Volume 36 Issue 04 Feb 13 · 26, 2018 Facebook.COM/AmbushMag
Award Winning
Happy Mardi Gras & Valentine’s Day! @AmbushMag
Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture! Gulf South LGBTQ Entertainment/Travel Guide · 36th Anniversary 1982-2018 · For Adults Only
2 路 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com 路 Feb 13 - 26, 2018 路 Official Southern Decadence Guide 路 SouthernDecadence.com
HUNGOVER? We have the tast iest remedy. The Music of
Senator Ken Fridays 7:30–9:30pm
Live Shows Play Girlz
hosted by Gia GiaVanni
Fridays 10–11:30pm
The Music of the
Vanessa Carr Band
Best Bloody Marys in Town!
Saturdays 7:30–9:30pm
Golden
The Official Home of Southern Decadence.
Jubilee: Dragging for Jesus with Reba Douglas
Divas R Us starring Monica
Synclaire-Kennedy
Saturdays 10–11:30pm
Sundays 5:00–7:00pm
Best Happy Hour in the Quar ter!
THE
Lantern
1239 Royal St. New Orleans • facebook.com/GoldenLanternBar
HAPPY HOUR 8AM – 8PM DAILY
N E V E R A C O V E R AT THE GOLDEN LANTERN
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 3
The “Official” Dish by Frank Pizzolato, Publisher Email: frank@ambushpublishing.com
Mardi Gras madness is in full swing, in spite of dire predictions to the contrary, at least so far, the weather is holding up for the crowds. I managed to make it to Gallier Hall for parades Thursday and Friday, many thanks as always to Councilmember Nadine Ramsey for the invite pass. We hope for continued at least agreeable weather, and a good safe time for the whole holiday. Decent weather and good crowds should bode well for the bars, restaurants, tour company’s and our favorite spots in and around the Quarter. No better place to eat a lot drink a lot and love a lot!!!! I have been able to broaden my social life considerably lately, Sunday afternoons have become a lot more
“active” usually torn between ZINGO at the Corner Pocket, and REBA’s 5 o’clock Gospel show at the Golden Lantern. Always a good crowd, a good time, and a good way to end a weekend. Even as Mardi Gras is upon us, we have started to look ahead to the Gay Easter Parade. We have had the first preliminary conversations to plan and put on a great event on Easter Sunday afternoon. We are already getting requests for Carriages and Marching Groups who want to participate. We are going to do our part to make sure a good time and fun experience is had by our participants and the public who has come to look so forward to the Parade. Unfortunately, I am faced with, what has become an all to frequent
task lately, I personally and the larger LGBT community has lost two more prominent members this week. We just learned of the death of Shane Scallian and Jerry Zachary. We certainly extend our sympathy and fond wishes to their family and loved ones. I had known Jerry for a number of years, and as so often is the case we lost touch, moved in different directions, only years later to re connect at a MoveOn.Org meeting of all places. From there we began to turn up at more and more of the same places and activities. While infrequent, I always enjoyed our visits and his conversations. Another life well lived, and time well spent.
5
Obituary: Johnny Jackson, Jr.
5
Youth Run Nola Announcement
9
Book Review
9
Commentary
9
Snap Paparazzi
10
Commentary
11
Under the Gaydar
12
Snap Paparazzi
13
Commentary
15
Announcements
17
Snap Paparazzi
20
Moments in Gay History
22
Mardi Gras Day Parade Schedule
23
LGBTQ Owned/Friendly Business Directory
24-25
Upcoming at Oz & LGBT Bartender Competition
26
Snap Paparazzi
27
Trodding the Boards
29
Snap Paparazzi
30
Gulf South LGBTQ Entertainment & Travel Guide Since 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana info@ambushpublishing.com
AWARD WINNING: Saints & Sinners Literary Festival Hall of Fame/2015, Louisiana Excellence Award: Media & Internet/2014, New Orleans Print Media Award/2014, 25th NO/AIDS Task Force Humanitas Award/2013, New Orleans Print Media Award/2013, Krewe of Mwindo Media Honoree/2009, Krewe of Petronius Carnival Spirit of Gay Mardi Gras XLVIII Award/2009, Forum For Equality Acclaim Awards X Media Recipient/2008, NO/AIDS Task Force Prometheus “Torch of Truth” [media] Award/2001 Email: info@ambushpublishing.com ANNUAL READERSHIP OVER 1 MILLION: 260,000+ Print/780,000+ Online
Inside this Issue of Ambush Reviving After Mardi Gras
Facebook.COM/AmbushMag Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 • Texas-Florida Official Gay Easter Parade Guide© Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide© Official Gay New Orleans Guide© Official Pride Guide© Official Southern Decadence Guide©
CIRCULATION: Alabama - Mobile Florida - Pensacola Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Slidell Mississippi - Bay St. Louis, Biloxi
Job Opportunities Ambush Magazine is growing!
Freelance & Contributing Writers Wanted
We want to hear from you if you are a working or aspiring journalist interested in covering topics meaningful to the LGBTQ community.
Snap Paparazzi Photographer Wanted
Do you frequent the LGBTQ bars and events? We want to hear from you if you are interested in regularly covering the bars and events.
If you are interested, please email your resume, cover letter, and portfolio to info@ambushpublishing.com
STAFF: PUBLISHER/EDITOR/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Frank Pizzolato, New Orleans GULF SOUTH/NEW ORLEANS AD SALES Jim Tomeny, New Orleans THEATRE/PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC Brian Sands AD REPS/JOURNALISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Misti Gaiter, Tony Leggio, Hubert S Monkeys, Felicia Phillips, Frank Perez, Rev. Bill Terry-New Orleans Miss Cie-Mobile, AL National Advertising Rep: Rivendell Media 212.242.6863 Ambush Mag is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush Publishing. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 4pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: info@ambushpublishing.com, except for special holidays. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual’s name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual’s sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc., appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of AMBUSH Mag. Subscription rate is $45 for 1/2 Year; $75 for 1 year. Sample Copy is $3 First Class Mail. ©1982-2017 AMBUSH PUBLISHING LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS and PHOTOS.
4 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com
Reviving After Mardi Gras by Pastor Allie Rowland, Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans (MCCNO) Email: alisan.rowland42@gmail.com
Reviving After Mardi Gras
I love Mardi Gras! The music, the costumes, the people, the dancing in the street…It’s glamorous enough to make anyone’s inner drag queen emerge. But like any fabulous celebration, there may be nothing left afterwards but exhaustion and glitter. You might already have an amazing juice cleanse, workout routine, or method for renewing yourself physically. However, if you’re like me, you feel physically and emotionally drained after Mardi Gras, and you might be looking for ways to revive your spirit after the balls, parades, and parties have come to an end. Here in New Orleans, the season leading up to Easter (Lent) can be a wonderful time to reconnect to practices in your life that revive your spirit and connect you to unconditional love and to peace. I was excited when I first became the pastor at Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans and learned that people here enjoy Taize. I first learned about the practice of Taize when I was attending Claremont School of Theology (CST) in California. I was taking a course about contemplative spiritual practices. Each Friday night we had the opportunity to attend Taize. It was an incredibly healing and powerful experience to end a week of commuting and stress-
ful graduate level studies (exams and papers) with singing, lighting candles, and experiencing peace. I loved that Taize was an ecumenical movement, attracting Protestants, Catholics, and all spiritual seekers. It reminded me of our own worldwide movement of Metropolitan Community Churches started in 1968, and our local church, people from many different religious traditions coming together as people of the transbilesbiangay community and allies who believe that unconditional love and social justice are the highest priority to loving our neighbor as ourselves. I learned during my days at CST that hundreds of thousands of people travel to the Taize community in Burgundy France each year to experience prayer, study, sharing, and communal work with the focus to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity, and sharing. I also learned that the Taize community was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schutz, a Reformed Protestant who was on his own quest to discover a different expression of the Christian life. Brother Roger purchased a home at that time which became a sanctuary from war refugees during WWII. During the next two decades, Brother Roger found others who were inspired by this ecumenical movement and wanted to join him. In the 1960s young adults from all over the world began to travel to Taize to meet and experience the unique manner of Taize worship and
community. As I learned more, I found the Taize community inspiring, and our Friday Taize gatherings at CST to be reviving to my spirit. It was a deep joy to start participating in Taize here in New Orleans; to hear uplifting psalms, light candles, and sing…to feel peace surrounding me completely. Our Friday night, 7 pm Taize services here at MCC of New Orleans during the season of Lent leading up to Easter, became a time I anticipated eagerly all week. And because Friday evenings were a time that different people could come and participate in Taize, I was able to connect to new people as well. Most importantly for me, Taize is another opportunity to simply encounter Divine love and peace through simple musical choruses and intentional time with your thoughts. If you’ve never experienced it or you just love Taize, we welcome you to join us on Fridays from 7 to 8 pm throughout the season of Lent, starting on Friday February
23rd until Friday March 23rd at 5401 S Claiborne Ave. Our Sunday services are at 10 am, and you can find more information about us on our website at www.mccneworleans.com. Perhaps for you, there are other ways that you revive your spirit after Mardi Gras. I encourage you to dive into those practices, to walk in beautiful places and watch sunsets, to create music and art, to spend time with the people who bring you joy…and I encourage you to look for ways to “sacrifice” by reaching out in love to others. When we care for our spiritual health, our physical and emotional health benefit as well, and our lives come into better overall balance. Loving acts of kindness are exponential in nature and create peace and harmony in our communities and our lives. So, after you celebrate Mardi Gras, reward your spirit by reviving and renewing it. I believe that you’ll be glad you did!
to five. After the ordinance’s defeat, Jackson continued to work closely with LAGPAC leaders and he introduced the measure again in 1991. After six hours of heated debate, the ordinance passed by a vote of five to two. In addition to shepherding the non-discrimination ordinance to passage, Jackson was a vocal advocate for AIDS funding. He served on a
council subcommittee to work with the City Health Department and local AIDS agencies and was once arrested in a sit-in on Loyola Avenue to protest a lack of proper funding to study AIDS and help AIDS patients. Recalling his long friendship with Jackson, local activist Stewart Butler said, “ He was an incredibly great man.”
Obituary: Johnny Jackson, Jr. by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Former City Council member and State Representative Johnny Jackson died January 24 after a long battle with cancer. Johnny Jackson, Jr. grew up in several New Orleans neighborhoods and became a community activist in the 1960s. After Hurricane Betsy in 1965, he worked on a clean-up crew at the Desire Community Center and within a few years he was the directing head of the center. He also worked with Total Community Action and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. He served in the state legislature from 1972 to 1986, where he became the New Orleans delegation’s floor leader. During his eight-year tenure on the Council, Jackson was at the forefront of championing LGBT+ rights. In addition to leading the Louisiana
delegation in the historic 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Jackson also sponsored, and led the fight for, the historic non-discrimination ordinance adopted by the City Council in 1991. He also fought for adequate HIV/AIDS funding as well as for the extension of health benefits to the partners of lesbian and gay city employees. A city ordinance outlawing discrimination against homosexuals in employment, housing and public places had first been proposed, and defeated, in 1984. After Jackson’s election to the Council in 1986, he introduced and sponsored the ordinance again. On the day of the vote, Jackson gave a rousing twenty-minute speech in support of the ordinance. Unfortunately, it failed to pass by a vote of two
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 5
What is TRUVADA for PrEP?
Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?
TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.
Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you:
Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you.
® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis.
® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.
® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA.
® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
6 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com TVDC0139_PrEP_B_10-25x12.5_Ambush_Vogue_p1.indd 1-2
I'm passionate, not impulsive. I know who I am. And I make choices that fit my life. TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. Learn more at truvada.com
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 7 1/8/18 9:26 AM
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP:
While taking TRUVADA for PrEP:
• Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems.
• You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.
Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.
• You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
• You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.
• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.
TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including:
Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
• See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP
TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
• Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. • To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.
TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0139 07/17
8 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com TVDC0139_PrEP_B_10-25x12.5_Ambush_Vogue_p1.indd 3
1/8/18 9:26 AM
Youth Run Nola Announcement Presented by St. Thomas Community Health Center and benefitting the young runners of Youth Run NOLA, this 5.04-kilometer walk, jog, run, dance through Crescent Park and Bywater ends with a post-race festival featuring free food & beverage from Brewed & Distilled and Bayou Teche Brewing, and live entertainment! Join up! Adults: $30, Groups: $20/
person, Youth Run families: $15, Youth Run participants and ALL kids under 12: FREE! Contact Denali Lander (504)2565523. Online Registration and information: www.youthrunnola.org/504k Youth Run NOLA: 5.04K benefitting Youth Run NOLA. Feb 24, starts 8:30 a.m. in Crescent Park, New Orleans. (2400 N Peters St)
Book Review by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Writers Who Love Too Much: New Narrative 1977— 1997. Eds. Dodie Bellamy and Kevin Killian. 2017. ISBN: 978-1-937658-65-6. 544 pages. $24.95.
This book is the first major anthology of New Narrative writing—the San Francisco based literary movement fueled by punk, pop, porn, French theory, and social resistance In the twenty years that followed America’s bicentennial, narrative writing was re-formed, reflecting new political and sexual realities. With the publication of this anthology, the New Narrative era bounds back to life, ripe with dramatic propulsion and infused with the twin strains of poetry and continental theory. The reader will discover classic New Narrative texts, from Robert Glück to Kathy Acker, as well as rare supplemental materials, including period interviews, essays, and talks, which form a new map of late 20th century creative rebellion. The New Narrators are not wellknown, and the reason why is precisely why they are significant. As LGBTQ literature grew out of its formative years, the New Narrative writers rebelled against the corporate hegemony of the East Coast publishing establishment. According to Richard Canning, these writers “focused on avant-garde collaboration, dialogue, and mutual support (mostly). They did not hope to make money or have a commercial ‘hit,’ and in almost every case they succeeded at commercial failure!” Selections include: Robert Glück, “Sanchez and Day,” from Elements; Kathy Acker, “The End,” from Great Expectations; Edith A. Jenkins, “Against a Field Sinister”; Carla Harryman, “Animal Instincts”; David O. Steinberg, “Five Year Plan”; Michael Amnasan, “Joan,” from I Can’t Distinguish Opposites; Judy Grahn, interviewed by Steve Abbott and Dodie Bellamy; John Norton, “A Real Story”; Marsha
Campbell, “Wearing a Tough Jacket”; Brad Gooch,“Satan”; Camille Roy, “Lynette #1,” “BABY,” and “Sex Life”; Sam D’Allesandro, “Jimmy,” “Walking to the Ocean This Morning,” Nothing Ever Just Disappears”; Bruce Boone, interviewed by Charles Bernstein; Dennis Cooper, “My Mark” from Safe; Kathe Burkhart, from The Double Standard; Roberto Bedoya, “Scene One,” from Decoto; F.S. Rosa, “Post War”; Robert Glück, “The Sky Looked Bruised, and That’s the Way the Air Felt, Achey”; Steve Abbott, “Notes on Boundaries/ New Narrative”; Gabrielle Daniels, “Our Nig: Discovering A Black Woman’s Novel” Dennis Cooper, “Square One”; Gary Indiana, “I Am Candy Jones”; Leslie Dick, “The Interpretation of Dreams”; Scott Watson, “Prince of the Damned”; Bruce Boone, “David’s Charm”; Dodie Bellamy, “Incarnation”; Gail Scott, from Heroine; Richard Hawkins, “Bo-Hunk”; Kevin Killian, “Sex Writing and the New Narrative”; Matias Viegener, “Twilight of the Gods”; R. Zamora Linmark, from Rolling the R’s; Ishmael Houston-Jones, “The End of Everything”; Rebecca Brown, “Junk Mail”; Nayland Blake, “The Secret Square”; Lynne Tillman, from Haunted Houses; Bruce Benderson, “Apollo’s Curse,” from User; Cecilia Dougherty, “Sue”; Dodie Bellamy, “Dear Gail”; Eileen Myles, “Chelsea Girls”; Gabrielle Daniels, “A City Girl Discovers the Forest”; Sarah Schulman, from Rat Bohemia; Kevin Killian, “Open letter to the Editors of Apex of the M”; Laurie Weeks, “Swallow”; Bob Flanagan, from The Book of Medicine; Lawrence Braithwaite, from Wigger; Chris Kraus, from I Love Dick. Dodie Bellamy’s latest book is When the Sick Rule the World. She teaches creative writing at San Francisco State University and California College of the Arts. Kevin Killian is a San Francisco-based poet, novelist, playwright, and art writer. He is the author of fifteen books and cowrote Poet Be Like God, a biography of the American poet Jack Spicer (1925–1965).
Commentary by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Mike Pence Goes to the Olympics
In 2014, the International Olympic Committee adopted a proposal to include sexual orientation in the Olympic Charter’s non-discrimination principle. The impetus for the resolution was Russia’s homophobic crackdown on LGBT+ citizens. Just before the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, over 50 former and then-current Olympic athletes urged the Russian government to reconsider its law that outlawed “gay propaganda,” a law that engendered an astronomical increase in homophobic violence throughout the country. In November of last year, Russia, as well as Egypt, refused to sign the Olympic Charter because of the non-discrimination language. The issue of human rights surfaced again recently when President Trump appointed Vice President Pence to lead the U.S. Olympic delegation to Pyeongchang. Pence is perhaps the most homophobic politician in public life. As governor of Indiana, Pence proposed taking money used for HIV/ AIDS research and using it to fund gay conversion therapy. He once argued marriage equality would result in “societal collapse” and opposed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He also harshly criticized President Obama for supporting transgender rights. Pence, a fundamentalist Christian, also endorses “religious freedom” legislation. Trump’s selection of Pence to lead the delegation to S. Korea has garnered harsh criticism from many quarters. Adam Rippon, the 2016 U.S. men’s figure skating champion who is believed to be the first openly gay U.S. Winter Olympian, criticized the choice
in an interview with USA Today, “You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Mike Pence doesn’t stand for anything that I really believe in.” Rippon also stated he has no desire to meet Pence at the traditional meeting before the opening ceremonies between athletes and the head of the delegation. Rippon further said he will not attend the post games visit to the White House to meet the President. Having a homophobe like Pence lead the U.S. Olympic delegation is an affront to the spirit of the Olympic Charter’s commitment to human rights. But after a year of Trump, the rest of the world should not be surprised by the hypocrisy of the current administration. Trump & Co. have repeatedly demonstrated an utter lack of respect, if not a contemptuous disdain, for human rights and civil liberties. The irony of all this is that the Olympics is, and always has been, very, very gay. If we could transport Mike Pence back in time to the Olympics in ancient Greece, he would be greeted by all male (mostly teenage) athletes, fully naked, oiled up, and ready to wrestle. Jason Anthony, a blogger for Huffpost, has observed, “In the Olympic victory poem for Hagesidamos — boxing champ of the 476 BCE games — the poet compares his beauty to Ganymede, Zeus’ male lover. Theognis of Megara had this to say what happened after the game: ‘Happy is the lover who, after spending time in the gymnasium, goes home to sleep all day long with a beautiful, young man’.” But what about the modern Olympics? Three words: two-man luge.
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Snap Paparazzi From Oz New Orleans | Photos provided by Persana Shoulders, Tony Leggio & eyeLucius
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Commentary by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Budget Crisis Could Affect State Hospitals, Public Education
Louisiana State Senator Troy Carter, Chairperson of the Senate Democratic Caucus, recently sent a letter to Governor John Bell Edwards urging him to call a special session of the legislature to address the state’s budget crisis. Carter also pledged the Democratic Caucus’ support for the passage of a standstill budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Previous legislatures filled the budget hole with temporary taxes, but those are set to expire this year leaving a $900 million gap in the budget. Last year Governor Edwards proposed a business tax but republicans in the House killed the bill in the Ways and Means Committee. If the legislature does not address the state’s fiscal emergency, draconian budget cuts to the tune of one billion dollars are inevitable. Such cuts would devastate state hospitals and public education, both of which are already on life support.
According to the Louisiana Budget Project, “On the surface, cutting $1 billion from a total budget of more than $27 billion may seem tenable. But that’s far from the whole story. Only 29 percent of the budget is made up of State General fund dollars – the rest is federal money, fees and “self-generated” money (such as tuition) and money dedicated to specific purposes. And nearly two-thirds of the State General Fund is off-limits to cuts (“non-discretionary”) because the state has no choice in whether to spend certain dollars. Examples include debt payments, pension obligations and the Minimum Foundation Program (state payments to public schools).” The three major national credit rating agencies have downgraded Louisiana over the last two years because of the legislature’s inability to resolve the budget crisis; consequently, the state must pay higher interest rates to borrow money to pay for state services. Extending temporary taxes yet again will worsen the state’s credit rating. The fiscal year begins July 1.
Senator Troy Carter
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Under the Gaydar by Tony Leggio Email: ledgemgp@gmail.com
Book Review
Everyone loves a good scary movie and in most of those pictures they have one common trait. There is always a final girl who escapes all the carnage to anguish the killer and escape. Well my book review for February is all about this phenomenon in Final Girls, the first novel by Riley Sager. Sager is pseudonym, so like the novel, the real author is a mystery. The premise combines elements from three movies and then folds it I nicely with the present action taking place creating a fourth horror mystery. Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends in a cabin in the woods and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. She became a member of a club of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife and Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn. Quincy with a little help has put her life together and is doing well, that is until one of the Final Girls ends up dead. Now there is a new danger lurking in the shadows, someone who wants to eliminate all The Final Girls once and for all. The novel is a funfilled thriller with lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final bloody climax. Sager builds the suspense while delivering a clever mystery. If you are looking for something that will keep you up at night, try Final Girls, you will not be disappointed.
Party Down
My two weeks was not as exciting as it normally is since I had to work a lot. So my week of events kicked off on Thursday with New Orleans Magazine’s Tops of the Town soiree at the Monastery on Rampart Street. There were lots of great local restaurants providing tasty bites, flowing libations and a kicking entertainment line up. The venue brings back memories for when it was a real religious sanctuary. I actually spent a few high school religious retreats (Catholic School upbringing) there. It is nice to see it in its newest form. And the magazine pulled out all the stops with guests being greeted by stilt walkers and champagne as they enjoyed classical music int he garden before heading inside. On Friday, I was off to Algiers to the incredible home of one of the Krewe of Armeinius’ best members Charles Tu-
berville’s birthday celebration. There was lots of good friends on hand to help him enjoy being seventy years young. And Charles home has one of the best views of the river and at night it is simply magical. On Saturday, it was all about the Krewe du Vieux. This year our beloved mayor, Chef John Besh, the Sewerage and Water Board and as always President Trump (still boggles my mind that those two words go together) got skewered and all deservedly so! But what I have noticed is that this event has become a costuming night out with lots of house parties ( I went to three of them that night). The entire evening was festive as my friend Laura and I began at Kim Smith’s house for her 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Party complete with photo ops with David Hasselhoff and sexy Captain Nemo. We jumped from party to party, enjoyed the parade and I got to meet the fabulous actor JR Ramirez who was in town filming an NCIS New Orleans episode. Very sexy man! This first Sunday was an exhausting day but still very fun. I worked King Cake Festival at Champion Square which is sponsored by Ochsner Children’s Hospital and it was a great day with over 25 bakeries making some of the best king cakes in the area. My favorite one was Mr. REonnie’s King Cake who also won the People’s choice king cake (delicious and so was the hot guy in the booth) and Food Drunk Food Truck with their sinfully delicious King Cake Hamburger. Then after working all day, I attended a fundraiser for the National Association fro Caterers and Events at the Riverview Room where they had three of the city’s famous drag entertainers performing Princesse Stephaney, Lana O Day and Countess C Alice. The entire following week was crazy with work, but a special convention was in town called The Special Event which is the industry’s largest tradeshow and conference for event professionals. It had over 5,000 attendees and I was one of the chairs for the Leadership Luncheon. What I love about this conference which happens in a different city each year and we were lucky to have it in New Orleans is that you get to see all the newest ideas in the party industry from linens and chairs to entertainment and decor. Each night was a different event culminating on Thursday with the Leadership Luncheon, Gala Awards and Final Night Party at Mardi Gras World. My company even won one of the coveted TSE Gala Awards for one of our
events. On Saturday, it was all about the Marigny parades. I went to see “tit’ Rex followed up by Chewbacchus. Both parades are unique in their own way. The “tit” Rex is a parody of the large super crews with their major throws. In this parade it is shoebox floats, some ingenious and some look like an art school project. Either way this quirky little parade was laid back and fun. Quickly followed by the science fiction inspired Chewbacchus (love this parade), my nerd heart was in heaven. There were all kinds of costumes paying homage to your favorite movies in that genre. This family friendly parade gets bigger and better each year. Mardi Gras is such a uniquely New Orleans experience. It is very rare that I can admit being a virgin at anything, but on Sunday, I rode in my first King Arthur Parade along the St. Charles Avenue uptown route and it was fantastic. I was on head of Pride, Chris Leonard’s float, which was themed Insectarium. The parade itself was celebrating the tricentennial of the city and the floats represented iconic locations, people or traditions in the city. The crowds were heavy and riding on a float is a total rush of adrenaline. It is like being on stage with hundreds of people cheering for you (or the beads
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in your hand). I was lucky enough to ride next to my friends Andrea and Jerry (from Louisiana Pizza Kitchen) and we just had a blast. What a fabulous way to cap off my two weeks.
Hot Happenings
Mardi Gras is finally here. All the excitement, parties, parades and balls lead up to Fat Tuesday! And with the end of Carnival, the Easter season is ushered in with all the fun holidays like St. Patrick and St. Joseph Days not to mention all the fun festivals. There is plenty to do. Here are just few events to kick your year off right. Tuesday, February 13, 30, 2018 54th Annual Bourbon Street Awards; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine Street; Noon The World Famous Costume Contest with Host Varla Jean Merman and Special Guest Ryan Landry.. Cash Prizes and Awards. Kocktail Karaoke: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphione Street; 8 p.m. midnight Join us at Good Friends Bar for Kocktail Karaoke with the winner gets a $25.00 bar tab. Wednesday, February 14, 2018 Singles Awareness Day: Nopsi Hotel; 317 Baronne Street; 6 - 11 p.m. Continued on Page 16
Snap Paparazzi From Forum for Equality’s John Bel Edwards Fundraiser
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steve richards __________________ properties 504 258 1800 steverichardsproperties.com ____________________ 504 948 3011 712 orleans new orleans, la 70116 licensed by the louisiana real estate commision 14 路 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com 路 Feb 13 - 26, 2018 路 Official Southern Decadence Guide 路 SouthernDecadence.com
Commentary by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Fight Over LGBT Rights May Go to the Supreme Court
In the latest episode in a long legal battle, Louisiana Governor John Bell Edwards (D) filed an appeal to the State Supreme Court seeking to reinstate his Executive Order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in state employment and by state contractors. Edwards issued the order in April of 2016. Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry immediately challenged the order in District Court claiming the order usurped the legislature’s power. The Republican-controlled legislature has consistently refused to pass legislation protecting LGBT workers. Executive orders have never carried the weight of law and similar orders regarding non-discrimination in state government issued by Governors Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco (both Democrats) were never legally challenged, although Republican Governor Bobby Jindal rescinded Blanco’s order when he succeeded her. 19th District Court Judge Todd Hernandez ruled in favor of Landry, effectively nullifying the executive order. In his ruling, Hernandez asserted the executive order, “extends beyond the parameters of executive order authority.” The Edwards Administration then appealed the ruling to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which also ruled in the Attorney General’s favor in November of last year. All three appellate judges (Toni M. Higginbotham, Allison H. Penzato, and Guy Holdridge) were elected as Republicans. In response to the ruling, the Governor issued the following statement: “I have said repeatedly that discrimination is not a Louisiana value, and this decision does not change my conviction that hiring decisions in state govern-
ment should be based on merit alone. Discrimination in state government and by state contractors is wrong, makes us weaker, and is bad for business and economic development.” The Governor has also repeatedly said, “Discrimination is not a Louisiana value.” The Administration has appealed the First Circuit decision to the State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has not indicated if it will accept the case. This ongoing legal saga between the Governor and the Attorney General may be a preview of what to expect in next year’s gubernatorial election. Political insiders agree that Attorney General Landry is preparing to challenge the Governor in his re-election bid. Landry is a Tea Party Republican and Trump supporter. Despite his holier-than-thou rhetoric, Landry’s career has been marred by a series of minor scandals and questionable ethics. In 1993, when Landry was a Deputy Sheriff, $10,000 worth of cocaine was recovered from his home. His roommate, also a Deputy Sheriff, was arrested and a few months later, Landry turned in his badge. During his campaign for Attorney General, Landry was criticized for never actually having practiced law. He cited a law firm he once worked for but when pressed could not remember a single case he tried. After a fatal bus accident in Laplace in 2016, Landry blamed the crash on immigrants, citing New Orleans as a sanctuary city. In 2012, Landry was caught misappropriating campaign funds. More recently, Landry attempted to violate the law by requesting travel reimbursements for his commute to work. After denying the request, republican Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said, “He was essentially double dipping on a request for an automobile allowance.”
Last year, Landry’s Super-PAC supported alleged child molester Roy Moore in his campaign for the U.S. senate in Alabama. Landry also makes a big deal over prosecuting marijuana smokers. His record suggests Reefer Madness is one of his favorite movies. Landry also used his office to block Governor Edwards when the Governor attempted to sue oil and gas companies over their role in coastal erosion. Like most republican politicians, Landy knows which side his bread is buttered on. Landry also knows his base—rural, white, fundamentalist Christians, which also explains his vehement opposition LGBT rights, despite the fact his brother is gay. “Family Values” go only so far, after all. Not only is Landry homophobic, he is also a racist. Breitbart News, the white supremacist, neo-Nazi website headed by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, endorsed Landry in his race for Attorney General. We don’t know if Governor Edwards will win his legal battle, or even if the Supreme Court will take the Executive Order case, but we do know this— Governor Edwards is fighting for LGBT people and Attorney General Landry is opposing him. We also know that Landry is a self-serving asshole. The election campaign for governor next year should be interesting, to say the least.
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What’s love got to do with it? Gather your friends and go to Above the Grid for a night of non-romantic festivities. There will be an evening that excludes candlelit dinners, chocolate covered anything, and candy hearts. Treat yourself to a glass of wine or four. Valentine’s Day Cruise: Paddlewheeler Creole Queen; 1 Poydras Street; 7 - 9 p.m. Spend a romantic evening with your special someone aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen this Valentine’s Day in New Orleans. Enjoy an upscale buffet menu, open call bar, a DJ playing special requests, reserved seating for the evening and complimentary Champagne upon boarding. This luxurious cruise under the moonlight is a fun and unique way to treat your Valentine. For tickets, go to https://book.bigeasy.com. WednesGays at LPK Uptown: Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 South Carrolton Ave.; 5 p.m. Join us every Wednesday to celebrate diversity. See old friends or make some new ones and find out what’s happening in the Nola community. All this while enjoying 1/2 price drinks from the bar. Invite your friends. You Better Sing Karaoke; Lafitte’s in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 7 p.m. Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as they play Karaoke at Lafittes in Exile. Behind the bar slinging your drinks for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim. Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean. Game Night: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 7 p.m. Wednesdays are Game night with Honey Bee at 7 p.m. with free jello shots and Bar Tabs. Thursday, February 15, 2018 Honey Bee Trivia: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Thursday is Honey Bee Trivia at 7 p.m. Four rounds with jello shots to the winner of each round and a Bar Tab to top person/team of the night. Girl | Crush: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. Girl | Crush is bringing you a weekly event for girls who like girls, and their friends! This flavor of CRUSH entitled DTF is exclusive to New Orleans’ #1 Dance Club, Oz and happens every Thursday night. The Jeff D Comedy Cabaret; Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10 p.m. The Comedy Cabaret stars Jeff D. featuring Gia Giavanni. Enjoy hilarious comedians, amazing talent and the Ladies of Oz. Strip Off: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; midnight Persana Shoulders hosts the Strip Off every Thursday night. Sign up begins at 11 p.m. and the show features a spotlight performance by Miss Gay Louisiana America 2013 Mer-
cedes Ellis Loreal. Winners receive 1st PLACE - $100 Cash • 2nd PLACE - $50 Bar tab Friday - Saturday, February 16 - 17, 2018 Spectaculaire New Orleans: Le Petit Theatre; 616 St. Peter Street; 10 p.m. each night New Orleans’ most dynamic and entertaining performers in burlesque, drag, aerial and circus arts, and dance return for this one-of-akind variety show that will leaving you screaming from the top of your lungs. For tickets, go to https://tickets.vendini. com. Friday, February 16, 2018 New Meat Amateur Dance Contest: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis Street; 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Lisa Beaumann, anyone can enter - $100 cash prize. Saturday, February 17, 2018 Piano Bar with Trey Ming; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine Street; 4 - 7 p.m. Sing along with your favorite songs with Talented piano player Trey Ming. GCPAH Beer Bust: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 8 - 10 p.m. $5 ALL YOU CAN DRINK Beer Bust with $1 jello shots to top off the night. Miss Gay Vieux Carre LA USofA 2018: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 8 p.m. Miss Gay Vieux Carre LA USofA is an official preliminary pageant to the states oldest female impersonation pageant Miss Gay Louisiana USofA! The theme is Coven. Featuring Audrey Rose, Ivy Dripp and Aaryiah Sinclaire. Categories include interview, gown and talent. David London’s Magic Outside the Box: Always Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 9 p.m. Join David London on a journey to someplace else. Combining magic with storytelling, comedy, surrealism, philosophy, and that which cannot be defined, Magic Outside The Box is a magic show unlike anything you have experienced before. Prepare for an evening packed full of laughs, mystery, and the unexpected! Tickets here: www.bit.ly/NoLaMagic About David London: David discovered that he was a magician at the age of seven, and has since spent over 20 years trying to figure out just what that means. He has created five original theatrical magic productions includin Cerebral Sorcery, ...Art of Dreams and The Adventure to the Imagi Nation, and authored eight manuscripts related to magic and illusion, including Daydreams, Borderland State, and Imagining the Imagination. He regularly performs his unique style of magic at theaters, museums, galleries, festivals, and private events, and has presented his shows, workshops and lectures throughout the United States. For more information on David and
his magic, please visit www.DavidLondonMagic.com Sunday, February 18, 2018 Bottomless Mimosa: Cafe Lafittes in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 1 - 4 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas are offered upstairs from 1 - 4 p.m. for $12. Miss Four Seasons Exotique: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 6 p.m. Miss EXOTIQUE has now grown into a mini system in the Louisiana area with a total of 5 prelims now. The first prelim pageant will be held at The Four Seasons Bar in Metairie. Come root your favorite diva on as the contestants battle for the title of MISS EXOTIQUE 2018. Every pageant will have a winner and a 1st runner up who will go on to the final Miss EXOTIQUE pageant in November. They will have Gumbo and Jambalaya for you to eat and there is a $5 entry fee. Come out and have a great time while encouraging our ladies to win the title. See you all at the pageant. The theme is Masquerade Fantasy. You Better Sing Karaoke; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as they play Karaoke at Good Friends Bar. Behind the bar slinging your drinks for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim. Zingo: Corner Pocket; 640 St.
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Louis Street; 6:30 p.m. Play Bingo with hosts Opal Masters followed by the Barry BareAss Dancer of the Week Contest. Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 9:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean. Drink Drown and Drag: The Pub; 801 Bourbon Street; 6 - 9 p.m. Sunday Funday upstairs at The Parade. $15 Draink and Drown from 6 - 9 p.m. with a star studded drag show starting at 8 p.m. Monday, February 19, 2018 S.I.N. Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis Street; Starting at 9 p.m. Come drink with Ashlee. Get your SIN card and receive $2.50 canned beer or well drinks and $1.50 draft. Margarita Mondays: Grand Pre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. From 7 p.m. till close enjoy margarita specials with your bartender Michael Tuesday - Saturday, February 20 25, 2018 Presented by the New Orleans Theatre Association, THE COLContinued on Page 18
Announcements by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
Frank Perez to Teach Tour-Guiding Class at Delgado Community College
Local author and Ambush columnist Frank Perez will teach Professional Tour-Guiding at Delgado Community College beginning February 20. The course is called Research and Story-Telling. Representatives from the following institutions give presentations to the class and discuss how to conduct primary research: the Louisiana State Museum, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Amistad Research Center, the New Orleans Public Library, the Louisiana Research Collection, the Archdiocese Archives, and the Newcomb College Institute Archives. The class is designed for tour guides, but non-tour-guides can benefit from the course as well. Students select a topic to research and then report their findings to the class. Ever wanted to dive deeply into a topic you’re interested in? Take this class and learn not only how to research that subject but also learn how to translate that research into interesting stories. Perez also teaches the introducto-
ry Professional Tour-Guiding course, as well as French Quarter History. The course is offered on Tuesday nights for 8 weeks and begins on February 20. Cost is $195.
Gay Carnival at the Historic New Orleans Collection
On Wednesday, January 31, the Historic New Orleans Collection hosted a public lecture on the history of gay Carnival that also served as a book launch for author Howard Philips Smith’s new book Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans (University Press of Mississippi, 2017). The event was held in the elegant and well-appointed lecture hall of the Williams Research Center in the French Quarter. About 150 people attended the lecture, including several founding members of a handful of gay krewes. Assistant Curator Eric Seiferth noted “Over the years, Howard has become something of a fixture in our Reading Room where he’s combed through our extensive Carnival holdings, which include a large collection
of materials documenting Gay Carnival – many of which were reproduced in his book. It’s been exciting to see all of that work come together and it was an honor for The Historic New Orleans Collection to host the book release at the Williams Research Center where so much of the research was done.” After some introductory remarks and providing a historical survey of how gay Carnival began, Smith surprised a delighted audience by showing a video of actual footage from the legendary 1969 Petronius Ball, whose theme was “The Glorification of the American Girl.” Petronius is the oldest surviving gay krewe. After the presentation, Smith greeted attendees and signed books. Reference Specialist Robert Ticknor observes, “The Historic New Orleans Collection is actively collecting materials relating to the LBGT community in New Orleans, especially in recent years. Among other examples, we have an important collection from artist Skylar Fein about the Upstairs Lounge Fire, a research collection about the legal trials of Clay Shaw, an oral history project devoted to the murdered artist John Burton Harter, gay carnival ephemera, as well as the works from many gay artists active in New Orleans. The history of Gay Culture in New Orleans is one that is severely under-researched, but from my perspective, is starting to emerge more
and more every day.” Traditional Carnival has been well documented with a vast array of books. However, few of them, if any, mention gay Carnival krewes or the role of gay Carnival within the larger context of the season. Smith corrects the oversight in this lavishly illustrated new work. Based on years of detailed interviews, each of the major gay krewes is represented by an in-depth historical sketch, outlining the founders, moments of brilliance on stage, and a list of all the balls, themes, and royalty. Reproductions of brilliant never-before-published invitations, large-scale commemorative posters, admit cards, and programs add dimension and life to this history. Sketches of elaborate stage sets and costumes, as well as photographs of ball costumes and rare memorabilia, further enhance descriptions of these tableau balls. Howard Philips Smith grew up on a farm in rural Mississippi and attended the University of Southern Mississippi and the Université de Bourgogne, Dijon. He began writing about pre-AIDS New Orleans and the gay ball scene during the early 1980s, the so-called Golden Age of Gay Carnival. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband and three cats. His forthcoming book, Southern Decadence in New Orleans (co-author Frank Perez) will be published by the LSU Press this summer.
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OR PURPLE will play at the Saenger Theatre Feb. 20 – 25, 2018 as part of the East Jefferson General Hospital Broadway in New Orleans 20172018 season. Tickets for THE COLOR PURPLE start at $30 and will be available beginning Friday, Nov. 17 at the Saenger Theatre Box Office (1111 Canal St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116),BroadwayInNewOrleans. com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at (800) 982-2787. Cast members from the 2016 Broadway revival lead the touring company, including Adrianna Hicks(Aladdin, Sister Act - Germany) as Celie, Carla R. Stewart (Ghost – National Tour, Rent - Regional) as Shug Avery and Carrie Compere (Holler If You Hear Me, Shrek the Musical – National Tour) as Sofia. They will be joined by Gavin Gregory (The Color Purple - Revival, The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess) as Mister, N’Jameh Camara (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation) as Nettie, J. Daughtry (The ColorPurple - Revival, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Harpo, along with Darnell Abraham, Amar Atkins, Kyle E. Baird, Angela Birchett, Jared Dixon, Erica Durham, Bianca Horn, Gabrielle Reid,C.E. Smith, Clyde Voce, Nyla
Watson, J.D. Webster, Brit West, Nikisha Williams and Michael Wordly. Based on the Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Warner Bros. / Amblin Entertainment motion picture, THE COLOR PURPLE is adapted for the stage by Tony- and Pulitzer-winner Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Tony Award®-winning director and scenic designer John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company) recreates his award winning work for the national tour, alongside costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting by Jane Cox, sound by Dan Moses Schreier and wig & hair design by Charles G. Lapointe. Tuesday, February 20, 2018 Kocktail Karaoke: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphione Street; 8 p.m. midnight Join us at Good Friends Bar for Kocktail Karaoke with the winner gets a $25.00 bar tab. Country Dance lessons: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 8 p.m. Tuesdays are Country Dance lessons with dancing from 8 - 11 p.m. Bourbon Boylesque: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 8:00 p.m. See the men of Oz like you have never seen them before. The show stars Atomyc Adonis, Bobby B, Franky, Phathoms Deep and other special guests. Hosted by Trixie
Minx. Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras: Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant; 1001 Esplanade Avenue; 8 p.m. Tacos, Tequila, and Tiaras is a one of New Orleans’ only family friendly drag shows! Join hostess Vanessa Carr Kennedy every Tuesday, have a taco or two, and learn a little bit about the art of drag. Wednesday, February 21, 2018 WednesGays at LPK Uptown: Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 South Carrolton Ave.; 5 p.m. Join us every Wednesday to celebrate diversity. See old friends or make some new ones and find out what’s happening in the Nola community. All this while enjoying 1/2 price drinks from the bar. Invite your friends... You Better Sing Karaoke; Lafitte’s in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 7 p.m. Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as they play Karaoke at Lafittes in Exile. Behind the bar slinging your drinks for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim. Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean. Game Night: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 7 p.m. Wednesdays are Game night with Honey Bee at 7 p.m. with free jello shots and Bar Tabs. Thursday, February 22, 2018 Honey Bee Trivia: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Thursday is Honey Bee Trivia at 7 p.m. Four rounds with jello shots to the winner of each round and a Bar Tab to top person/team of the night. Girl | Crush: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. Girl | Crush is bringing you a weekly event for girls who like girls, and their friends! This flavor of CRUSH entitled DTF is exclusive to New Orleans’ #1 Dance Club, Oz and happens every Thursday night. The Jeff D Comedy Cabaret; Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10 p.m. The Comedy Cabaret stars Jeff D. featuring Gia Giavanni. Enjoy hilarious comedians, amazing talent and the Ladies of Oz. Strip Off: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; midnight Persana Shoulders hosts the Strip Off every Thursday night. Sign up begins at 11 p.m. and the show features a spotlight performance by Miss Gay Louisiana America 2013 Mercedes Ellis Loreal. Winners receive 1st PLACE - $100 Cash • 2nd PLACE - $50 Bar tab Friday, February 23, 2018 New Meat Amateur Dance Contest: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis Street; 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Lisa Beaumann, anyone can enter - $100 cash prize. Saturday, February 24, 2018
18 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com
Piano Bar with Trey Ming; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine Street; 4 - 7 p.m. Sing along with your favorite songs with Talented piano player Trey Ming. SweetArts: Contemporary Arts Center; 900 Camp Street; 7 p.m. - midnight SweetArts is the CAC’s premier annual gala. Since 1984, the CAC has recognized the exceptional and diverse artists, performers, educators, and philanthropists whose influence and contributions shape New Orleans’ arts and culture community. SweetArts Honorees/Patron Party is from 7 - 8 p.m. at The Shop At The CAC (3rd Floor). SweetArts Gala is from 8-10 p.m. on the 1st and 2nd Floors. Art and entertainment throughout the CAC’s Besthoff Building, with cuisine and cocktails from local restaurants; contemporary art auction featuring 35 local artists; performances by Helen M Gillet, Lil Jodeci, and Crescent City Aerial Arts; “Poetics of Self: Portrait of the Moment,” a photography and poetry pop-up by Jose Cotto and Cubs the Poet; and a last chance to view Prospect.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp. *Artful Attire* SweetArts Late Night Party is from 10 p.m. - Midnight in the CAC Warehouse. The party continues with live music by local band CoolNasty, dancing, dessert, cocktails and after-hours fun. For tickets, go to https://20202. blackbaudhosting.com. Crush | sLick: The Drifter Hotel; 3522 Tulane Avenue; 9 p.m. Ready. Set.JellO! Queer women’s JellO wrestling is back and slicker than ever! More girls, more Jell-O, more drinks, more chances for you to be a part of the action. NO COVER! Secrets of the Sea: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 10:30 p.m. This month’s show consists of Mr. New Orleans Pride 2018 Poseidon S Davenport , Mr. Gay Louisiana USofA 2016 and a former Mr. New Orleans Pride 2016 Eros S Guillen , Miss New Orleans Pride 2017 Princess Stephaney Danny Starnes , multi talented Trey Ming playing piano, and the beautiful Xena Zeit-Geist. Come catch us at 10:45 pm NO COVER. Gag Reflex: Always Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11 p.m. With a core cast of some of the fiercest talents in the industry. Cast includes: Tarah Cards, Siren, Laveau Contraire, Fabigail Tchoupitoulas, Nancy Shame and NEON Burgundy. This month’s theme is Heartbreakers. Shows at midnight with a $10 Cover. Sunday, February 25, 2018 Bottomless Mimosa: Cafe Lafittes in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 1 - 4 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas are offered upstairs from 1 - 4 p.m. for $12. You Better Sing Karaoke; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as Continued on Page 21
In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection
IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.
What Is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).
Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:
Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?
Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi. Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).
For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com
• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? • Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother? • It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you
What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines? If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.
What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi? For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist. To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.
Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.
Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. NP-390-35
RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 19
Snap Paparazzi From the Krewe of Narcissus Ball III | Photos Submitted by Curtis Smith
20 路 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com 路 Feb 13 - 26, 2018 路 Official Southern Decadence Guide 路 SouthernDecadence.com
Continued from Page 18
they play Karaoke at Good Friends Bar. Behind the bar slinging your drinks for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim. Zingo: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis Street; 6:30 p.m. Play Bingo with hosts Opal Masters followed by the Barry BareAss Dancer of the Week Contest. Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 9:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean. Drink Drown and Drag: The Pub; 801 Bourbon Street; 6 - 9 p.m. Sunday Funday upstairs at The Parade. $15 Draink and Drown from 6 - 9 p.m. with a star studded drag show starting at 8 p.m. Lords of Leather Rush Party; The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields; 3 - 5 p.m. Join the Lords of Leather for our 36th year! Come meet the Krewe, officers, and royalty, and learn more about what a year of Leather Love and Laughter can mean for you! They will have light snacks and entry is free - come get to know us! Applications for membership will be available (and you can apply for only $25!) The Mystic Krewe Lords of Leather is the only leather oriented Mardi Gras Krewe in the world. The Krewe is based in New Orleans and the Krewe’s
home bar is The Phoenix (in the Marigny). As a leather oriented social club, the Krewe conducts special activities of interest to the leather community and to the community at large by promoting general education, public awareness and appropriate charitable fund raising activities related to issues of significance to the gay and lesbian community. However, the primary purpose of the Krewe is the presentation of a Mardi Gras Bal Masque for supporters, special guests, ticket buyers, and members of the organization, and, we spend the year raising funds to produce this extravagant event. The annual Mardi Gras Ball is planned, organized, and presented in royal traditions as defined further in our bylaws. Carnival season 2018 marked the beginning of our 36th year as a tableau Krewe; a milestone of which we are quite proud. Bal Masque XXXVI will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2019 at 8pm. More information is available via our Facebook Group (Lords of Leather Monthly Events) and http://lordsofleather.org Monday, February 26, 2018 S.I.N. Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis Street; Starting at 9 p.m. Come drink with Ashlee. Get your SIN card and receive $2.50 canned beer or well drinks and $1.50 draft. Margarita Mondays: Grand Pre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. From 7 p.m. till close enjoy margarita specials
with your bartender Michael NOAGE Potluck: The Drifter Hotel; 3522 Tulane Avenue; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Please come join us for our monthly potluck dinner! It’s a great time to meet new people, network, and take a break from the busy-ness of life. As before, there will be I’ll be bottled water; please order all other drinks from the Drifter bartenders. Make-Up - Improv + Drag: Always Lounge; 2240 St. Clause Avenue; 8 11 p.m. Using a special combination of gender deconstruction and audience suggestions, your favorite drag kings / queens / in-betweens serve you that HAUTE, HAWT comedy straight off the top of their wig caps. This monthly improv show features drag numbers. Make Up’s debut ensemble includes: Mz. Asa Metric, Fabigail Tchoupitoulas, Danny Boy, Gayle King Kong, Laveau Contraire, Precious Ephemera, Quinn Laroux, Tarah Cards, Dolly Pardon? And Napoleon Complex. 8pm doors // 9pm show // $5 Tuesday, February 27, 2018 Kocktail Karaoke: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphione Street; 8 p.m. midnight Join us at Good Friends Bar for Kocktail Karaoke with the winner gets a $25.00 bar tab. Country Dance lessons: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 8 p.m. Tuesdays are Country Dance lessons with dancing from 8 - 11 p.m.
Bourbon Boylesque: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 8:00 p.m. See the men of Oz like you have never seen them before. The show stars Atomyc Adonis, Bobby B, Franky, Phathoms Deep and other special guests. Hosted by Trixie Minx. Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras: Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant; 1001 Esplanade Avenue; 8 p.m. Tacos, Tequila, and Tiaras is a one of New Orleans’ only family friendly drag shows! Join hostess Vanessa Carr Kennedy every Tuesday, have a taco or two, and learn a little bit about the art of drag. Wednesday, February 28, 2018 WednesGays at LPK Uptown: Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 South Carrolton Ave.; 5 p.m. Join us every Wednesday to celebrate diversity. See old friends or make some new ones and find out what’s happening in the Nola community. All this while enjoying 1/2 price drinks from the bar. Invite your friends... You Better Sing Karaoke; Lafitte’s in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 7 p.m. Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as they play Karaoke at Lafittes in Exile. Behind the bar slinging your drinks for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim. Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Continued on Page 22
to our
lgbtq community:
we see
you & you
matter. no matter what the administration says.
www.crescentcare.org | 504.207.CARE(2273)
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 21
Moments in Gay New Orleans History by Frank Perez Email: f.perez@sbcglobal.net
300 Years of Local LGBT+ History 1724 - First written reference to homosexuality in New Orleans 1805 - Sodomy outlawed in Louisiana 1848 - Walt Whitman lives in New Orleans 1848 - Gaston Pontalba designs cast-ironwork on Pontalba Buildings 1876 - Tony Jackson born 1922 - William Spratling moves to New Orleans 1930 - George Dureau born 1933 - Café Lafitte opens 1939 - James Booker born 1940 - Frances Benjamin Johnston moves to New Orleans 1946 - Tennessee Williams writes A Streetcar Named Desire 1949 - Dixie’s Bar of Music relocates to Bourbon Street 1953 - Steamboat Club founded 1955 - NOPD Superintendent declares homosexuals “Number 1 vice problem” 1958 - Krewe of Yuga founded; birth of Gay Carnival 1958 - Fernando Rios murdered in Pirate’s Alley
1958 - Mayor Morrison creates “Committee on the Problem of Sex Deviates” 1958 - Tony Bacino’s raided six times 1960 - New Orleans chapter of Daughters of Bilitis founded (year is approximate) 1961 - Krewe of Petronius founded 1962 - Tee Corrinne attends Newcomb College Institute 1963 - John Rechy’s City of Night published 1965 - Krewe of Amon Ra founded 1967 - Claw Shaw charged in the JFK assassination 1968 - Krewe of Armeinius founded 1970 - Gay Liberation Front local chapter founded 1971 - GLF holds a “Gay-In” at City Park 1971 - Barbara Scott runs for House of Representatives 1971 - New Orleans Metropolitan Community Church founded 1972 - first Southern Decadence party 1972 - Tulane University Gay Student Union founded 1973 - Up Stairs Lounge arson 1973 - Gay People’s Coalition founded 1974 - Gay Services Center founded
1975 - Gertrude Stein Society founded 1977 - Anita Bryant protest and march 1977 - Charlene’s opens 1977 - Impact founded 1977 - Serial killer murders four gay men 1978 - Faubourg Marigny bookstore opens 1978 - Pink Triangle Alliance hosts city’s first Gay Pride rally 1979 - Gayfest founded 1980 - Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus (LAGPAC) founded 1980 - First Gay Pride Parade in New Orleans 1981 - First Louisiana State Conference held at the Country Club 1982 - Ambush founded 1982 - New Orleans chapter of PFLAG founded 1982 - New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus founded 1983 - NO/AIDS Task Force founded 1983 - Lords of Leather founded 1983 - Celebration founded 1985 - Lazarus House opens 1987 - Krewe of Queenateenas founded 1988 - AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed in New Orleans 1989 - Forum for Equality founded 1990 - ACT UP New Orleans shuts down Loyola Ave. to protest lack of AIDS funding 1991 - City Council passes non-discrimination ordinance 1991 - Women With a Vision founded 1992 - Lesbian and Gay Community Center of New Orleans founded 1993 - Belle Reve opens 1993 - Oz opens 1994 - New Orleans Bears and Bear Trappers Social Club founded 1995 - Louisiana State Museum sponsors panel on gay and lesbian culture 1997 - J.B. Harter’s Encounters With The Nude Male published 1998 - Krewe of Mwindo founded 2002 - Krewe of Satyricon founded 2002 - Cavaliers Motorcycle Club founded 2003 - Saints and Sinners Literary Festival founded 2006 - GrrlSpot founded 2011 - BreakOUT! founded 2012 - Last lesbian bar in New Orleans (Rubyfruit Jungle) closes 2012 - Renegade Bears of Louisiana founded 2013 - Last Call: Dyke Bar History Project founded 2013 - Krewe of Narcissus founded 2014 - LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana founded 2014 - Club New Orleans closes 2014 - Louisiana Equality Foundation founded 2015 - New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE) founded 2016 - Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers founded
Continued from Page 21
Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean. Game Night: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 7 p.m. Wednesdays are Game night with Honey Bee at 7 p.m. with free jello shots and Bar Tabs. Thursday, March 1, 2018 Honey Bee Trivia: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Thursday is Honey Bee Trivia at 7 p.m. Four rounds with jello shots to the winner of each round and a Bar Tab to top person/team of the night. Girl | Crush: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. Girl | Crush is bringing you a weekly event for girls who like girls, and their friends! This flavor of CRUSH entitled DTF is exclusive to New Orleans’ #1 Dance Club, Oz and happens every Thursday night. The Jeff D Comedy Cabaret; Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10 p.m. The Comedy Cabaret stars Jeff D. featuring Gia Giavanni. Enjoy hilarious comedians, amazing talent and the Ladies of Oz. Strip Off: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; midnight Persana Shoulders hosts the Strip Off every Thursday night. Sign up begins at 11 p.m. and the show features a spotlight performance by Miss Gay Louisiana America 2013 Mercedes Ellis Loreal. Winners receive 1st PLACE - $100 Cash • 2nd PLACE - $50 Bar tab Friday, March 2, 2018 New Meat Amateur Dance Contest: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis Street; 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Lisa Beaumann, anyone can enter - $100 cash prize. Saturday, March 3, 2018 Piano Bar with Trey Ming; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine Street; 4 - 7 p.m. Sing along with your favorite songs with Talented piano player Trey Ming. Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Orpheum Theatre; 129 Roosevelt Way; 7 p.m. AEG Presents Blame It On The Bianca Del Rio Comedy Tour at the Orpheum Theatre. This show is for all ages. Doors open at 7 p.m. BIANCA DEL RIO, the alter ego of seasoned comic Roy Haylock and season 6 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is a self-professed “clown in a gown.” This hilariously hateful comic is known for her foul mouth and unapologetic humor, but her victims hardly have time to feel the sting before she zips on to the next topic. Besides, Bianca is quick to point out that she’s the biggest joke of all. The NY Times calls her “The Joan Rivers of the Drag World,” and Joan Rivers herself called Bianca’s humor “So funny! So sharp!” Bianca’s first stand-up special, “Rolodex of Hate”, is available on Vimeo OnDemand, and Continued on Page 30
22 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com
Mardi Gras Day Parade Schedule Tuesday, February 13, 2018
PARADES Uptown New Orleans Krewe of Zulu 8:00am Krewe of Rex 10:00am Krewe of Elks Orleans Follows Krewe of Crescent City Follows
Covington Krewe of Lyra 10:00am
Metairie Krewe of Argus 10:00am Krewe of Elks Jefferson Follows Krewe of Jefferson Follows
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 23
LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory
947.3735, KajunPub.COM MAG’S 940, 940 Elysian Fields Ave., 948.1888 OZ NEW ORLEANS, 800 Bourbon, 593.9491, OzNewOrleans. COM THE PAGE, 542 N. Rampart St., 875.4976 PHOENIX/EAGLE, 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264, www.phoenixbarnola.com Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St., 525.8106, Rawhide2010.COM TROPICAL ISLE: Home of the Hand Grenade, 721 Bourbon St., 529.4109, TropicalIsle.COM VALIANT THEATRE AND LOUNGE, 6621 St. Claude Ave., Arabi, LA, 504.900.1743 Slidell, LA [985] BILLY’S, 2600 Hwy. 190 West, 847.1921 Biloxi, MS [228] CLUB VEAUX, 834 Howard Ave., 207.3271
bookstores
New Orleans, LA [504] FAB - Faubourg Marigny Art & Books, 600 Frenchmen St., 947.3700
circuit/events
Aug. 30-Sept. 4, 2017, 46th Official Southern Decadence Celebration of Gay Life, Music & Culture, end of Summer Blowout including the Southern Decadence Parade & loads of activities, bringing over 180,000 revelers to New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush & SouthernDecadence.com Oct. 20-22, 2017 Halloween 34, benefiting Project Lazarus, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by AmbushMag.COM, HalloweenNewOrleans.com Dec. 29, 2017-Jan. 1, 2018 Gay New Year’s in New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, GayNewOrleans.com Feb. 9-13, 2018, 69th Official Gay Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush, GayMardiGras.com Easter Sunday, April 11, 2018, 19th Official Gay Easter Parade, New Orleans, sponsored by Ambush, GayEasterParade. com
costumes
New Orleans, LA [504] QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633
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] THE ROUNDUP, 560 East Heinberg St., 433.8482 Baton Rouge, LA [225] GEORGE’S, 860 St. Louis, 387.9798, 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 BIG EASY DAIQUIRIS, 216 Bourbon, 501 Bourbon, 409 Decatur, 617 Decatur THE BLACK PENNY, 700 N. Rampart 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.,
galleries
New Orleans, LA [504] CASSELL-BERGEN GALLERY, 1305 Decatur St., cassellbergengallery.com, 504.524.0671
guides
AMBUSH Mag, 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137; 504.522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; marsha@ripandmarsha.com
groceries/delis
New Orleans, LA [504] QUARTERMASTER DELI, THE NELLIE DELI, 1100 Bourbon, 529.1416
hair salons
New Orleans, LA [504] Two Guys Cutting Hair, 2372 St. Claude Ave., Suite 125, appointments: Adikus 215.519.5030, Trent 504.239.2397
hardware
New Orleans, LA [504] MARY’S FRENCH QUARTER HARDWARE, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465
accommodations
24 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com
New Orleans [504] AARON INGRAM HAUS, 1012 Elysian Fields, New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE: 504.949.3110, www.ingramhaus.com/xqey, e-mail us at ingramhaus@yahoo.com. Condos with queen-size 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. [0118] BLUES60 GUEST HOUSE, 1008 Elysian Fields Ave. New Orleans, LA 70117, Phone: 1.504.324.4311, www.blues60guesthouse.com, info@blues60guesthouse.com. The Blue60 Guest House with 5 suites provides a peaceful retreat in the center of the Faubourg Marigny, just blocks from the French Quarter and Frenchman St. [1115] 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, www.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 “half-kitchen”, 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. [0815] The french quarter guest houses, 1005 St. Peter, New Orleans, LA 70116, Phone: 1.800.367.5858, FrenchQuarterGuestHouses.com, email: Info@frenchquarterguesthouses.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!
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, 828A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; email: ripna@ambushmag.com AMBUSHonLINE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049, ambushonline. com, email: ripna@ambushmag.com
organizations
FOOD FOR FRIENDS, 504.821.2601 ext. 254 FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE MARDI GRAS (FNBMG), 504.319.8261, www.fridaynightbeforemardigras.com GAY APPRECIATION AWARDS, 828A 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 HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance Region Two, Inc.), 4550 North Blvd. Ste. 250, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, 225.927.1269, www. haartinc.org, offers a complete continuum of care to people living with HIV/AIDS including housing, primary care, medications, case management, and an array of
photography
New Orleans, LA [504] GRAHAM/STUDIO ONE NEW ORLEANS, by appointment, grahamstudioone. com
restaurants
supportive services. In addition HAART provides HIV prevention education and FREE testing to the Baton Rouge area. HALLOWEEN IN NEW ORLEANS, INC., PO Box 52171, 70152-2171; HalloweenNewOrleans.COM KREWE OF AMON-RA, PO Box 7033, Metairie, LA 70010, KreweOfAmonRa. COM KREWE OF ARMEINIUS, PO Box 56638, New Orleans, LA 70156-6638, KreweOfArmeinius.ORG KREWE OF MWINDO, PO Box 51031, 70156; 913.5791, KreweOfMwindo.ORG, krewe@kreweofmwindo.org KREWE OF NARCISSUS, PO Box 3832, New Orleans, LA 70177. Contact: 504.228.9441 KREWE OF PETRONIUS, PO Box 1102, Kenner, LA. 70063-1102, www. kreweofpetroius.net KREWE OF QUEENATEENAS / KING CAKE QUEEN ROYALTY CLUB, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM/KCQ LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, 1308 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504.475.7911, www.lgbtarchivesla.org MYSTIC KREWE OF LORDS OF LEATHER, 1000 Bourbon St #B415, New Orleans, LA 70116, www.lordsofleather.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 NO/AIDS TASK FORCE, 2601 Tulane
Ave., Suite 500, 70119; 504.821.2601; NOAIDSTaskForce.COM NEW ORLEANS PRIDE, info@neworleanspridefestival.com; 504.321.6006; NewOrleansPrideFestival.COM; NOLAPride. ORG; New Orleans Pride fully embraces the message of “One CommUNITY” as we celebrate our history and promote the future prosperity of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region. We use public awareness and education about the LGBT+ community as a way to combat “phobias” and discrimination. Our programs, seminars and events leading up to, and during Pride weekend, are meant to include individuals from all walks of life. 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 504.947.2121, stannanola.org
pharmacy
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.
Metairie, LA [504] Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., 835.2022, GumboStop.com New Orleans, LA [504] The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, 577.2237, www.bombayclubneworleans. com Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard, 819 Rue Conti, 581.3866, http://broussards.com Cafe Sbisa, 1011 Decatur St., 522.5565, www.cafesbisanola.com Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude Ave., 265.0045, www.TheCheezyCajun.com Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., 598.1010, www.CloverGrill.com Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., www.TheCountryClubNewOrleans. com, 945.0742 Gene’s Po-Boys & Daquiris, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 943.3861, www.genespoboys.com Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 947.8341, www.Facebook.com/ILYSBistro Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres St. 598.5005, www.KinfishNewOrleans.com Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., 522.6746 Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans, 523.1930, www.OrleansGrapevine.com Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. , 529.1416, www.QuartermasterDeli.net Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal St., 528.2601, www.RoyalHouseRestaurant.com
real estate
New Orleans, LA [504] Engel & Völkers New Orleans, Michael Styles, Realtor — Michael specializes in helping first-time homebuyers and real estate investors find the perfect New Orleans properties. 504.777.1773, NolaStyles.com Latter & Blum, Steven Richards Realtor, 504.258.1800, SteveRichardsProperties.com New Orleans Relocation, Realtors — gay-owned boutique real estate agency for locals and newcomers. 504.273.0088 www.NOLArelo.com
retail/shopping
New Orleans, LA [504] BOURBON PRIDE, 909 Bourbon, 566.1570 COK (Clothing or Kinkl), 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264 MARY’S FRENCH QUARTER KITCHEN & BATH, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465 QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633 XXXSHOP, 1835 N. Rampart St., 504.232.3063
services
New Orleans, LA [504] Formal Connection, 299 Belle Terre Blvd. LaPlace, LA, 985.652.1195
theatres
New Orleans, LA [504] CAFE ISTANBUL, 2372 St. Claude Ave., #140, 504.974.0786, CafeIstanbulNOLA.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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GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 25
Upcoming at Oz & LGBT Bartender Competition March 2nd at Oz New Orleans - “Sip and Sparkle”, A Glittery Happy Hour like NO other. Hosted by: the Boylesque Boy Wonder Atomyc Adonis and Elektra Cosmetics Join us for Curated Cocktails, Glitter Bar, and Beauty Workshop : Tricks and tips for glitter beards and lips! Free Demos, Product Trials and Drink Specials This fun event will cater to the local that loves to partake in all of the festivals and activities New Orleans offers as well as the visiting weekend warriors of the quarter. Come find your inner shine and sparkle at Oz New Orleans!!
Stoli® Announces launch of the fifth anniversary of the world’s largest LGBT bartender competition and celebration, The Key West Cocktail Classic
North America’s top LGBT and ally Bar Stars to compete to win $20,000 for charity and to be named the 2018 Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic Champion New York, February 26, 2018– Stoli® Group USA, LLC in partnership with the Key West Business Guild, today kicks off the return of the world’s largest annual LGBT bartender competition and celebration, the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic. Now in its fifth year, the 2018 tour also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Key West Business Guild, created in 1978. This year’s tour will feature more prize money for charity ($20,000 for a total of $55,000 given to date) as well as an expanded Key West Pride Week Finale featuring a special Duval Street concert by chart-topping recording artist Debby Holiday, who will also serve as a judge for finale semi-final events. In addition to recognizing the talents of the industry’s top LGBT bartenders, the Cocktail Classic celebrates the role that gay bars have played as original community centers, safe spaces, and the LGBT and ally bar stars who continue to raise the bar for equality today. The competition will culminate in Key West, FL, for decades known as one of the most welcoming and accepting destinations in the world, a motto of “One Human Family, and a thriving LGBT community. The Fifth Annual Key West Cocktail Classic Pride Week Finale, June 5-11th 2018, is scheduled to include celebrity guests including actor and musician Jai Rodriguez, writer and Emmy Award-winner Bruce Vilanch, American
Idol’s Latoya London, star of the annual CNN televised NYE High Heel Drop Sushi, dance diva Debby Holiday, and “Real Housewives of Dallas” star LeeAnne Locken. “This year we are proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Key West Business Guild, as well as the 40th anniversary since Harvey Milk was sworn into office; 1978 was indeed an important year. “ said Patrik Gallineaux, Stoli’s National LGBT Ambassador and Brand Manager. “The Key West Cocktail Classic recognizes the most talented and innovative bartenders in the country, whose spirit-both personally as well as inside the glass-represents these legacies of an island that itself has been a safe space and community center for so long, and a man whose life opened so many closet doors and paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today. Without both the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic would not exist”. A maximum of six LGBT or ally bartenders from 14 cities across North America will be selected to create an original cocktail using Stoli Vodka as their primary ingredient for a panel of judges and audience members, 100 of whom will have the opportunity to cast a vote by RSVP’ing at www.out. com/keywestcocktailclassic and being one of the first 100 to check in at advertised start time. Each bartender will be evaluated on cocktail taste, balance and presentation, as well as his or her personal knowledge, creativity, and theme. This year’s theme is “Raising the Bar”, which can be interpreted freely by each competitor to represent any person, place, or thing that has raised the bar in any way. The finalist from each regional competition will win a seven-day, all-inclusive trip to represent their city during the Key West Pride Week Finale. The first place winner will receive $15,000 for charity ($10,000 for their hometown charity of choice and $5,000 for a Key West non-profit they will have been paired with in advance), the opportunity to lead the Key West Pride Parade as Honorary Grand Marshall, a victory celebration/charity check presentation at their home bar, and a trip for two to their choice of either Vancouver or San Diego Pride 2018. The first runner up this year receives $5,000 for charity ($2,500 for their chosen hometown charity and $2,500 for their paired charity in Key West) plus a weeklong Grand Canyon Water Rafting Adventure courtesy of HE Travel, North America’s oldest LGBT travel agency. The 2018 Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic kicks off on Monday, February 26 at the Round-Up Saloon and Dance
Hall in Dallas, Texas, with the final pre-finale event Wednesday, May 15 at the brand new Boxers Upper East Side location in New York City. For full schedule and other updates visit www. out.com/keywestcocktailclassic. Last year’s Champion, Kayla Hasbrook from New York, proudly competed for Planned Parenthood of New York for which she won $7,500, and she and Key West Business Guild Board President Alan Beaubien handed off the check at a special celebration at Stonewall NYC in August last year. Kayla also won and presented $5,000 at the end of the 2017 SKWCC Pride Week Finale to her paired Key West charity, the Key West Firehouse Museum. Kayla’s winning cocktail and presentation best embodied the spirit of the Key West community and the heart of the competition. Named ‘No Sleep ‘til Sunrise,’ Kayla proudly shares her recipe as: • 1.5oz Stoli Premium • 1/2oz turmeric infused blanc vermouth* • 1/2oz lime juice • 3/4oz pineapple juice • 1/2oz simple syrup • Cucumber chunks for muddling. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and muddle cucumber chunks. Add ice to cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass with a cucumber flag
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garnish. *Tumeric infused blanc vermouth recipe - Add 4.5tbsp turmeric into the 750ml bottle of blanc vermouth and infuse by shaking. For more information about the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic including how to apply, rules, guidelines, and all the recipes from our 2017 champions visit www.out.com/keywestcocktailclassic About Key West Business Guild The mission of the Key West Business Guild is to promote LGBT travel to Key West through marketing and the promotion of specialty events; to support gay-owned, gay-managed, and gay-friendly businesses; to strengthen the Gay community’s position within the local community by supporting relevant LGBT issues. The KWBG was founded in 1978 by 8 local gay business owners and has grown to approximately 400 members, which work together to continue efforts to brighten the rainbow over the island, an island now known as Gay Key West. Promotion of events, such as Key West Pride, Tropical Heat and Womenfest, has made Key West a year-round LGBT travel destination. For more information visit www.kwbgonline.org.
Snap Paparazzi From Charles Tuberville’s Birthday Party, Krewe du Vieux Parties & Richard Perque’s Campaign Party | Photos by Tony Leggio
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 27
Trodding the Boards by Brian Sands Email: bsnola2@hotmail.com
Always . . . Patsy Cline at The WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen, Feb. 23–Mar. 25
[This production returns for weekend performances with Margaret Belton and Caroline Fourmy reprising their roles. Here are excerpts from my review which originally ran in March 2015.] In the past five years, the WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen has put on an impressive number of entertaining shows, all relating in some way to the WWII experience. We’ve had productions saluting Glenn Miller, Bob Hope, and The Andrews Sisters as well as comic musicals set in that era. When the Canteen announced that they’d be expanding their focus to include post-WWII performers by presenting Always . . . Patsy Cline, I thought “Great!” And musically, with over 20 classic songs, it was a treat. As for the rest of this jukebox bio, it had me madder than a hog in heat. Always chronicles Cline’s encounter in 1961 with Louise Seger, a fan
who arrived early for a concert of hers in Houston. Meeting before the show, the two hit it off and Cline wound up spending the night at Seger’s house. They stayed up all night talking, and did a spot on a local radio show in the morning before Cline headed back to the road. In one of those “truth is stranger than fiction” occurrences, Cline and Seger stayed in touch through an ongoing pen pal relationship until Cline’s tragic death in 1963. Playwright Ted Swindley’s cliche-filled script forces Seger into the hoary device of narrator of Cline’s life with the story alternating mechanically with the songs. Each time Cline returns to the stage, at least we see another one of Janice Stephenson’s stylish, period-appropriate costumes. This might have been okay if we had gotten a true portrait of Cline who was said to cultivate a brash and gruff exterior as “one of the boys.”(Singer George Riddle said of her, “It wasn’t unusual for her to sit down and have a beer and tell a joke, and she’d never be offended at the guys’ jokes either, because most of the time she’d tell a joke
dirtier than you! Patsy was full of life.”) Rather, the one-dimensional image we get of Cline in Always, never much deeper than actual photos of her that adorn the stage, would not be out of place at a tea party with Mamie Eisenhower. (Apparently, Always ... Patsy Cline along with A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline are the only plays approved by the Patsy Cline Estate.) Seger is given a little bit more material to play with (redneck-y husband included) but Director Victoria Reed has Caroline Fourmy play her sooo broadly that she comes off as less a real person than a wind-up mechanical doll you’d find in the gift shop at Opryland. As Cline, Margaret Belton, who has played the role before, certainly looks the part and captures the essence of Cline’s voice while understandably not attempting an exact imitation of her. Crazy, Cline’s biggest hit, stood out for being nicely underplayed. On their own terms, Belton and Fourmy work well together creating a believable bond between these two women. David Raphael’s elaborate set, encompasses Seger’s kitchen (her stove amusingly turns into a jukebox), a bar area, and the Grand Ole Opry stage where the Bodacious Bobcats Band plays with gusto. Reed keeps Always going at a briskly-paced 90 minutes though I wouldn’t have minded a longer playing
28 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com
time if it had meant we’d have gotten to know Patsy and Louise a bit better. Still, it was clear that the sold-out audience enjoyed it mightily; as we were exiting, one person was heard to exclaim “That was a great show!” [On Wednesday afternoons from March 7 through June 27, the Stage Door Canteen presents The Best of Sinatra, a salute to Ol’ Blue Eyes featuring the “adorable and charming” Spencer Racca. Backed by the Victory Three Trio, he’ll be singing such classic hits of Frank’s as Fly Me to the Moon, All of Me, Come Fly with Me, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, My Way, and New York, New York.]
Curtain Up
With Mardi Gras now over, theater should be moving from the streets back to local stages. Here are some upcoming shows that will hopefully prove as entertaining as Carnival. If you’re still eager to laugh--and who isn’t these days--head to Café Istanbul (2372 St. Claude) for Ryan Landry’s 5 TO 9. Based on the classic film 9 to 5, 5 TO 9 is the story of three of Trump’s overworked secretaries and how they end up getting even. Varla Jean Merman and Peaches Christ star as Dora Lee (Dolly Parton’s role) and Judy (Jane Fonda’s role) while Landry takes on Violet (the Lily Continued on Page 29
Continued from Page 28
Tomlin role). 5 TO 9 also features Penny Champayne and Larry Coen as Kellyanne Conway and Trump. It plays February 23 through March 17, and promises “ridiculous, silly, nonstop fun.” But of the type where “No one under Age 18 will be admitted!” Anyone under age 18 who is admitted to Blame It On Bianca Del Rio at the Orpheum Theater on March 3 should grow up to be fabulous and opinionated and, hopefully, maybe even President of the United States. Press materials state: “In Blame It On Bianca Del Rio, Bianca shares her opinions loudly and proudly, offering raucous, hilarious, no-holdsbarred commentary on the everyday annoyances, big and small, that color her world, and make it a living, albeit amusing, hell for anyone who inhabits it. A collection of biting advice filled with vibrant photos from Bianca’s twisted universe, Blame It On Bianca Del Rio will shock you and keep you laughing. But be warned: it is not for the faint of heart!” While Bianca would probably roll her eyes at such a description (Her response to “Vibrant photos”? Most likely “Who comes up with this sh*t?”), you get the idea. On a more serious note, The Rad-
ical Buffoon(s) presents The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter, whose works we see too rarely here, at the Fortress of Lushington (2215 Burgundy St., March 1-17). Directed by Jon Greene and starring James Bartelle and Clint Johnson, this stealthy one-act starts simply. Two hit men await their instructions in an undisclosed and windowless basement. Soon enough, though, a series of odd circumstances catapult their claustrophobic limbo into an absurd comedy of nerves, uncertainty, and ambiguity. Making things even more uncertain in this production will be that each night the two actors will take the stage, solicit a coin from an audience member, and give it a flip to decide who will play whom. Whose fate will be cruel and whose will be wonderful? Maybe you’ll have to see this Waiter twice. And bring a loaded coin. As of press time, I was uncertain about the details of Le Petit’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire, March 9-25, but, as Tennessee Williams’ works are seen with a clockwork regularity here, I hope some chances will be taken with this classic as had been done with a German production of The Glass Menagerie which was modernized and daringly, and successfully, reset in a trailer park. With the Anthony Bean Commu-
nity Theater on hiatus as it awaits its new home to open, works about the African-American experience, broadly defined, have not been seen as regularly in New Orleans as in the past. By sheer happenstance of the scheduling gods, three such shows will be appearing here soon. Director John Doyle’s daringly reconceptualized and Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Purple plays at the Saenger Theatre February 2025. Cast members from Broadway, including Adrianna Hicks (Celie), Carla R. Stewart (Shug Avery) and Carrie Compere (Sofia) lead the touring company of this musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. New Orleans Opera gives the hometown premiere to Champion, native son Terence Blanchard’s “opera in jazz” about boxer Emile Griffith, at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on March 9 and 11. Griffith, the gay three-time World Welterweight Champion from St. Lucia, is best known for defeating Benny “The Kid” Paret in 1962 with a knockout that tragically lead to Paret’s death. Champion’s librettist Michael Cristofer, who received the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play for The Shadow Box, says “Champion is the story of courage in the face of sexual oppression, of love in the face of hate,
of grace in the face of physical and mental decline. It’s the story of a man struggling to make peace with himself and to find his place in the world… as a fighter and a gay man.” The Wiz may not be the most accurate portrayal of the African-American experience but, hey, I did say “broadly defined.” This Tony winner will be presented by See ‘Em On Stage: A Production Company and Delgado Community College’s Drama Department at Delgado’s Timothy K. Baker Theatre March 9-25. Christopher Bentivegna directs a cast of actors mostly unfamiliar to me but I’m already looking forward to seeing two outrageously talented performers, Whitney Mixon as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Rahim Glaspy as The Wiz himself. While one could argue that the female experience regularly gets exposure on local stages, in these days of #MeToo, a five-day festival of dance, theater, and performance that makes space for femme and female-identified artists, creates a platform for women-centered stories, and gathers our community for creative conversations, is most certainly welcome. Definitive Figures: A FemFest of Performance happens February 28 through March 4 Continued on Page 30
Visit us for Mardi Gras!
Join the
Big Easy Stompers For Country Dancing Tuesdays 8-11
Scorpio Boys Presents
Bayou Boylesque Starring
Eros & Poseiden
Happy Hour Daily noon - 9 $3 well and domestic
Every 4th Friday10PM $5.00 cover
GayMardiGras.com · GayEasterParade.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Facebook.com/AmbushMag · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · 29
Continued from Page 29
with shows and community events taking place at Catapult, the Music Box Village, and the AllWays Lounge in the Marigny and Bywater areas.. The core of the festival is made up of dance or movement-based works by choreographers Jarrell Hamilton, Maritza Mercado-Narcisse, and Shannon Stewart, and a movement-performance duet by Donna Costello and Jenny Sargent. Other shorter performances include music by Aurora Nealand and “Spirit & Sparrow,” theater by Lisa Shattuck & Jeff Becker, comedy by the troupe Black Girl Giggles, and performance art by Madison Krekel. There will be opening and closing parties, a “performative” panel discussion on “The Body, Persona, and Identity,” and a DJ’d dance party. More information about the festival and a full schedule is available at definitivefigures.wordpress.com. One of Broadway’s first ladies, Melissa Errico, will make her New Orleans debut on March 1 with a special Broadway @ NOCCA concert Sondheim & More at Lupin Hall, which will benefit The NOCCA Institute. She will be joined on stage by special guest Bryan Batt of Mad Men and Hazelnut fame. The New York Times recently raved about Errico’s Sondheim concert, “She sings beautifully. Her familiarity with the way the songs work to advance character and story in vivo naturally informs her in vitro style, which is actorly to begin with. An attention to the lyrics and their rush of harsh
‘wisdoms’ was Ms. Errico’s keynote. She refreshed cabaret staples, and lightly jazzed others, demonstrating how the meaning that is locked in tiny verbal gestures can be released with bold phrasing.” With classics from Into the Woods, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Anyone Can Whistle, Company, A Little Night Music, and songs from shows this Tony nominee has starred in, if you’re a Sondheim or Broadway fan you’ll not want to miss Melissa Errico’s concert benefitting such a worthy cause. Another benefit is coming up March 5 to help raise funds for Prescription Joy (Rx Joy), a new organization dedicated to bringing Medical Clowning to the New Orleans area and beyond. Medical Clowning uses humor and human connection to aid in healing patients, families, and even staff members. Becca Chapman and Alex Smith, two fine NOLA actors and co-founders of Prescription Joy, headline the benefit; other local clowns scheduled to appear include Darci Fulcher, Owen Ever, & Glenna Broderick, along with musical performances by Rebecca Leigh, and Caroline Fourmy. There’ll be carnival style games as well such as Cornhole with actual husks of corn, a Thumb Wrestling Station, and “Reverse Pinata.” where you have to rebuild and refill a pinata while blindfolded! All this and more will take place at the Fortress Of Lushington. After the (over)indulgences of Mardi Gras, some gentle Medical Clowning might be just what the doctor ordered.
Snap Paparazzi Pictures from the Corner Pocket | Photos by Jeremy Weinberg
Please send press releases and notices of your upcoming shows to Brian at bsnola2@hotmail.com. Continued from Page 22
her first feature film, “Hurricane Bianca”, is available on Netflix. Her second stand-up special, “Not Today Satan”, is also available on Vimeo OnDemand. “Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate” will be released in 2018. For tickets go to http://bit.ly/BiancaDelRioNOLATix. Sunday, March 4, 2018 Bottomless Mimosa: Cafe Lafittes in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 1 - 4 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas are offered upstairs from 1 - 4 p.m. for $12. You Better Sing Karaoke; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as they play Karaoke at Good Friends Bar. Behind the bar slinging your drinks
for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim. Zingo: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis Street; 6:30 p.m. Play Bingo with hosts Opal Masters followed by the Barry BareAss Dancer of the Week Contest. Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 9:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean. Drink Drown and Drag: The Pub; 801 Bourbon Street; 6 - 9 p.m. Sunday Funday upstairs at The Parade. $15 Draink and Drown from 6 - 9 p.m. with a star studded drag show starting at 8 p.m.
If you want to make sure your upcoming event is listed, email the information to me at ledgemgp@gmail.com. 30 · The Official Mag: AmbushMag.com · Feb 13 - 26, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · SouthernDecadence.com
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Hotel offers are subject to availability and require a valid credit card for reservation and at check-in. Room type not guaranteed. Blackout dates and holiday restrictions may apply. Must present valid ID and mychoice card upon check-in. Offer valid for stay at Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans on stated dates only. Advance reservations required. This offer may not be combined with any other offer. Valid only on time/date specified and redeemable at Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans. Active mychoice® card and valid photo ID required. This offer is nontransferable, non-negotiable and must be redeemed in person. Must be 21 years of age or older. Management reserves the right to change, cancel or modify this program at any time with applicable Gaming Regulations. Offer not valid for persons on a Disassociated Patrons, Voluntary Exclusion or Self Exclusion List in jurisdictions which Pinnacle Entertainment operates or who have been otherwise excluded from the participating property. ©2018 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.
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