Ambush Magazine Volume 36 Issue 25 by Ambush Publishing

THE OFFICIAL GAY MAGAZINE OF THE GULF SOUTHâ&#x201E;¢

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 36 ISSUE 25

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

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H H ap ol p ig y ay s

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Dear Ambush Nation, Holiday season is in full swing and we at Ambush are so excited for all the parties and food we will enjoy over the next few weeks. This is a great time of year to remember friends, especially those who may not have family in town. If you are looking for some holiday fun be sure to check out many of the Christmas parties and events being hosted by several of the bars in the city. There is always something fun to do in New Orleans this time of year. Check out our Hot Happening section for a list of naughty and nice events. If you’re trying to do some last minute shopping, visit our friends at Bourbon Pride for some fabulous stocking-stuffers and gifts. They have a marvelous assortment of hats, shirts and stickers among other goodies. Bourbon Pride is located at 909 Bourbon Street or visit them online at bourbonpride.com When you take a night off from holiday parties or you get tired of the usual holiday party food, do yourself a favor and visit our friends at Mona Lisa Restaurant for some wonderful Italian food. They have a friendly staff and are conveniently located at 1212 Roy-

al Street. If you happen to be Uptown or want to venture outside the Quarter, you can find delicious Italian food at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen Uptown located at 615 S. Carrollton Ave. Be sure to tell them Ambush sent you! LISA BEAUMANN It’s with a heavy heart and profound sadness that Ambush Magazine joins the New Orleans LGBT community in mourning the passing of the legendary Lisa Beaumann. Lisa was a longtime performer, show director, and friend, as well as mentor to many. Her titles and influence are legion and she will be sorely missed. Ambush will publish a full tribute to her in our December 18th edition. If you would like to contribute a photograph or memory for inclusion, please email us at info@ambushpublishing.com KING CAKE QUEEN XXV Every year for the last 24 years a King Cake Queen (KCQ) has been chosen to lead the festivities of the Krewe of Queenateenas during Mardi Gras day with the annual bead toss. This year will be no different. The King Cake Queen of Gay Mardi Gras is an-

Inside this Issue of Ambush Saints and Sinners Literary Festival: Saskia de Coster & Andrew Holleran

Do Not Let the Little Children Come Unto Me; Tear Gas Them Instead

The Life and Death of Brian Gulliver-Garcia

Unidentified Up Stairs Lounge Fire Victim Identified as Larry N. Frost

#13 Is Stonewall collapsing under the Night’s Watch of the Millennials?

‘I love Christmas’ or ‘Is it Christmas Again??’

Federal Marketplace Open Enrollment

Under the GayDar: Hot Happenings

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Ambush on the Road

Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death

Tricentennial Profiles in History

Josie Arlington

A Community within Communities: Some Advent Gifts

Party Down

Snap Paparazzi The Corner Pocket

Trodding the Boards

Community Voice : Choose Hope

Returning to School as an Adult? How to Fund Tuition

Snap Paparazzi Oz New Orleans

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with Tony Leggio

Sports 33

32 32-34

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Gulf South LGBTQ Entertainment & Travel Guide Since 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana info@ambushpublishing.com

nounced each year in November or December. The new Queen is introduced to society 2 to 3 weeks before Carnival during the KCQ Coronation bash and is joined by other members of the King Cake Queen Royalty Club. This year’s King Cake Queen will be announced in the December 18th edition of Ambush Magazine. We at Ambush are excited to keep the King Cake Queen tradition alive! Who will be King Cake Queen XXV? Pick up a copy of the next issue of Ambush to find out! NEW ORLEANS GAY MEN’S CHORUS - SEASON OF PEACE CONCERT The New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus will have their Season of Peace concert in New Orleans on Friday, December 14 from 7:30 to 10 pm. The concert will be on the campus of the University of New Orleans. There will be a second concert in Baton Rouge on Saturday, December 15th from 7:30 to 10 pm at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge. For more information and tickets please visit www. nogmc.com MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOAGE is having its Ugly Sweater Holiday Potluck on Thursday, December 20th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church located at 1313 Esplanade Ave. If you are able, they encourage you to bring a dish (although not required). A prize will be given for the ugliest Christmas sweater. We would also encourage everyone to bring non-perishable food items for St. Anna’s food pantry. Happy Holidays! Vanessa “Miss Vanjie” Mateo from RuPaul’s Drag Race, will hit the stage at B-Bob’s on Saturday December 29th at midnight. A limited number of early bird tickets are available on Eventbrite. This will definitely be a show you don’t want to miss. B-Bob’s in located at 213 Conti Street in Mobile, AL. The Lord of Misrule and his Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers command your presence at Frank’s Annual 12th Night Party. The event is on Sunday, January 6th from 6 pm till at 704 N. Rampart Street (next to the Black Penny). Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Your ticket gets you an open bar, dinner and a year-long membership in the Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers. Admission pins can be purchased at 638 St. Ann Street in the French Quarter.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@ambushpublishing.com CIRCULATION

Alabama - Mobile; Florida - Pensacola; Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Monroe, Alexandria; Mississippi - Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Jackson; Texas - Houston

PUBLISHER TJ Acosta EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reed Wendorf SENIOR EDITOR Brian Sands CONTRIBUTORS Brian Sands, Catherine Roland, Crescent City Sports, Frank Perez, Jim Meadows, Pastor Alisan Rowland, Persana Shoulders, Rev. Bill Terry, Rodney Thoulion, Ryan Rockford, Scot Billeaudeau & Tony Leggio LOCAL ADVERTISING sales@ambushpublishing.com Reed Wendorf Jim Tomeny NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Ambush Magazine is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush Publishing. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 5pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: info@ambushpublishing.com. 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 Magazine. ©1982-2018 AMBUSH PUBLISHING LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS & PHOTOS.

4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE Lisa Beaumann 1953 – 2018 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2018 | 3:00PM – 5:30PM The Corner Pocket | 940 St Louis St Please join Lisa’s friends, family, coworkers, and surviving partner Marcus Martinez for a Celebration of Life service at The Corner Pocket. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Lisa Beaumann Memorial Fund would be greatly appreciated to help offset costs of the service. Contributions can be delivered at the service or mailed to Michael Elias at The Corner Pocket, 940 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70116. Additional plans for a second line are being discussed, and later in December or early-January, Oz New Orleans will host a show honoring Lisa with all proceeds donated to support the Memorial Fund. Details will be announced on their website or Facebook page.

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Bring any new, unwrapped toy and help make the holidays a little brighter for a family Benefiting St. Anna’s and those affected by the fire devastation in Paradise, California. Two trophies will be awarded at the toy drive: one for most supportive individual and one for most supportive group Drink specials, food and entertainment during the toy drive!

Proud to be your favorite leather and bear bar for 35 years strong and we look forward to 35 more! www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 5

LITERARY SPOTLIGHT

Saints and Sinners Literary Festival: Saskia de Coster & Andrew Holleran The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival was founded in 2003 as a new initiative designed as an innovative way to reach the community with information about HIV/AIDS, particularly disseminating prevention messages via the writers, thinkers and spokes-people of the LGBT community. It was also formed to bring the LGBT literary community together to celebrate the literary arts. The Festival has grown into an internationally-recognized event that convenes a who’s who of LGBT publishers, writers and readers from throughout the United States and beyond. The Festival, held over 3 days each spring at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, features panel discussions and master classes around literary topics that provide a forum for authors, editors and publishers to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBT literature. The 16th annual Saints and Sinners Literary Festival takes place March 29—31, 2019. For more information, please visit http://sasfest. org/#home Two authors who will be at the

2019 Festival are Saskia de Coster and Andrew Holleran. Saskia de Coster Saskia de Coster (Belgium) is a visual artist, playwright and regular participant in television debates, as well as an author. She is also manager of Andermansland, a company that brings words into action in public space. She has seven novels to her credit, five of which are currently translated. Her work is described as haunting, appealing, and unforgettable. Her bestseller We and Me won the Cutting Edge Award (an award de Coster has won three times), and the Opzij Literature Prize, and was nominated for several other prestigious prizes; it sold over 40,000 copies in the Netherlands and Belgium alone. Her work has been translated into ten languages. Andrew Holleran Andrew Holleran is the author of three novels, a book of short stories and a collection of essays. He recently retired from the MFA program at American University and now lives in Florida, where he is a regular contributor to the Gay and Lesbian Review. His

Saskia de Coster

Andrew Holleran

1978 novel, Dancer from the Dance, a satiric meditation on the hedonism of the 1970s, is widely considered a classic in the world of gay letters. Holleran’s other books include: Nights in Aruba (1983), Ground Zero, essays (1988), The Beauty of Men (1996),

In September, The Light Changes, stories (1999), Grief: A Novel (2006), and Chronicles of a Plague, Revisited: AIDS and Its Aftermath (2008). Holleran is a regular participant in the annual Saints and Sinners Literary festival.

COMMENTARY

Do Not Let the Little Children Come Unto Me; Tear Gas Them Instead

Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com On the day General Motors announced it was closing facilities in Ohio, Michigan, and Maryland, and laying off over 14,000 employees, the Trump Administration sprayed tear gas at desperate families at the U.S. / Mexico border seeking political asylum. The attack dominated the news cover-

age, the most haunting images being mothers and barefoot children fleeing waves of the toxic gas. Why spray tear gas at women and children? Because separating vulnerable children from their parents and locking them up in cages just isn’t disgusting enough. Like budding seri-

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Getting Our History Out of the Closet www.lgbtarchiveslouisiana.org

al killers who need harder and kinkier porn to get off before actually torturing real women, the hatred of Trump supporters is insatiable. Why hate immigrants? Because Jesus. Trump’s approval rating is hovering at around 75% among registered voters who also claim to be fundamentalist Christians. The hypocrisy of these Trump supporting Bible-thumpers is akin to the Pharisees that Jesus condemned and who orchestrated his crucifixion. These assholes are quick to demand laws regarding abortion and homosexuality—two issues Jesus never said a word about, mind you—but they are too narrow-minded to see the problem of basing laws on the Bible. Apart from being unconstitutional, basing law on the Bible would mean dismantling the military (love your enemies, turn the other cheek), forgiving all debt every 50 years (see the Year of Jubilee), and dissolving the Stock Market (store not for yourselves treasure on earth). And then there are all those Old Tes-

tament laws that forbid tattoos, mixed fabric clothes, and shellfish. And how about that verse that says if a bride is not a virgin on her wedding night, she should be put to death. Oh and football would have to go as well; it’s a pigskin thing. There are over 600 laws in the Law of Moses (by the way, why didn’t rape or child molesting make the top ten?), many of which have to do with immigration. The Bible is very clear on immigration: Leviticus 19:33-37: “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” Exodus 12:49 and Leviticus 24:22: “There shall be one law for the native and for the alien who resides among you.” Exodus 22:21: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”

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Leviticus 19:9-10 and 23:22: “You shall not strip your vineyards bare… leave them for the poor and the alien.” Deuteronomy 24:17-19: “You shall not deprive a resident alien of justice. Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien of justice.” Isaiah 16:4: “Be a refuge to the outcasts of Moab.” Jeremiah 7:5-7: “If you do not oppress the alien…then I will dwell with you in this place…” Jeremiah 22:3-5: “Do no wrong or violence to the alien.” Ezekiel 47:21-22: “The aliens shall be to you as citizens and shall also be allotted an inheritance.” Zechariah 7:8-10: “Do not oppress the alien.” Malachi 3:5: “The messenger will bear witness against those who thrust aside the alien.” Hebrews 13:1-2: “Show hospitali-

ty to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels.” And in Numbers 35 and Joshua 20, the Lord instructs Moses to give cities of refuge to the Levites so that when the Israelites must flee into Canaan, they may have cities of refuge given to them. God supports sanctuary cities. So why do some Christians ignore all these verses? Perhaps they are focusing instead on Genesis 23, which describes Abraham as a stranger and an alien in the land of Canaan. Perhaps they are thinking of God’s promise to Abraham to give the Israelites a land already inhabited by other people. Perhaps they are thinking of God’s commandment to the Israelites to commit genocide and enslave the Canaanites. Perhaps they are thinking of America’s “Christian” founding and the wholesale slaughter of Native Americans? Perhaps they are remembering

all that and worrying the immigrants might get ideas. If the Trump Christians would take the time to read something other than a cherry-picked Bible, they would realize that the caravan of immigrants heading our way is not a group of religious zealots on a mission from God to invade and conquer the United States. If the Trump Christians would use the intelligently designed brain God supposedly gave them, they would realize these immigrants are in fear for their lives and desperately fleeing horrible situations, specifically gang violence. According to the Refugee Act of 1980, which is based on the 1967 United Nations Protocol on Refugees, political asylum may be granted to people already in the U.S. who are unable or unwilling to return to their home countries because of a well-founded fear of persecution or danger. The catch is a

person has to be in the U.S. to claim asylum. That’s what the “invading” caravan is really about. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus speaks of a priest and Levite who saw a man lying naked on the side of the road who had been beaten and robbed. Not wanting to be bothered, they passed him on the other side of the street. It was a Samaritan—a foreigner—who took pity on him and bandaged his wounds and brought him to a hotel and paid the bill for his care. The moral is about kindness and not turning a blind eye to human suffering. The priest and the Levite were wrong for ignoring the poor guy but at least they did not spray him with tear gas. Want to share your opinion? Submit your own Letter to the Editor to info@ ambushpublishing.com for consideration.

The Life and Death of Brian Gulliver-Garcia, and the Impact of Trauma on the LGBT Community Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org Last month, I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a friend’s husband. On October 21, Tanya Gulliver-Garcia posted on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brian J. Gulliver-Garcia was successful in completing his suicide attempt last night. His battles with gender and sexual orientation, as well as past personal and religious traumas simply became too much.” A few days later, Tanya reached out to me about writing Brian’s story for this column, and once she was ready, we met to talk about it. It’s important that I start by telling you that Brian was more than his final act. He was a husband and a father of four. He loved watching funny Youtube videos (so much so that Tanya and his kids had a game: “How many times does Brian reference Youtube in a car ride?”), horror films, and romantic movies. He also loved to clean. He enjoyed washing dishes so much that sometimes he would re-dirty them just so he could wash them again. He worked as a nursing assistant for Ochsner, and had recently enrolled at Delgado in the hope of becoming a respiratory therapist. He loved, and was deeply loved by, an extended group of friends and chosen family. But Brian also suffered from depression and other mental illnesses. In his final days, he posted on Facebook that he sometimes heard voices, and he also thought that he literally had a demon inside of him. Tanya believes that some of Brian’s struggles could be directly traced to trauma. She said, “I knew Brian was a troubled soul when we met. He had experienced several kinds of personal trauma – physical, sexual, emotional, and spiritual.” He

came from “an extreme right-wing, evangelical, Assembly-of-God-andthen-a-little-bit-further-right-than-that” background. He attended Bible college, and had been an ordained minister for ten years. Brian was rejected by his family when he broke away from their religion, and they disapproved of his marriage to Tanya. When he came out as bisexual a couple of years ago, he was ostracized even further, and several family members refused to have anything more to do with him. Brian was not alone. Researchers have found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who are rejected by their families are over eight times more likely to attempt suicide. Additionally, trans and gender non-conforming people are at a very high risk of suicide. In Brian’s suicide note, he wrote about how struggling with his gender identify had taken a toll on him. Tanya stated her own views on this very firmly: “He didn’t die because he was trans or felt at some level that he was. He died because society doesn’t accept people for being different. That abuse and that trauma is what caused those things to be an issue.” More poignant were the words spoken by one of Brian’s sons at the funeral: “My dad had many demons…The voices in his head and hallucinations were a part of that, but him expressing his sexual orientation was not one of those demons.” When we met, Tanya said: “We don’t talk a lot about religious trauma and what it does.” A few days after Brian’s death, she’d posted a link to an article about Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS), a concept developed by Marlene Winell, author of Leaving

the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion. Winell writes: “With RTS, the trauma is two-fold. First, the actual teachings and practices of a restrictive religion can be toxic and create lifelong mental damage. Second, departing a

religious fold adds enormous stress as an individual struggles with leaving what amounts to one world for another. This usually involves significant and sudden loss of social support while facing the task of reconstructing one’s life.” While Brian had worked hard to

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

build a chosen family in New Orleans, there can be no doubt that the loss of support from his biological family was shattering. As I read more about RTS, I began to wonder whether some of Brian’s ostensibly psychotic symptoms may have been more a remnant of the cultural context he had been struggling to escape. Winell writes: “Human depravity is a constant theme of fundamentalist theology, and no matter what is said about the saving grace of Jesus, children (and adults) internalize feelings of being evil and inadequate.Most of these churches also believe in demons quite literally [emphasis mine], some to the point of using exorcism on children who misbehave.” When we visited, Tanya showed me a drawing Brian had made of his demon, and I struggled to understand how an otherwise high-functioning person could be-

lieve in possession. As I read Winell’s words, I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d have believed something demonic was a part of him if he hadn’t grown up surrounded by the toxicity of fundamentalism and Biblical literalism. Although Tanya knew about most of Brian’s struggles, neither she nor any of Brian’s friends and family were aware that he’d actually been planning his suicide for a year, a fact that he revealed in the notes he left behind. Tanya said: “No one saw the signs. I’m not sure if we could have done anything if we did see them. The therapist can’t reveal a lot, but had no clue that this was an issue. So he obviously hadn’t been talking about any of this stuff.” Brian saw and responded to the missing person notice Tanya had posted on Facebook: “I love you all.” “So he saw it; he knew people cared, and it wasn’t enough,” said Tan-

ya.

But that doesn’t mean there is nothing people can do, moving forward. Tanya has stressed to me repeatedly that it is vitally important, in the most literal way, for “allies” to be more than just “supportive.” “Since so many LGBTQ folks have lost other LGBTQ folks, I want to emphasize that it’s not their fault, and that the responsibility is on cisgender people to speak up on trans issues and straight people to speak up on LGBTQ issues.” Given the terrible traumas that have been repeatedly inflicted on our community – not just by typical bullies but also by rejecting families, friends, religious communities, and politicians who sow the seeds of hate – we need more than just words of comfort and support from allies. Tanya said: “For allies, the role has

to be to not just speak up, but to step up, to be active, to vote, and to be very, very clear that enough is enough. You know that Dan Savage thing? ‘It Gets Better?’ It doesn’t ‘get better.’ We make it better.” For the sake of young people who are being traumatized in the way that Brian was, even as I write these words, let us all commit to doing the real and meaningful work it will take to make it better. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out to one or more of the following resources: Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255 VIALink Cope Line: (504) 269-2673 The Trevor Project Helpline: (866) 488-7386 Crisis Textline:Text “HOME” to 741741

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY Unidentiﬁed Up Stairs Lounge Fire Victim Identiﬁed as Larry N. Frost Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Forty-five years ago, when the Up Stairs Lounge fire killed 32 people, three of the bodies were never identified. According to filmmaker Robert Camina (Upstairs Inferno) one of those bodies has finally been identified as Larry N. Frost. Camina made the claim in an article published in The Advocate on November 15. In 1973, Frost was named as a tentative victim and now 45 years later, some have suggested his identification should still be considered tentative. At issue is the reconstructive surgery Frost underwent after an accident and which is mentioned nowhere in the coroner’s report. I reached out to Robert Camina, as well as to three other researchers who have written books about the fire to get their reactions to Camina’s article. Johnny Townsend is author of Let the Faggots Burn (2011), Clayton Delery is author of The Up Stairs Lounge Arson (2014). Robert Fieseler is author of Tinderbox (2018). Camina’s film, Upstairs Inferno, was released in 2015. All interviews were conducted via email. Frank Perez: How do you respond to those who point out the coroner made no mention of a metal plate or glass eye? Robert Camina: When you mention “glass eye,” I assume you’re referring to the notes included in a document on file with the New Orleans Police Report. The document lists the names of potential victims, and in some cases, physical descriptions and/ or possessions they may have had on them at the time of the fire. This information was gathered to help with the identification process.

One must step back and look at this document objectively. It is inherently flawed. While I could provide multiple examples to support this argument, for the sake of brevity, I will limit the scope of the discussion as it applies to Larry Frost. Physical characteristics listed for Larry N. Frost include “Three teeth missing, back left, may have glass left eye.” Investigators failed to cite the source of this information. Did the source actually know Larry? If so, how well? Furthermore, I should point out that the entry does say “may have.” Regardless, this information is hearsay and as such, it’s unreliable evidence. Simply put, the source could have provided incorrect and misleading information. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. According to Frost family members, Larry did not have a glass eye. As a result, it only makes sense that the coroner did not mention a glass eye. The quality and the types of details included in the various autopsies are inconsistent. The examinations appear to be very rushed. According to the information listed on the official autopsy reports, on June 25, 1973, almost all of the examinations for the 29 initial victims were conducted within a 2.5 hour time period. The exams were primarily performed by two pathologists. This could explain why most of the autopsies are vague and only a couple sentences long. It’s also necessary to note that they only conducted external examinations. If Larry still had metal plates in his face, they may not have been outwardly visible. If they were not visible, by cycling through the examinations so

Larry N. Frost quickly, pathologists could have easily overlooked them. Furthermore, by only conducting external examinations, anything below the skin, such as metal plates, would have gone undetected. While it’s unfortunate that the examinations weren’t more thorough, potentially revealing vital information that could have helped identify victims, the absence of a reference to metal plates doesn’t take away from the fact that there’s still a wealth of compelling evidence indicating Larry Frost as one of the unknown victims. FP: What was your reaction to the article identifying Larry Frost as a victim of the fire? Clayton Delery: In June of 2018, Robert told me that he had a possible lead regarding one of the three white males whose bodies had never been identified. I was excited about the potential break in the case and was excited to read his article as soon as it was published. My first reading was

rather hurried, because I saw it right before I had to leave my home to go to work. I actually spoke to Robert as I was driving to work. I told him that I thought he had made a good case, but that, absent DNA evidence, there would probably never be final confirmation. We spoke for about ten minutes, and in that conversation, I gave him credit for establishing a documentary trail where it existed, and also acknowledging gaps and contradictions where they exist. The next day, I read the article more closely, and while I still think that Robert Camina has made a credible case for identification, I think it is far from conclusive, and believe that it would be premature “to officially acknowledge Larry Norman Frost as a victim of the Up Stairs Lounge Arson. Johnny Townsend: I find the claim completely believable. Robert’s article was pretty convincing to me. Robert Fieseler: I was thrilled to read the Larry Frost story in The Ad-

8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

vocate. Robert Camina has delivered what appears to be the biggest break to date towards naming one of the unidentified victims of the Up Stairs Lounge fire. I was also admittedly disappointed when the evidence, as presented, raised as many questions as it answered and couldn’t fully substantiate the headline “finally identified” on its own, instead making an emotional appeal on a circumstantial case. This bit of oversell, on the part of Advocate editors, in no way diminishes what Camina has put forth. Larry Norman Frost, one of several individuals tentatively ID’d but dismissed by the coroner in 1973 alongside names like Reginald Tubbs and Norman Lavergne, has been confirmed missing by his family since the fire, and that is revelatory news. FP: What was credible about Camina’s argument? CD: Here is what I find credible about his thesis: Larry Frost was indeed named by more than one survivor as someone who was in the Lounge at the time the fire broke out. His name does appear in police records as someone who may have died in the fire. And Frost does seem to have disappeared at precisely the moment the fire took place. Neither his friends in the Metropolitan Community Church, his landlord, nor his relatives ever saw him after that point, and his friends and landlord both said they believed him to have died in the fire. Those combined factors create a very strong circumstantial case. RF: Obvious rebuttals were left on the table, which hamper the case for Frost being confirmed dead at the Up Stairs Lounge. Frost possessed a very specific body type. Dramatic leftside facial reconstruction resulted in what the police and coroner noted, by conferring with Frost’s mother, as three missing back left teeth and the possibility of “a glass left eye,” which remains a question mark and isn’t addressed in the story. FP: Could you comment on the coroner’s report? JT: When I read the coroner’s report for Reggie Adams, I had not yet met Regina and knew nothing about Reggie. But I remember specifically (and this detail may be in my book, I really don’t remember at this point) that part of the report said something along the lines of, “enough skin was remaining to show that this was a white male.” The report went out of its way to state this. Imagine my surprise when I later learned Reggie was black, and after tracking down photos of him, that he wasn’t even light-skinned but relatively dark. So, while missing a metal plate in a body’s face seems unlikely, it also seems unlikely to mistake Reggie’s dark skin for that of a white male. So who knows? CD: I have read the autopsy reports of all thirty-two of the Up Stairs

Lounge victims. I agree with Camina’s assessment that many of these reports are “vague.” On occasion, they even contain documented inaccuracies. Additionally, very few of the victims had what could be considered full autopsies, because the pathologists were not searching for a cause of death (which was hideously obvious) but were instead looking for any surviving traits that could aid in identification. Hence, the thirty-two autopsies are sprinkled with references to any clothing, tattoos, or scars that survived the fire. The three unidentified victims were all severely burned. Only one of them had recognizable facial features, and all three had extensive second, third, and fourth degree burns involving 60-90% of their bodies. There wasn’t much to go on. But Larry Frost’s distinctive medical features were different from skin, hair, and clothing. The metal plates in his face, his missing teeth, and his glass eye were all likely to survive the blaze and be clues to identification. Of these three, the metal plates were the most likely to be overlooked. There is no indication that the police were made aware of their presence, nor that any of the bodies was x-rayed. Unless the facial skin covering these plates had burned away, they would not have been detected by an external examination of the body. The glass eye was more likely to have survived the fire and would have been sufficiently unusual to have attracted the notice of pathologists. However, the notes on Larry Frost’s name in the police report state “may have glass left eye,” suggesting that he was not in the habit of wearing it all the time. Pathologists still might have noted that a left eye socket was empty but given the severe facial burns on two of the three unidentified victims, this, too, might have been overlooked, or misattributed to the fire. That leaves the missing teeth as the most likely clue to have been noticed, and that clue is far from unimportant. Prior to the development of DNA testing, the two most reliable means of identifying a body were fingerprints and dental records. The fingers of one of the unidentified men had been burned away, eliminating fingerprinting as an option. However, none of the thirty-two victims was so severely burned as to have eliminated his or her dental features, and autopsy reports regularly contain references to them. The report for Joe William Bailey notes that he was missing the teeth in his upper jaw. Rev. Bill Larson had dentures in both the upper and lower jaw. Inez Warren and Guy Anderson both had upper dentures. Clarence McCloskey had no teeth at all. The teeth of one of the unnamed victims were actually removed by the coroner’s office so that they could be used in the future for possible identification. It is highly

unlikely that pathologists, paying such close attention to the teeth of other victims, would have ignored the absence of some teeth in one of the unidentified men. We know that the police department was in contact with Larry Frost’s mother, and that they were aware of the missing teeth and glass eye. We don’t know whether they learned this before or after the interment of the unidentified men, but certainly once that information was available, it would have been acted upon. RF: The presence of metal plates adds further intricacy to the body and decreases the likelihood that the coroner team, which identified 29 of the 32 victims and hasn’t been accused of the same bias as the police (whose evidence Camina cites faithfully), would fail to observe such telltales as medical hardware likely to survive the heat. It’s plausible that the coroner considered and ruled out Frost as a candidate for that reason. It’s also plausible that the coroner overlooked vital clues, but the story’s op/ed essay format, where the word “I” appears nearly as often as the word “Larry,” left little room for communicating what amounts to competing hypotheses. FP: So, is Frost’s identification conclusive? CD: I don’t think so. In part, because Frost’s family acknowledges that

he was in the habit of moving from one place to another, often on short notice. Camina notes that Frost’s own brother believes he might still be alive. Larry Frost would certainly not be the first man to move away and cut ties with his family. Another victim of the fire, Ferris LeBlanc, was long unclaimed by his family because he had done just such a thing, and decades passed between his death and his family learning of his fate. More substantively, I don’t find the case conclusive because Larry Frost had multiple physical and medical peculiarities that would probably have surfaced in an autopsy. These include metal plates as part of a facial reconstruction after an auto accident (a trait mentioned in Camina’s article), three missing teeth on the rear left side, and, most unusually a note in the police documents indicating that he might have a glass eye on the left side. The missing teeth and glass eye were probably relics of the same auto accident that required facial reconstruction. As Camina notes, a few weeks after the fire, the Vieux Carre Courier listed Frost as being “tentatively identified,” and, as Camina notes, the identification was never made final. To me, this suggests that whatever evidence led to a tentative identification was not regarded as conclusive in 1973. At this distance in time, it is impossible

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to know what the problem might have been: did police fail to report to the coroner’s office that Frost had a glass eye, and missing teeth? Did Frost’s mother fail to provide dental records? Or did she provide them, but the records did not match any of the unidentified men? We may never know. What does seem certain is that an identification is not conclusive, and cannot be regarded as conclusive, until more evidence is present. That would

require an exhumation of the unidentified bodies to gather DNA evidence and to examine them for other corroborating evidence, such as indications of facial reconstruction, or an examination of the teeth and dental records. Again, I believe that Robert Camina has constructed a powerful circumstantial case that Larry Frost might be one of the unidentified men, but we are a long way from being able to officially list him as one of the victims.

RF: Ultimately, through a series of expeditious interviews along with selectively cited documentation, Camina presents a compelling case for elevating tentatively ID’d patron Larry Frost to new status in relation to the tragedy. Indeed, it’s clear that the name Larry Frost should be spoken in closer proximity to the historic blaze, and the family should be lauded for stepping forward so courageously. Given the rapidity with which new information has

emerged about the fire this year alone, I see no reason to draw any conclusion prematurely, especially with the likelihood that this breakthrough will shake new evidence loose. I sincerely doubt we’ve heard the last on this subject. And for this work, for getting these interviews on the record, Camina should be commended.

THE ROCKFORD FILES

#13 Is Stonewall collapsing under the Night’s Watch of the Millennials? Ryan Rockford RyanRockfordNYC@gmail.com THE FIGHT TO KEEP HISTORY IN OUR FUTURE. Stonewall is crumbling. The iconic bar, that’s been associated with gay rights for nearly 50 years, is metaphorically being chipped away. The LGBT community is facing a clear and present danger with the generational changing of the guard. If Millennials are like the newest Game of Thrones’ Rangers in the Night’s Watch guard of gay civil liberties, we need them to show up. We are under attack and our defenses are down. So, where are they? And why don’t they care? While standing in line at the TKTS booth in Times Square, I overheard two young 20something men in con-

versation: “Wanna see the revival of Angels in America?” “Is it a musical?” “No. It’s a play about AIDS and politics in the Eighties.” “Why would I want to see that?” “You’re right. Besides, my aunt saw it and said it was really long.” “Forget it.” “What about SpongeBob SquarePants? I’m sure that’s a musical.” “Perfect.” It isn’t uncommon to come across such apathy among young queers when it comes to LGBT history; clearly there is a generational gap between those of us who came of age during the

AIDS/HIV crisis and those who were born after. The fact that many millennials don’t know much about gay history isn’t surprising, but it is widening the rift and creating a more perilous situation for the future gay civil rights movement. Our once fiery and tenacious crusade has lost its momentum and members of the next generation in charge of its direction don’t know where we are going. How could they? They don’t know where we have been A Newsweek survey showed that a majority of U.S. citizens don’t know basic facts about our American government, or the fundamental principles of the Constitution. Americans, gay and straight, know little about gay histo-

ry because we hardly know anyone’s history. This becomes especially problematic within the LGBTQ community because, unless we become familiar and educate ourselves on our culture’s fight for equality and the importance of Stonewall, we open the door for others to use our history against us. It’s difficult for today’s gay youth to appreciate the victory of Stonewall if they don’t know we were at war in the first place. This lack of knowledge about the gay civil rights movement combined with the lack of cross-generational info-swapping, has created a millennial gay experience that is not only ahistorical, but also at the expense of the LGBTQ legacy with the poten-

10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

tial to erase our culture. For today’s LGBTQ youth, AIDS is not something dealt with in their past. For them, AIDS is the past. Many have not experienced intolerance and therefore take today’s acceptance into the mainstream for granted. We must keep our history alive, however, by recognizing and acknowledging our predecessors, those who spent years fighting in the trenches so that we could have a better life. If we don’t, there is a danger that their legacy will be wiped away and their sacrifices and accomplishments forgotten, leaving history poised to repeat itself. Millennials now make up the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. Next year, they will surpass baby boomers as the largest generation in the overall population. By these estimates, you might expect Generation Y to produce a large number of young queers interested in picking up the torch and joining the Night’s Watch to protect Stonewall and all that it represents, but that is not the case. At the epicenter of the gay generation gap seems to be “millennial privilege” which suggests that today’s gay youth are either ungrateful for the work of previous generations or ignorant of how their lives today are so much better than those before. One issue that seems to highlight the millennials’ lack of appreciation of gay history has been the introduction of PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). PrEP is a one-pill-a-day regimen that, when taken as directed, has a 99.9% success rate in preventing the transmission of the HIV virus. For those of us who grew up equating having sex with having to use a condom, this pill offers us the liberation to enjoy condomless sex without the fear of becoming another HIV statistic. Condomless sex, however, is a victory lost among the young men of today. Condoms? Why bother? If I do get HIV, I’ll just take meds, big deal. For gay elders, like myself, that nonchalant attitude pokes the bear. Despite the apparently advanced approach toward gender and sexuality, surveys reveal that millennials don’t like to talk about sex. And they really don’t like to talk about HIV/AIDS. The problem is, HIV/AIDS thrives on being unspeakable. It is fueled by the fire of stigma and shame. ACT UP! said it best: Silence = Death.

The millennials’ view of gender, sexuality and gay civil liberties offer a glimpse at the future for the LGBTQ community, and it’s not the best of pictures. Gays may love labels but the Millies are bucking the system, preferring not to label themselves as belonging to any one faction of society. They prefer to be considered ‘sexually fluid’ rather than gay or straight or bisexual. The reluctance to label oneself as “gay,” however, has created a false security of sorts. Whether they think they are not at risk or they think of HIV as a manageable disease, a surprising number of young sexually fluid “nongay” queers do not know their status and don’t get regularly tested for HIV. The Centers for Disease Control states that this emerging generation is responsible for at least one-quarter of all new HIV transmissions, half of whom don’t even know they have it. HIV/AIDS and the fight for a cure is a large part of LGBTQ history, but it isn’t everything. It’s important for millennials not only to acknowledge our gay history but also to take action. Much work remains to be done on the civil liberties front, especially if this new crop of the Night’s Watch is going to protect us from the GoT-like White Walkers who currently reside in and around the White House. If we, as a community don’t stand up for ourselves, how can we expect others to? The history of persecution felt by our forefathers is destined to repeat itself if we let down our guard, and the fight is far from over. The current piece-of-shit POTUS and his administration have waged war on the LGBTQ community and it’s up to us, all of us queers, not just millennials, to answer the call to arms and keep our Stonewall from collapsing. It’s clear that this President is bent on not only rolling back gay rights and protections, but also the general acceptance of LGBTQ people in society. The anti-LGBTQ actions that this administration has taken are too numerous to list, but a few include: The attempt to ban transgender people from the military; erasing the LGBT community from the National Survey of Older Americans; proposed cuts to funding HIV and AIDS research; the refusal to recognize or participate in Gay Pride Month or World AIDS day; allowing adoption agencies to deny gay couples the ability to adopt based on religious

bias, etc., etc. For all the strides America has taken, in the wake of school shootings, mass murders and suicidal hitmen, it boggles the mind that America would still rather see men holding guns than holding hands. In spite of the setbacks of the last two years, however, this is an exciting time, when young queer people are comfortable enough in their own skin to be who they are – and be accepted for it. Generally speaking, it’s remarkable how far society has come in the acceptance of gay and transgender individuals into mainstream America. Isn’t the ability to live in a world where being gay is a non-issue among family, friends and co-workers what we’ve been fighting for? But how long will this Camelot last if we don’t continue our fight for a place at the table? The future of Stonewall rests with the millennial members of the Night’s Watch. If I were to offer these Rangers advice on how best to protect our Wall (the GoT one, not the threatened wall on the Mexican border), it would be to recognize and stand up to injustice, for yourself and others. Millennials now comprise the largest number of eligible voters. So get your asses to the polls, create change, and vote for the politicians and lawmakers that support the LGBTQ community. Educate yourself, family and friends

on the importance of regular HIV testing and knowing your status. Have respect for the men and women who came before you and paved the way for you to be the radically free-thinking, sexually fluid, omnisexual beings that you are. No one is expecting this to happen overnight, but you can learn by research or by asking questions of those who were there. In the digital age, remaining ignorant is a choice. The information is at your fingertips, all you have to do is ask or click or browse. It’s impossible for anyone to know everything, but if you are a member of the LGBTQ community, millennial or otherwise, there are a few things you should definitely know. You should know that the person responsible for igniting the Stonewall riots of 1969 and sparking the gay rights movement was Marsha P. Johnson, a homeless black, transvestite hooker who had had enough. She didn’t have much but she had her pride. You should know that being gay is no longer a pathology to be cured or electrocuted out of your system. You should know who Larry Kramer is, who Harvey Milk is. You should know of ACT UP! and its contribution to the fight against AIDS. And, yes! You ABSOLUTELY should see and understand the historical relevance and importance of Angels in America.

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MUSINGS BY CATHERINE ROLAND

‘I love Christmas’ or ‘Is it Christmas Again??’ Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com Have you seen the Christmas tree hanging from the ceiling of the Walmart in Metairie/Kenner? Huge, artificial, silver and blue. You may have noticed the wrapping paper and decorations in drug stores, grocery stores, even the US Post Office. Let’s not forget the Hallmark Channel, or should I say the two Hallmark channels, on Cox and all other major cable distributors. Yes, Hallmark is the entertainment company that planned, in all its wisdom, to run Christmas movies, and nothing but Christmas movies on both channels, for weeks. Weeks and weeks of happy people, loving Christmas, finding love, peace, joy and of course, total career success and excellent self-esteem. Now no one is saying the Christmas saturation is necessarily negative, harmful or, at the least, boring and derivative. Many people excitedly anticipate the holidays, enjoy Christmas or Hanukkah, or any major celebratory holiday. It’s the idea of ‘forced expectation of joy’ that can be puzzling to those not

in the group with fun childhood memories, overflowing photo albums of the first Lego set they ever received from Santa, or the biggest train set when they were 11. We all know friends and family who remember fondly all the baking, gift-wrapping,and tree-decorating that go along with holiday time. Or can go with that time, or be a fantasy of the time, or can be a reminder of when all the anticipation ended in a not-so-fantastic few days of a holiday. That’s likely why the Hallmark channel is so popular with many. It records for us what we think Christmas is supposed to be, how we would like to see it, how we wish we could remember those things, and what our dreams of Christmas were. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just not everyone’s thing, not everyone’s happy time from the past. Some folks may not look forward to holiday time at all, which just magnifies the aloneness, and magnifies the myth of the season of joy and love. Then and now. And sometimes the ‘now’ is the most prob-

lematic. A client I had once made a comment I’ve never forgotten. He said “I dread Christmas from October 1 to January 2 every year. The rest of the year I anticipate the holidays are coming.” Feelings of loneliness, sadness or even despair can come up around this time. Reminders of how holidays can be to those who have never really experienced a peaceful, joyful or happy Christmas can reignite a hurt, some painful memory, or simply the impetus to isolate even more. And there is no way to anticipate or guess what those feelings are in someone you do not know very well. Making certain that there are alternative activities around the holidays, that having nothing to do with the time of the year, can be an effective way to move someone along to feeling lighter and more positive, at least for a period of time. Recognizing that there are people who are alone, who have no real place to ‘be’ during a specific day, like Christmas or New Year’s Day, is required in order to consider including people, asking what acquaintances are planning for holidays. Holiday time often means a reassessment of many things, from losing weight and exercising more, to calling a past loved one, making a plan to land a better and more satisfying career, or preparing to finally adopt a pet. The gamut is ours in which to dream, imagine and ultimately take action. We need to remember that taking action can be as small as purging some old clothes and making room for new things, or sending out a resume for a job that excites you, or even walking into a social gathering not knowing

anyone at all. I’ll admit, that’s a tough one! How can we care for ourselves during this time, protect others from feeling so removed, or create a space where some level of satisfaction or even joy is available? Connections with trusted others are important, and often it’s up to us to reach out and not wait until someone reaches out to us. It’s not a competition of who’s more shy, or more vulnerable, or more courageous. It’s a risk. Risks are difficult, and the more difficult, often the more profound the reward. Reaching out to another person can be the connection that makes a difference, immediately or in the short-term future. In my therapy practice, we discuss inner strength, seeking a ‘moment’ in the day just for you, and practicing movement, such as walking, stretching, working out, swimming, bicycling – really anything that makes you MOVE. You don’t need therapy to do any of that. The effort may help with the malaise many experience during the holidays. Try it, it’s free, and more importantly, can be freeing. The last issue or two of Ambush have included useful lists of holiday-time gatherings open to all. There are numerous fundraisers that are of reasonable cost, there are organizations in dire need of help in the form of volunteering, and there are city activities to feed the hungry on weekends or the holiday itself. You might even be surprised if you suggested to a few people that they join you at a shelter or church on a holiday afternoon and help in the kitchen. You might be very surprised about how many would love that opportunity to help, to not be alone, and to feel some accomplishment.

12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

ANNOUNCEMENT

Federal Marketplace Open Enrollment for Health Insurance Deadline December 15 & Out2Enroll Campaign Information Provided by Brian Burton, MPH, CEO Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center ceo@swlahec.com Open Enrollment for Health Insurance through the Federal Marketplace began on November 1st, 2018 and will run through December 15th, 2018. For people in Louisiana who do not get their insurance through an employer, now is the time to sign up. This year’s sign-up will only be six weeks long. Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center, through its consortium, Navigators for a Healthy Louisiana, continues to be the state-wide organization funded by the federal government to provide in person assistance with enrollment. To help meet the needs of consumers in all parts of the state, Navigators will now provide direct assistance by phone or via a computer remotely. This allows Navigators to assist consumers who live too far away to easily obtain in-person assistance. Similar to last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking a strategic and cost-effective approach to inform individuals about Open Enrollment, deliver a smooth enrollment experience, and use consumer feedback to drive ongoing improvements across the Exchange platform. One of the largest changes to the ACA for 2019 will be the penalty for not having health insurance will be removed. However, consumers will still

be penalized when they file their 2018 Federal Income Tax Return if they did not have qualifying health coverage for the 2018 tax year. Consumers who continue to enroll in Marketplace coverage after 2018 will can still apply for and receive federal subsidies to pay for their insurance. An estimated 109,855 individuals/families in Louisiana are enrolled through the federal marketplace for 2018 and an additional 446,604 people in Louisiana have enrolled in health insurance through the expanded Medicaid program. Here are some things people who buy insurance on their own, as opposed to getting it through an employer need to know: • The Affordable Care Act is not dead and is still the law of the land. People with low-to-moderate incomes are still eligible for federal subsidies. • Those subsidies — available for individuals in Louisiana with incomes below $48,240 for an individual and $98,400 for a family of four this year — cap the amount that people must pay for health insurance to a percentage of their income. That will shield them from steep price increases. • Shopping for a health plan will be even more important this year for people who get subsidized coverage

so they can avoid being automatically enrolled in a health plan that has a different network of physicians and hospitals. • People who don’t receive federal subsidies should consider health plans in the bronze and gold tiers. The costs of those health plans are increasing far less than the plans in the silver tier in most cases. • There are still Navigators available to provide assistance in person, over the phone, or remotely from a computer. • FOR LGBT Consumers: Although it seems the LGBTQ community has been under attack by this Administration, nothing has changed and LBGTQ people are protected from discrimination in healthcare and health insurance. Section 1557’s nondiscrimination protections are still in place. It is important the LGBTQ community know they should never face health discrimination simply for being who they are. The Affordable Care Act includes

nondiscrimination protections – and they’re extensive. First, nobody who works with the marketplace (including employees, assisters, and insurance companies) is allowed to discriminate against LGBT people. Second, insurance companies can’t treat you differently or charge you more if you have HIV, cancer, or any other health condition. Third, insurance companies can’t design plan benefits or make coverage determinations that discriminate based on sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. If you have been treated unfairly, you have rights. Navigators for a Healthy Louisiana are the local assisters that can assist you in filing a complaint directly with the marketplace, the Louisiana Department of Insurance, and/or the Office of Civil Rights for the US Department of Health and Human Services. To connect with a Navigator in your area, contact Southwest LA Area Health Education Center at 1-800-435-2432 or visit www.LAHeathcareNav.com

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UNDER THE GAYDAR

New Orleans Hot Happenings

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com I hope everyone enjoyed a lovely Turkey Day. Now onto the holidays! This city has so many festivities happening over the holiday season. Here are just a few suggestions to fill your holiday calendar. (If you have a fundraiser, party, show or event coming up and would like to be listed in the calendar, please email me at ledgemgp@ gmail.com).

WEEKLY EVENTS MONDAY

Karaoke Monday: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 7 - 9 p.m. Enjoy happy hour prices all night long. Hosted by Denny with VJ Dollabill. S.I.N. Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; Starting at 9 p.m. Come drink with Ashlee. Get your SIN card and receive $2.50 canned beer. Margarita Mondays: Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St. The drink special is $3 margaritas all day and night. Pool Tournament: Rawhide 2010; 740 Burgundy St.; 9:45 p.m. $2 PBR and $50 gift certificate for Rawhide Lazy Susan Karaoke: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – 1

a.m. Join bartender Mark and a revolving cast of drag queen hostesses for LAZY SUSAN KARAOKE with Music by DJ Lucius Riley. Mondays are a drag, so make them fabulous and sing the night away. NOAGE & Stonewall Sports Walk/ Run Club; Laﬁtte’s Greenway; 6:15 p.m. Meet for the walk/run at Lafitte Greenway. The Stonewall Run Club will join every 3 weeks. This group is for ALL fitness levels, and you can go at your own pace. Whether that’s running, jogging, leisurely walking, or using a wheelchair or walker, this group is for you. If you are worried that you’ll be left behind, don’t worry; someone will walk with you. If you are the fastest person there, we’ll see you at the finish line. Please Note: We will meet in front of Bayou Beer garden at 326 N. Jefferson Davis Parkway. If you need assistance or have questions, call Jim at (504)228-6778. Service Industry Night: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. $2.50 domestic beers; $3 well cocktails; $3.50 imported beer; $5.50 Tito’s; $6 Jameson.

TUESDAY

Kocktail Karaoke: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., Join us at Good Friends Bar for Kocktail Karaoke. The winner gets a $25.00 bar tab. $5 Fireball. Country Dance Lessons: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 8 p.m. Tuesdays are Country Dance lessons with the Big Easy Stompers from 8 - 11 p.m. Bourbon Boylesque:Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 8 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 Ave.; 8 p.m. Tacos, Tequila, and Tiaras is 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. Twofer Tuesdays: Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St. The drinks special is two for one drinks until 10 p.m. Tunes Tuesday: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. Free Jukebox credits with a $4 drink purchase. Trivia Night: MRB; 515 St. Philip St.; Starts at 8 p.m. Every Tuesday at 8 you can join us for Who Wants A Dollar? Trivia! Free to Play. Plenty of Prizes. Tons of Fun. Teams of 1-6 welcome. Enjoy some killer drinks, amazing food from Woodies @ MRB, and out of this world trivia.

WEDNESDAY

WednesGays at LPK Uptown:Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 South Carrollton 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. Kafe Karaoke:Cafe Laﬁtte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – midnight. $25.00 Bar tab and Free Shots & Givea-ways with Happy Hour All Day. Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean. Honey Bee Trivia: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays are Trivia with Honey Bee at 7 p.m. with free jello shots and Bar Tabs. Half-Price Hump Days (Wednes-

days):Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St. The drink special is all drinks are half price until 10 p.m. Hump Day: Rawhide 2010;740 Burgundy St.; 4 - 9 p.m. 2 for $4 wells, draft, and domestic beers. Wine Night: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 5 p.m. close. $15 bottles of wine. Video Game Night: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 8:30 p.m. - midnight; The bar is doing Video Game Night starting at 9 p.m. Come and compete for prizes and grab some drinks.

THURSDAY

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 St.; 9 p.m. Girl | Crush brings 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 New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 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 New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 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 Three-Dollar Thursdays: Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St. The drink special is $3 Fireball and Jagermeister shots all day and night. Prime Time Trivia: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; starts at 9 p.m. Come out and enjoy trivia with great prizes with your host Honey Bee. Retro Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; starts at 10 p.m. Enjoy drink special from 10 p.m. to midnight and the best hits from the 80’s and 90’s.

FRIDAY

Music of Senator Ken: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Enjoy live music with Senator Ken playing all your favorites. Play Girlz: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. Drag show

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

featuring Gia GiaVanni and special guests. New Meat Amateur Dance Contest: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis St.; 6:30 p.m. Anyone can enter - $100 cash prize. Long Island Fridays: Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St. The drink special is $5 Long Island Iced Teas all day and night. Fireball Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; open to close. $4 Fireball Shots. Take It Off Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway; 5 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Includes $2.50 domestic beers and $3 well drinks from 5 - 9 p.m.; $15 drink and drown from 9 - 11 p.m. all well cocktails; and Underwear Party with free well. Cocktails for those who strip down to their underwear from midnight to 12:30 a.m.

SATURDAY

Music of Vanessa Carr Kennedy; Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Enjoy songstress Vanessa as she sings some of the top hits of yesterday and today. Divas R Us; Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. This wonderful drag show directed by Monica Sinclaire Kennedy includes special guest stars. Piano Bar with Trey Ming; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 4 – 7 p.m. Sing along with your favorite songs with talented piano player Trey Ming. CAT 5 Hurricane Saturdays: Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St. The drink specials are $5 Hurricanes all day and night and from 8 - 10 p.m. Doubles for the price of a Single on all alcohol. Drag Dingo: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 6 - 8 p.m. Catch ChiChi Rodriquez or Persana Shoulders for Drag Bingo! 11 games of Bingo, 11 chances to win prizes! All the fun starts at 6 pm till 8 pm in their upstairs bar with your favorite bottom, Jake, slinging drinks for you all night long! Sunday Bottomless Sundays: Double Play Bar; 439 Dauphine St.. The drink special is $15 Bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas: Cafe Laﬁtte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 1 - 4 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas are offered upstairs from 1 - 4 p.m. for $12. The Original Trash Disco: Cafe Laﬁtte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 410 p.m. Includes the original napkin toss and the best music videos to sing along with. You Better Sing Karaoke; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Join DJ Dereesha as he plays Karaoke. The Half Assed-Straight Boys: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 3 - 5 p.m.

Jubilee: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 5 p.m. This Sunday Funday show stars Reba Douglas and special guests. Zingo: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis St.; 6:30 p.m. Play Bingo followed by the Barry BareAss Dancer of the Week Contest. Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean. Drink Drown and Drag: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 6 - 9 p.m. Sunday Funday upstairs at The Parade. $15 Drink and Drown from 6 – 9 p.m. with a star studded drag show starting at 8 p.m. Sunday Worship: Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans (MCCNO); 5401 S. Claiborne Ave; 10:00 a.m. New Orleans first LGBTQ church welcomes you to join us for our Sunday worship service where they celebrate God’s Love for everyone. Drag Dingo: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 6 - 8 p.m. Catch ChiChi Rodriquez, Persana Shoulders for Drag Bingo! 11 games of Bingo, 11 chances to win prizes! All the fun starts at 6 pm till 8 pm in their upstairs bar with your favorite bottom, Jake, slinging drinks for you all night long.

SPECIAL EVENTS WEDNESDAY 12/5

ters will be hosting their new Trivia Night at Mags. Sister Glory and SirSimon will be your hosts and emcees for this not-your-grandmas’ trivia. Be sure to bring your web-enabled phones, because there will not be paper at this trivia, it is all about how quickly and correctly you answer the questions. All monies raised will go the James Storehouse. James Storehouse helps foster children and caring families with meeting needs beyond what the state provides. Diapers, clothes, cribs, car seats, you name it and this non-profit will find a way to help.

SATURDAY 12/8

NOLA Gaymers Party: LGBT Community Center;2727 South Broad St.; 2 - 6 p.m. LGBTQ GAMERS OF THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS REGION -COME OUT! Come to the LGBT Community Center to socialize, game and generally geek out. They will have board games, party games, card games, and snacks to share! We strongly encourage you to bring your own favorite games as well. Donations of $3 or more towards future Gaymer events will be split with the LGBT center. +1 Gaming will be our sponsor again and those who donate will be entered into a drawing to win a prize from their store! Big Easy Stompers Monthly Dance: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart

St.; 9 p.m. - midnight. Join the Big Easy Stompers for one Dancing fun at their monthly dance. HRC New Orleans Presents HER New Orleans: Bacchanal Wine; 600 Poland Ave.; 2 - 5 p.m. Join HRC New Orleans for the first annual, HER New Orleans--an afternoon of wine and snacks celebrating and gathering the female leaders of the LGBTQ community. The mission of HER HRC events is to gather women to celebrate and build a greater sense of community, while learning about the importance of engaging in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. While this is a HER HRC event, all HRC events are open to all people, regardless of gender identity or expression. All are welcome but please note this event is strictly ages 21 and up.Ticket for this event will only be sold online. For tickets, go to www.act.hrc. org. Coffee Talk: New Orleans Healing Center; 2372 St. Claude Ave.; 10 - 11:30 a.m. The topic will include general ways to negotiate our lives right now, such as health, life satisfaction, friends and friend-family (YOUR chosen family), and of course, getting involved/forming connections.” - Dr. Catherine Roland, Moderator. The meeting will take place in Room #250 of the New Orleans Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Ave.). There is a parking lot behind the building. PJ’s coffee and pastries will be provided.

Toby’s Christmas Party and Auction: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 7 - 11 p.m. Come by and get your Christmas shopping started early and help needy families. Gathering from 7 - 9 p.m. and auction at 9 p.m. This event benefits children living with HIV.

THURSDAY 12/6

Looped - A Play by Matthew Lombardo: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7 p.m. Looped ran on Broadway in 2010. Based on a real event, Looped takes place in the summer of 1965, when an inebriated Tallulah Bankhead needed eight hours to redub - or loop one line of dialogue for her last movie, Die! Die! My Darling!! Though Bankhead’s outsized personality dominates the play, the sub-story involves her battle of wills with a film editor named Danny Miller, who has been selected to work that particular sound editing session. Starring Elizabeth Bouvier as Tallulah Bankhead & featuring Greg Nacozy as Danny Miller. Get tickets on their Facebook page and through Eventbrite.

FRIDAY 12/7

Are Two Heads Better Than Nun?: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7 - 9 p.m. Come on out for some trivia with you favorite Sisters. The Big Easy Sis-

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED, CCS COVERS AREA SPORTS ON THE HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE & PRO LEVELS WITH A KEEN EYE TOWARD PROVIDING THE NEWS & ANALYSIS YOU WANT. crescentcitysports.com facebook.com/ccsdaily @ccsdaily @ccsprep

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Trans Fight Back Against Fascism Forum and Discussion: The People’s Assembly Ofﬁce; 1418 N. Claiborne Ave.; 1 - 3 p.m. Join the New Orleans Workers Group for a trans led forum and discussion. We will talk about the oppression and increasing attacks that trans people face in Trump’s America, and discuss how we can fight for our future. The idea is to unite with all working class LGBT+ people to fight homophobia and transphobia and we need all of our ideas and energy to achieve liberation. Food and drink will be provided.

SUNDAY 12/9

Make Up Improv + Drag Stocking Stuffers: Cafe Istanbul; 2372 St. Claude Ave.; 7 - 10 p.m. MAKE UP is the only improv show in the world starring an entire cast of drag performers. (All certifiably NAUGHTY.) (We checked.) (Twice.) Our sacks are simply overflowing with hot puns and unplaceable accents. And here’s a secret, Santa: we’ll be fully improvising our drag numbers based on your holigay song requests! If all that comedy and custom-fit drag still doesn’t roast your chestnuts, visit the stocking stuffer market featuring your favorite local queer, POC, + womxn vendors! Yule regret missing this slay-ride. $15 day of show. Tickets @ slayride.eventbrite. com.

MONDAY 12/10

New Orleans Magazine’s Best of Dining 2018: The Southern Food and Beverage Museum; 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.; 6 - 8 p.m. While New Orleans Magazine covers the New Orleans dining scene throughout the year, one issue is devoted to the best of the best in the city’s restaurant scene: the “Best of Dining” issue. The magazine’s list honors local restaurants, chefs and mixologists with a large feature in the December issue. All honorees are celebrated at the Best of Dining awards event, which is presented by Crescent Care. Spirit sponsors are Belle of Isle Moonshine and Touch Vodka. The event benefits Cafe Reconcile. Join New Orleans Magazine in honoring the best chefs and restaurateurs in New Orleans. Tickets $30 per person and can be purchased on their Facebook page or Eventbrite.

THURSDAY 12/13

Looped - A Play by Matthew Lombardo: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7 p.m. Looped ran on Broadway in 2010. Starring Elizabeth Bouvier as Tallulah Bankhead & featuring Greg Nacozy as Danny Miller. Get tickets on their Facebook page and through Eventbrite. Ben DeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon - To Jesus, Thanks for Everything: Civic Theatre; 510 O’Keefe Ave.; 9 p.m. The Bowery Presents

South: BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon at Civic Theatre in New Orleans DOORS 8 p.m.; SHOW 9p.m. All ages show. At long last Seattle sisters BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are joining forces to bring you a spankin’ new two-queen holiday extravaganza! DeLa is all sugar and Jinkx is all spice but how do these two very different gals deal with the stress of the holidays?! A little song, a lot of eggnog, and theaters full of people looking at them. Yup - all they want for Christmas is attention! And let’s face it: Jesus done already done had his. So thanks for handing every drag queen a sure-fire December gig, Jesus, but Jinkx and DeLa will take it from here! Tickets available now including special VIP Meet and Greet packages at civicnola.com. VIP M&G Ticket Includes: 1 Reserved Gold Circle Orchestra ticket, VIP Priority Line Entrance and Post-Show Meet & Greet with BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon. Speak out Against Sexual Assault - Aftermath: St. Anna’s Episcopal Church; 1313 Esplanade Ave.; 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. Join Me Too NOLA for another speak out - an open mic style event where people can share their #metoo stories in a supportive setting. This particular speak out will focus on stories of after-the-assault; survivors’ experiences with the criminal justice, health, rape response, etc systems as well as their stories of how their interpersonal relationships were or weren’t

affected by their experiences as survivors.

FRIDAY 12/14

Annual Gulf South LGBT Chamber Holiday Party; 810 Ursulines Ave.; 6 9 p.m. Toast another fabulous year at our annual Holiday Party at the home of Gulf South Chamber members Dustin Woehrmann and Jeff Hebert. Sip, savor and mingle with fellow Gulf South LGBT Chamber Members and Corporate Sponsors. Tickets include complimentary beer, wine and cocktails, hot & cold hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Early Bird Discounts for all 2019 New & Renewal Memberships paid at the event! For tickets go to http://business. gulfsouthchamber.com. Greetings from Queer Mountain NOLA Ep. 36 - Family: The AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 7:30 9 p.m. Greetings, From Queer Mountain is a monthly LGBTQ storytelling showcase every second Friday of the month at AllWays. Our show is full of fabulous! Featuring the best storytellers from all across the land! Come join us for stories that will make you laugh, cry, ponder the meaning of life and make that drink taste even sweeter. The theme this month is family. Who do you consider your family? What makes them family? Come celebrate our Three Year Anniversary with our lovely storytellers. We will be in the front lounge of AllWays instead of the back

Sat, 12/01 - 10pm

HoneyBee Trivia Thursdays 7:00 PM

Happy Hour Daily noon - 9:00 PM

Wednesday Video Game Night 7:00 PM

Welcome

Bourbon Street Classic Happy Hour all weekend while wearing your wristband

16 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

theater. Line up: Liberaunchy Liberaunchy; Aldo Martinez;Adrienne Liege; Frederick Charles Mead, Xander Bikyk and hosted by Amanda G. Show is $5 you can get tickets via Eventbrite (small service fee) or at the door (no service fee). Varla Jean and Deven Green in Jingle Balls: Cafe Istanbul; 2372 St. Claude Ave.; 8 p.m. Internationally Acclaimed Legend VARLA JEAN MERMAN and National Treasure DEVEN GREEN reunite in New Orleans for: JINGLE BALLS! Inappropriate songs for the holidays. With special guests NED DOUGLAS and MRS. DANVERS. International drag chanteuse and petty criminal Varla Jean Merman is proud to once again invite award-winning, musical-comedian Deven Green to Café Istanbul for one night only. JINGLE BALLS will unleash never-before-heard holiday songs which will never be heard again. Completely inappropriate songs to help you survive the season. Tickets are only $25 for general admission. An extremely limited number of $40 VIP Meet & Greet packages are available. The VIP experience includes center seating, a post-show reception with the startlets, a special commemorative memento from Ms. Green, and a lingering infection from Ms. Merman. Tickets can be acquired by visiting: BrownPaperTickets.com. Deven Green is best known by cultural literates for her “Welcome

To My Home” and “Welcome To My White House” parodies, portraying the satirical Mrs. Betty Bowers, as a photographic fashionista, World of Wonder ceWEBbrity, RuPaul’s Drag Race judge, and Goliath Magazine’s advice columnist. Santana Presents Southern Sirens Drag Night: House of Blues; 225 Decatur St.; 9 p.m. Doors / Show: 9:00PM / 10:00PM. This is an ages 18+ show. ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE. No refunds unless show cancelled/rescheduled. All general admission tickets are STANDING ONLY. For more information about Pass the Line or Foundation Room access, please call the Box Office at 504.310.4999. For VIP seating, please contact NOLAVIP@livenation. com. Show features London Manchester; Andy Black, Laveau Contraire and hosted by Santana. Lords of Leather Heaux Heaux Heaux Beer Bust:The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields; 9 p.m. - midnight. Join The Lords of Leather while they put the HO in Holiday during our 2nd Friday Friday 9pm-Beer Bust at The Phoenix! $10 gets you so much; keg beer, snacks, and the company of a fine group of leather oriented Krewe members. Sit on Leather Claus’s lap and find out if you’re naughty or you belong in another bar! Donations go to our Bal Masque XXXVI to be held on Sunday, March 3, 2019 at The Alario Center in Westwego, Louisiana!

The Double Play

n o I

T I s

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439 Dauphine Street New Orleans, LA 70112 (504) 523-4517

SATURDAY 12/15

Queer Dance Club Tango!: The LGBT Community Center; 2727 South Broad St.; 7:30 - 9 p.m. Free fun beginner lesson by Casey Mills and Alexandra Leigh Pearson! A John Waters Christmas: The Civic Theatre; 510 O’Keefe Ave.; 8 p.m. The Bowery Presents South + T Presents A John Waters Christmas at Civic Theatre. 7:00pm - doors; 8:00pm - show for this all ages show. Tickets are ON-SALE NOW at civicnola.com. Christine Ebersole in Concert With Seth Rudetsky: New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA); 2800 Chartres St.; 8 - 10 p.m. Broadway @ NOCCA presents Christine Ebersole. Producer Mark Cortale’s acclaimed concert series presents an evening with Christine Ebersole--two-time Tony Award-winner for Grey Gardens and 42nd Street. Sirius XM radio star Seth Rudetsky joins her as music director and host, and Scott Frankel, composer of Grey Gardens and War Paint will make a special guest appearance. For tickets & info, please visit www.BroadwayNOLA.com or call 800-838-3006. Broadway @ NOCCA is sponsored by the New Orleans Hotel Collection and The New Orleans Advocate. All proceeds from the 2018/19 Broadway @ NOCCA series will benefit The NOCCA Institute. Rouga-RouxPaul’s Drag Race

Season 2: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 10 p.m. - midnight. The Rouga-Rouxs are brushing out the wigs and pulling out their cha cha heels for our 2nd Annual drag show! Come support local rugby as we sashay our way around Mags for your dollars all benefiting the team as we prepare for an epic spring season! Starts at 10pm doors open at 9pm. $10 cover Raffle prizes! It’s Showtime on Rampart St.; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 10 p.m. Come out and catch this exciting drag show starring Moanalot Fontaine and Special Guests. Hit It Vol. III - XMAS: Cutter’s; 706 Franklin Ave.; 10:30 p.m. - 3 a.m. Your favorite POPPERS AND UNDERWEAR party is back just in time to get your stocking stuffed this holiday season. Step in & strip down in our Winter Wonderland featuring a full fledged dark room, steaming hot dance floor and a limited supply of VHS cleaner from *Double Scorpio* available for purchase. New Orleans’ premier Sexy Santa - Paw Paw Noel will be riding in to visit the party! Sit on his lap and tell him what you want him to put down your chimney and how NAUGHTY or GOOD (at it) you’ve been this year. Don’t forget to snag your commemorative HIT IT photo while you and Paw Paw Noel are all cozied up. Clothes check will be at the door so you can strip down to your sexy underwear,

7AM-9PM HAPPY HOUR $3 Domestic Beers $3 Wells $1 Off Everything Else

ALL WEEK LONG

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jock, elf outfit, panties, or just go ahead and show off those jingle bells, anything goes! Sexy beats for a transcendental poppers experience by DJ Tyler Cross. Hosted by: Joe Witkowski - resident poppers expert with guest stars FatsyCline - Miss Louisiana Leatherette 2018, Ross Ransom - Mr. Nude Orleans and guest appearances by several of Santa’s helpers. $5 Cover includes clothes check. This is a safe ALL-INCLUSIVE event. Predatory and non-consensual behavior will not be tolerated. This is event is 21+, ID required for entry.

MONDAY 12/17 & TUESDAY 12/18

Lady Bunny in The Stockings Were Hung: The AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave. With her glitzy outfits, skyhigh wigs and false eyelashes long enough to embarrass Tammy Faye Baker, multi-talented drag artist Lady Bunny would turn heads even if looking glamorous was her only talent. But “she” isn’t just another man in a dress: Bunny is a successful comedienne, DJ, actress and singer/songwriter. Showtimes are December 17 at 10 pm. and December 18 at 11:30 p.m. For tickets, go to www.brownpapertickets.com.

TUESDAY 12/18 – SUNDAY 12/23

Elf The Musical:The Saenger Theatre; 1111 Canal St.. The performance schedule for ELF is as follows: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 p.m.; Friday: 1 p.m., 8 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Tickets for ELF start at $30 and will be available at the Saenger Theatre Box Office, BroadwayInNewOrleans.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at (800) 982-2887. ELF is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner ELF. Based on the 2003 hit movie, ELF features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).

THURSDAY 12/20

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Mobile Hot Happenings WEEKLY AT FLIP SIDE

WEEKLY AT B-BOB’S

SUNDAY Funday with Karaoke

TUESDAY Gay Bar BINGO 9:30 & 11PM

MONDAY Service Industry Night

THURSDAY Amateur Drag Night 11PM

TUESDAY Karaoke

FRIDAY & SATURDAY Midnight Drag Show

WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM

ARE WE MISSING YOUR EVENTS?

THURSDAY Karaoke

Email info@ambushpublishing.com

54 S. Conception St., Mobile, AL (251) 431-8819

213 Conti St., Mobile, AL (251) 433-2262

SATURDAY SEC Football

18 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

OUT & ABOUT Ambush on the Road Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Every Thanksgiving I take a road trip with my mom (I know, sounds corny), but it is an incredible adventure for the both of us and great bonding time. So we always go somewhere that’s close enough to drive, unique and has the things we love - shopping, sightseeing, cocktailing and holiday fun. This year we took ourselves to Vicksburg, Mississippi and then to Branson, Missouri. Many people have asked, why, I always ask why not. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving we got on the road early and drove to Vicksburg which is about three hours away from NOLA. It is a beautiful drive especially once you get off the interstate with rolling hills and trees with actual changing colored leaves. I finally discovered fall. We checked into the Courtyard by Marriott which was not only reasonably priced, but had a very trendy vibe. Their lobby is one of the key features and they have lots of amenities. We arrived in town around 10 a.m. and wasted no time exploring what the city has to offer. They have a quaint, picturesque downtown main street (Washington St.). It was decorated for the holiday and is lined with unique boutiques, restaurants and bars. It’s a perfect place to find that one-of-a-kind

gift for someone on you holiday list. While on there, we toured the Biedenharn Coca Cola Museum, a collaborative effort between the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation and the Biedenharn family, the original bottlers of Coca-Cola.The museum houses a wide variety of exhibits interpreting the beginnings of Coca-Cola, the process used to first bottle Coca-Cola, the history of Coca-Cola advertising, and Coca-Cola memorabilia from past to present. The authentically-restored candy store and office area feature furnishings and displays of the 1890s and offers ice cream, fountain Cokes, and a wide selection of Coca-Cola souvenirs. I love history of any sort and the story of a company like Coca Cola fascinates me. It is a definitely a fun stop on your tour of Vicksburg, even if you like Pepsi. Next we ate an authentic Southern lunch at Walnut Hills Restaurant. The historic old house on Adams Street opened in 1980 as a round table restaurant, similar to old-time boarding house restaurants. The house was built in 1880 by the Rogers family with a wide porch, tall shuttered windows, and Vicksburg pierced columns. The food was a Southern feast with specialties like fried chicken, fried

green tomatoes, tomato aspic (think tomato gelatin) and shrimp & grits. And their desserts are to die for especially the cream of coconut and pecan praline pies. The venue allows you to choose dining a la carte off the menu or doing the round table all you can eat with a giant lazy susan in the center of the table that spins an array of delicious food for you to enjoy. I walked off lunch by visiting the Old Courthouse Museum located downtown on Cherry Street. Fine portraits, china and silver, exquisite antique furniture, the trophy antlers won by the steamboat Robert E Lee in an 1870 race, antebellum clothing, toys, Indian and pioneer implements, and an original Teddy Bear given to a local child by Theodore Roosevelt are just a few of the thousands of artifacts which are housed in the Museum.The Old Warren County Courthouse, built in 1858, stands today as Vicksburg’s most historic structure and has hosted such guests and speakers as Ulysses S. Grant, Booker T. Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, and William McKinley. The museum is a fascinating look into the city’s past. My favorite part was a recreation of a courtroom from the Civil War era. We even stopped at their outlet mall; it’s small but has some decent stores. Later that evening we enjoyed the city’s nightlife by visiting one of its four casinos, Ameristar, which is right on the Mississippi River. Your other choices are Waterview, Lady Luck and Riverwalk casinos. Ameristar is a riverboat-style entertainment complex

with restaurants, clubs and, of course, a casino. Even though I did not leave a winner, it was a fun stop. We went to dinner at a downtown restaurant with one of the most amazing views of the river and the city, Ten South Rooftop Bar and Grill. We watched the sunset, enjoyed cocktails and waited for a friend of mine who lives in Vicksburg to join us for din-

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Tony Leggio AT THE NACE BRUNCH AFTER DARK EVENT AT GENERATIONS HALL

AT BEARLESQUE SHOW AT THE PHOENIX & AT CRAVE SHOW AT THE PHOENIX

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ner. The menu has many choices from small plates (try the crawfish balls) to burgers, specialty sandwiches, and large plates (blackened Yazoo City Catfish). With tasty cocktails, scenic views, good Southern fare, this is a perfect dining experience when in Vicksburg. On Thanksgiving Day, we left early and got on the road to Branson. The drive was gorgeous through the Mississippi Delta with all the cotton fields as well as the foothills of Arkansas which lead up to the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. The seven hour journey flew by. We arrived in Branson in the early afternoon and checked into the Grand Plaza Hotel situated on top of a bluff overlooking the strip in Branson. Although a little dated, the facility is centrally located near many of the city’s attractions and theaters. We had our Turkey Day dinner at their rooftop Plaza View Restaurant which was an enjoyable buffet. After dinner, we decided to explore a little of the city, so we went to the Titanic Museum which was located nearby. Housed inside a replica of the luxury liner, The Titanic Museum Attraction is located on 76 Country Boulevard, one of two Titanic-themed museums owned by John Joslyn (who headed a 1987 expedition to the Titanic’s final resting place); the larger of the two is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The museum holds 400 pre-discovery

artifacts in 20 galleries. Guests step through an artificial iceberg into the museum, and receive a passenger boarding ticket, featuring the name of an actual Titanic passenger and the class on which the passenger traveled. During the tour, guests learn the individual stories of several passengers. At the end of the tour, guests are told whether their ticket holder survived. The museum is pretty awesome, since everyone is fascinated by the grand ship and its horrible fate. The employees are all dressed like officers, parlor maids and stewards from that time period. Interactive exhibits and numerous stories regale you with tales of the great ship and its passengers. The passenger assigned to me upon entrance was named Hume and was one of the band members who played so valiantly as the ship sank (so I pretty much knew my fate). My mom’s character was in first class and lived along with her maid (always save the help), but her husband unfortunately met with a worse fate dying in the disaster. I highly recommend this attraction. Next we did some pre-Black Friday shopping at the Grand Village Shops anchored by the Kris Kringle store which had about every ornament style and theme you could imagine. This small shopping foray, however, was just a prequel to the main event the next day at the Tanger Outlet Mall located steps away from our hotel.

Yes, I am a shopaholic and love Black Friday. Now I am not that crazy waking-up-at-4am-to-arrive-at-4:30 person. Nor are Mom and I one of those types who rush in like animals over some TV or $3 sweater; we treat it as a fun ritual. We whip up a gallon of Bloody Mary’s and enjoy the experience. If done right it’s pretty fun and you do get some great deals. When we arrived at Tanger there was literally no one around. Though they had been open since 6pm the night prior, the doorbuster sales were still available. We shopped, buying gifts for those on our list as well as ourselves, The outlet mall had just about every store imaginable. After doing enough damage there we went to lunch at Whipper Snappers known for their lobster buffet. Now let me take a moment to tell you that if you are looking for lots of fine dining restaurants you will not find many (if any) in Branson. You will find lots of buffets, I mean an inordinate amount of all-you-can-eat places which I tend to shy away from, because I am one of those people who quickly get a trough mentality. If is there, I will keep eating. But as buffets go, Whipper Snapper’s seafood buffet is pretty awesome with lobster, king crab legs, crawfish, shrimp, mussels and a host of other non-seafood choices. Obviously I am no virgin to the buffet scene and went straight for the lobster; that was all I

ate, pretty sad, but so good. That night we went to one of the many shows that Branson is known for at the Andy Williams Theatre which opened in 1992. Williams helped to design and create this theatre, which is set on 16 beautifully landscaped acres boasting waterfalls, foliage, rock formations and a rippling stream. We saw the Ozark Mountain Christmas Show which starred the Lennon Sisters from Lawrence Welk fame (I used to watch them with my grandparents when I was real young.) It was a lovely holiday variety show which featured entertainment for all ages. In addition to host Jimmy Osmond (the youngest Osmond who’s all grown up now) and the Lennons, there was Ayo: Voices of Glory, a group of three siblings who were on America’s Got Talent, and singer Charlie Green who turned 21 the night of the show. It was an entertaining show that brought back lots of memories. We had not gotten all our shopping out of our system so on Saturday we went to Branson’s Landing nestled along the Lake Taneycomo on the famous White River. The boardwalk boasts restaurants, shopping, entertainment and the number one attraction in the city – the Branson Scenic Railroad. We took the 40-mile round trip excursion on it thru Ozark foothills and tunnels. We learned about the history of the area in the elegant, re-

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stored railcars from the early 1900s. I love trains so I was like a complete kid roaming the train from the dining cars to the dome car. It is truly like you have taken a step back in time. The train crosses bridges and trestles allowing you to see some incredible views. Later that night, we went to another show, Samson, a “four dimensional experience.” The show is very biblical and most of the music is spiritual in nature, which you have to go in expecting, but the sets, decor, actors and spectacle are just over-the-top. Horses are ridden at full gallop going through the

aisles in the audience. Foxes (cute dogs) run around the stage dragging illuminated bulbs that look like flames. There are camels, goats, chickens, and a full array of barnyard critters. And to top it off, they had a large and very pretty cast; Samson fighting all those other hot men in togas was worth the price of admission alone. On Sunday, our final day, we did a little more shopping in the morning then went to lunch at Pasghetti’s. You know it will be a unique experience when you walk through a large meatball with a fork sticking out of it to en-

ter the restaurant. The meatballs were delicious and the atmosphere is campy fun; its seven themed dining rooms ranged from Coney Island amusement park to an Italian city street. Later that night, we attended the Dolly Stampede Dinner Show. As a bluegrass band plays holiday and country classics, this show brings down-home dinner to the next level. A whole chicken is literally dropped on your plate with potatoes, corn, pork loin, soup and apple turnover. You do not get any utensils, everyone eats with their hands while you watch the nostal-

gic holiday show which includes thirty-two magnificent horses, acrobats, and ice skaters who are lowered from the ceiling. This is a distinctive event that you just have to let yourself go and enjoy. Warning: they do not serve alcohol, so sneak in your own. We came back home on Monday. From Branson it was ten hours, but it went by fast and we even made a stop at our traditional return-home restaurant for lunch.

BOOK REVIEW Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death. Lillian Faderman. Yale University Press, 2018. 305 pages. $25.00. Harvey Milk once quipped, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” Harvey Milk, prophet. Harvey Milk, subscriber to the concept Tikkun olam (literally translated “repair the world). Harvey Milk—eloquent, charismatic, and a smart aleck—was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, and had not even served a full year in office when he was shot by a homophobic fellow supervisor. Milk’s assassination at the age of forty-eight made him the most famous gay man in modern history; twenty years later Time magazine included him on its list of the hundred most influential individ-

uals of the twentieth century. Before finding his calling as a politician, however, Harvey variously tried being a schoolteacher, a securities analyst on Wall Street, a supporter of Barry Goldwater, a Broadway theater assistant, a bead-wearing hippie, the operator of a camera store, and organizer of the local business community in San Francisco. He rejected Judaism as a religion, but he was deeply influenced by the cultural values of his Jewish upbringing and his understanding of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. His early influences and his many personal and professional experiences finally came together when he decided to run for elective office as the forceful champion of gays, racial minorities, women, working people, the disabled, and senior citizens. In his last five years, he

focused all of his tremendous energy on becoming a successful public figure with a distinct political voice. Although best known for his contributions to gay rights, Milk was also Jewish, and in this book, the latest in Yale University Press’s “Jewish Lives” series, Faderman examines closely how Milk’s Jewish background informed his later activism. Although Milk rejected religion at a young age, he retained from his Jewish upbringing a strong sense of social justice. By closely exploring the roots of Milk’s political ideology, Faderman (herself a Jewish lesbian) adds an interesting and important layer to the growing body of work on Milk previously neglected or undertreated by earlier researchers. This biography is also valuable in that it separates the mythology that

has developed around Milk (inevitable, I suppose, with all martyrs) from the reality of the man. What emerges is an emminently human depiction of a consequential life. Faderman, a distinguished scholar of LGBT & ethnic history and literature, also does an outstanding job of recreating Milk’s last day on earth. She provides a virtual minute by minute, and rather haunting, narrative of the morning Milk was assassinated at City Hall. While academically grounded in solid research, the style of Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death is accessible. This book is essential reading for those interested in the history of gay rights, contemporary American Judaism, and biography as a genre.

TRICENTENNIAL PROFILES IN HISTORY Josie Arlington Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Metairie Cemetery dates back to the Victorian Age and was built by and for the aristocracy; paupers, “low-lifes,” and ne’er-do-wells were not welcome in this fashionable graveyard. So it was quite the scandal when Josie Arlington was buried there. Josie Arlington was Storyville’s most infamous and most profitable Madam. Hers was a high-end brothel and was frequented by society’s crème de la crème—prominent businessmen, powerful politicians, financial tycoons, and city officials. Anybody who was anybody knew Josie Arlington and her girls—but only at night. During the day, they shunned her and publicly condemned her and denied her what

she craved most, social acceptance. So before she died, she spent a small fortune buying a plot in the tony Metairie Cemetery. Her eternal revenge on the society snobs that snubbed her in life was accented by the color of her tomb—red marble. Atop the tomb stand two blazing pillars of fire. To this day, people still claim to see her spirit burst into flames when they visit her grave. Born around 1864, by age 25 she was operating her own brothel on what we now call Iberville Street in the French Quarter. When Storyville, the fabled Red-Light District, opened in 1897, she opened “The Arlington” at 225 N. Basin Street. This “Sporting

Palace,” as whorehouses were then called, was one of the most opulent mansions in the district. The Arlington catered to a wide variety of fetishes and even featured live sex acts in a show called “The Circus.” Josie Arlington, born Mary Deubler, died, appropriately enough, on Valentine’s Day, 1914, in the huge home she had constructed earlier on Esplanade Avenue. The elaborate tomb she built at Metairie Cemetery was later purchased by the Morales family and Josie was relocated to an undisclosed location in the cemetery.

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Ambush AT WINTER WONDERLAND VII

ANNOUNCEMENT

Winter Wonderland VII Accounting from Misti Gaither

Catherine and I are humbled and thankful for everyone’s support and love for this year’s Winter Wonderland VII. The financial report is as follows: VIP Tickets, donations and fund raiser from TTT $ 15,485.00 Tips $ 714.00 Auction $ 2,645.00 Return of Security Deposit $ 500.00 Total $ 19,344.00 Expenses ($ 3,610.00) Total $ 15,734.00 NOAGE - New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders and Belle Reve will each receive $7,867.00! Thank you to everyone who donated, sponsored and helped us with this event.

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Some Advent Gifts

The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ fr.bill@stannanola.org Thanksgiving <BURP!> was great. The Saints, “We go’n to da Supa Bowl!” Rain, cold, warm, cold, rain. What a week! Now the fun really begins with Advent, Christmas, Epiphany (12th Night), then the great season of Mardi Gras with Kings, Queens, Monarchs, Matrons, and merriment. It is that time of year. As the shadows get longer, the days shorter, and our weather changes daily, it is also a time when so many people start to feel left alone, left out, on the side lines. I am always concerned about the lonely during this time of year. Seasonal shifts have a subversive way of changing our moods. In the Fall, the cool air is a lift, and for others the long shadows invite introspection even depression. Brothers and sisters, Kings and Queens, Bears and Otters, be mindful of each other. Estrangement, even self imposed estrangement is sad and lonely thing. Reach out and simply acknowledge someone who may be alone or lonely. It will be a GIFT. We are busy in our shopping frenzy. We are so busy in our frenzy to set the table just so. We are so busy and frenzied in those fundraisers, and cocktail parties, and the mandatory well-wishing. The insanity that comes with this season is like universal A.D.D. There seems an endless need to move about and to rush. How many folks seem wiped out after “The Holiday Season”? Too many I think. So, take a friend or two and offer a quiet evening in the middle of it all. Just some unpretentious time set aside to rest and reflect. Take a moment to say “no” to an event and rest a bit. If you are that concerned with being correct and everyone getting those gifts and cheer, remember that Christmas is not a day. It is a season and lasts for 12 days. Spread your joy out for the Season, not just the day. That does not mean

buy more stuff; it means don’t try to get every thought, card, cocktail, or dinner done by December 25th. Spread it out and pace yourself. It will be a GIFT. Can non-profits ask you in any more aggressive ways to share your wealth? We are surrounded. Yes, it might be a tax benefit. Maybe not. ‘Tis the Season for giving and we non-profits are like sharks in the water. We smell blood. Relax, like the 12 Days of Christmas you have a whole year to give. There used to be a group called Christmas in July that would go around and do rebuilding projects. Don’t let guilt or competition wear you down. Paul actually said a good thing when he said: “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” Be modest in your personal purchases and give cheerfully. If there is no joy in giving then do not give. Find balance and don’t let the mass marketing of non-profits guilt you into anything. If you are so inclined, fine; if not. that is good too. Your real gift is yourself and how you treat one another. So, be kind, show courtesy, remain modest in your expenditures. It will be a GIFT. If estrangement is the shadow of this Season then discord is the roiling seas. There is a very old passage that said, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.” Such is the standard of real believers. One of the hardest things to do is to forgive a trespass by family or friends or lovers or even strangers. Yet, forgiving or asking forgiveness is not just a Holy thing to do but it is heroic and therapeutic. Perhaps you may want to consider this “giving season”, a time of for-giving. A time to release yourself from an old wound, a time to heal and be healed. Doing so will, yes, be

a GIFT. For our faith tradition, i.e. Christian, this is currently the Season of Advent; Christmas will come soon enough. Advent is a powerful season. It is about hope and expectations in the midst of turmoil and darkness. One of the larger symbols of Advent is not that cute calendar with all the little doors (though I do love them) but rather the candle. There are four Advent candles in a stand and one more is “The Christ Light”. The four are lit one at a time over the four Sundays of Advent. Each candle is a symbol of the increased hope and light of holiness. Each candle stands respectively for Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy. An Advent litany for Hope might look like this: When I look around, I see shadows of hunger. So many people in this city and around the world will go to bed hungry tonight… When I look around, I see shadows of injustice, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, everyone saying, “Buy, buy, buy!” and someone somewhere will fall asleep under a

bridge tonight…. In the face of hunger, we light a candle of hope… In the face of injustice, in the face of despair, we light a candle of hope… (Light the first candle in your Advent wreath.) Let the light from this candle say to all that God’s hope is coming on earth as it already is in heaven. Friends, be not afraid, God’s hope is at hand! Brothers, sisters, bears, otters, Queens and Kings THE Hope, GOD’S Hope, is in our own hands and if we hold to it tightly it becomes a reality. Hope for what is pure and good and true and that which respects the dignity of all human beings. Hope for yourself that you will know in absolute terms that you are a pleasing and sacred vessel. Hope for the person next to you that they too will know that they are loveable and that such does not depend on appearances but on the heart. HOPE LOUDLY! It will be the greatest gift of all.

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Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com So many reasons this year too be thankful -- good health, family and friends. But another reason for my gratitude is we live in an incredible city with a incredible LGBT community which affords us the opportunity to enjoy so many events, parties and festivals on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis. I always spend Thanksgiving out of town every year (see Ambush on the Road), but I managed to eke out a few great events before my trip starting with the National Association of Caterers and Events’ fundraiser at Generations Hall the week before Thanksgiving on Wednesday. The theme of their funfilled soiree was Brunch After Dark with some of the proceeds benefiting Food for Friends. The premise was brilliant--the organization basically created a brunch event in the evening. There were over a dozen restaurants on hand offering brunch-themed cocktails (like Bloody Mary’s) and dishes. Guests were greeted with champagne served from a beautifully dressed model in one of those champagne dresses where the skirt holds the glasses. There was a

photo booth and two glitter stations. I love these new interactive stations popping up at events. I had my eyes and face glittered up in a rainbow themed motif. This went well with the entertainment for the evening which was a drag show hosted by Countess C. Alice. What an amazing night and on a Wednesday (this is why I love this city). That Friday, the New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (or NOAGE) held their annual fundraiser at the Aquarium of the Americas and it was quite a magical night. Guests entered and were greeted by the lovely Merry Antoinettes, a sexy King Neptune and the melodious sounds of Yisrael. VIP patrons were gifted with a special hand-blown glass necklace in the shape of an oyster shell. Guests partied the evening away in the Mayan Ruins and Shark Tank areas. DJ Menace kept the dance floor full as guests danced beside the prominent shark tank that gave a surreal blue glow to the room. There was lots of food, free flowing libations, silent auction and photo booth. In addition to the festivities, NO-

AGE president Jason Waguespack presented the NOAGE Trailblazer award to lifelong PFLAG volunteers Julie Thompson and Joe Melcher. Their service to PFLAG and the community at large has been immeasurable. Recently they retired after being on the board for many decades. Congrats to Julie and Joe for being an inspiration and major contributor to our LGBT community. I have been a part of this organization since joining the board last year, and I cannot sing their praises enough. This organization not only brings networking and social opportunities to LGBT elders, but provides education to businesses that deal with this target audience. And what is so wonderful about NOAGE is that it is not just for people over 65, it is for everyone. Let’s face it no one gets younger no matter how much botox you do. NOAGE helps people of any age learn about all aspects of their future from health to financial planning. What I love is taking away the stigma of getting old in the gay community. The LGBT community gets a bad wrap (and in some cases deservedly so) about being youth driven. NOAGE does not

see age, just people and truly that is all that really matters. Go to www.noagenola.org to find out more or to become a member. It is such a nominal investment (only $25 annually) for your future. Because I had not gotten the party bug out of my system, later that night, I went to Bearlesque at the Phoenix hosted by Trey Ming. This show was fun and the guys were all great. I love a show that disrupts stereotypes and this show definitely did that, proving that all body types can be sexy. The following week before I left for Thanksgiving vacation, I attended another show at The Phoenix on Tuesday called Crave once again hosted by Trey Ming upstairs. OMG, go to this show! It’s a mixture of theatre, burlesque and a lot of naughtiness. It amps up the sexiness to frenzied proportions. I am not going to go into much detail about it, but keep a lookout for it. That covers my in-town fun for the weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Now check out Ambush on the Road to see what mischief I found away from the Crescent City.

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI The Corner Pocket PHOTOS BY JEREMY

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Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

On Your Feet! and Elf at the Saenger Theatre

On Your Feet! has concluded its run at the Saenger but its tour will be continuing for many months. If you’re a Gloria Estefan fan, don’t miss it because, as jukebox musicals go, it’s well done and very entertaining. Approaching On Your Feet!, I wasn’t sure if it would be more like The Four Seasons bio-musical Jersey Boys, which I found “soap opera-y” and “more history lesson than dramatic narrative,” or the Carole King bio-musical Beautiful, which turned out to be “interesting, satisfying and a delight!” Happily, Estefan’s Feet! has more in common with King than Frankie Valli. Who knew? Alexander (Birdman) Dinelaris’ book proficiently, if dutifully, tells the story of young Gloria’s discovery by Emilio Estefan; how they merged both professionally and personally; the challenges their band, Miami Sound Machine, faced as they tried to cross over; and the accident that nearly ended Gloria’s career.

It’s not a subtle narrative and there are some clunky moments (I wouldn’t have missed the duet between Gloria and a younger version of her father as older Dad lays in a bed nearby, dying), but Dinelaris laces it with humor and actually manages to give some dramatic tension (“Will mainstream DJs give MSM’s Latin-beat songs air time?!”) to the Estefans’ scandal-free careers. And the Act One finale that tells how Conga became a hit, involving bar mitzvahs and Italian weddings, elicits smiles of absolute delight. Accompanied by the superb orchestra, which includes five members of the original Miami Sound Machine, Estefan’s chart-topping hits, including Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, 1-2-3, and Get On Your Feet sound great. I could’ve done without a few of the anodyne ballads, however, especially the one that vitiates the emotional mood that Dinelaris’ dialog artfully creates when Gloria’s estranged mother visits her injured daughter in the hospital. But any show that features sizzling Tropical Latin numbers highlighted by Sergio Trujillo’s exhilarating feet-flying and body-spinning choreography, gets a hearty thumbs-up from me.

Mauricio Martinez and Christie Prades in On Your Feet! Christie Prades completely embodies Gloria Estefan; if, despite her fine singing, it’s not the most showy performance, blame that on Estefan who, with degrees in psychology and French, is probably the least diva-like diva. Handsome Mauricio Martinez displays Emilio Estefan’s steadfastness and warmth that drew Gloria to him, while layering this with his single-minded ambition that occasionally comes between him and his wife. Alma Cuervo, that fine underrated actress (and Tulane grad), makes Consuelo, Gloria’s abuela (grandmother), a bastion of support and understanding. As Gloria’s mother, the show’s quasi-villain (along with racist record label execs), Nancy Ticotin vividly demonstrates the talent that could’ve propelled her into a showbiz career had her father not put the kibosh on it, and also delineates the hardened carapace of frustration, and perhaps jealousy, that develops from this as her daughter becomes a superstar. For her hospital bed rapprochement with her daughter, Ticotin admirably avoided all melodrama. Will On Your Feet! change your life? Probably not. But, by the end of this fun evening, you’ll certainly be on your feet bopping along to the heat of the beat. Sweet. Coming to the Saenger Dec. 1823 is ELF, the musical tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to

find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. Based on the 2003 hit movie, ELF features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). Ho-Ho-Ho!

New in New York

Surprise! Those heading to New York City in the next month or so will have a plethora of plays on Broadway to indulge in and enjoy. “How many is a plethora?” you ask. Four to be exact. Which when it comes to worthy plays on Broadway is indeed a plethora. Aye, there are plenty o’ boozin’n’brawlin’ Irishmen in The Ferryman (Bernard Jacobs Theatre), but they make up just a small portion of Jez Butterworth’s magnificent portrait of a multi-generational, extended family dealing with love, politics and the Troubles in rural Northern Ireland in the early 1980s. Its more than three hour running-time flies by in the blink of a banshee’s eye. Anyone who has a friend or relative succumbing to dementia should see The Waverly Gallery (Golden Theatre, thru Jan. 27), Kenneth Lonergan’s compassionate dramedy about a Greenwich Village art dealer slowly fading and the effects this has on her family. The legendary Elaine May makes a triumphant return to the stage as the grandmother of Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges, in a sterling Broadway debut. Savvy editor Cherry Jones ref-

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

erees between experienced essayist Bobby Cannavale and neophyte, yet tenacious, fact-checker Daniel Radcliffe (sporting an immaculate American accent) in The Lifespan of a Fact (Studio 54, thru Jan. 13). Based on a true story, you won’t want this engrossing play of ideas to end. Set in a Miami police station, audiences gasp at the shattering conclusion of American Son (Booth Theatre, thru Jan. 27). This 80-minute drama about a divorced, mixed-race couple whose teenaged son doesn’t come home one night flirts with cliche and tempts logic throughout, but the all too timely topic grips your attention and Kerry Washington, with hair pulled back and no make-up, gives a raw, galvanizing performance. What made this plethora even better? That for each show, I got a $40 Rush ticket on the day of the performance, sometimes sitting in the mezzanine/balcony, sometimes in the orchestra’s front row! When curtains aren’t up, the City’s museums and galleries can easily keep you very busy. One of New York’s newest mu seums, Spyscape, sits on a nondescript stretch of 8th Avenue (928 8th Ave. at 55th St.) in Midtown near a bunch of fast food restaurants, almost hiding in plain sight. Inside, interactive spy challenges combine with a compact, but richly filled exhibition that touches on all aspects of espionage from the 1940s to the present day. Topics are covered in discrete sections starting with “Encryption” which focuses on Germany’s WWII Enigma machine and how Alan Turing conquered it. Display labels don’t mince words about Turing’s homosexuality and what happened to him after the War despite his being “a man so important in the defeat of Hitler.” Next comes “Deception” which details Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services against the United States from 1979 to 2001. His actions seem like something out of a movie. In fact, they provided the basis for Breach (2007); costumes and props from the flick can be seen. “Surveillance” follows with an emphasis on bugs and Edward Snowden. You may get a little creeped out by the extent of governmental and corporate surveillance, but it’s also enlightening as we learn how journalistic surveillance revealed terrible de facto slavery in the Southeast Asian fishing industry in what turned out to be Pulitzer Prize-winning work. By the time I got to “Hacking” with profiles of Anonymous, LulzSec, and Jake Davis (aka Topiary) who was arrested as a teenager for a high profile cyber attack, I was getting a little crazy and thought “Maybe I’ll just stick with paper and pencil from now on.” Things then circle back to WWII

with all sorts of James Bond-like gadgets on view and a fascinating portrait of American Virginia Hill, nicknamed “The Limping Lady”, who, despite her disability, was known as “The Most Dangerous Allied Agent in France.” The exhibition ends with “Intelligence” which shows how such work impacted the Cuban missile crisis. All sorts of tape recorders, cameras and radios of various sizes used in spying can be seen here as well. Along the way, using your special spy bracelet to log in, you can take all sorts of fun and intriguing tests of brainpower, risk tolerance, surveillance skills, and personality to see what kind of spying you’re best suited for. It was determined that I should be an “Intelligence Analyst” which sounded fairly safe. That was fine with me. It’s all very well done and informative, though one might conclude from it that spying only started in the mid-twentieth century. Just a little material about, say, Civil War spies or Elizabethan or Greek ones might’ve put things in even better perspective. Staff people abound in case you have questions or need help finding the bathroom. Give yourself about two hours for viewing plus time to check out the well-stocked and very cool gift store. Fans of Diane Arbus should definitely check out the David Zwirner Gallery (537 W. 20 St. thru Dec. 15) for the first complete presentation of her Untitled series. The 66 images, some never before exhibited, were made at residences for people with developmental disabilities, places Arbus repeatedly returned to for picnics, dances, and at Halloween between 1969 and 1971, the last years of her life. Filled with lyrical tenderness, the New York Times called the collection “mysterious and haunting” and “one of the towering achievements of American art.” This is a rare, not-to-be missed opportunity. Also not-to-be missed is Charles White: A Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (11 W. 53 St. thru Jan. 13), a spectacular overview of White’s art from the 1930s through his premature death in 1979. White’s penetrating portraits of African-Americans range from celebrities, such as Mahalia Jackson and Harry Belafonte, to workers to a joyful image of a man with arms spread titled O Freedom. And at the Frick Museum (1 E. 70 St.) Luigi Valadier: Splendor in Eighteenth-Century Rome (thru Jan. 20) showcases extraordinary works in silver and bronze including a full table centerpiece, or deser (c. 1778), in which, atop a gilt-bronze base inlaid with precious stones, Valadier recreated temples, triumphal arches, columns, and other miniature representations of ancient Roman monuments; any Garden District mansion would kill for this. Equally splendid are silver statues

Aston Martin DB5 used in the James Bond movie GoldenEye (1995) on display at Spyscape. of six saints (1768-73) that Valadier created for the top of the altar for the Cathedral of Monreale, in Sicily. This is the first time these awesome statues have been displayed outside of Monreale. Need I say more?

Curtain Up

Ring in the holidaze with Trinket (Margeaux Fanning) and Celeste (Tracey Collins), the bestest of frenemies, who are on the outs with each other on Xmas Eve in da Quarter. Will they be able to reconcile before the tolling of the fateful bell? Find out at The Mutilated (Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., Dec. 7–22) which promises to be a Tennessee Williams Musical Holiday Spectacular...or at least a good ol’ Christmas cat fight! Those who prefer heartwarming holidays should head to Le Petit (616 St. Peter St., Dec. 7–23) for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Seen this cheering classic umpteen times already? Even if you have, I’m sure it’ll be a treat to see the uber-talented Bob Edes as the miserly moneylender Ebeneezer Scrooge. More uber-talents abound in the middle of the month. On December 14 at Café Istanbul (2372 St. Claude Ave.) international drag chanteuse and petty criminal Varla Jean Merman pairs with Deven Green (aka Mrs. Betty Bowers) for Jingle Balls!, an evening of inappropriate, never-before-heard holiday songs which will never be heard again. Not only will there be duets but certainly a threesome of delights, musical and otherwise. “Guaranteed to make you soil yourself with laughter!” I expect nothing will be soiled when Christine Ebersole, two-time Tony Award-winner for Grey Gardens and 42nd Street, headlines the Broadway @ NOCCA (2800 Chartres St.) concert series on December 15. Seth

Rudetsky will join her as music director/host and Scott Frankel, composer of Grey Gardens and War Paint, will make a special guest appearance. With their unique mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories prompted by Rudetsky’s questions and songs associated with the featured artists’ careers, these shows spoil any audience fortunate enough to see them. Not sure if she’ll spoil us or soil us but Lady Bunny is coming to town on Dec. 17 at the AllWays Lounge (2240 St. Claude Ave.) with glitzy outfits and sky-high wigs for The Stockings were HUNG! Not sure what’ll be stuffed in those stockings, but when she was here two years ago in Trans-Jester I found her transgressive wit and sunshiny naughtiness, her wry commonsense and joyful irreverence, to be “vital antidotes to these troubling times.” I hope and suspect nothing of Bunny has changed. The next night, Dec. 18, at Café Istanbul, Daniel Nardicio presents the New Orleans debut of “Pricasso” penis painter Brent Ray Fraser with his holiday show XXXmas. Canadian native Fraser, a self-described “artsexual performance artist” and one of the world’s only two penis painters, has been painting with his pecker and other body parts for the better part of a decade. I understand those in the front row may be gifted with an asstounding canvas. And for tamer family fun, head to The Lighthouse Building (743 Camp St., Dec. 22-30) for The Radical Buffoon(s) production of Balloonacy that in a jubilant 60 minutes wonders, “What if all anyone needed to rekindle their happiness was a single, solitary balloon?” I wonder how Varla Jean Merman and Lady Bunny would answer that... Please send press releases and notices of your upcoming shows to Brian Sands at bsnola2@hotmail.com.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 27

COMMUNITY VOICE

Choose Hope

Pastor Allie Rowland Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans alisan.rowloand@gmail.com What steals your joy during the holiday season? Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas, or just enjoy the tradition of Santa Claus, the holiday season affects most of us. And there are times when we just don’t feel the joy of the season in the way that we did before. It might be the consumerism of the holiday season (the expectation to be able to buy gifts when you may not have the income). It might be the long lines--everywhere--at the post office and at events (not just at stores). This might be the first holiday without a certain parent, family member, or other loved one. It might be that you don’t feel what you used to feel, the excitement and wonder of waiting for Santa Claus, or the breathtaking delight of love and lights of a Christmas Eve service. Of course, I respect the religious beliefs of other communities in New Orleans, but my own background is a Christian one. If you identify as Chris-

tian, you might see those “Keep the Christ in Christmas” signs and wonder where is Christ in the midst of all that is happening in the world today. But I have good news. And that is that nobody, and I mean nobody, can steal the hope of the holidays from you--not even the Grinch! Oh, he tried. Those of you who are familiar with the 1966 animated version of the Dr. Suess story How the Grinch Stole Christmas already know that the Grinch tried to steal Whoville’s Christmas. His heart was two sizes too small and he had been hating Christmas for 53 years. He couldn’t stand all the joy of the Whovillagers at Christmas. He didn’t feel that joy and he wanted it to stop. The Grinch stole all of their decorations, their food, their Christmas trees, their presents--everything!--leaving not even a crumb behind. And the Grinch was certain that he could steal their Christmas. He knew that they would feel despair, and that their Christmas would be ruined. But the Whoville people had some-

thing that the Grinch didn’t realize they had. They had something that he didn’t understand at that moment. What they had was hope. Their loss and their grief didn’t overwhelm them. What did the people of Whoville do? They sang beautiful songs; they held hands. They reveled in love! Because Christmas was not about the food, or the decorations, or the presents. It was all about the love. A love that, in fact, when the Grinch experienced it, caused his heart to grow three sizes! But that doesn’t mean that the Whoville’s hope wasn’t tested. Sometimes it’s the challenges that come up for us that remind us that hope is a choice we make. For Christians, the miracle of Christmas, of the birth of Jesus, is also a miracle of hope. And the presence of that hope belongs to us. It’s not something that can be stolen or taken from us. That unconditional love is a reality, whether we get the blues during the holiday season or not. It doesn’t matter if our holiday dinner gets burned, if we don’t receive the present from San-

ta we were hoping for, or if we’re not feeling festive, because we can always choose to have hope the way the people of Whoville did. When in your life did you choose to be hopeful, even when your current circumstances didn’t cause you to feel hopeful? What did it feel like to choose hope in that moment? What did it feel like to trust in the best possible outcome? I understand that the ultimate outcome may not have been exactly what you wanted. But sometimes choosing hope gives us the peace of mind we need to overcome a difficult situation, and to process grief and move forward. If your hope is based in love, you cannot go wrong no matter what! Whatever this holiday season brings you, however you choose to celebrate and whomever you choose to celebrate with, choose hope. Choose to be hopeful for those around you who need to be reminded. And as you do you will help bring the wonder, and the peace, and the joy of the holiday season to those around you!

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS Returning to School as an Adult? How to Fund Tuition Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com Millions of Americans in the work529 Plans. A tax-advantaged 529 force are heading back to school to college savings plan is typically used further their education. According to as a savings vehicle for future eduthe National Center for Education Stacation needs of children or grandchiltistics, 3.5 million students enrolled in dren. But you can also establish a 529 college for fall 2016 were age 35 and for your own education or tap unused older. These adult learners are enrollassets you established in a child’s acing for a variety of reasons – to earn count for your own expenses. an MBA or master’s degree to improve Tuition reimbursement. Returntheir growth in their current job; to train ing to school is particularly attractive for a new career; or to satisfy an urge if your employer offers a tuition reimto expand their knowledge base. If you bursement program. In practical terms, decide additional education is the right this means you could further your edoption for you, be aware that college ucation and potentially improve your costs are on the rise. How will you pay job and career prospects at a reduced for it? Here are some options to concost to you. Important caveats may template: be tied to the reimbursement, such as Your savings. Consider what savonly covering tuition for coursework in ings you may have available to put toan area relevant to your current role or ward tuition. If your return to school is requiring you to remain with your emstill a semester or two away, start setployer for a period of time after comting aside specific savings you can use pleting your education. Check with for this purpose. Be sure to account for your human resources department to the cost of books, technology and other see what benefits are available to you. fees your school of choice may require. Grants and scholarships. There Resist the urge to tap into your retireis no age limit to qualify for federal fiment accounts. While it may be temptnancial aid. Financial need dictates the ing, you have other sources of funds to ability to qualify for grants at the federal pay for school that are not available to level, which may limit your opportunipay for your retirement. ties. However, you may also be able

to find scholarships from other sources that apply specifically for older students. Your school’s financial aid office is often a helpful resource. Loans. Adult students are eligible to take out traditional student loans. If you do, be thoughtful about the amount you borrow and diligent about repaying them quickly after graduation. You may be able to deduct a portion of the student loan interest from your gross income, subject to certain limitations. Tax credits. There may be opportunities to reduce your tax bill if you qualify for education-related tax credits. For example, the Lifetime Learning Credit is a tax credit of up to $2,000 per tax return for qualifying higher education expenses (income limits apply). Which option – or combination of options – is right for you? Enrolling as a full-time student means higher upfront costs and a bigger time commitment. Yet, it can result in a degree or certification faster, which may be ideal if you are eligible for a higher-paying position afterward or if you are funding your schooling through scholarships and loans. If you choose to complete a class

at a time, your education will take longer. Financially, this could allow you to absorb tuition and fees into your regular budget or pull the funds from a 529 account that is earning investment income in the meantime. Additionally, doing so may maximize your tax credit and reimbursement options.

No matter how you fund higher education, consider how the cost fits within your overall financial strategy. A good place to start is to sit down with a financial advisor to discuss how you can prioritize school amid your other financial goals.

Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA®, is a Financial Advisor with Waterfront Wealth Management, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He specializes in addressing the unique needs of the diverse LGBTQ community, fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies, and has been in practice for 11 years.

28 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Oz New Orleans PHOTOS BY DWAIN HERTZ #OZNEWORLEANS & SUBMITTED BY PERSANA SHOULDERS

OZ New Orleans 2-story, 24/7 gay dance club with DJs, drag shows, go-go dancers & a balcony for people-watching.

OPENING HOURS

FRI, SAT & SUN: 24/7 MON–THURS: Opens at 1PM

ADDRESS 800 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA Phone: (504) 593-9491 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 29

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We want to hear from you if you are a working or aspiring journalist interested in covering topics meaningful to the LGBTQ community.

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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. Café Lafitte in Exile is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the United States. 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. Designed for a casual night out or a quiet evening with that special someone, we offer a wide selection of liquor, beer, and the world renowned Separator. GRANDPRE’S, 834 N. Rampart St., 267.3615, Facebook.com/grandpres KAJUN’S PUB, 2256 St. Claude Ave., 947.3735, KajunPub.COM MAG’S 940, 940 Elysian Fields Ave., 948.1888 NAPOLEON’S ITCH, 734 Bourbon St., 237-4144 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. Leather, Dark Rooms, & Bears All Around. You can feel the throb of excitement and smell it in the air. This isn’t just a bar. This is an experience! 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

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

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. More than just a hardware store, Mary’s Ace French Quarter Hardware also features an extensive selection of kitchen and bath items upstairs.

accommodations

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

30 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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, P.O. Box 2587, LaPlace, LA 70069, 522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; email: info@ambushpublishing.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 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, 433 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119, www. armeinius.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 Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans (MCCNO), 5401 S. Claiborne Ave — Pastor Alisan Rowland: New Orleans first LGBTQ church welcomes you to join us for our weekly Sunday worship services at 10:00 AM, where we celebrate God’s Love for everyone.

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.

photography

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

restaurants

Metairie, LA [504]

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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. Since 1939, our quirky, cozy, unique diner has been home to the best breakfasts & burgers on Bourbon Street–maybe even the whole French Quarter! 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

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

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Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2018 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 31

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Tony Leggio AT THE LORDS OF LEATHER TURNABOUT SHOW | PHOTOS BY TRENT

SNAP PAPARAZZI Armeinius Pictures AT THEIR HOLIDAY PARTY AT MICHAEL SHLENKER & DON SCHWENN’S HOUSE | NOTMC PRESIDENT MARK ROMIG PRESENTING A SIGNED STORYBOARD FEATURING ARMEINIUS THAT WAS USED IN THEIR TRICENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN. | PHOTOS BY KEVIN KEMENGER

Beautifully Renovated Historic Cottage 5036 N. Rampart St. ∙ 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1760 SF ∙ $239,000 This recently renovated home offers an expansive patio, ample yard space, off street parking and tons of natural light. Hardwood floors, tall ceilings and crown molding create the authentic Creole Cottage feel while offering an updated open floor plan. The master suite has a large walk-in closet, georgous bath and opens onto the patio. +1 504-777-1773 ∙ Michael.Styles@evusa.com

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Engel & Völkers New Orleans ∙ +1 504-875-3555 ∙ neworleans@evusa.com 722 Martin Behrman Ave., Metairie, LA 70005 ©2018 Engel & Völkers. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Licensed in Louisiana.

32 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

STONEWALL SPORTS End of Kickball Season 5 KICKBALL SEASON 5 PLAYER AWARDS Kick Ass Kicker Benny Dorris (Kicks R Us) Fielder Ashely Behrens (Suck My Kick)

Happy Birthday, Brian! | Photo by Andre Guidry

Power Pitcher Patrick Taplin (Kick Tease) Courageous Catcher Tyler Moreland (Nine Inch Males) Biggest Spirit Cameron Tillman (The Wannabes) Radiant Rookie Mia Fredricks (The Wannabes)

Kicks R Us celebrate their first place victory. | Photo by Sebastien Bonnot Pitches Be Crazy and Pitch Don’t Kill My Vibe in the Bracket B Championship Game. Way to play for it all! | Photo by Nick Borne

Great game but the AfterTHOTS couldn’t hold back Pitch Don’t Kill My Vibe. | Photo by Kenny Oubre

Insanely Improved Zach Booth (AfterTHOTS) Super Stonewaller Kyle Simmons (Fancy Nancies) Captain of the Season Brian Faiker (Suck My Kick)

“Pitches love Hoes” | Photo by Mike Gurrola-Coner

No playoff? No problem as Sugar Bowl gets Georgia-Texas matchup Lenny Vangilder, Crescent City Sports NEW ORLEANS – Even in a year when the Allstate Sugar Bowl is not a College Football Playoff semifinal, this year’s matchup between fifth-ranked Georgia and No. 15 Texas, which was announced Sunday afternoon, checks just about every box. *Teams who have not been to the game recently? Double check. Georgia last played in the Sugar Bowl after the 2007 season, Texas in 1995. *Easy travel? Absolutely. Fans of both schools can be here in less than a day’s drive or a one-hour non-stop flight. Both campuses sit a little more than 500 miles from New Orleans. *Passionate fan bases? According to Sugar Bowl chief operating officer Jeff Hundley, there was more Texas orange than Oklahoma crimson at Saturday’s Big XII title game in Arlington, Texas, and Louisiana fans remember how Georgia traveled to their regular-season game against LSU in October. About the only downside is both teams come into the game off losses in their conference championship games.

Georgia’s was probably tougher to absorb than Texas, letting a 14-point lead against top-ranked Alabama slip away in a 35-28 loss that would have certainly landed the Bulldogs in the CFP for a second consecutive year. Even with the loss to the Tide, there were some experts who thought the 11-2 Bulldogs passed the eye test and belonged in the playoff ahead of one-loss conference champions Oklahoma, who got the No. 4 slot, and Ohio State. Once the Sooners made the playoff field, that set up Texas (9-4) to be the Big 12 rep in New Orleans. This will be the third all-time bowl matchup between the Longhorns and Bulldogs. Coincidentally, each of the three has occurred in 35-year increments – the 1949 Orange Bowl, the 1984 Cotton Bowl and now the 2019 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Additionally, the teams are scheduled to meet in a home-and-home regular season series in 2028 and 2029. The 85th Allstate Sugar Bowl will kick off at 7:45 p.m. on New Year’s Day

inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. College Football Playoffs/New Year’s Six Pairings “New Year’s Six” Bowls PlayStation Fiesta, Jan. 1, 12 p.m. CT – LSU vs. UCF Chick-fil-A Peach, Dec. 29, 11 a.m. CT – Florida vs. Michigan Rose pres. by Northwestern Mutual, Jan. 1, 4 p.m. CT – Washington vs. Ohio St. Allstate Sugar, Jan. 1, 7:45 p.m. CT – Texas vs. Georgia CFP Semifinals Capital One Orange, Dec. 29, 3 or 7 p.m. CT, No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma Goodyear Cotton, Dec. 29, 3 or 7 p.m., No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame College Football Playoff Final Rankings Rank, Team, Record 1. Alabama, 13-0 2. Clemson, 13-0 3. Notre Dame, 12-0 4. Oklahoma, 12-1 5. Georgia, 11-2

6. Ohio St., 12-1 7. Michigan, 10-2 8. UCF, 12-0 9. Washington, 10-3 10. Florida, 9-3 11. LSU, 9-3 12. Penn St., 9-3 13. Washington St., 10-2 14. Kentucky, 9-3 15. Texas, 9-4 16. West Virginia, 8-3 17. Utah, 9-4 18. Mississippi St., 8-4 19. Texas A&M, 8-4 20. Syracuse, 9-3 21. Fresno St., 11-2 22. Northwestern, 8-5 23. Missouri, 8-4 24. Iowa St., 8-4 25. Boise St., 10-3 This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 33

Tulane to face Louisiana-Lafayette in Orlando’s AutoNation Cure Bowl Tom Symonds, Crescent City Sports Green Wave will take on the Sun Belt Conference Championship runner-up Louisiana NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University football team announced today that it has accepted a bid to play in the 2018 AutoNationCure Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game will be played on Dec. 15 at 12:30 p.m. (CT) inside Camping World Stadium and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network. Tulane fans can purchase tickets for the 2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl by clicking here or by calling the ticket office at 504-861-WAVE (9283) on Monday at 8:30 a.m. “This will truly be an outstanding opportunity for our young men to compete in a first-class bowl game,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “Orlando is a fantastic city, has a wonderful stadium and our opponent will provide a tremendous challenge. We look forward to our week in Orlando.” Tulane, which earned a share of the AAC West Division title following its win over Navy on November 24, will

face Louisiana, which finished as the runner-up in the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship game. Tulane earned a bowl bid for just the 12th time in its 125-year program history. The last time the Green Wave competed in a bowl was in 2013 when they played in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, also against Louisiana. The Green Wave’s trip to Florida for the Cure Bowl will mark the first time since 2002 that Tulane has left the state to take part in a bowl game. “We are excited to accept an invitation to participate in the 2018 Auto Nation Cure Bowl in Orlando,” Ben Weiner Director of Athletics Chair Troy Dannen said. “The Cure Bowl is recognized for the outstanding experience it offers the participating teams, and its location is convenient for our significant fan and alumni bases along the Gold Coast and the Sun Coast. Advancing to the 12th bowl game in our 125 years of football history and just the fourth in the last three decades is validation of the progress coach Willie

Fritz has made in building a competitive foundation for Tulane football. We look forward to continuing to build upon this progress and setting a standard of bowl eligibility on a consistent basis.” The Green Wave’s Cure Bowl invitation came after they finished with a 4-1 record to close out the year. Tulane’s 4-1 finish to end the regular season was its best record in its final five games since 1998. “We are excited to welcome the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the Tulane Green Wave to the 2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl,” President of the Orlando Sports Foundation Kay Stanney said. “We are looking forward to this Bayou Battle coming to Orlando. The last time these two in-state rivals played was an epic four-overtime clash. We are excited that our Bowl Week will have a Louisiana flare.” Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.

Follow Tulane football on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @GreenWaveFB. Fans also follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. WE ARE NOLA BUILT Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, all-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com. This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

Tigers, Green Wave headed to new bowl destinations Lenny Vangilder, Crescent City Sports LSU will make their first appearance at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on New Year’s Day 2019. LSU has never been west of Texas for a bowl game. Tulane has never played in a bowl game in the Eastern time zone. That is, until this year. The 11th-ranked Tigers will head

to Arizona and the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl to take on undefeated UCF on New Year’s Day, while the Green Wave will meet an in-state opponent in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Dec. 15 in the AutoNation Cure Bowl. For both programs, Sunday’s news marks a significant accomplishment, besides the destination. LSU hasn’t played in a New Year’s

Six bowl game or its predecessor, a BCS bowl, since losing to Alabama in the BCS national championship game in January 2012. Tulane is playing in its 12th bowl game all-time and gets to make a bowl trip for the first time since it made the long flight to the 2002 Hawai’i Bowl. As for the Ragin’ Cajuns, they will leave the state for a bowl game for the first time ever, after making five trips to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. As Green Wave coach Willie Fritz discussed his first bowl team at Tulane Sunday afternoon, much of the conversation was about who would be calling plays. Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Alex Atkins will serve as interim offensive coordinator for the Cure Bowl, Fritz said. There is no specific timetable for hiring a permanent replacement for Doug Ruse, whose departure was announced on Tuesday. Fritz and the staff will also have to, for a good reason, juggle the recruiting schedule. The Cure Bowl falls on the final weekend prior to the early signing period, which begins Dec. 19. Still, Fritz said he expects to sign a full allotment of 25 players during the early period. As of Sunday, 10 players have verbally committed to the Wave. “We’ve gotten a really good response (from recruits) to our season,” Fritz said. Even though Tulane has not faced conference rival UCF the last two years

during its 25-game winning streak, it is intimately familiar with LSU’s bowl opponent. “I wish UCF would have had an opportunity to make the (College Football Playoff),” Fritz said. “They’re a good team. I remember when we played them my first year, I was very impressed with the athletes they had. Coach (Scott) Frost did a great job and Coach (Josh) Heupel’s done a super job. “Coach Ed (Orgeron) and his staff are going to do a great job of preparation, but they’ve got a good ballclub they’re going to be playing.” For Tulane, which went 6-6 in the regular season, the Cure Bowl is the difference between a winning and losing campaign. “That’s a big deal,” Fritz said. “I told them, getting prepared for this game and playing the very best we can and winning the game is first (priority), then it’s second, then it’s second, then it’s third, then it’s fourth, then it’s fifth.” Fritz reached his right hand down to the bottom of the podium. “Having a good time, that’s down here,” he said. “We want to go out and represent Tulane University and our conference the right way.” This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 4 – 17, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com