Ambush Magazine Volume 36 Issue 26 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 26

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018

www.AMBUSHMAG.com

King Cake Queen XXV Announced & Happy New Years

KING CAKE QUEEN XXV TIFFANY ALEXANDER SILVER ANNIVERSARY QUEEN PAGE 14

Lisa Beaumann Honor Showcase Fundraiser & Second Line Jan 5 at Oz New Orleans 6PM - 10PM

$7000

Help us raise money for Southern Decadence 2019!

DONATIONS ACCEPTED AT THE BAR $100

o let t t u o b a Reba was not

Employee & Customer Appreciation Party

Dec. 19 6-9pm hosted by James, Monica, Gia, & Reba

E N O AN Y her

New Years Eve

Champagne Toast@12

t p u r r e iNt s a m t s i r ch sh o w !

Play Girlz

hosted by Gia GiaVanni

Fridays 10–11:30pm

The Music of

Senator Ken Fridays 7:30–9:30pm

The Music of the

Vanessa Carr Band

Saturdays 7:30–9:30pm

Divas R Us starring Monica

Dra ubil g e with ging f e: o r R Sun eba D Jesus day oug s at las 5pm

Synclaire-Kennedy

Saturdays 10–11:30pm

The Half-Assed Straight Boys

Jubilee: Dragging for Jesus with Reba Douglas Best L GBTQ

Sundays 5–7pm

Bar

Golden

The Official Home of Southern Decadence.

Sundays 3–9pm

Best Happy Hour

in the Quar ter!

THE

Lantern

1239 Royal St. New Orleans • facebook.com/GoldenLanternBar

HAPPY HOUR 8AM – 8PM DAILY

N E V E R A C O V E R AT THE GOLDEN LANTERN

THE “OFFICIAL” DISH by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, Another year is in the books and oh what a year it was! It’s always amazing to me how, as we get older, the time seems to fly by so fast. The last 12 months have been unlike any other. As someone who has lived in New Orleans basically my entire life, I have experienced many of the events that make gay life and culture so unique as compared to other cities around the world. From Gay Mardi Gras to the Gay Easter Parade to Pride to the Gay Appreciation Awards to Southern Decadence, New Orleans has a flavor all its own. This past year, I was able to experience many of these events from an entirely different viewpoint. To be able to see these events “from behind the curtain” has given me a new perspective on not only how hard individuals in the LGBT community work to ensure the success of these events but also

how vitally important traditions can be. In a world that sometimes has too much hate, it’s nice to live in a place where fantasy can become reality if only for a little while. So as we move into 2019, take the time to enjoy all that New Orleans and the Gulf South has to offer. Your next opportunity is right around the corner as we celebrate 12th Night and Carnival season! HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM AMBUSH On behalf of everyone on the Ambush team, we would like to wish you Happy Holidays! We hope that each and everyone one of you have a great Holiday Season with the ones you love. Take the time this season to let your friends and loved ones know just how much they mean to you. A kind word can go a long way in helping people know that others are thinking of them in what can be a lonely time for

Inside this Issue of Ambush Literary Spotlight: Saints and Sinners Literary Festival: Felice Picano

COMMENTARY: Bush, AIDS, and the Lens of History

Community Voice: Avoiding Holiday Loneliness and Isolation

Moments in Gay New Orleans History: Getting Our History Out of the Closet

Obituaries: Robert Burkhalter, Stan Gallien, Cha Cha Martinez, Douf Minich, & Sam Stewart

Obituary: Lisa Beaumann

10-11

Musings by Catherine: There’s Family and then, there’s Friend-Family

Announcement: King Cake Queen XXV, Tiffany Alexander

Under the GayDar: New Orleans Hot Happenings

14-17

Under the GayDar: Mobile Hot Happenings

Book of the Month: Crazy Rich Asians

Announcement: Baton Rouge Pride Plans Bowling with Pride

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with Ambush

Southern Decadence: Financial Information, Releases

Tricentennial Profiles in History: Pierre Rigaud de Cavagnial, Marquis de Vaudreuil

Book Review: Has the Gay Movement Failed?

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with Ambush

A Community within Communities: Christmastide

Party Down

Snap Paparazzi The Corner Pocket Trodding the Boards

25 26-27

Community Voice : Spiritual Joy

Financial & Business: Five Questions to Answer Before Buying a Second Home

Snap Paparazzi Oz New Orleans

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory Bartender of the Month: Tone from the Corner Pocket Snap Paparazzi Out & About

31-32 32 33 33-34

Sports

many in our community. NEW YEAR’S EVE In recent years, New Orleans has become one of the most popular destinations for New Year’s Eve. This year will be no different. If you are looking for a list of events check out our Hot Happenings section and the ads located throughout this issue. There are events for everyone both in and out of the French Quarter. We hope you have a great and safe NYE, and look forward to seeing everyone in 2019. AMBUSH MEDIA KITS FOR 2019 If you or anyone you know is interesting in advertising in Ambush, you can now find our updated media kit online at AmbushPublishing.com/media-kit/ We are happy to answer any questions you may have. We have ad sizes and rates for any budget. As we move into 2019 we will also begin online ads as well. You can reach someone on our sales team by sending an email to sales@ambushpublishing. com MARK YOUR CALENDARS 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 6pm 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. The Pussyfooters will have their annual Blush Ball at 8pm on Friday, January 25, at Generations Hall. Entertainment will be provided by BrassA-Holics and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Metro Centers for Community Advocacy. Tickets start at $40 and as always, costumes and Mardi Gras flair are encouraged. The Gay Easter Parade is always at 4:30pm on Easter Sunday. This year Easter Sunday is April 21. As we move into the 2019, we will have more information about the many fundraisers coordinated by the Gay Easter Parade Board. Every year the Gay Easter Parade is a fundraiser for a charity and this year will be the 20th Annual Gay Easter Parade. We have plans to make it the biggest and best yet!

Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 • Texas-Florida ANNUAL READERSHIP OVER 1M+ 260,000+ Print/780,000+ Online Official Gay Easter Parade Guide© Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide© Official Gay New Orleans Guide© Official Pride Guide© Official Southern Decadence Guide©

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.

Gulf South LGBTQ Entertainment & Travel Guide Since 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana info@ambushpublishing.com 4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 5

LITERARY SPOTLIGHT

Saints and Sinners Literary Festival: Felice Picano 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 brings together 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 New Orleans 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 A staple presence each year at the Festival is pioneering writer, Felice Picano. Picano’s new novel, Justify My Sins: A Hollywood Novel in Three Acts—his first in over fifteen years— will premiere at the Festival. The novel’s release date is March 31, but here’s a sneak peak. Victor Regina should be perfectly happy in New York City. His novels are best sellers, he has a kick-ass agent, and the upcoming Black Party at the exclusive Club Flamingo promises to be a cornucopia of gay desire. But New York is hard. The city is gripped by a winter that won’t quit, and although he has plenty of dishy friends, there is no lover in the picture. When his agent calls with an offer from Hollywood to adapt his latest novel, Justify My Sins, for a famous director, he jumps at the chance. In “El Lay,” the sun is warm, the food is fantastic, the men are plentiful and eager. It’s all so easy. So easy, in fact, that Victor begins to suspect there’s nothing quite real about it—not the quick affairs, not the luxurious cars

and ostentatious architecture, and certainly not the film script or scenario or treatment or whatever the hell it is everyone expects him to write. He begins to long for NYC, hard but real. Noted names and events of the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s intermingle with personal triumphs and private tragedies in this roman à clef with a heart. Picano exposes the clash between celebrity and integrity, the rivalry between love and lust, while showcasing the grittiness of Manhattan and the voluptuous of Hollywood. Through disastrous production meetings, steamy sex clubs, and encounters with friends who grow old, or strange, or both, Victor tries not once, not twice, but three times to find authenticity and contentment in a life that, while perhaps never fully justified, is fully lived. The author of many books and the winner of multiple awards, Felice Picano is perhaps best known for the novels The Lure and Like People in History (winner of the Ferro-Grumley award for Best Gay Novel, 1996), the memoir Nights at Rizzoli (Dirk Vanden Award for Best Autobiography/Memoir,

Felice Picano 2015), and collections of short stories, essays, and poetry. He is the recipient of a Violet Quill Life Achievement Award from the Tennessee Williams Festival, and a Lifetime Achievement/ Pioneer Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation.

COMMENTARY

Bush, AIDS, and the Lens of History Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com

George Herbert Walker Bush, 41st President of the United States, died on the eve of World AIDS Day. The timing of his death was not lost on AIDS activists and those who survived the darkest days of the epidemic which coincided with his Presidency. As the mainstream media lauded Bush with praises as a world leader and his decency as a human being, I found it curious that little mention, if any at all, was made of his neglect of the AIDS crisis. In addition, based on the news coverage, young people who were not around when Bush left office would have no idea that at the time, he was considered inept and out of touch. Newsweek even called him a wimp. They say newspapers are the first draft of history. The Bush who emerges from that first draft is nowhere close to the version now being re-written in the wake of his death. We know for a fact he was a WWII hero, having been shot down by the Japanese in the Pacific. No one would argue he was perhaps the most qualified man to ever assume the Presidency. And he was apparently a nice man who loved his family. That’s wonderful. We all hope for those qual-

ities in a President. But George H. W. Bush was far from perfect. Nowhere is this more evident than in his record, or lack thereof, on the growing threat of HIV/AIDS that plagued the country during his tenure as both Vice President and President. Urvashi Vaid, who led the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1989 to 1992, recently told NPR, “The Bush presidency on HIV/AIDS was mixed at best and marked by calculated indifference at worst.” As President, Bush did sign two major pieces of legislation that benefited people with AIDS—the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. Activists at the time, however, criticized him, arguing those two laws were not enough. The general consensus among AIDS advocates then was that Bush lacked a sense of urgency, that he utterly failed to provide any leadership whatsoever. Larry Kramer, founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, once said in an interview about Bush, “He hated us.” Most memorable was Bush’s stubborn refusal to reverse a Ronald Rea-

gan policy that prohibited people with HIV from entering the U.S. This policy resulted in the cancellation of a major international conference on AIDS that had been planned in the United States. Bush was also blasted for not funding research and educational efforts as well as for opposing a federally funded needle exchange program that would have helped slow down the spread of the disease. Bush rarely spoke of the epidemic and when he did, the thrust of his remarks was to suggest “behavioral change.” Hilary Rosen, who worked for the Human Rights Campaign during Bush’s presidency, said last week, “I know this week it feels like we’re the skunk at the ‘Celebrate George Bush’ party, but this was our reality. We were kids and our friends were dying and the government was ignoring it because they were gay,” she said. “He just didn’t lead at a time when we were desperate for leaders.” As stated in the New York Times, “By the end of his term, HIV infection was the leading cause of death for men in the United States from ages 25 to 44, according to the Centers for Dis-

ease Control and Prevention.” For the record, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of people who died of AIDS in the U.S. during George H.W. Bush’s presidency increased each year of his term in office and ultimately totaled 107,139. One of the greatest gifts history affords us is perspective. But perspective is relative. Compared to our current President, Bush was a saint. But from the point of view of those affected by AIDS, he was a monster. Whatever the final draft of Bush’s legacy will be, part of it will be that with regard to AIDS, he could have done more. A lot more.

Want to share your opinion? Submit your own Letter to the Editor to info@ ambushpublishing.com for consideration.

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

COMMUNITY VOICE

Avoiding Holiday Loneliness and Isolation Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org The holiday season can be a difficult time if you don’t have family in town, or if you’re single. If you find yourself in that position this year, there are some great events coming up that can help you stay connected. I’ve combed through a mountain of upcoming local holiday events. Here are some of your best bets: A Trip to the Theatre: The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans is putting on a hilarious “Xmas Spectacular” with their production of The Mutilated at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, through December 22. Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré is hosting a production of A Christmas Carol also through December 23. And what holiday season is complete without Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, The Nutcracker? New Orleans Ballet Theatre’s production is at the Orpheum Theater, again, through December 23; Delta Festival Ballet’s is at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on December 22 and 23. Screenings of Your Favorite Holiday Specials: The Prytania is showing favorites like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town through December 24, and they will host screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life on December 19 at 10:00AM and 7:30PM. Bar Redux will be hosting a screening of several of those same specials starting at 7:00PM on Christmas Eve. Festivals, Light Displays, and Bonﬁres: City Park’s Celebration in the Oaks is one of the most popular attractions of the year, with 25 acres of beautiful light displays, through January 1 (closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve). NOLA ChristmasFest, at the Convention Center, features ice-skating, carnival rides, gingerbread houses, decorated trees, and more, December 20-31. If you want to experience a real old-fashioned Louisiana Christmas, see the Bonﬁres on the Levee on Christmas Eve. There will be bonfires in various riverfront communities, but some of the biggest and best are in St. James Parish (Grammercy, Lutcher, Pauline, and others). You can see these by driving (or walking, if you’re more adventurous) along the East and West Bank River Roads (Hwy. 44 and

18, respectively). Gray Line Tours has a couple of bus-ride options if you’d rather not drive. Holiday Meals: NOAGE is hosting an Ugly Sweater Holiday Party at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church (1313 Esplanade Ave.) from 6:30-8:30PM on December 20. If you are able, please bring a dish (main dishes, meats, sides, soups, salads or vegan/vegetarian dishes, desserts, etc). But don’t worry if you can’t bring anything; we’ll be providing wine, hors d’oeuvres, and dessert. The person with the ugliest Christmas sweater will get a special prize, so do your worst! Please also consider bringing non-perishable food items for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. GrandPre’s (834 N. Rampart St.) is also hosting a potluck dinner at 4:00PM on Christmas Day. They have a sign-up sheet behind the bar, so if you’re able to stop by before the potluck be sure to let them know what you’re planning to bring. The New Orleans Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Ave.) is hosting a free community holiday meal from 6:008:00PM on December 18. The food will be provided by local chefs and caterers.

dent volunteers from Professors Red Tremmel and Krystal Cleary’s classes. The following was written by Mara Goldberg: The holidays are a truly magical time. Between the lights that twinkle outside the homes on St. Charles, the sound of Christmas music returning to stores, and the reflection and gratitude that inevitably follow during this time of year, the holiday season invokes feelings of joy for many. For the elderly community, the holidays can bring back feelings of nostalgia and isolation, as children become busy with their own children, and partners may have passed on. But I believe elders shouldn’t have to endure these feelings without ways to help defend themselves. Here are some of the “do’s” and “don’t’s” of battling loneliness this holiday season. DO: Reach out to friends and family. For those who are socially isolated, it’s important to ensure that the holidays are not spent alone by taking proactive measures. One such measure is to reach out to friends and family and co-

ordinate plans. This may be as small as dinner, or as large as travel, depending on the circumstances. Making these plans will also give you something to look forward to as you enter the holiday season. Use NOAGE. Use your connections within NOAGE to reach out to others. You’d be surprised how many of your peers might be having similar feelings of isolation and loneliness. This is also a way to build comradery within the organization and a sense of community. DON’T: Think that you’re alone. This sentiment will only serve to further isolate you. Remember, don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides. You will be surprised how much those around you appreciate your proactive efforts to connect.

Christmas Eve Services: The Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans, an LGBT-affirming congregation, is having their Christmas Eve service at 8:00PM at First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans (5401 S. Claiborne Ave.) There’s also Midnight Mass at Saint Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square (doors open at 11:15PM). A Christmas Day Concert: Benny Grunch and the Bunch are playing their “12 Yats of Christmas Show” at 5:00PM on Christmas Day at Rock’n’Bowl (3016 S. Carrollton Ave.) Volunteer: One of the most rewarding things you can do this holiday season – or any other time of year – is volunteer for a worthy cause. A popular option is volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank; for more information, you can reach them at (504) 734-1322 or at help@secondharvest.org. For other local volunteer opportunities, check out www.volunteermatch.org and www. handsonnola.org. I’d like to end this column with some tips from one of our student volunteers. Tulane’s Center for Public Service has provided NOAGE with stu-

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY Getting Our History Out of the Closet Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Looking back on 2018, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana can point to a number of successes. Earlier in the year, the Archives Project assisted in processing the estate of Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, both of whom died in 2017. The Naquin-Delains were pillars of the LGBT+ community in New Orleans. They founded Ambush Magazine in 1983. The couple were also the founders of a gay Mardi Gras krewe, the Krewe of Queenateenas as well as the popular Gay Easter Parade. In addition to these accomplishments, they were also consummate fundraisers for local charities. Much of their gay Carnival collection went to the Louisiana State Museum while the treasure trove of papers and ephemera they left behind went to the Louisiana Research Collection and the Historic New Orleans Collection. Copies of Ambush from the 1980s went to LSU Special Collections, as did some photographs. The LGBT+ Archives Project also

assisted in the creation of a Southern Decadence collection at Tulane University by facilitating the donation of memorabilia from the founders of Southern Decadence to the Louisiana Research Collection. In addition to posters and early invitations, the donation also included rare film footage of the first few Southern Decadence parades from the 1970s. The LGBT+ Archives Project also funded the restoration of the Super 8 film footage. This collection, and the founders of Southern Decadence, were honored at the Archives Project’s annual Oracle Gala in August. The Oracle Gala featured an exhibit of Southern Decadence memorabilia. Nearly half of the living former Southern Decadence Grand Marshals and the founders of the festival were in attendance. In addition to these significant donations, the LGBT+ Archives Project also awarded a $4,500 grant to the Amistad Research Center to digitize its collection of Just For the Record, a weekly program produced on cable

channel 49 in New Orleans from 1987 to 1993. Covering both local and national topics of interest to the gay and lesbian community, Just For the Record was groundbreaking television. The collection was donated to the Amistad Research Center in 1993 by Valda Goodwin Lewis, who produced the show along with Loretta Mims. The Archives Project also donated a complete set of Queen’s Quarterly, a gay periodical dating from the 1960s, to Amistad. Finally, the Archives Project also directed a collection of cassette tapes to the Center for Louisiana Studies. The tapes consist of the late gay activist Rich Magill conducting interviews with various people for a short-lived newspaper called The Big Easy Times he published from 1988 to 1989. Magill became a gay activist in the 1980s when he joined LAGPAC (Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus). In 1991, LAGPAC published Magill’s study, Exposing Hatred: A Report on the Victimization of Lesbian and Gay People in New Orleans, Louisiana, which was instrumental in the City Council’s passage of the historic non-discrimination ordinance. In addition to facilitating donations of material to these institutions, the Archives Project also serves as a resource for researchers. In 2018, the Archives Project assisted a number of authors, filmmakers, graduate students, independent researchers, and community activists. The Project’s extensive bibliography was significantly expanded in 2018 and is available to the public on its website. As the aforementioned accomplishments demonstrate, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is a collective that works collaboratively with libraries, museums, and archival repositories around the state to promote and encourage the protection and preservation of materials that chronicle the culture and history of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community in Louisiana. In 2012, Stewart Butler, Otis Fennell, and Mark Gonzales founded the Legacy Project with the goal of compiling oral histories. Completing one interview, the group realized that the time, logistics, and money involved were overwhelming and the Legacy Project slowly dissipated. The need and desire to preserve local gay history was still strong and from the ashes of the Legacy Project, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana rose. In June 2013, a handful of dedicat-

ed and interested people began meeting to discuss the necessary action of preserving all parts of our local LGBT history and how this endeavor might be undertaken. One of the organization’s first steps was to survey local libraries and collections to determine what LGBT-related holdings already existed. Questionnaires were sent to archivists at several local institutes and several on-site visits were made to local repositories. In October of that same year, the Society of American Archivists held their national conference in New Orleans and a few members of the group’s LGBT Roundtable met with members of the LGBT+ Archive Project of Louisiana. Holding a community meeting in November, the group set out to gather input from the public. After numerous months of information gathering, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana adopted its mission statement. In June 2014, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana was officially born at a public meeting where bylaws were adopted and officers elected. Aiming to educate the public about the importance of historical preservation, the Archives Project also aims to share how individuals can safely entrust local archives with the care of the historical treasures they possess. If you, or an organization to which you belong, would like to explore the possibility of finding a permanent home for your papers, letters, posters, photographs, costumes, or other memorabilia, please contact the Archives Project to discuss your options. While 2018 was a banner year for the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, 2019 looks to be even more promising. The Archives Project has announced an oral history initiative as well as plans to collaborate with Letters Read to feature a series of LGBT+ themed readings. The annual membership meeting of the Archives Project is slated for early June. Details for the Project’s annual flagship fundraiser, the Oracle Gala, have yet to be announced.

For more information about the Archives Project, please visit https://www. lgbtarchiveslouisiana.org/

8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT Obituaries: Robert Burkhalter, Stan Gallien, Cha Cha Martinez, Douf Minich, & Sam Stewart ROBERT BURKHALTER

Ambush Magazine mourns the passing of Robert Burkhalter, better known as “Brandy Bob.” Bob was a regular at The Double Play / Crossing.

STAN GALLIEN

Ambush Magazine mourns the passing of Stan Gallien. Mr. Gallien was a retired History Professor and the founder and owner of Magic Tours.

8. Donations in his memory may be made to the Spirit of Charity Foundation, 2001 Tulane Ave., NOLA 70112.

DOUG MINICH

Douglas William Minich was born in Nebraska and moved to Canton, Ohio, where he grew up, when he was six. He later moved to New Orleans in 1996. He was continually involved in the local gay community as a member of The Lords of Leather, the Cavaliers Motorcycle Club, the Krewe of King Arthur. He was also an active participant in various fundraisers for local gay charities. He is preceded in death by his father William Douglas Minich and survived by his three partners, Michael Ducote, Shawn Lizana and Greg Greenheck. He is also survived by his mother Sharon Suderow and stepfather Ralph Suderow, his brother, Kynt Minich and his three daughters Kelly, Caroline, and Serena Davis, his three sisters, Cindy Schrader and her three sons; Brian George, Spencer George and Mackenzie George; Laurie Hofele and his sister Susan Daniels and her two daughters, Adriana and Grace Daniels. Douglas, passed away July 10 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a valiant fighter while always keeping his humor and quick wit. He will be forever loved and remembered.

SAM STEWART

Cha Cha Martinez

CHA CHA MARTINEZ

Michael “Cha Cha” Martinez, aka, David Barrios danced his way into heaven on Thursday, November 29, 2018 at the age of 53. Cha Cha was the son of the late Lawrence, Odelia and Elvira Barrios. Brother of Janet Adams (Oliver), Rhonda Darcey (Todd), Karla Pertuit (Wayne), Alan Barrios (Shawn), Brian Barrios (Karen), Paul Schneller (Kellie), and Donald Schneller (Elizabeth) and the late Brent Barrios, Sr. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. He had a vibrant personality and brought much joy to everyone he met. His love of dancing, hence the nickname “Cha Cha” and his love and ability to win at the “Wheel of Fortune” will live on in everyone’s memory forever. He was a native of Marrero, LA and a resident of the French Quarter for many years. A Funeral Service was held in the chapel of Mothe Funeral Home, 7040 Lapalco Blvd., Marrero, on Saturday, December

Samuel Ted Stewart died on Saturday, December 1, 2018. Sam was born on May 22, 1953 on a family farmstead in a rural area of Bay Minette, Alabama. Mr. Stewart was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Edgar Stewart and brothers, Mickey and Danny Stewart. Mr. Stewart is survived by his longtime companion, Merwyn, as well as his mother, Betty Hadley Stewart and his siblings, Johnny Stewart, Susan Whitfield, and Tony Stewart. Johnny Stewart lovingly cared for Sam at the family farmstead in the last few weeks of his life. Sam is survived by his son, Stephen Alexander “Alex” Stewart and Alex’s co-parents, Sharon Delvisco and Tracy Cormier. Mr. Stewart is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins. Sam was a loving and supportive son, brother, father, uncle, and cousin. Mr. Stewart was an ordained minister as well as a degreed scholar (Master’s degree) of Emory University and the University of New Orleans. Sam was a retired licensed counselor from the Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority. Mr. Stewart was a con-

Doug Minich scientious employee who went above and beyond his job duties; Mr. Stewart often assisted families with children making sure all privileges and services were provided. Mr. Stewart often provided food and presents for families in need during the holiday season. Sam related the following story of a young boy in the office wearing an old towel as his “Superman cape”. Sam decided that day to purchase the boy a costume cape as well as toys for him and his sister, and a holiday meal for him and his family. Sam often assisted mental-

ly challenged individuals with housing, job resources, and counseling long after his official tour of duty. Sam was very involved with local gay krewes and social organizations; he gave selflessly of his time and effort. Sam served on a number of boards from Friday Night Before Mardi Gras, Belle Reve, the Fat Monday Luncheon, and he was a member of the Krewe of Armeinius. Sam was very happy to receive the title of “in town royalty” at the Fat Monday Luncheon 2017. Sam worked for all these organizations with true joy and commitment.

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OBITUARY Lisa Beaumann 1953 – 2018

Lisa Beaumann, a New Orleans performer best known for her illusion of Liza Minnelli, “made her mind up back in Chelsea, when I go, I’m going like Elsie.” With great fanfare and flourish, Lisa—who heard the music play, and who lived her life in a cabaret—sashayed away on November 29, 2018, after a yearlong battle with cancer. Her life partner of sixteen years (2002), Marcus Martinez of Mississippi, survives her. Lisa was born Riley Bowman Wright, III, on June 24, 1953, in Winnfield, Louisiana, to her late parents, Riley Bowman Wright, Jr., and Lee Ovill Berry Wright. She is survived by her sister, Olive Wright Nicolosi, one niece and three nephews: Sharon, Travis, Kevin, and Keith. In 2016, she lost her other sibling, Cherry Wright Meadows.

She attended Haughton High School and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in speech, with concentration in theater. Lisa started performing in Shreveport and later moved to New Orleans, where she made her drag debut in 1973 at The Cabaret. Like many aspiring artists, she travelled the world to gain experience. Lisa headlined in Memphis, Nashville, Paris, and Berlin, among other cities over the years. Her strategy paid off. She was crowned both Miss Gay New Orleans and Miss Gay Gulf States in the early eighties. In the mid-eighties, she went on to compete in the Miss Gay America pageant representing Tennessee, where she lived briefly. Early in her career, Lisa lit up the stage at a variety of show bars in New

Orleans, including Travis’, The My O’ My Club (French Quarter), and other venues for shows, special events, and fundraisers. A full-fledged entertainer, she officially changed her name to Lisa Beaumann in June of 1992. Lisa is best known to the gay community as “one of the original ladies of Oz” on Bourbon Street, where she performed for a quarter century under the direction of the late Tommy Elias. Lisa excelled at illusions, and became known for her fabulous impersonations of Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, and Carol Channing. That led Tommy and his brother, Michael, to feature her in Glitz, a theatrical showcase of “The Art of Female Impersonation” that played at Harrah’s Casino and other local theaters. For the past 18 years, she also

served as the emcee and DJ at The Corner Pocket Bar, filling the high heels of the late Lee Featherston (Ms. Fly). Her official bio from Oz states that Lisa is “The first person in the city of New Orleans to achieve all of the city’s highest drag honors, reigning as”: Southern Decadence Grand Marshal XXXIII (2005 & 2006), Easter Grand Marshal VI (2005), and King Cake Queen IX (2002) She received a proclamation from C. Ray Nagin, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, in honor of her reign as Grand Marshal of Southern Decadence. Lisa also served on the Board of Directors of the Gay Appreciation Awards, an annual “Best of the Community” program founded by Rip & Marsha Naquin of Ambush Magazine. In the seventies and eighties, Lisa was a pioneer in the “art of illusion.” She gave back by mentoring aspiring performers—acting as drag mother to Bianca Paige—and encouraging new talent. A Celebration of Life for Lisa was held at The Corner Pocket, 940 St. Louis Street, New Orleans, on Saturday, December 15, 2018. The Very Rev. Bill Terry, Rector, of St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, officiated. Donations to the Lisa Beaumann Memorial Fund would be greatly appreciated to help offset the cost of funeral expenses. Contributions can be mailed to Michael Elias, Esq., ℅The Corner Pocket, 940 St. Louis St, New Orleans, LA, 70112. Funeral arrangements handled by Jacob Schoen & Son, New Orleans.

10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Lisa Beaumann PHOTOS SHARED BY JEREMY W, CORNER POCKET, FRANK PEREZ, BRIAN SANDS, PERSANA SHOULDERS, & AMBUSH MAGAZINE

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 11

MUSINGS BY CATHERINE

There’s Family and then, there’s Friend-Family Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com This time of the year, with holidays upon us, followed by “the New Year” as we like to say, some of us may review our lives, and introspection may occur. So that means you have to honestly look at your life currently, and in the past, and consider how you might like to go forward. Are there any things you would like to change, or things you would never change? Life review can begin in young adulthood and last for the rest of your life. It typically involves some sort of change, and focuses on people in your life. We hear about ‘family’ and how perfectly important it is to stay close, to cherish and enjoy. I heard someone say “If I see one more commercial where everyone is warm, open and happy because the adorable little puppy follows the beautiful horse, then we all cry” and I know immediately they are referring to the Budweiser commercials we love. Or are supposed to love, since they reminded that person of what he didn’t think he had in his life. As you know, everyone doesn’t have a traditional family, a blood family.

We do, however, have the opportunity to appreciate our chosen family, our friend-family, our loved ones, and consider the growth and change that can take place from year to year. I define loved ones as those who have meant a lot to you, who you trust, enjoy and know are loyal, and that can include a friend-circle or a friend group. So, let’s reframe and see if it’s possible to restructure and maintain solid friend-family connections, and create them if needed. Just because there may not be blood family who accept, value, and respect you, does not mean that there has to be a void in your life. Quite the contrary! Look around, aren’t there some people in your life you’d like to celebrate, feel comfortable with, depend on, and who can depend on you? Maybe it’s time to recognize and reframe your concept of family and consider your friend-family. Some people plan everything, from the path to work each day to a vacation a year away. Then there are people who don’t plan anything, and feel unplanned activities often turn out better

than the ones they may have scripted. I don’t actually see a right way or a wrong way to think about looking at the future; I do however, feel there can be positive power in planning or visualizing how you’d like your life to go forward. To imagine what we want with positive intention may be a path to reframing and structuring a friend-family base, a kind of review of who is in our life, how to retain that friend-family group, and how to increase and sustain it. Things change and time does pass, and it is up to us to embrace the energy around us. That energy, that joy and solace, comes from people in our lives. “Life-plan Scaffolding” is a concept I developed after working with our community as a therapist for years, in many places around the US. It’s a kind of planning and constructing of your friend-base for the future, maybe for the rest of your life. A scaffold is a device by which we can climb to a certain destination. The scaffolding in this concept refers

to building those true friend-family relationships now, one by one, like the braces of a scaffold. Keep the friends you have and add to that group at varying levels through a variety of activities, such as who spends time with you when you see movies or theater, or who is your first call when you need to talk something through. With whom have you spent holidays, birthdays, and grieved with through a loss? Make a list. Sometimes, people on your list will cross two or three of those distinctions in your life. Build on that and begin to ensure your life plan and personal connections may allow you to value more of what is currently in your life. By embracing the connections you have established through various experiences, and over the course of your life so far, you continue to enhance your scaffolding and cultivate new relationships. Meaningful connections need nurturing, just as we all do. Take time to imagine what you’d like in your life. We all deserve that.

LGBT+ Archives Project OF LOUISIANA

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

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12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

ANNOUNCEMENT King Cake Queen XXV, Tiffany Alexander The Silver Anniversary Queen

Ambush Magazine and the Krewe of Queenateenas are pleased to announce that Tiffany Alexander will reign as King Cake Queen XXV. Tiffany Alexander hails from Baton Rouge where she started her career. She won her very first pageant when she was 18 years old—Miss Baton Rouge Capital City. She went on to win many other titles, including: Miss Apollo of Baton Rouge, Miss Apollo de Lafayette, and Miss Louisiana Entertainer of the Year. She considers her greatest achievements being crowned the first Miss Gay Louisiana America 1991 and then again Miss Gay Louisiana America in 1993. In 1995 she entered Miss Gay Louisiana US of A and won that pageant on her first attempt. She also won every category. She recalls, “Let’s just say that made a few girls in the state not very happy. So I was the first one to ever win both titles.” In 1996, she decided to move to New Orleans, retire from drag and just live a fun life. “Well that didn’t go very well as we all know,” she notes. In New Orleans, she was offered a job at the Bourbon Pub by her dear friend Scarlet O’Hara Butler. The Pub had

never featured drag shows prior to this. The Sunday shows were an instant success and Alexander soon became the Show Director. Although no longer in that position, she still performs there regularly. In 2011, she was named Grand Marshal of Southern Decadence, along with Misael Rubio. According to Alexander, “Being SDGM was one of the greatest experiences of my life and an honor that I never thought I would receive, not originally being from New Orleans!” You can always catch Tiffany Alexander around the state entertaining at various shows and also judging pageants. Reminiscing on her career, Alexander observes, “I never thought I would be doing this for over 35 years but I have to say that I still enjoy it and that people still pay to see me. So I must be doing something right!” In addition to a fabulous drag career, Alexander has worked in the cosmetic industry for over 30 years. Noted for her love of jewelry and shoes, she won the Fly Fashion Award at the 2018 Gay Appreciation Awards. Congratulations to Tiffany Alexander—the Silver Anniversary Queen!

King Cake Queen XXV, Tiﬀany Alexander: The Silver Anniversary Queen

to our

lgbtq community:

we see

you & you

matter. no matter what the administration says.

www.crescentcare.org | 504.207.CARE(2273)

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UNDER THE GAYDAR

New Orleans Hot Happenings

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Christmas is almost here and merriment is in the air. New Orleans is ablaze in holiday lights from the Zoo Lights and Celebration in the Oaks to Canal Street and Jackson Square. There are so many exciting holiday events and shows to put even Ebenezer Scrooge in a festive mood. Here’s hoping you find a few jolly men (and women) this season. Just a few suggestions to fill your holiday calendar follow below. (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

NOTE: Some of the regularly scheduled shows may change on Christmas Eve & Day and New Year’s Eve & Day

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: The Crossing;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 Street; 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. Join an exciting new partnership between Stonewall Sports New Orleans and NOAGE! Starting at 6:30 p.m., meet for the walk/run at Lafitte Greenway. This will be a weekly event for walkers and 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.; 8:00 p.m. See the Men of Oz like you have never seen them before. The show stars Atomyc Adonis, Bobby B, Franky, Phathoms Deep and other special guests. Hosted by Trixie Minx. Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras: Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant;1001 Esplanade 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:The Crossing; 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 (Wednesdays):The Crossing;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 Street; 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 is 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: The Crossing; 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

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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 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: The Crossing; 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 tops 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 guests 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: The Crossing;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 Street; 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 Street; 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.

SPECIAL EVENTS TUESDAY 12/18

Lady Bunny in The Stockings Were Hung: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue. With her glitzy outfits, sky-high 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.

Elf The Musical:The Saenger Theatre; 1111 Canal Street. 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 (1111 Canal St.), 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. 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.

THURSDAY 12/20

NOAGE Ugly Sweater Holiday Potluck: St. Anna’s Episcopal Church;1313 Esplanade Avenue; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Join NOAGE for a holiday potluck at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church! If you are able, PLEASE BRING A DISH. We’ll need main dishes, meats, sides, soups, salads or vegan/vegetarian dishes, desserts, and beverages. The person with the ugliest

Christmas sweater will get a special prize, so do your worst. Please consider bringing non-perishable food items for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. St. Anna’s food assistance program focuses on individuals and families in transitional living situations usually coming out of an AIDS hospice situation and awaiting permanent and sustainable assistance. A Very Merry Pride Night: Carver Theatre; 2101 Orleans Avenue; starts at 9 p.m. The Historic Carver and Jack Daniels presents this holiday event. Cover: $5 with performances by Opal Vanderhurst, Euman Galliano, Raniyah G. Dupree and Jalai Sanchez Alexander.

FRIDAY 12/21

The Appletini Holiday Revue: GrandPre’s;834 N. Rampart Street; 9 - 11 p.m. The cast and crew of The Appletini Revue invite you for their 14th anniversary show. Show starts at 9:00 pm, come early for good seats. SLAAP’D By God:The Saturn Bar; 3067 St. Claude Avenue; 9 p.m. - midnight. O come, all ye gayful! Step out this holigay season and celebrate gawd in all her forms! It’s solstice season and time for the newest edition of SLAAP’D! This month they’re celebrating with a slew of sassy sisters! Come and feast on the follies of Jessa Fallon/ Lash Wednesday, Tsarina Magalena

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

TUESDAY – SUNDAY 12/18 – 12/23

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Hellfire and our honorary virgin Daniel James Chan/Rosè Rizal. Hosted, as usual, by the ever immaculate Ariel Androgyny and DJ karen from HR (Sarah Corsiatto) on the board! Come dressed in your favorite God(dess) and holiday glamory and compete in the lipsynch battle royale for your chance at a free beverage! $5.00 cover.

SATURDAY 12/22

Secrets of the Sea: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields Ave.; 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. This month’s cast of “Secrets of the Sea” consist of the talents of Eros S Guillen, Poseidon S Davenport, Princess Stephaney, and special guest Atomyc Adonis and Daniel Dean. Show time at 10 p.m. with no cover. Krewe of Petronius Christmas Bus Ride: Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 S. Carrollton Ave.: 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. Join Petronius as we take a Christmas inspired stroll down St. Charles Ave. Stops will include The Columns, Mr Ed’s, The Roosevelt, Fulton and Mags 940. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

SUNDAY 12/23

Mama Honey’s Holiday Drag Brunch:Artisan Bar and Cafe; 2514 St. Claude Ave.; 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Keep the holiday spirit with a delicious brunch in a comfortable, friendly environment with fabulous, top-notch entertainment! Please specify 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. seat-

ing. Tickets available on Eventbrite. Wednesday 12/26, 2019 Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker: The Saenger Theatre; 1111 Canal Street; 3 and 7 p.m. performances; Christmas is coming and so is the one and only Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. Presenting world class Russian artists, hand-painted sets, Russian Snow Maidens, and jubilant Nesting Dolls, Great Russian Nutcracker brings the Christmas spirit to life for all ages. Get seats now for the whole family and make memories for a lifetime at Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker! Tickets may be purchase don www.tciketmaster.com.

Looped - A play by Matthew Lombardo: Mags 940;940 Elysian Fields; 7 p.m. Looped had a Broadway run in 2010. Starring Elizabeth Bouvier as Tallulah Bankhead & featuring Greg Nacozy as Danny Miller. Get tickets on their Facebook page and through Eventbrite. Showstoppers Cabaret - 11 O’Clock: AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 12 p.m. - 1 a.m. Showstoppers Cabaret is back this month on a special night at a special time. Traditionally, Broadway shows would start around 8:30 pm. The first act would end around 10 pm. Intermission. Show starts up again around 10:15. Around 11 pm, the audience is getting

HoneyBee Trivia Thursdays 7:00 PM

THURSDAY 12/27

restless because they know the show/ night is about to end. In comes the 11 O’CLOCK NUMBER. A major character comes to a revelation. A turning point. So of course it’s the best song in the show that tears the damn house down. A real showstopper, if you will. So get ready for drama, mawma. We’re giving you 11 o’clock numbers from Broadway and BEYOND. Cover? $10. Cast: Amber Alert, Trey Bien, Velma Blair, Versula Bottom, Kimberly Clark, Precious Ephemera, Ladee Lucerne, Nebula Omega and hosted by Dede Onassis.

FRIDAY 12/28

Ugly Holiday Sweater Beer Bust: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Avenue; 9 p.m. - midnight. The final Big Easy Sisters Beer Bust for 2018. Come join the Sisters for holiday cheer — $10 gets you all the beer you can drink. Wear your fave Ugly Holiday Sweater and get the beer bust at half price. There will be seasonal flavored Jell-O shots and cookies. All proceeds go to local charities. Starlight Racing: New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots; 1751 Gentilly Blvd. starts at 5 p.m. Another year of Starlight! Come out to the Fair Grounds to enjoy horse racing, drinks, and live bands. The Topcats return to Starlight Racing. The guys will rock the clubhouse from 7:00 to 11:00. Come eat, drink, bet, watch

Happy Hour Daily noon - 9:00 PM

the ponies, and party with The Topcats at the FairGrounds! Gimme A Reason with Trevor Sigler: Poor Boys Bar; 1328 St. Bernard Ave.; 11 p.m. - 4 a.m. As if we need a reason to pre-rage New Year’s Eve, Trevor Sigler of Mixed Forms and Romper Room is blessing us all the way from sunny San Francisco! Trevor is an absolute favorite in American Queer underground dance music and is responsible for causing trouble in his home of San Francisco, especially at legendary venue, The Stud. Joining Trevor will be local lover boys pt.mp3 and Bouffant Bouffant. $5-$10 cover.

SATURDAY 12/29

It’s Showtime on Rampart Street; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 10 p.m. Come out and catch this exciting drag show starring Moanalot Fontaine and special guests. Best In Show - A Queer year in Review; AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. A major aspect of an extra long year means some exceptional DRAG packed into it. So that’s why, after lengthy and painstaking cerebral deliberation on artistic craft, merit, and process***, Vinsantos and Dede Onassis have recruited the best of New Orleans drag in 2018 into one spectacular production, recapping and revisiting the most memorable and mesmerizing acts of the year. It’s a queer year in review, and this is

Fri, 12/21—9pm

Fri

12/28 10pm Wednesday Video Game Night 7:00 PM

Sat, 12/29 - 10pm

16 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

our best in show. It’ll have you saying, “THAT’S drag!” Cover? $10. Cast: Velma Blair, Neon Burgundy Tarah Cards, Franky, Nebula Omega , Siren (Tyler Cross). Produced and co-hosted by Vinsantos and Dede Onassis

MONDAY 12/31

Girlpawty NOLA Presents Memories; Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields Ave.; starts at 8 p.m. Memories... Come help us recreate a NYE of the past at an infamous New Orleans lesbian bar of the 80’s. You can dance away the night with the DJ playing while socializing with old and new friends. There will be party favors and drink specials with complimentary champagne at midnight. There will be a $5.00 donation for BEAR (big easy animal rescue). New Year’s Eve Celebration: Bourbon Pub and Parade; 801 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. - 4 a.m. Doors Open at 9PM NYE with DJ Orlando Ricardo; Champagne Toast at Midnight and our infamous; CASH BALLOON DROP. Evening hosted by Aubrey Synclaire and Special Guest - Jennifer Warner

TUESDAY 1/1

New Year’s Eve Celebration: Bourbon Pub and Parade; 801 Bourbon Street; 3 - 10 p.m. New Years Day - Happy Hour Prices upstairs from 3 - 8 p.m. and The Ladies of #Lipstixx ‘Best of 2018” at 8 p.m.

SATURDAY 1/5

OUTclimb | LGBT+ Climb Night: New Orleans Boulder Lounge; 2360 St. Claude Ave.; starts at 7 p.m. OUTclimb is a New Orleans based LGBT+ climbing club dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming space for queer & trans people to climb. With support from the New Orleans Boulder Lounge on St. Claude, they are able to offer a night of climbing FREE to the LGBT+ community of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Allies are welcome to attend and should donate $5-$15 as you are able. Donations will go to a local LGBT+ organization. It’s Showtime on Rampart Street; GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 10 p.m. Come out and catch this exciting drag show starring Moanalot Fontaine and special guests.

SUNDAY 1/6

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Cru;535 Franklin Avenue; 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. New location for the new year for Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch! Beginning January 6, 2019, we will be proudly appearing at Cru by Chef Marlon Alexander every Sunday. 535 Franklin Avenue. Show’s beginning at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Our first show will feature your favorite hostess, Vanessa Carr Kennedy, and the amazing talents of Monica Synclaire-Kennedy, Britnee Alexander, and Jinesys Sinclaire Ace.

The Double Play

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

Tickets on Eventbrite. Frank Perez’s 12th Night Party; 704 Rampart Street;6 p.m. - midnight. The Lord of Misrule and his Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers command your presence at Frank’s Annual 12th Night Party. The doors open at 6:00pm. Procession of previous Grand Revelers and Coronation of the new Grand Reveler begins at 7:00 p.m. NEW THIS YEAR: A change in venue.

The Grand Reveler Ballroom is located at 704 N. Rampart Street, next door to The Black Penny. $20 gets you admission to the party (includes dinner and an open bar), as well as a year long membership in the Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers. Admission pins are available at my shop at 638 St. Ann. Admission at the door is $25.

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Mobile Hot Happenings WEEKLY AT FLIP SIDE

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SUNDAY Funday with Karaoke MONDAY Service Industry Night TUESDAY Karaoke WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM THURSDAY Karaoke SATURDAY SEC Football

TUESDAY Gay Bar BINGO 9:30 & 11PM THURSDAY Amateur Drag Night 11PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY Midnight Drag Show

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ARE WE MISSING YOUR EVENTS? Email info@ambushpublishing.com

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

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www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 17

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Crazy Rich Asians Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com

My love of movies can only be slightly overshadowed by my love of reading. And I have always made myself a promise: if there was a movie I wanted to see that was adapted from a novel, I would read the novel first. So imagine how quickly I snatched up Crazy Rich Asians to see what all the fuss was about. And I have to say that Kevin Kwan’s novel is a fastpaced hysterical glimpse into the lives of super wealthy Singaporean families. You will need a scorecard to keep track of all the characters in this sudsy read as New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young and her adventure begins. From the moment Rachel steps on the plane to travel to Singapore, she is introduced to a world completely foreign to her. The book keeps readers rapt as she navigates her way through Nicholas’ family as well as an array of social climbers who are out for blood, her

blood to be exact. The book has both laugh-out-loud funny parts and heart-wrenching moments as we watch Rachel maneuver her way through the landmines of Singaporean society. Kwan gives readers a glimpse into a world most people only dream about and he even gives a family tree at the front of the book so people can keep all the characters straight. I especially love the glossary and footnotes to help understand the characters’ dialect. His character development brings the story to vivid life for the reader. And it is quite the glamorous life. After reading the first novel, I am set to read the follow-up books in the series China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Crazy Rich Asians is a must-read for those people who are fans of soap opera style pop fiction filled with family drama. It makes the characters from Dallas and Dynasty seem like paupers.

18 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

ANNOUNCEMENT

Baton Rouge Pride Plans Bowling with Pride Plans are underway for Baton Rouge Pride to continue its theme of being family friendly and inclusive to all members of the Baton Rouge LGBT+ community and its allies with their 3rd iteration of Bowling with Pride. Partnering with local family business, Circle Bowl, with the goal of providing a safe place for members of the local LGBT+ community and their allies to come together for an evening of family friendly fun. The date is set for Thursday, December 13, 2018; doors will open at 6:00pm and last until 9:00pm at Circle Bowl located on the corner of Airline Highway and Florida Boulevard (8878 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70815). Tickets are $25 per person and available

for purchase in advance online at www.BRPride.org, tickets will be available for purchase at the door as well. Tickets include 3 hours of bowling, shoes, ball, refillable drink and 2 slices of pizza. Additional food and beverages are available for purchase as well. Baton Rouge Pride is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission of providing a safe, family friendly environment for the local LGBT+ community and it’s allies with the annual Baton Rouge Pride Fest along with other events throughout the year. All proceeds of Bowling With Pride are used to keep Baton Rouge Pride Fest free to the community.

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Ambush AT CROSSING (FORMERLY THE DOUBLE PLAY)

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 19

SOUTHERN DECADENCE Financial Information / Releases Southern Decadence Financial Oversight Committee Jeffrey Palmquist, Phillip Palumbo, & Misti Gaither southerndecadencefoc@gmail.com 928 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 47th Southern Decadence Sets New Records: Over 275,000 Participants, Over $275 Million Economic Impact, $16,000 for Charity The numbers are in for the 47th Annual Southern Decadence celebration of LGBT+ Life, Music, and Culture. Southern Decadence 2018 brought in

over 275,000 participants and had an economic impact of over $275 million. The economic impact may be much more since the spending average per person is based on a very conservative $1,500. Businesses were contacted following the celebration to calculate attendance and economic impact through revenues, admit tickets, and customer counts. Southern Decadence Grand Marshals XLIV Frank Perez and Adikus Sulpizi raised $29,619.21 for the production of the Southern Decadence Parade and to split between their charities, the LGBT+ Archives Project of

Louisiana and Team Friendly. The funds raised ($29,619.21) minus expenses ($13,012.25), left a balance of $16,606.96. $16,000 was divided equally between the two official charities (LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana and Team Friendly) leaving $606.96 to be held in reserve. Southern Decadence Financial Report 2018 Income: $0.00 Beginning Balance $14,969.21 Total Fundraisers $14,650.00 Total Sponsorships $29,619.21 Sub-Total Expenses: $3,437.00 City of New Orleans Fees $244.52 Bank Fees $500.00 Parade DJ $252.43 Poster

$139.30 Misc. Parade Expenses $1,374.00 Former GM Luncheon $595.00 Sanitation for Parade $3,000.00 Costumes for SDGMs $300.00 Parade Photographer $2,750.00 Parade Insurance $420.00 Misc. Event Expenses $13,012.25 Sub-Total Total income minus total expenses = $16,606.96 $16,000 for charities leaves a balance of $606.96 in reserve. The end of summer circuit weekend is the 3rd largest event in the city following Mardi Gras and JazzFest. Since 1996, Southern Decadence has had a $2 billion economic impact on the New Orleans economy, with estimated crowds now totaling over 2.25 million.

SOUTHERN DECADENCE Southern Decadence Gives $16,000.00 to Local Charities Southern Decadence Grand Marshals XLIV Frank Perez and Adikus Sulpizi awarded two local charities, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana and Team Friendly, $8,000.00 each at the annual Southern Decadence Check Ceremony (“Decadence Gives Back”), which was held on Wednesday, November 28, at the Lost Love Lounge. The ceremony was accompanied by a drag show featuring Coca Mesa and Countess C. Alice. Robert Ticknor, Board Member of the

LGBT+ Archives Project, and Dave Watt, creator of Mr. Friendly, were on hand to receive the checks. Team Friendly (Mr. Friendly) is an international grassroots movement whose goal is to reduce the stigma of HIV, encourage testing for HIV, and improve quality of life for those living with HIV in friendly ways. The mission of the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is to promote and encourage the protection and preservation of materials that chronicle the

culture and history of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community in Louisiana. The tradition of Southern Decadence Grand Marshals designating an official charity began in 2010 when SDGMs Toby Lefort and Julian Artressia designated the NO /AIDS Task Force (now Crescent Care) as their official charity. Subsequent Grand Marshals have named other charities, including Belle Reve, PFLAG New Orleans, Louisiana Equality Foundation,

NOAGE (New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders), ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans), and the Dodwell House. Southern Decadence began in 1972 as a house party for a group of friends who playfully dubbed themselves “the Decadents.” The Southern Decadence parade began the following year, when Frederick Wright was named the first Grand Marshal. Over the decades, Southern Decadence has grown into one of the largest LGBT+ festivals in the world.

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

TRICENTENNIAL PROFILES IN HISTORY Pierre Rigaud de Cavagnial, Marquis de Vaudreuil Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com All year long, I have tried in this column to introduce Ambush readers to colorful characters from New Orleans’ 300 year history. Most have been people that the history books have overlooked or otherwise neglected, but in this last installment I give you a personality known to many history buffs as one of the most flamboyant governors Louisiana has ever produced--Pierre Rigaud de Cavagnial, Marquis de Vaudreuil. Vaudreuil’s father was Governor General of New France (Canada) when he was born in Quebec in 1698. As a teenager, he served in the French military. After being discharged, he traveled to France where he met his wife, Jeanne-Charlotte de Fleury des Cham-

bault, a widow fifteen years his senior. Apparently, Vaudreuil liked cougars. Vaudreuil was appointed to succeed Bienville (who, by the way, lived into his eighties and never married) as Governor of Louisiana in 1743. Vaudreuil’s tenure as Governor, 1743— 1753, was successful in that he repaired damaged relationships with several Native-American tribes, helped the economy by encouraging the production of indigo, and turned a completely blind eye to smuggling and the black market economy. His pragmatic approach of viewing rules and regulations as suggestions rather than laws proved very popular with colonists, as did the prosperity and security that marked his time as gover-

nor. Another source of his popularity was his gregarious personality and his love of entertaining. According to legend, it was Vaudreuil who introduced masquerade balls to New Orleans. At the end of his term, Vaudreuil threw a grand reception party for his successor—Louis Billouart, Chevalier de Kerlerec. The party made the history books. Quoting the Canadian historian Louis Du Four, Jack B. McGuire notes, “when his successor, Kerlerec, arrived, Vaudreuil, ‘the Grand Marquis to the end,’ gave an elaborate reception for him, with fountains of wine flowing in the Place d’Armes, ‘so that the soldiers and inhabitants of New Orleans could join in the celebration’.”

BOOK REVIEW Has the Gay Movement Failed? Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Has the Gay Movement Failed? Martin Duberman. University of California Press, 2018. 246 pages. $27.95. The title of this book is a question and the short answer, according to the author, is “Yes”. Duberman should know. At age 87, he has witnessed first-hand the rise of the left and its various attendant movements. In turning a critical eye to the LGBT+ movement, he begins with an analysis of the Gay Liberation Front, which was born out of Stonewall. Instead of buying into the easy “look-how-far-we’ve-come-since-then” narrative, Duberman challenges the underlying premise of such a narrative. More specifically, Duberman, Distinguished Professor of History, Emeritus, at City University of New York, where he founded and directed the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies, problematizes the common, corporate favored, line of the gay rights movement by demonstrating how the movement has come to be represented by lobbyists instead of activists and arguing that these lobbyists have embraced everything the Gay Liberation Front opposed—particularly the institutions of marriage and war. In addition, he faults the movement for, among other things, neglecting issues of socioeconomic justice. The past fifty years have seen

significant shifts in attitudes toward LGBTQ people and wider acceptance of them in the United States and the West. Yet the extent of this progress, argues Duberman, who received the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Historical Association, has been more broad and conservative than deep and transformative. One of the most renowned historians of the American left and the LGBTQ movement, as well as a pioneering social-justice activist, Duberman reviews the half century since Stonewall with an immediacy and rigor that informs and energizes. He revisits the early gay movement and its progressive vision for society and puts the left on notice as failing time and again to embrace the queer potential for social transformation. Acknowledging the elimination of some of the most discriminatory policies that plagued earlier generations, he takes note of the cost—the sidelining of radical goals on the way to achieving more normative inclusion. Illuminating the fault lines both within and beyond the movements of the past and today, this critical book is also hopeful: Duberman urges us to learn from this history to fight for a truly inclusive and expansive society.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 21

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Ambush AT THE GULF SOUTH CHAMBER’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY AT THE HOME OF DUSTIN AND JEFF

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Christmastide

The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ fr.bill@stannanola.org Hanukkah, a relatively minor but popular Jewish holiday, was December 2-10, and is also known as the Festival of Lights. December 8th was Bodhi Day for Buddhists, the day that Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, received enlightenment while sitting under the Bodhi tree. Saturnalia was a Roman holiday running December 1723; our Christmas customs, particularly Christmas, Holy Innocents, and Epiphany, may be rooted in this festival. The Pagan holiday of Yule falls on the winter solstice, December 21 in 2018. Scholars have connected the god Odin and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht to Yuletide which has been reformulated and Christianized. Kwanzaa, December 26th this year, celebrates community, family, and largely African culture. It would seem then, that for most of the world’s people, a celebration or feast coincides with those days and long nights of December. The Christian tradition of celebrating “The Incarnation” or birth of Jesus started off as a little-observed and very minor feast, if there was any at all. The first mention of a feast celebrating this birth day was on December 25, 336 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Later Pope Julius put the okie-dokie on it. Puritans forbade Christmas because it was too “pagan.” Kind of stuffy those Puritans. So, here we are today. Which brings me to gift-giving during Christmas. It started in the Roman pre-Christian celebration. We managed to wrestle that tradition away from them, however, and eventually incorporated it with the myth of the Three Wise Guys, those sages from “The East” that brought the infant Jesus precious gifts. Most people don’t realize that

those same gifts were generally used as funeral gifts. We have a lot to thank that little child for: Hallmark cards aplenty, Currier and Ives prints, 12th Night and King Cake, Christmas sales and those plenteous Xmas catalogues. Wow, what a gift that kid gave us. Even now I am thinking about maxing out my line of credit on the card. Ewww, good stuff! Yes, Bed Bath & Beyond is calling even now. Ahem, <clearing throat> let’s settle down a bit because as much fun as I’ve just had THAT ISN’T THE POINT. Not maxing out the credit card nor buying all of those wonderful things. It is about getting and giving. So, the question might be, what is to be given and what is to be gotten? What should be given is your thanks to friends for friendship. Perhaps note with gratitude the things that you have. Gratitude is sometimes in short supply. Gratitude can and should be humble. Receive that smile, hug, or kiss of friendship with gratitude because somebody simply cared enough to do so. Gratitude costs nothing but a willing heart. When I look at our Christmas tree with all its ornaments I have a few favorites. One or two remind me of places that our family has been. A few recall our daughter Tonya who is now with the Angels. My favorite is a toilet paper cardboard cylinder painted red with some gold tinsel stuck on it. Our son made that when he was very little. Gratitude need not be flashy or color coordinated. I say all of this because I am compelled by the true story of Christmas. Just think about it for moment. A child born among animals. No matter what the actual date of Jesus’ birth, it was an uncomfortable way for Mary to give

birth. Were his parents poor or were they simple working folk? Probably the later. But in at least one account they were chased out of town and became wandering migrants, immigrants if you will. The birth narratives in scripture tell a story bigger than the “facts,” a faith or theological story that is wrapped in myth and symbolism. There are three birth stories associated with Jesus from the books of Matthew, Luke, and John (Mark is a “get to the point” kind of guy so he leaves this story out). Matthew makes the birth story about the retelling of the nation of Israel and its release from captivity; it tells us that there are deep roots to this story that go back to the first promises God made. Luke’s story is about transformation, social transformation, and the power of this revolutionary Jesus. John, well, he’s cosmic, maybe he ate a mushroom or maybe he was simply empowered to tell us a deeper story because his story starts before creation and tells us that Jesus is part

of the cosmos, part of the first gleanings of creation and therefore he gives hope. The Bottom Line: We, in the Christian tradition, celebrate the birth of Jesus because he became one of us. Do you want to forgive or be forgiven? Do you love and want to be loved, truly and honestly? Do you get pleasure from giving more so than receiving gifts? Do you want to push back on the deceitful, the haters, and the powerful who abuse power? Do you want simply to have dignity and respect, and to offer the same to others? Do you want to take away pain and suffering? And do you want your own pain and suffering to be replaced by peace? Do NOT let the Bible thumpers and religious elitists rob you of your baby Jesus who is innocent and will remain so. For all of those things and so many more that you find yourself “In His Image” you are part of what is called The Incarnation Story. The real name for the feast of Christmas is The Feast of the Incarnation and you, my friend, are very much a part of that story.

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www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 23

Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com After coming home from my Thanksgiving break, I dove right into the social scene by attending On Your Feet! on Tuesday night at the Saenger Theatre. God, how I love Gloria Estefan. I am a child of the Eighties. She had fire, showmanship, a angelic voice and mad dance moves. On Your Feet! is about the love story between her and her husband Emilio, and takes you from her childhood to when she walked on stage for the 1991 American Music Awards after her near fatal bus accident. The play was full of hot music and even hotter men. The guy playing Emilio was a total dream. Talk about turning the beat around. The following night was the start of many tree-lighting ceremonies. The Royal Sonesta held its annual soiree in their beautifully decorated courtyard with food, libations, caroling, music and an exciting countdown to the lights illuminating Bourbon Street. One of my favorite Quarter properties, the Sonesta is always decorated nicely for the holidays, so when you’re checking out lobbies, you should definitely add it to your list. Afterwards, I jumped over to the Love Lost Lounge in the Bywater for the check presentation for Southern Decadence. Adikus Sulpizi and Frank Perez were able to donate several thousand dollars to their charities, the LGBT+ Archives and Mr. Friendly. Congratulations gentlemen you did a great job this year and I loved the theme Unleash Your Beast! The next evening I found myself at Arnaud’s Restaurant’s 100th anniversary party, a celebration in fabulous style. The entire first floor was opened reception style as guests mixed, mingled and dined on delectable cuisine, and we observed this milestone for one of the city’s premier fine dining establishments. Whenever I am asked for my favorite spots to eat in the city, from

its impeccable service to the delicious Creole cuisine, Arnaud’s is always there. Afterwards, I still had some partying left in me so I went down to Oz to check out the Jeff D Comedy Cabaret Show. It had been a while since I had seen Jeff perform and he’s still as funny as ever. His show mixes humor with drag, a great combination. Jeff kept the crowded house rolling in the aisles. If you’ve not seen Jeff’s show, it’s a fun thing to do on a Thursday night. My weekend began with Art Against Aids on Saturday at club XLIV across from the Superdome. This event has been the official kickoff of the gay holiday party season for many years. This year, they pulled out all the stops with a topnotch band and excellent silent auction. The 90’s cover band kept people on the dance floor the entire night and the art auction was superior. I managed to snag myself a Bryce Landry and a Vinsantos. Winner, winner chicken dinner! On Sunday, my friends persuaded me to go to the Renaissance Festival in Robert, Louisiana. I had my doubts about the authenticity of this event, but like a trooper I went with the flow. I have to say I actually had a good time. Once you get past the British/Yat accent, you’re good. I found it very entertaining with some great shows that were bawdy in nature. There was jousting, well maybe jousting lite, like I really felt that they were not really going at it, but hey, would I risk life and limb for a hobby? There was food galore-loved the Scotch eggs and the turkey leg. There was also a torture museum that was pretty fascinating. Now I can check that off my bucket list. Monday was my weekly NOAGE walking club at Lafitte Greenway. We meet at Bayou Beer Garden and once again we had a grand time socializing and walking. Studies say you do bet-

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ter when you exercise with a buddy, so come out to walk with the group--you might find yourself becoming a regular. After exercising away on Monday, I gained all the weight back on Tuesday after attending the Creole Cuisine holiday party at Broussard’s Restaurant in the Quarter. Creole Cuisine now owns a stable of restaurants and each one was represented at the party with a dish or cocktail. There was Royal House, Flamingo A Go Go, Tommy’s, Tomas Bistro, Pier 424, Marche, Bourbon Vieux, Kingﬁsh, Curio, and Governor just to name a few. The food was out-of-this-world delicious and so were the flowing cocktails. Tis the season to get crocked. I started my weekend with a holiday play by Tennessee Williams which is about as festive as Tennessee gets. The Mutilated is a more light-hearted Williams work about two Quarter women of a certain age who are at odds with each other and enfold everyone around them in their insane bickering. Add in a hustling sailor on leave and you have The Mutilated. It’s a fun romp and the cast has a grand time playing their roles with full zeal. Tennessee had most people believing that everyone from NOLA makes poor decisions, and while that may be correct from time to time and we tend to be a little off-kilter, as a whole, we’re not completely without sanity. Warning, everyone in this play makes very poor choices, but it’s the holidays so why not? This is definitely a twisted holiday show, but worth seeing. On Saturday my world was all about babies and bonfires. I did something I rarely do, go to a child’s oneyear-old birthday party. But my friend Amanda lives in a really nice house on a golf course and has a fully stocked bar, so at least I figured I can just hang out with my friend vodka if it gets crazy. It was a golf theme and she decorated the house very cleverly, golf green cake, golf ball cake pops and other assorted fun foods. And I have to admit, her son Adikus is pretty precious for a baby. Next, we were off to Laura Plantation for their annual holiday bonfire party. The torrential downpour ended so we had clear weather to enjoy the evening’s festivities. Guests had lots of food and free flowing wine as they cozied up to the roaring fire. I know that Vacherie, Louisiana, is a hike from NOLA, but it was well worth the drive. First and foremost, Laura Plantation is just gorgeous and has a great history behind it. It’s a restored historic Louisiana Creole plantation built in 1805. Formerly known as Duparc Plantation, it is significant for its early 19th-century Créole-style raised big house and several surviving outbuildings, including two slave cabins. Because of its his-

torical importance, the Plantation is on the National Register of Historic Places. Side tidbit of information: the parents and family of singer Fats Domino had lived on the plantation. Another great thing about this event, and Cajun country in general, are all the hot men around. They were plentiful that night and you have not lived till you have hung out with a Bayou boy. On the way back form Bayou Country, we made a pit stop at the Four Seasons to see some out gays. They were having their Disney trivia and son-of-a-Bambi those questions were hard. Who knew Disney had so many movies out there? We stayed for two rounds (winning one of them might I add) and were on our way. The event was hosted by Countess C. Alice. If you are a trivia fan, try your hand at this next time they host it. It’s not as easy as you think. I ended my week on a high holiday note and was Lit AF. I attended the new original musical produced by Southern Rep called Mandatory Merriment, and it was a fabulous and hysterical holiday romp. It was fresh and innovative with a talented staff. The basic premise is people get trapped in a dive bar a few days before Christmas because New Orleans has been hit by a freak snowstorm. They even had David Bernard (our favorite weatherman) play a cameo role in it. This show will have you rolling in the aisles as well as singing along to their take on holiday classics. Besides I love a play that offers shots to the audience. I next met some friends at Luna (Light Up NOLA Arts) Fête. Having grown and expanded this year beyond Lafayette Square, this light show now extended down Lafayette Street to the Piazza d’Italia. Luna Fête is a visionary initiative by the Arts Council New Orleans. They utilize local iconic architecture and contemporary light, sound installation, motion graphics, and video-mapping practices to create a series of artistic large-scale outdoor light installations. My night was literally lit up, but then after dealing with all the screaming kids running amok all over the place, I decided the only way to get through this night was to be just as lit up as the lights on Gallier Hall. Bailey’s is your friend, goes perfectly in your coffee and settled my nerves at least long enough to deal with the freezing weather and unruly kids. If you did not catch it this year, put it on your calendar for next year. It was well worth the price of admission. Until next issue, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. And for those who are not fans of the holiday, enjoy Tuesday.

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 6/1/18 December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com Untitled-6 1 12:49 PM

SNAP PAPARAZZI The Corner Pocket PHOTOS BY JEREMY

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Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

A Christmas Carol at Le Petit Theatre thru Dec. 23

Christmas arrived early at Le Petit this year with a smashing new production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. To be honest, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this holiday classic. I’ve read it. I’ve seen it on stage and screen. “Been there, done that,” I thought. But from the electrifying start, this new adaptation by Maxwell Williams, Le Petit’s Artistic Director, and Curtis Billings, completely engrossed me. I can’t tell you exactly why because, in terms of the script, there’s nothing radical about it. All the major plot points and characters--Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & Future, Bob Cratchit and, of course, Tiny Tim--are still there. Williams/Billings haven’t transposed the setting to the French Quarter or modern day NYC or LA. What they have done, however, is to find the perfect balance between humor, seriousness and supernatural wizardry, while keeping any sentimentality from creeping in, so as to blow Carol’s accumulated cobwebs away

and thus reveal its eternal truths. As director, Williams has, unlike previous productions of his, cast the show perfectly and elicited just-right performances from all of his actors. Each segment proceeds at a finely calibrated pace, never lingering too long as we meet the moneylender Scrooge and see how youthful hardships and disappointments caused him to become this bitter miser. Aided by Evan F. Adamson’s beautiful set, Kathleen Van Horn’s spot-on costumes, and Andrew F. Griffin’s perfect lighting, Williams has created a Carol that’s visually stunning. Perhaps best of all are Nicholas Hussong’s ingenious projections which effectively deliver otherworldliness without any cliches. Of course, any Christmas Carol can only be as good as its Scrooge and Le Petit is fortunate to have do-nowrong Bob Edes, Jr. whose commanding performance could stand with the greatest of Scrooges past, present or future. Edes brings an almost Shakespearean complexity to the initially frosty man and then slowly melts-watch how his body transforms--as warmth enters his heart. Other stand-outs in the cast in-

Bob Edes, Jr. and Zeb Hollins III in A Christmas Carol (Photo by Brittney Werner) clude Julia DeLois (Xmas Past), Zeb portraits of desperate living. Hollins III (Xmas Present), Kate Kuen All cleavage and blowsy hair, Col(Mrs. Cratchit), John Neisler (Marley), lins, outfitted in a silver spangly dress and a ratty fur coat, rises to symphonic Michael A. Newcomer (Nephew Fred), heights of duplicity and divine garishSean Patterson (Mr. Fezziwig), and ness as she tries to weasel her way off Billings as Bob Cratchit. the streets. Collins wisely grounds all In an interview in the playbill, Wilthis, however, in a ruthlessly tough and liams states that Le Petit intends to utterly believable approach that never remount this production annually, so goes over the top even as she’s lifting if you can’t see it this year do plan on others’ presents from beneath a Christcatching it next. Until then, let’s hope mas tree and dumping them into her some of the folks in Washington, DC, oversized handbag. You wouldn’t want might go through such a wondrous to mess with this broad, a type who can transformation as Ebenezer Scrooge still be found on our fair streets. does. Fanning’s Trinket is tough in another way. A gushing oil well has liberThe Mutilated at Zeitgeist ated her from monetary concerns, but Multi-Disciplinary Arts the scars of breast cancer, damning a woman of the 1950s, have left her Center thru Dec. 23 needy yet afraid. She medicates herAnother sort of Christmas Eve self with cheap wine and puts on airs. tale can be found at Zeitgeist where In this role, less showy than Celeste, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Fanning negotiates both Trinket’s Company of New Orleans (TWTC) touching and off-putting qualities, and is presenting The Mutilated, Williams’ gives her a marvelous wounded digniaccount of Trinket and Celeste, two ty. frenemies living in unpeaceful coexisThe rest of the cast, a kind of Quartence in da Quarter. ter Rat chorus, doesn’t have as meaty Billed as A Tennessee Williams parts as Trinket and Celeste. Beau Xmas Spectacular!, The Mutilated Bratcher, however, brings Bernie, the may not be quite that, but it’s certainly average Joe desk clerk of the fleaTWTC’s most imaginative and fully rebag hotel where Trinket resides, to full alized production to date. shlubby life. And as the sailor Trinket At last, Director Augustin J Correro brings back to her room, Adler Hyatt has given us a unique and wholly valid convinces whether Slim’s sober, drunk interpretation of a Williams work with or hung over; his boozy turn is one of a topnotch cast that completely fulfills the best I’ve seen. his vision. As Celeste Delacroix Griffin Dustin Gibson’s set conveys the (Tracey Collins) schemes to stay out proper tackiness to which Diane Baas’ of jail and Trinket Dugan (Margeaux lighting supplies a seedy glow. Lee Fanning) hopes to find companionship Kyle attires everyone with apt period for the holiday, what could’ve descendclothing; I especially liked Trinket’s ed into broad silly comedy, becomes, Christmasy kimono. Nick Shackleford’s under Correro’s astute guidance, twin

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

sound design adds zooming planes and clip-clopping horses to the milieu. Michael Gillette provides an original score that is pretty, and in its complexity ennobles the characters, but his setting of Williams’ lyrics sometimes makes it hard to understand them; his underscoring, though, subtly enhances the action. Having said all this, and at the risk of being Grinchy, I just wish The Mutilated was a better play. Some nice moments occur, particularly in the last third, but too much is talky, with flabby writing that doesn’t always propel the dramatic narrative. Correro’s fluid direction overcomes this up to a point, but these are not characters one cares about deeply like Blanche or Brick or Amanda. Post-performance, Correro described The Mutilated as Williams’ parody of himself and I can appreciate that. He’s certainly sending up his classic themes; the script just isn’t funny enough. It makes one think that any drag queen worth her glitter could probably do a better spoof of, say, Bette Davis or Cher than either could do of herself. So if you’re a Tennessee Williams afficionado or looking for some unorthodox holiday entertainment or just want to fill in The Mutilated on your Williams bingo card, head to Zeitgeist before the run ends. For, unlike A Christmas Carol, The Mutilated is probably not going to become an annual event.

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra through May 18

Anything that goes on for more than two years here can claim to be a tradition. Now in its fourth year, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s (LPO) Holiday Spectacular featuring the 610 Stompers has now apparently become as much a part of the season as Scrooges and Sugarplum Fairies. Of course, this LPO tradition is as unique to our region as the Bonfires on the Levee that light the way for Papa Noël! Having traveled around the world in 2016 and “from the Big Easy to the Big Apple” last year, 2018’s mission for these “Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Moves” was no less than to save Christmas after Santa had gone astray. And save it they did with the help of some fairy princesses and one towering drag queen. From the start, twas clear this was no typical holiday concert as a motorized La-Z-Boy recliner, complete with twinkly Xmas tree lights and a Christmas Story leg lamp, rolled onto the stage carrying the silk bathrobe-clad Narrator Mark “Petey” Wheatstraw who complained of parallel parking challenges. He proceeded to read from The Stompers Save Christmas, a witty adaptation of the classic Clement

Clarke Moore poem by scriptwriter Ryan Murphy employing rhymed couplets almost worthy of a Richard Wilbur translation of Moliere. Alternating with the purely musical numbers, the Stompers displayed their June Taylor-esque moves, expertly choreographed by Karen Hebert with loving humor, as they headed to the North Pole. Led by the fearless, if ever-bepuzzled, Slab (aka Brett Patron), the Stompers battled Quarter Rats (to the Mambo of West Side Story); reprised their precise March of the Toy Soldiers as they got entangled with some Canadian Mounties; and performed their own version of The Nutcracker’s Russian Dance that would have left George Balanchine confused but probably grinning. The Landry-Walker High School Gospel Choir returned from last year to start off the concert with their angelic voices (and, equally important, fine diction). Young Lily Dreuill and Margo Esquivel made for two of the smallest yet most adorable Sugarplum Fairies evincing not only budding ballet talent but fine comic chops as well. And the Dancing Grounds’ Elite Feet Students brought youthful abandon to their exacting hip hop moves; they truly wowed me. Towering over the tots--and the Stompers too--Varla Jean Merman appeared as a gorgeous snowy vision and made a spectacular Ice Queen as she confronted the Stompers with Let It Snow, a repurposing of Frozen’s Let It Go, and fearlessly deployed her multi-octave range. Miss Merman returned in the second half as Mother Ginger, looking like the candle in the center of a huge, 6-foot tall strawberry layer cake. Her voluminous dress contained several Stompers; what, exactly, they were doing underneath it was presumably lost on the younger members of the audience. As fabulously amusing as the Stompers & Friends were, this remained an LPO concert and conductor Raúl Gómez-Rojas did a fine job of leading the orchestra, bringing out rumbly brass parts, endowing the Concert Suite from The Polar Express with propulsive force, giving breathing room to the more plaintive sections of Canadian Brass Christmas, and shaping all the numbers with beautiful sculptural precision. And he’s quite the cutie too. Though I’d prefer to spread just seasonal glad tidings, journalistic integrity forces me to include a few pieces of coal or, at least, hard candy in this critical stocking. The concert’s first half could’ve been one Nutcracker selection shorter; grand as they all were, less would’ve been more. And since the previous Stomper Spectaculars have featured a supremely diverse array of local talent (Mexican guitarists, Vietnamese Lion Dancers and African songs in 2016;

Margeaux Fanning and Tracey Collins in A Tennessee Williams XMas Spectacular--The Mutilated (Photo by James Kelley) an all-woman clogging team and the St. Michael Special School Bell Choir along with the Landry-Walker Choir and two young singers last year), this iteration, with three groups of children, talented as they all were, didn’t quite measure up to the others even with the merry Miss Merman’s inclusion. I’m not sure if this was due to scheduling or budgetary concerns, but I hope next year’s Spectacular better represents the rich and unique talents of our area. Of course, I’m sure those

attending for the first time this year came away wholly satisfied. Such quibbles aside, the LPO and the 610 Stompers provided another joyful mix of serious music-making and only-in-New Orleans fun for both Spectacular virgins and veterans alike. May this tradition flourish for as long as there’s a Big Easy! Please send press releases and notices of your upcoming shows to Brian Sands at bsnola2@hotmail.com.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 27

COMMUNITY VOICE

Spiritual Joy

Pastor Allie Rowland Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans alisan.rowloand@gmail.com Earlier this week my computer broke and I felt anything but joyful. My computer would not turn on. Pam and I took it to computer store, and they “fixed” it and gave it back to us. We got home and my computer would not turn on. So I borrowed someone else’s computer. But then their Word program wouldn’t work and I still couldn’t do my work. Literally nothing I tried to do was working, and it had taken me all day of running around…on a cold day no less. I did not feel joyful at all. But I also didn’t want to miss out on the joy of the holiday season. I’ve recently been in the midst of worship series at my church based on Dr. Suess’ classic Christmas story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” As I was feeling frustrated and angry I remembered the Whos in Whoville. The Whos didn’t have any reason to feel joyful. Their circumstances were grim. All the hours they spent decorating, the time and money they spent to buy gifts, the work they did cooking in their kitchens…and they woke up and it had all been taken from them. Their circumstances were not joyful. And the

vengeful Grinch who wanted so badly to stop their Christmas was expecting the Whos to simply be devastated. But, they weren’t! Instead what the Grinch heard was a sound that wasn’t sad! “Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!” How could the Whos be so joyful? I believe that the Whos understood the spiritual concept of joy; joy that isn’t a “mood,” joy that isn’t based on circumstances, joy that in fact comes from knowing the depth of the power of love! Have you ever felt a joy that wasn’t based on circumstances? There have been times in my life that I have felt so connected to love that I felt a deep joy. I didn’t feel joy because everything in my life was perfect. And I didn’t feel joy because all of my relationships with other people were as perfect as I might want them to be. I believe that sometimes the deepest joy can come from being in the presence of the source of love. And that might not happen for all of us in the same way. I think sometimes people feel that joy when they

are using their innate gifts or talents, when they are doing something kind for someone else, or when they know that they are in some way fulfilling a part of their life’s purpose. All of those things can bring us joy. Sometimes the deepest joy comes from learning that you are worthy of love…even after other people have rejected you. And that can be a very healing type of joy. When circumstances in your life have been challenging and you are anything but joyful, have you ever decided to look for the silver lining? To look for what has worked instead of what has gone wrong? To think about every person who helped you during a challenging time? Have you ever decided to just sing with joy (even though maybe at first you didn’t feel it)? Alcholics Anonymous has a saying “fake it until you make it” by which they often mean just keep taking each day moment by moment doing your best even when you don’t feel joy just yet until you reach the point when you do. Are you hoping for joy for this holiday season? Maybe the holiday

in and of itself doesn’t make you feel joyful. But I believe that joy is a part of what you create yourself by how you choose to love; how you choose to give to those in need; and how you choose to find the silver lining…because there is ALWAYS a silver lining. Sometimes it’s just harder to find. The Whos found their silver lining by singing, by creating the joy that the Grinch wanted to steal from them. And they found their silver lining in changing the Grinch’s heart so that it grew 3 sizes! No matter what causes you to struggle during this holiday season… look for your silver linings, count your blessings, and create your joy through kindness. When you do, you will definitely create joy this holiday season!

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS Five Questions to Answer Before Buying a Second Home Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com Many people dream of having a place to call home in their favorite ski, beach or tropical destination. While owning a second home may make sense for a variety of reasons, it’s a major decision that can impact one’s financial situation for years to come. If you’re contemplating a second home at your favorite vacation spot, here are some things to consider. 1. What is your primary purpose for the home? If you envision the home as a second family space, be sure it’s truly a good fit for your lifestyle. If you are still working and can only use it for a couple of weeks per year, the expense and upkeep may be hard to justify – unless it provides the vacation escape of your dreams. If you are retired or planning to retire, the purchase may be more worthwhile. Alternatively, if you are imagining it as a rental property for a long-term resident or short-term renters, there are other considerations. Is it reasonable to assume that the poten-

tial income generated makes it a good investment, especially when considering other costs (see below)? Or are you looking at this as a property that needs improvement but that you can eventually sell for a profit after you put some work into it? 2. What is your ﬁnancial ability to carry a second mortgage? If you need to take out a second mortgage to make the purchase, will it create any risks for your monthly cash flow, either now or in the future? This question is particularly relevant if you already have a mortgage on your primary residence or are close to or in retirement. Taking on debt will carry a degree of risk regardless of your financial position, so you need to feel confident that it will not be a stretch for you. If you can afford to pay cash for the property, the question is whether that is the most effective use of your available funds compared to investing it in other ways. 3. Is the home located where

you want to be? If you plan to use the property for your own purposes, be certain the location is appealing to you. For example, if you are looking for a warm weather getaway for the winter, will the home meet your needs? If you are considering renting out the property, is the location one that can attract renters at a price that makes it a worthwhile investment? 4. Are you prepared for the extra expenses? Beyond the initial purchase and mortgage, prepare to duplicate other expenses you already have with your current home – utilities, furnishings, maintenance and improvements. If the second home is far away from your current one, consider the cost of hiring professionals to help with managing and renting the property. Additionally, you may want to meet with a tax advisor who can help you assess the possible tax implication of a second mortgage or rental income.

5. How does the purchase fit within your overall financial plan? Perhaps the most critical question is what your purchase means from a comprehensive financial planning perspective. Does it fit your overall strategy and help you achieve your primary goals — or at least not detract from achieving them? Talk to your financial advisor to help you evaluate the financial wisdom of this move before you make a final decision. 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 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Oz New Orleans PHOTOS BY DWAIN HERTZ, ANDREW HOPKINS, EYELUCIUS, & #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 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 29

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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 CROSSING (formerly 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 18 – 31, 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

New Orleans, LA [504] Gay New Orleans Walking Tour, Crescent City Tour Booking Agency, (LGBT Business of the Year) 638 St. Ann St., 568.0717. follow Gay New Orleans Walking Tour @ Facebook.COM

Your financial needs are unique. Whether you want to provide for your loved ones, support the organizations that are important to you, or plan for your own comfortable retirement, I can help you plan for your goals. I’ll look at all aspects of your finances, then find solutions that are right for your unique needs. I’ll be there to adjust your plan as life unfolds. When you have the right approach, life can be brilliant. Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M., ADPA® Financial Advisor Waterfront Wealth Management A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. 3939 N Causeway Blvd, Ste 400 Metairie, LA 70002 504.889.1704 s.billeaudeau@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/s.billeaudeau

Ameriprise Financial is proud to be recognized with another perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

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 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 31

BARTENDER OF THE MONTH Tone from the Corner Pocket Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com

My bartender for the month of December is someone who you may have recognized at this bar before, but in a different capacity so to speak. He wasn’t so much behind the bar as he was on the bar. I am talking about none other than Tone at the Corner Pocket. Just like Cher or Madonna, one name is enough to describe this effervescent individual. Before bartending, Tone worked on and off at the Corner Pocket since 2010. Normally he was dancing for the patrons (and quite well, might I add) but now, in his new role, he is blossoming. With a great personality and boyish charm, he is a natural behind the bar. Not only can he make a wonderful cocktail, he is an excellent listener (perfect for a bartender and therapist which in many cases are the same in this city), and he is fast. His dance moves taught him how to

move quickly. He can take care of a crowded bar with ease. Tone works the daytime shift (noon to 7pm) from Tuesday through Thursday, and serves up a lovely happy hour, which everyone comes in for, he says. What he loves about working at the Corner Pocket is meeting new people every day. His favorite drink to make is a libation known affectionately as a red-headed slut and his favorite cocktail to partake when he is on the other side of the bar is a White Russian with a cherry. You have to ask him yourself what the significance of the cherry is. There has to be some mysteries I leave you with. So whether he is behind the bar (or on top of it), go to the Corner Pocket and say HI to Tone and partake in your own red-headed slut. The Corner Pocket is located at 640 St. Louis Street.

Tone from the Corner Pocket

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

ENGEL&VÖLKERS MICHAEL STYLES

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 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About AT THE BELLE REVE CHRISTMAS PARTY

AT THE PHOENIX TOY DRIVE FOR ST ANNA’S

UCF presents a quality, proven challenger for LSU in Fiesta Bowl Rene Nadeau, Crescent City Sports You can make an argument that the Central Florida-LSU matchup in the Fiesta Bowl is the most intriguing bowl game for a variety of reasons. For LSU, this contest represents much more than just the chance to claim a final victim in a 10-win season. It means a lot more perhaps to the other side. Despite the impressive 25-game winning streak, UCF is again taking on the role of a Rocky Balboa with something to prove. The Knights took down Auburn, 34-27, in the Peach Bowl last season. A win here over LSU would mean more. UCF is the spokesperson for all schools who feel like they have been shunned by the pollsters. The Knights will be sky-high in Glendale. LSU had better be prepared. “This game represents a lot,” explained Saints rookie receiver Tre’Quan Smith, a former UCF star. “(UCF) represents a lot of underdogs. If we win this, it will give the program the respect that we deserve. It means a lot. We want to play against the best. We want respect from the committee. We feel like we’ve earned it.” UCF is a collection of overlooked, under appreciated. “There are no 4 or 5 star players,” Tre’Quan Smith continued.” The team is made up of over-achievers. They feel (like) they have something to prove.” “People don’t give them any respect. There are players on that team who feel they are going to show what

they can do. It’s not all about 4 and 5 star rankings. It’s all about (players’) heart.” This contest could have an impact for the future of the Knights program. With a win in the Fiesta, UCF would probably land among the top 5-6 teams in the 2019 college football preseason polls. It would give them a running start for the next College Football Playoffs. On the flip side, a win by the Tigers would not only break the Knights’ winning streak but notch a victory over a quality opponent with a lot at stake. It would send a message as to how good LSU can be moving forward. Saying this may sound like blasphemy but this could be the biggest victory of the season. Yes, maybe even bigger than the win over Georgia at Tiger Stadium. While the Tigers are also looking to start a new winning streak, the Knights have approached each game like it’s a one game streak. Tre’Quan Smith was a prominent member of the ’17 team when the wins began to pile up. “Nothing has changed since the streak began,” explained Smith, the leading UCF receiver last season with 59 catches for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns. “It’s the chemistry, what we built there. It’s special. Even with the coaching change (Scott Frost last season to Josh Heupel now), everyone still has the same goal.” The Knights have weapons on both sides of the ball. They are confident, cocky and expecting to win. They are not intimidated by the big stage.

Second in the AAC in scoring offense and scoring defense, UCF has a potent attack that is currently No. 6 in the nation in scoring with 44.2 points per game and third in country with 545 yards a contest. Their 276.5 yards rushing ranks seventh in the country and their plus-14 turnover margin is a key part of the winning formula. McKenzie Milton, the AAC’s second best passer, is unavailable due to a gruesome leg injury. He had 2,663 yards passing, 25 touchdown passes and six interceptions. Redshirt freshman QB Darriel Mack will be at the throttle. The dual threat threw for 348 yards, with a pair of touchdown passes and an eye-popping four rushing scores against Memphis in the conference title game. Mack was not highly recruited out of Norfolk, Virginia with offers from Marshall, UCF, Maryland, Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Va. Tech and Virginia. He totaled 4,132 total yards as a senior in high school with 52 touchdowns, 10th most in Virginia history. Gabriel Davis, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, brings size to the position as a natural replacement for Smith. He has 50 catches for 756 yards and six touchdowns this season. Sophomore running back Greg McRae has 1,101 yards rushing (9 yard average per carry) and nine touchdowns rushing while junior Adrian Killens has explosive speed (4.39 forty) with 698 yards rushing. UCF steals a page from the Run

N’ Gun attack. The receivers have 2-3 options in each route. The QB will read his first option before continuing through his progressions. If the DB shows one coverage, it will determine which route the receiver will run. Much depends on coverage. In order for this offense to gain success in the passing game, the UCF offensive line must afford the passer ample time to go through progressions or release the ball. Pressure from the LSU defense can disrupt the flow or cause Mack to become more of a runner by force rather than design. Sophomore defensive back Richie Gant paces the Knights on defense with 102 tackles, six interceptions and three forced fumbles. Defensive end Titus Davis has 6.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss . John Curtis alum Nate Evans, a junior linebacker, has 90 stops. Brother Martin product Brendon Hayes, a junior defensive end, leads the Knights has eight tackles for loss. Tre’Quan Smith holds a special bond with the New Orleans natives. “I’m great friends with (Evans and Hayes),” he chuckled. “They play hearts out. They are great guys. They both play all out each time they are on the field.” Even without Milton, the team can be a force but he will be tough to replace. “This team can get better,” Smith said. “Mack stepped up his game. McKenzie is a true leader. Everyone looks up to him, from the team, to the staff.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 33

The entire program looks up to him. ” Randy Shannon is the architect of the UCF 4-3 defense, adding speed with former linebckers now employed at defensive end. Shannon was head

coach at Miami from 2007-’10 and Florida’s defensive coordinator the past three seasons. It will be a chess match throughout. Both LSU defensive coordinator

Dave Aranda and Shannon will attempt to keep the offenses on their toes. Can LSU win? Absolutely. The Tigers are favored for a reason. But it will re

This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

Zach Line’s role change has paid off for him and the Saints Les East, Crescent City Sports New Orleans Saints safety Chris Banjo says “what you see is what you get” with teammate Zach Line. But there is one exception. The Zach Line you see playing fullback for the Saints isn’t what SMU got from Zine when he was Banjo’s college teammate. Line hardly ever handles the football with the Saints, but he was a star ball carrier with the Mustangs. In fact Line’s name appears in the same neighborhood as Eric Dickerson’s in the SMU records books. “It’s not a typo,” Banjo said. “It’s not an accident.” Dickerson is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “That’s pretty good company,” Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas said. Line was an unlikely candidate to have the second-most productive rushing career with the Mustangs when he arrived as a linebacker. “I didn’t see running back as my spot,” Line said. “I liked the defensive side of the ball. I liked making the tackles.” Line was ready to start making tackles when he headed to the practice field for the first time as a freshman when head coach June Jones called him over and told him to change jersey numbers. “I never had a snap at linebacker,” Line said. He was about to become a running back even though he was a bit too heavy in his linebacker body. “I don’t know what it was, but (Jones) picked me,” Line said. “We needed a guy that could pass protect so I’ve always been the kind of guy that just rolls with whatever I need to do.” It’s a trait that has served Line well. “Zach was always a guy willing to

do whatever it took for his team to win,” Banjo said. Line was mostly a blocking back as a freshman, but he lost 20 pounds before his sophomore season because Jones and his staff made an adjustment to the running back’s role in the run-and-shoot offense. At Hawaii, Jones had used “a big back and a small back.” But with the Mustangs he wanted a combination back. “He was looking for a guy that could do both so a team couldn’t key, “OK now they’re running and now they’re passing,’” Line said. “That’s what they were looking for and that’s what I wanted to be. “From the third game of my sophomore year through my senior year I never came out on offense.” Banjo said Line’s skill and footwork were eye-opening to his teammates. “It was fun t watch him barrel over guys, juke guys, out-run guys,” Banjo said. In Line’s junior year, he was on pace to break Dickerson’s single-season record of 1,617 yards, but he suffered a foot injury and missed the last three games, finishing 123 yards short while having the second-most productive season in school history. “It was a group effort by the o-line and I and everybody on that squad,” Line said. “We knew what the record was and as we got closer the anticipation grew and then I got injured with a few games left and all of them were mad at me for getting hurt. It was out of competitiveness. But it’s pretty cool.” Line also finished as the runner-up to Dickerson for career yards and career touchdowns. He was “a perfect fit for the perfect system,” Thomas said. Despite his productivity, Line

wasn’t drafted by the NFL. But that didn’t faze him. “I always knew, whatever happens, happens,” Line said, “and I’ll make it work.” So he put back on the 20 pounds he had dropped to make himself a more physical back for the NFL. He had six offers to sign as a free agent and chose the Minnesota Vikings because Toby Gerhardt was in the final year of his contract and Line thought he might have a chance to succeed him as a fullback-sized feature runner if he proved himself as a rookie. But the Vikings used Line as blocking fullback. In four seasons in Minnesota he had 13 carries and seven receptions, scoring three touchdowns. “My philosophy has always been that I just want to have a hand in the final score whatever that is,” Line said. “I want to be on the field. It’s always been 11 guys on 11 so however it is that I fit into a game or an offense or special teams it doesn’t really matter to me.” The Vikings during the 2017 preseason and the Saints picked him up. He was joining an offense that had a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees, a running back coming off his first 1,000-yard season in Mark Ingram and a versatile rookie that coach Sean Payton had big plans for in Alvin Kamara. New Orleans didn’t need Line to be much of a ball carrier. “I like this offense and I think it fits me well,” Line said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to be at right now.” Ingram and Kamara set an NFL record last season by being the first teammates to gain 1,500 yards from scrimmage in the same this season. “I’m not saying this just because he’s my teammate, but I think Zach is

the best fullback in the league,” Kamara said. “A lot of the things we do are because he’s doing his job so well. Mark and I know that and Zach knows that we know and appreciate that.” Now the Saints are 11-2 going into their game at Carolina on Monday night. That already have won the NFC South championship and they are the No. 1 seed in the NFC with three games left in the regular-season. “I think (Line) is the trademark of this team,” Kamara said. “It’s a lot of unselfish guys that don’t really care about the personal accolades but want the team to succeed over personal success.” The Saints offense was struggling through its second consecutive subpar game last week, trailing Tampa Bay 14-3 a week after a 13-10 loss at Dallas. Then Brees threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Line, starting a 25-0 second-half blitz. “We were joking with (Line) the other week and I told him he needs to be on more fantasy teams,” Kamara said. “He just scored last week so somebody’s mad that they missed out on that.” A lot of NFL teams missed out on a valuable role player in Line, someone Brees called “a grinder.” “You’ve got to adapt to where you can fit the best to make that roster when it’s all said and done,” Thomas said. “I think it speaks volumes about his toughness and the smarts and foresight he had to say I’m going to find a way to make it in this league. Obviously playing fullback has been a pretty good deal for him.” This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

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34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · December 18 – 31, 2018 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com