com. Luxury gay owned and operated bed and breakfast. 8 bedrooms with ensite baths, pool, sun deck and beautiful courtyard. Sleep, eat and play at Maison de Macarty,. Book it now! 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.
26 • The Official Mag© © : AmbushMag.com • Sept . 23-Oc t . 6, 2014 • Of fic ial Gay Mar di Gras Guide© • GayMar diGras.c om
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 NARCISSUS, PO Box 3832, New Orleans, LA 70177. Contact: 504.228.9441 KREWE OF PETRONIUS, PO Box 1102, Kenner, LA. 70063-1102, 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 LORDS OF LEATHER, 1631 Elysian Fields, #161, 70117, www.LordsOfLeather.com
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 New Orleans, LA [504] BEAUREGARD-KEYES HOUSE, 1113 Chartres, 523.7257 CABILDO, 701 Chartres, Jackson Square, 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 GALLIER HOUSE, 1132 Royal, 523.6722 GERMAINE WELLS MARDI GRAS MUSEUM, 2nd Floor Arnaud's, 819 Bienville HERMANN-GRIMA HISTORIC HOUSE, 820 St. Louis, 525.5661 HISTORICAL PHARMACY MUSEUM, 514 Chartres, 524.9077 HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, 533 Royal, 523.4662 LONGUE VUE HOUSE AND GARDENS, 7 Bamboo Rd, Metairie, 488.5488, MUSEE CONTI HISTORICAL WAX MUSEUM, 917 Conti, 525.2605 NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART, City Park, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, 488.2631 OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART, 925 Camp St., 539.9600 OLD U.S. MINT, 400 Esplanade PRESBYTERE, 751 Chartres, Jackson
Square ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL, Jackson Square WORLD WAR 2 MUSEUM, 945 Magazine, 527.6012, http://nationalww2museum.org
music New Orleans [504] SKULLY'Z RECORDZ, 907 Bourbon St., 592.4666
organizations 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 BIG EASY STOMPERS, Country & Western line dancing. Weekly lessons and monthly Country & Western dance party, www.bigeasystompersneworleans.com, info@bigeasystompersneworleans.com BELLE REVE NEW ORLEANS, AIDS Residence for Families, PO Box 3305, 70177; 945.9455 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 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,
Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans, services at 10am, 6200 St Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118; 504.270.1MCC www.mccneworleans.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, 504.298.0061, 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 PFLAG/NO [Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays/ New Orleans], PO Box 15515, 70175; 895.3936, 392.0001, pflagno.org, info@pflagno.org PRIDE CELEBRATION in New Orleans 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 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 VOLLEYBALL NEW ORLEANS, PO Box 13306, 70185-3306; volleyballneworleans.com, postmaster@volleyballneworleans.com
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] GRAHAM/STUDIO ONE NEW OR-
LEANS, by appointment, grahamstudioone.com
real estate New Orleans, LA [504] 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
restaurants Mandeville, LA [985] The Po-Boy Shack, 1703 N. Causeway Blvd., 626.1303 Metairie, LA [504] Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., 835.2022, GumboStop.com New Orleans, LA [504] 801 Royal, 801 Royal St., 581.0801, 801Royal.com 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, 371.5074 Gene's Po-Boys, 1040 Elysian Fields, 943.3861 Horn's, 1940 Dauphine St., 459.4676 Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., 522.6746 Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans, 523.1930, OrleansGrapevine.com Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. , 529.1416, QuartermasterDeli.NET Retrouvailles Bistro & Balcony Dining, 700 Bourbon St., 523.1485 The Ruby Slipper, 2001 Burgundy St., 525.9355
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 MR. BINKY'S BOUTIQUE, 107 Chartres St., 302.2095, MrBinkys.com PANDA BEAR, 415 Bourbon St., 529.8064 QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633 RAB DAB CLOTHING AND GIFTS, 918 Royal St., 525.6662
theatres New Orleans, LA [504] 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] Gay New Orleans Walking Tour, Crescent City Tour Booking Agency, (LGBT Business of the Year) 638 St. Ann St., 568.0717. follow Gay New Orleans Walking Tour @ Facebook.COM
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the legal corner by Troy A. Tureau, J.D., L.LM., Attorney at Law Email: thelawprofessor@comcast.net
The Recent Marriage Equality Court Decision In Louisiana – A Disgrace! Only in Louisiana! After 20 consecutive court decisions finding marriageequality bans unconstitutional since the Supreme Court overturned DOMA in 2013, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman has upheld the ban in Louisiana. Accordingly, Louisiana need not grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples or recognize their out-of-state marriages. Judge Feldman outright rejected the previous courts’ basis for overturning marriage equality bans – violations of both equal protection and due process of the law. His decision is full of inaccuracies and mistakes and is being appealed. In contrast, in its July 2014 ruling the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals stated quite eloquently: "We recognize that same-sex marriage makes some people deeply uncomfortable. However, inertia and apprehension are not legitimate bases for denying same-sex couples due process and equal protection of the laws. Civil marriage is one of the cornerstones of our way of life. It allows individuals to celebrate and publicly declare their intentions to form lifelong partnerships, which provide unparal-
leled intimacy, companionship, emotional support, and security. The choice of whether and whom to marry is an intensely personal decision that alters the course of an individual’s life. Denying same-sex couples this choice prohibits them from participating fully in our society, which is precisely the type of segregation that the Fourteenth Amendment cannot countenance." Back to Judge Feldman’s decision now, which not only misstates the U.S. Constitution but uses language that is archaic, bigoted and quite offensive.
commentary Stigma and HIV: Looking Ahead to a Brighter Future by Noel Twilbeck, CEO of NO/AIDS Task Force It’s been a long road. Although all of us wish this wasn’t the case, it’s impossible not to consider gay history—especially over the past several decades—without the shadow of HIV and AIDS. The journey through the history of HIV is a long and complicated one, full of much sorrow and many challenges, but also pervasive hope and promising developments. And now, even as modern medicine offers new opportunities for prevention and treatment, there is one frontier that remains more important than ever: stigma. Stigma and HIV have shared center stage since the virus was first discovered. Many of us remember those dark, early days when diagnosis meant social scorn: shunning by friends and lovers, mute denial by family members, judgment by society, rejection, fear. To share a positive status was to resign yourself to these unfair realities. Fortunately, times have changed— though not as much as we’d like to think. In the Gulf South, and even in metropolitan areas like Greater New Orleans, stigma is alive and well. People still hesitate to talk about HIV status. People living with HIV still feel ostracized. In both gay and straight communities, the revelation of status can still bring shame. And with shame comes silence. And silence is a powerful factor in contributing to the spread of HIV. So for all these reasons, I’m pleased to announce that NO/AIDS Task Force is partnering with the Mr. Friendly Campaign (www.mrfriendly.info) to address stigma in a frank and meaningful way—
and right here in Greater New Orleans. Mr. Friendly is an international grassroots campaign that focuses on reducing stigma, starting conversations and supporting mixed-status couples. It’s exactly the areas our community can rally around as well moving not only into the next chapter of HIV services and support, but also the next chapter of our own gay history. We’ve witnessed many people liv-
First, Judge Feldman bases his decision on the Fourteenth Amendment, which he claims does not entitle gay and lesbian couples to the same protections afforded interracial couples because the amendment explicitly mentions race. Judge Feldman is incorrect; the Fourteenth Amendment makes no mention of race. Second, he preposterously declares that “Louisiana’s laws and Constitution are directly related to achieving marriage’s historically preeminent purpose of linking children to their biological parents.’ (And this “linkage” is related to the issue at hand because…?) Finally, Judge Feldman goes on to ask “must the states permit or recognize a marriage between an aunt and niece? Aunt and nephew? Brother/brother? Father and child? May minors marry? Must marriage be limited to only two people?” Contrary to Judge Feldman’s opinion, being gay or lesbian is not a “lifestyle choice” and marriage is a fundamental right (not same-sex marriage as he terms it, but marriage). Perhaps one line in Judge Feldman’s decision sums up everything: “no analogy can defeat the plain reality that Louisiana’s laws apply evenhandedly to both genders—whether between two men or two women.” What…? Who’s on first? Has Judge Feldman completely missed the ball here? I respectfully urge Judge Feldman to carefully re-read the 14th Amendment, to better
educate himself on the subject, to put away old prejudices and to reconsider his ruling. (These are the personal views of Troy A. Tureau, and nothing therein is intended to be legal advice of any kind. I invite your comments and questions.) Troy A. Tureau, J.D., L.LM., Attorney at Law, Compass & Tureau, LLC, 3801 Canal St., Suite 301, New Orleans, LA 70119, thelawprofessor@comcast.net 504.483.7777.
ing with HIV being treated poorly— sometimes even like second class citizens. Just look at the dating apps. Phrases like “drug disease free – you be too” and “I’m clean, expect the same” all add to stigma because it creates two camps: negative versus positive. It implies judgment. And it stifles the inclination to be “out” as a person living with HIV—or a magnetic couple, where one partner is positive and the other is negative. We love the Mr. Friendly campaign’s “friendly face” icon because it was carefully designed with equal weight for both a positive and a negative symbol. It’s a symbol that is for everyone, without indicating the person’s status: positive or negative, we’re all in this together. It’s a symbol that says “let’s have a conversation about status— because I’m about dialogue, not judgment.” And it’s a simple way to say “I treat everyone with respect.” I encourage you to join NO/AIDS, Mr. Friendly and it local chapter—Team Friendly NOLA—to help spread the word: Love knows no status. We’re in this together. And we should all work toward living and loving stigma-free. Help us in our efforts to combat stigma in New Orleans by sending us a message through our NO/AIDS Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ noaidstaskforce. We’d love your support!
trodding the boards ...from 25
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tureau obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University with a major in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Political Science. He obtained his Juris Doctorate in 1992 from Loyola Law School, New Orleans, and his L.LM. in Environmental Law from Lewis and Clark Law school in 2008. He has been a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association since 1992 and is a partner at the New Orleans law firm, Compass & Tureau, LLC., which proudly serves the LGBT community. He is an Associate Professor at Ashford University and has held adjunct faculty positions at the College of The Desert and Kaplan University. He is the author of many written works, both fiction and nonfiction. He is married to his husband Michael of 10 years, and they are the proud parents of 12 year old Cole and their 4 year old Pekingese, Ginger.
“Yeah, right.” By the end, however, Prejean’s abject desperation to reconnect with Beth is palpable. With his baby face, Joel Derby seems too young to play Frankie (he looks about 15 rather the required mid20s) and it throws things off a bit. But, if he started out a bit bland, that will tellingly contrast with the ludicrous indignities he endures once Frankie arrives in Montana. Derby brings a sustained grace to the role, the good brother ying to Jake’s bad brother yang. At the beginning, Andrew Vaught is a solid, helpful presence as Mike. But this decent man eventually gets pushed over the edge by circumstances beyond his control. Vaught builds Mike’s combustibility slowly and believably in an exquisitely calibrated performance. When I saw Salome Jens in the original production, her Lorraine seemed like a nice lady and it wasn’t clear what pushed her husband away from her and over the border into Mexico. Kristin Samuelson makes it clear. Tough, manipulative, unyielding and self-centered, Samuelson is all these yet she exudes a gravitational pull that keeps her offspring coming back to her. [continued on 30]
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trodding the boards ...from 28 Lowering the timbre of her voice, Kate Kuen reveals new aspects of her talents endowing Sally with a toughness not always manifest in the script itself. Taking her cue from a line where Lorraine implies that her daughter may be a lesbian (not that she’d have a problem with that), Kuen reshapes Sally as a butch femme while leaving her overt sexuality ambiguous. Kuen and Samuelson share the show’s most potent confrontation as they magnificently battle over what caused their father/husband’s death. Morrey McElroy brings forth a comic aria of despair over her family’s endless meals of venison yet touchingly suggests that Meg may be on the threshold of dementia (tho in this family that might be a blessing). Roger Magendie’s Baylor, all gruff swagger, seems to have arrived at the Mid-City on a direct flight from out West with the bona fide feel of an old-time rancher. If Becca Chapman’s is not a subtle performance, her mentally incapacitated Beth is not written that way. Chapman brings out Beth’s humanity while making it clear she will never be fully whole again. Furnari peppers Lie with apt musical selections but I did miss the live performance the Red Clay Ramblers provided in the original production. And if there were a few rough patches on opening night, I expect that they’ll have been smoothed out by the run’s final two weeks Shepard ties up his story’s strands (though not perfectly, just as in life) in an ending that’s both heartwarming and devastating, leaving us with an
unforgettable final image. Exiting the Mid-City Theatre after this 3 1/4 hour roller coaster ride, I thought “What a great journey it was!”
Thin Walls at The Shadowbox Theatre through Sept. 28 To get to El Mudo Pet Cemetery where Michael Allen Zell’s Thin Walls is set, you’re told to “Head off the beaten path.” In imagining his new play, Zell clearly followed his own directions. Combining typical stagecraft (actors say the words the playwright wrote) and silent film technique, Zell’s tale takes place in that cemetery where proprietress Charlotte Deer has banished speech so as not to disturb the souls of the animals buried there. Instead, the actors mouth their dialog, the characters lip-read, and the audience gets silent movie titles on a screen so they can follow along. Using this device, Thin Walls tells the story of the much-married Charlotte who composes tango tunes to help cover expenses, and her daughter Julie who aspires to Hollywood stardom. A young man, Bram, arrives and becomes not only the cemetery’s handyman but infatuated with Julie. Towards the end of the first act, two mysterious characters show up. I don’t want to give too much away, but it soon becomes apparent that they’re up to no good. Unlike Zell’s pretentious one-act play What Do You Say To a Shadow? from last year, Thin Walls is sweet and accessible. Its satisfying denouement, involving a rain gauge filled with a certain substance, is one of the wildest endings I’ve ever seen and may leave you even more speechless than
the characters. But for a nearly “silent” play, Thin Walls is awfully talky. Unlike silent movies which were very economical with their words, Zell furnishes lengthy, often repetitious, exposition. Not only does this slow down, especially in the first act, the dramatic pacing, but it causes the audience to spend too much time reading subtitles rather than observing the talented cast’s expressive faces. At times, Zell does have his characters speak out loud. This exiting and subsequent re-entering of the silent world is great fun, a surreal re-ordering of what constitutes “normal.” I would have liked it if Zell had further explored the “silent vs. spoken” dichotomy that he has so well set up. Director Angela Jo Strohm does a fine job of creating and sustaining the play’s other-worldly atmosphere and the technical aspects of the show are first-rate. Katarina Boudreaux’s score, which she also performs, is so authentic-sounding that at first I thought music from actual silent films was being used. The entire cast is up to the challenge of Zell’s conceit. Hope Leigh, whom I admired earlier this year in Perfect Wedding, is a sparkling Julie, equally charming and tough. Jake Bartush’s off-kilter presence is wellsuited for Bram. Without any actual mustache-twirling, Richard Mayer makes an appropriately oily villain. As his associate, Samantha Mullen’s essential sweetness shines through. And then there’s Mary Pauley as Charlotte who, not surprisingly, proves to be as wondrous an actress without words as when she’s speaking Albee, Williams or O’Neill. Power to her for supporting new playwrights as well as the Masters. If you enjoy new works and are willing to overlook Thin Walls’ occasional loquaciousness, do check out this quirky fairy tale. Its tender and hopeful ending should leave you smiling.
Two Trains Running at the Anthony Bean Community Theater through Sept. 28 The first time I saw August Wilson’s Two Trains Running at Dillard University in 2012, I commented “set in 1969, it posits an evolving world where a black man can eventually triumph.” Having recently visited Pittsburgh, however, I now realize that, despite a character getting a financial bounty from the city government, Wilson seems to be implying that it was a specious triumph. After all, to build the Civic Arena, 8,000 residents and 400 businesses from the lower Hill District, where Two Trains is set, were displaced, and, once it was built, the Arena cut off that area similar to what
the I-10’s construction over Claiborne Avenue did to Treme. Written in 1991, a line like “only thing gonna be left here is niggas killing niggas” seems sadly prescient and resonates all too strongly whether referring to Pittsburgh or New Orleans. I also realized another thing. As wrong as it may be to edit a play, when it comes to Wilson’s overstuffed works, a little trimming of the verbiage (as apparently was done at Dillard) may not be such a bad thing as Dillard’s Trains seemed to run more smoothly than the current production at Anthony Bean Community Theater. Despite that, Two Trains Running remains a vital work as a richly textured portrait of a community in transition. Wilson deals with such large themes as justice, equality and freedom; there’s a beautiful speech in Trains limning how times have changed. As always, Wilson’s a great spinner of tales, large and small, and his metaphor for happiness, “finding the right person to dance with,” has a poetic etherealness. A somewhat rushed ending aside, Bean has nicely staged this production, but he can’t avoid that there’s a lot of coffee-pouring and sitting-around in the diner where the play is set which designers Vic Woodward and Dane Rhodes have given a properly lived-in look. More importantly, as worthy as it is to keep Wilson’s plays in front of audiences, having first presented Two Trains about 12 years ago when he started Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” I didn’t get the feeling that, as a director, Bean was bringing anything new to the script despite all that has happened since 2002, most significantly Hurricane Katrina. All of the cast members are good although Bean could have elicited a little more nuance from them. Dwight E. Clay stands out as a smooth-talking, snazzy-dressing numbers runner with an assured sense of his own selfworth. Recently released from the penitentiary and trying to stay straight, Roscoe Reddix Jr. brings out the wouldbe charmer Sterling’s simple decency but becomes a bit overwrought in his big scene. Alphé Williams, as the resident philosopher, nicely gets through his several long and potent monologs, deliciously explicating the use of “nigger” and “gun” in the same sentence. Coti Sterling-Gayles leavens waitress Risa’s sadness with an occasional smile that plays across her face. Wilbert Williams, Jr., as the diner’s owner, gives another natural, topnotch performance as a man chasing monetary justice. Veteran Wilsonian actor Harold X Evans breathes life into what could’ve been a one-note portrayal of a mentally challenged man, endlessly shading Hambone’s refrain.
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DJ Dom & Dancer Justin in the booth @ The Corner Pocket
Mona Del Rose Variety Hour @ Tulane Ave Bar starring Mona, Yarinez Mercado, Tutu Cox & Ilyannah Eve
ambush
paparazzi
Petronius joins Moans Couture Mardi Gras Trunk Show @ Albert Brown Salon
Lords of Leather Beer Bust @ Leather Bar of the Year Phoenix
Kyle & Tristan performing on the bar @ The Pocket
Miss Gay Crescent City America Connie Hung on stage @ Oz Moans Couture Mardi Gras Trunk Show @ Albert Brown Salon
Tami Tarmac's Cougar Cabaret monthly with Bubbles Champagne, Maybelline Maskara, Mona Del Rose & Tami
Bartender David ready for Halloween @ The Corner Pocket
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Friday Night Before Mardi Gras' “Splash Glitz Party” ~ New Orleans ~ Photos Tony Leggio
Il Capture! (Catch It) ~ New Orleans ~ Photos Tony Leggio, Hubert S Monkeys, Jeremy Wienberg
Michael, Hubert & Bradley celebrating @ Oz
Tommy joins wife Cathy for her birthday for Dingo @ Oz
Mickey, Yvonne & Jason welcome you to Mickey Nolan Salon’s new location 717 Toulouse St.
Bartender Tony joins Greg @ Le Roundup
Daniel, Bunny, Patrick & bartender Steven @ The Golden Lantern
New bartender Lee @ The Phoenix Transgender of the Year Chi-Chi Rodriquez joins Golden Lantern's Rikki Redd @ Oz
Twisted Tuesdays Cast Purple Hair, Karli LaCorre, Imani Black, Blaine Bextor, Siberia Alexander & Jack Inman @ the Parade
Kent & Ms. Mascara Magnolia Thunderpussy join the Saints Game @ Rawhide
snap
Bartenders Rene & Nathan do the Saints Game @ Good Friends Bar
Bourbon Pub bartender Danny, John & Ricky in for the Saints Game @ GrandPre’s
Mr. Big Easy Leather ADKus & Jason in for Drink & Drown @ Bourbon Pub & Parade
paparazzi
Police Superintendent Michael Harrison addresses the neighborhood association @ Tulane Avenue Bar
Rainbow Room manager Kat thanks everyone for a great two years
Paul & Kevin celebrating @ Rawhide 2010 Jasmine all smiles @ Le Roundup
Bartender Aletha & Mr. Phoenix Leather Matt behind the bar @ Bourbon Pub & Parade
Leonard & Jim cheer on the Saints @ GrandPre’s
Andrew, Robert & Gabe join the Saints Game @ GrandPre’s
Carl & Shane cocktailing @ The Phoenix
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Autour de la Ville (Around Town) ~ New Orleans ~ Photos by Paul Melancon, Rip Naquin
Bartenders Kieth & Jeff welcome you to the oldest gay bar in North America... Lafitte’s
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