Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 02 by Ambush Publishing

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

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 02

TUESDAY, January 15, 2019

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Dear Ambush Nation, Carnival season has arrived! In other parts of the country, everyone is trying to recover from another holiday season. But not along the Gulf Coast! Here the holiday season continues as we celebrate Mardi Gras like only we can. So grab your tux and best costume, and get ready to party like it’s 1999. Below are a list of the Gay Mardi Gras Krewe balls and other events. The Krewe of Queenateenas 25th King Cake Queen Coronation is by invitation only while the Bourbon Street Awards are free and open to the public. You can buy tickets for most balls online and can get information via Facebook. We have added all the balls that have created Facebook events to the Ambush Magazine Facebook page which you can find @AmbushMag. If we have forgotten anyone, please let us know by emailing us at info@ambushpublishing.com. GAY MARDI GRAS KREWE BALLS & EVENTS 1/26 Krewe of Stars 3rd Annual Ball 1/26 Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge, 38th Annual Ball 2/1 Krewe of Mwindo, 21st Annual Ball

2/2 Krewe of Narcissus, 4th Annual Ball 2/9 Krewe of Amon-Ra, 54th Annual Ball 2/16 Krewe of Apollo Lafayette, 43rd Annual Ball 2/23 Krewe of Petronius, 58th Annual Ball 2/23 Krewe of Apollo Birmingham, 43rd Annual Ball 2/26 Krewe of Queenateenas 25th King Cake Queen Coronation 3/2 Krewe of Armeinius, 51st Annual Ball 3/3 Lords of Leather, 36th Annual Ball 3/5 Mardi Gras, 55th Annual Bourbon Street Awards GET INVOLVED There are so many LGBT groups and organizations that help support others in our community and provide their members with the opportunity to give back while spending time with great people. As we move into 2019, I would ask each of you to think about giving back to your community. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to volunteer your time or simply want to donate to a worthy cause. Maybe you simply want an outlet to socialize with

Inside this Issue of Ambush Effective Communication: How to Ask for What You Want…And Get It!

Musings by Catherine: Places I’ll Remember

Gay Mardi Gras 2019: 61st Year of Gay Carnival is Underway

Literary Spotlight: Dorothy Allison, Blanche McCrary Boyd, and Judy Grahn

Book Review: The Unpunished Vice: A Life of Reading

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with at Sipps Gulfport

THE ROCKFORD FILES: The Top 3 Rules of [Online] Engagement

10-11

Under the GayDar: New Orleans Hot Happenings

12-16

Under the GayDar: Mobile Hot Happenings

Party Down

Loyola University to Offer Tour-Guiding, French Quarter History Courses

Snap Paparazzi The Corner Pocket

Moments in Gay New Orleans History: Elmo Avet: The Boy Who Would be Queen

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with Frank Perez

Trodding the Boards

22-24

Bartender of the Month: Bob Miller of Lafitte’s in Exile

Book of the Month: NYPD Red Series

Artist Ryan Leitner Exhibit Premiers in New Orleans

Community Voice: Changed

6 Tips to Strengthen Your Financial Foundation in 2019

Snap Paparazzi Oz New Orleans

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory

28-29

Sports

30-31 Gulf South LGBTQ Entertainment & Travel Guide Since 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana info@ambushpublishing.com

others in your community while being part of something bigger than yourself. The LGBT community has so many groups and organizations that there is something for everyone. A quick search online or on Facebook will immediately give you a lengthy list. There are several gay Mardi Gras Krewes in New Orleans along with others in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Birmingham. The krewes are always looking for new members and host rush parties throughout the year. Most cities now have Pride organizations that are always looking for members or volunteers. There are pride groups in Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola, Houston, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. Their groups are a great way to socialize and make new friends while giving back to the community. While there are too many groups to name all, a few groups who are always looking for members, volunteers and community members to attend their events and which do amazing work in the community include New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE), PFLAG, Rainbow Mobile, The Spectrum Center in Hattiesburg, The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, Covenant House New Orleans, Gulf South LGBT Chamber of Commerce, CrescentCare and Belle Reve Nola. Please consider getting involved in 2019. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in June of this year, know that there are members of the LGBT community who need you now more than ever. MARK YOUR CALENDARS On January 27th there will be another Poppy’s Pop Up Drag Brunch benefitting CrescentCare. Join Poppy and her fabulous entertainers in Tujague’s Krewe d’Etat Room as they put on a show filled with singing and dancing while you enjoy a three-course brunch and bottomless mimosas. Tujague’s Restaurant is located in the French Quarter at 823 Decatur Street. Tickets are $75 and space is limited. Call 504358-4905 to reserve your spot today. NOAGE will be having its January potluck dinner on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church located at 1313 Esplanade Ave. The dinner is from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. This is a great opportunity to eat, network and make new friends. If you can, please feel free to bring a dish for the potluck and a non-perishable food item for St. Anna’s food pantry. People of all ages are welcome to attend.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@ambushpublishing.com CIRCULATION

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

PUBLISHER TJ Acosta EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reed Wendorf SENIOR EDITOR Brian Sands CONTRIBUTORS Brian Sands, Catherine Roland, Crescent City Sports, Frank Perez, Jim Meadows, Pastor Alisan Rowland, Persana Shoulders, Rev. Bill Terry, Rodney Thoulion, Ryan Rockford, Scot Billeaudeau & Tony Leggio LOCAL ADVERTISING sales@ambushpublishing.com Reed Wendorf Jim Tomeny NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Ambush Magazine is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush Publishing. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 5pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: info@ambushpublishing.com. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual’s name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual’s sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc. appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of AMBUSH Magazine. ©1982-2019 AMBUSH PUBLISHING LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS & PHOTOS.

4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 5

COMMUNITY VOICE

Eﬀective Communication: How to Ask for What You Want…And Get It!

Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org All of us have struggled to one degree or another with relationships, whether it be with our families of origin, our romantic partners, or our colleagues at work. A great many of the problems in these relationships can be directly traced to a failure of communication. We know what we want, and we do our best to express it, but sometimes the other person becomes immediately defensive and takes it the wrong way. Other times it just seems that what we intended to communicate comes out all wrong. Or maybe we want to say no, but are too afraid of disappointing the other person, or want to avoid conflict. If any of this sounds familiar, you’ll be glad to know that the script for everything you want to communicate has already been laid out by a psychologist named Marsha Linehan. All you have to do is fill in some of the particulars. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that was developed by Linehan in the late 1980s. CBT, generally speaking, helps people challenge their maladaptive thoughts and change their ineffective behaviors.

Linehan initially created DBT to treat individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, which is characterized by, among other things, extremely intense emotions that end up interfering with a person’s ability to handle interpersonal problems effectively. In the decades since then, DBT has been proven to help people with a wide variety of mental health issues (depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc.). While DBT skills are most often taught to people in psychotherapy, they can be useful to just about anyone. The four key modules of DBT are Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. The communication skills outlined below are taken from the Interpersonal Effectiveness module. Before I get into the skills, I’ll give a few specific examples of where they might come in handy: Your partner or spouse keeps neglecting to do their agreed-upon chores. Or you have a colleague who neglects their work, and you regularly end up having to pick up the slack. Or maybe you want to say “No” to a friend’s request, but you are

afraid you’ll say it in a way that upsets them. The communication tool below can be used for any of those situations. “DEAR MAN” Linehan loves her acronyms. She uses them as mnemonic devices to help people quickly remember exactly how to put DBT skills into action. Of the dozens she created, one of the most useful is “DEAR MAN.” So what does it mean? Basically, it’s the outline for a step-by-step script you can use to communicate what you need to say effectively. If you use it, you will be less likely to see the other person get defensive, and more likely to get what you want. Here are the specifics: DESCRIBE – Describe the problem or situation you want to talk about. EXPRESS – Express how you feel about it. ASSERT – Assert what you want, or do not want, to happen. REINFORCE – Reinforce your request by letting the other person know what’s in it for them. So if, like in the above example, your partner won’t do their chores around the house, here’s how you could use “DEAR MAN:” DESCRIBE: “I’d like to talk about something that’s been bothering me. I’ve noticed that you haven’t taken out the trash in the last week, and now the garbage bin is overflowing.” EXPRESS: “I feel angry about this because we agreed that I’d wash the dishes, and you’d take out the trash, but I’m having to do both.” ASSERT: “I want for you to recommit to your agreement to take out the trash every Monday and Thursday evening.” REINFORCE: “I don’t want to keep sounding like a nag. Our relationship means a lot to me, and I believe that things will be better between us if we both do our part.” Notice that all of these statements begin with the word “I” and not “You.” This is crucial. If we say: “YOU keep making me angry. YOU don’t do what you said you would. YOU are causing problems for us.”, etc. it’s a guaranteed recipe to make the problem worse. Yes, the goal here is for the other person to change something. But “YOUs” aren’t going to make that happen. People respond much better to “I” statements because they don’t sound as accusatory as “You” statements. So the “DEAR” part of the acronym is what you say. The “MAN” part is how you say it: Be MINDFUL APPEAR Confident NEGOTIATE

Mindfulness is about staying on track. Don’t let the conversation derail by going into a litany of criticisms against the other person. If you start to list more than one complaint at a time, the person is most likely going to get defensive, and either ignore you or interrupt you to tell you why YOU’RE the problem. Stick to one thing, and you’re more likely to get the results you’re looking for. Awareness of how you appear while you speak is crucial to getting your point across in the best way. Be aware of your body language, your tone of voice, and your level of eye contact. If you use the above script with your hands on your hips, it doesn’t matter how perfectly worded it is; you will come off as too aggressive. If you allow any sarcasm into your tone, the person will feel disrespected and will ignore the substance of what you’re saying. That being said, you don’t want to say all this with your eyes averted. The key here is to be respectful to the other person and to appear confident in what you are expressing. Once you have spoken, be prepared to listen and to negotiate. The other person may have their own request for you. Maybe your partner will say, “I agree to take out the trash, but could we sometimes trade places? I’ll do the dishes every other week if you do the trash for me once a month.” Look, I get it. This all sounds like a bunch of nonsense from a cheesy talk show. “Nobody talks like this.” But that’s the problem! The way we have been communicating in many of these situations has not been working for us. “Why can’t you just stop being so selfish” is never going to get you the kind of results that “I feel hurt by this” will get you. As simple as the acronym seems, this stuff is not easy if you haven’t had any practice with it. An actor can’t just rush on stage without knowing their lines, without having rehearsed. The same is true for the rest of us when we try a new way of communicating. If you’re going to use “DEAR MAN,” you will need to prepare by A) writing everything you plan to say down, B) revising it to get rid of anything that might come off as condescending or aggressive, and C) practicing it alone, or better yet, rehearsing it with a trusted friend who can give you honest feedback. Personally speaking, DBT skills like this one have been immensely helpful to me. I hope you’ll find that it works for you too. If you give “DEAR MAN” a shot, be sure to let me know how it goes!

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

MUSINGS BY CATHERINE

Places I’ll Remember Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com

There are places I’ll remember All my life though some have changed Some forever not for better Some have gone and some remain All these places had their moments With lovers and friends I can still recall Some are dead and some are living In my life I’ve loved them all. from In My Life by John Lennon and Paul McCartney The idea for this column came from a study that was done recently, suggesting that adults over the age of 35 have, on average, resided in at least 11 different dwellings. So why did I include a verse of the wonderful song made famous by The Beatles? Let’s consider that we are somewhat defined by the places we’ve lived, the cities and states, but more than that - the apartments, houses, or condos within a specific city or state. Reflecting on the places where we have lived can give a glimpse of how we were doing at that time, jog our memory, and allow an honest review of the progress we’ve made. Have you ever given thought to how many times you’ve moved to a new house or apartment? Make a list, and record all the residences you’ve had and where they’ve been. Even if, so far, there are only a few, each of the

places on that list can tell you some information you may have forgotten, or never considered in light of your personal growth, career goals, or enjoyment from the work you do. At times, we tend to look at past situations that were difficult, traumatic, or sometimes tragic in terms of feeling down, unproductive, sad – or maybe all three. We naturally consider the tough times before the joyful ones, and we replay that personal movie in our minds. It’s natural to reminisce about the past, and then have a question pop up, like “Now where was I living during that time?” or “Oh I loved that little house with the garden in front, I really hated to move.” Once that happens, our perception of the time, situation and the place are often more focused, and we can see it more clearly. As I considered my own list, with the 24 different residences I‘ve lived in since college, it occurred to me that when I visualized a place, I recall information such as who, if anyone, I lived with, what I did for work, who my close friends were, and one or two remarkable times for me in that place. That is a lot of visualizing. It’s possible you’ll discover something you’ve forgotten, something that might illustrate your state of mind, life satisfaction level, or even your goals at the time. It’s a kind of timeline to re-

construct the events and activities in your life; how telling they can be, when viewed as precursors to your life right now. For instance, when you visualize a certain residence, say your first in New Orleans, or another city, maybe 15-20 years ago, bring up the exact address, reconstruct the size and the layout. Were there lots of windows or was it dark and calming? Can you see the living area, the TV, bedroom, a desk with a computer or books or some kind of creative endeavor spread out? Wonder what all of that could jar in your memory. Another reason to review your residences through the years may be to gauge your relationship happiness or unhappiness factor, and to look at how you’ve grown as a person in unique ways. The dwellings throughout your life, the way in which they were decorated, the photos that were displayed or maybe those still hidden, the art you enjoyed, even the type of furniture collected during times can tell a quiet story. As we look at ourselves and our connections to other, often we recall either the really good or really not-sogood. The middle ground is perhaps the most telling however, since that’s the everyday, the most common, and the times during which we were most comfortable or natural. If we judged

feelings and evaluated our behavior in only happy or sad times, extreme instances in life, the perception of the happiness factor would likely be skewed. I know when I revisit a place in my mind, like the apartment I shared in the Garden District on Laurel Street, top floor of a two-story house when I first moved here, I remember my then-partner and myself standing in the living room, on shiny wood floors, floor to ceiling windows and walls of rich color, remarking, “Now this is a real New Orleans house.” That may have said it all at that time about how I felt about making a big move to this city, so long ago. The pictures you generate from past places you’ve lived can tell many more stories about the time in that space, than any amount of sitting and ‘trying’ to recall what your life is like. Take it from the visualized pictures of the space, and let your mind and emotional memory guide you. For many, I think you’d find your successes outweigh perceptions of the self-determined non-successes, and your happiness factor has improved as the memories of the everyday living experience becomes a little more in focus. As Lennon & McCartney remind us, “In my life I’ve loved them all…”

GAY MARDI GRAS 2019 61st Year of Gay Carnival is Underway Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com The 61st year of Gay Carnival began on January 6 with the Mistick Krewe de Rue Royale Revelers annual Twelfth Night Party. The highlight of the annual party, which celebrates the arrival of Carnival Season, is the Procession of Previous Grand Revelers and the presentation of the new Grand Reveler. The identity of the Grand Reveler is a closely guarded secret and not revealed until the night of the party. Attendees at this year’s party, numbering over 300, were surprised when Frank Perez, the Lord of Misrule and founder of the Krewe, introduced Frank Perez as Grand Reveler V, the Faux Reveler (note--same name, two different people). Previous Grand Revelers include Jeffrey Palmquist (GR I), Will Antill (GR II, the Financial District Reveler), Rip Naquin (GR III, the Award-Winning Reveler), and Felicia Philips (GR IV, the Cheese

Reveler). After Lord of Misrule Perez introduced Grand Reveler Perez, the outgoing Krewe of Queenateenas’ King Cake Queen (Solitaire), accompanied by the new King Cake Queen (Tiffany Alexander), called upon the Lord of Misrule and the new Grand Reveler for a Royal toast. This year, Carnival Season is long; Mardi Gras falls on March 5. The calendar is filled with fantastic events between Twelfth Night and Shrove Tuesday: January 26—Krewe of Stars 3rd Annual Ball January 26—Krewe of Apollo, Baton Rouge, 38th Annual Ball February 1—Krewe of Mwindo 21st Annual Ball February 2—Krewe of Narcissus 4th Annual Ball February 9—Krewe of Amon-Ra

54th Annual Ball February 16—Krewe of Apollo, Lafayette, 43rd Annual Ball February 23—Krewe of Petronius 58th Annual Ball February 23—Krewe of Apollo, Birmingham, 43rd Annual Ball February 26—Krewe of Queenateenas 25th King Cake Queen Coronation March 2—Krewe of Armeinius 51st Annual Ball March 3—Lords of Leather 36th Annual Ball March 5—Mardi Gras; 55th Annual Bourbon Street Awards

For more information about the Gay Mardi Gras, please visit GayMardiGras.com.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

LITERARY SPOTLIGHT

Dorothy Allison, Blanche McCrary Boyd, and Judy Grahn

Dorothy Allison 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 spokespeople of the LGBT community. It was also formed to bring the LGBT literary community together to celebrate the literary arts.

Blanche McCrary Boyd 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

Judy Grahn 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. For more information, please visit http://sasfest.org/#home Three authors who will be at the 2019 Festival are Dorothy Allison, Blanche McCrary Boyd, and Judy Grahn. Dorothy Allison is the author of Bastard Out of Carolina, a finalist for the 1992 National Book Award, and Cavedweller, a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, as well as a collection of short fiction, Trash. Her short stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Best of the South. A novel, She Who, is forthcoming from Viking Penguin. Blanche McCrary Boyd is an American novelist, journalist, essayist, and the Roman S. and Tatiana Weller Professor English and Writer-in-Residence at Connecticut College. She is the author of five novels and a collection of autobiographical journalism, The Redneck Way of Knowledge. Her newest

novel, Tomb of the Unknown Racist (2018), completes The Blacklock Trilogy, which also includes The Revolution of Little Girls and Terminal Velocity. Internationally known as a foremother of Cultural Feminism and the Gay Liberation movement, Judy Grahn’s iconic work includes A Woman Is Talking To Death, The Common Woman Poems, Another Mother Tongue, Blood, Bread, & Roses, A Simple Revolution and most recently a poetry publication, Hanging On Our Own Bones. The Judy Grahn Reader serves as a primer for classrooms and researchers. A collection of new short stories is forthcoming from Red Hen Press.

The 16th annual Saints and Sinners Literary Festival takes place March 29—31. For more information, please visit http://sasfest. org/#home

LGBT+ Archives Project OF LOUISIANA

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

8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Offi cial Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com 11/16/18 FINAL - Ambush ad - 5 x 2.9375.indd 1

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BOOK REVIEW The Unpunished Vice: A Life of Reading Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com The Unpunished Vice: A Life of Reading by Edmund White. Bloomsbury, 2018. 240 pages. $28.00. Few greater joys exist than an insightful writer discussing the books that have influenced him. The Unpunished Vice: A Life of Reading offers just such a joy. “Generous,” “entertaining,” “provocative,” and “bountiful” merely begin to scratch the surface to describe this intimate reflection of a literate life. Literary icon Edmund (A Boy’s Own Story) White made his name through his writing, but he remembers his life through the books he has read.

For White, each momentous occasion came with a book to match: Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past, which opened up the seemingly closed world of homosexuality while he was at boarding school in Michigan; the Ezra Pound poems adored by a lover he followed to New York; the biography of Stephen Crane that inspired one of White’s novels. But it wasn’t until heart surgery in 2014, when he temporarily lost his desire to read, that White realized the key role that reading played in his life: forming his tastes, shaping his memories, and amusing him through the best and worst life had to offer. Blending memoir and literary crit-

icism, The Unpunished Vice is a compendium of all the ways reading has shaped White’s life and work. His larger-than-life presence on the literary scene lends itself to fascinating, intimate insights into the lives of some of the world’s best-loved cultural figures. With characteristic wit and candor, he recalls reading Henry James to Peggy Guggenheim in her private gondola in Venice and phone calls at eight o’clock in the morning to Vladimir Nabokov— who once said that White was his favorite American writer. Featuring writing that has appeared in the New York Review of Books and the Paris Review, among

others, The Unpunished Vice delivers a wickedly smart and insightful account of a life in literature. At heart, White is a storyteller and his latest installment does not disappoint. In this story, books are the characters—and what a cast it is! White comments on many books that almost all readers will be familiar with, but he also introduces his readers to works they may not be aware of. For avid readers always looking to add to their “to read” lists, this is the great value of the book. For fans of White, this book will add to their appreciation of his previous works.

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with at Sipps Gulfport PHOTOS COURTESY OF DWAIN HERTZ

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 9

THE ROCKFORD FILES

The Top 3 Rules of [Online] Engagement Ryan Rockford RyanRockfordNYC@gmail.com

Sex Etiqu-ation: Part I

If you’re under thirty, chances are you’ve never known life without a smartphone. It’s challenging for today’s young, gay, digital natives to imagine a time when looking for love didn’t involve using one or more of the many online dating apps that modern gays have dutifully attached to their home screens. As a Gen-X digital hybrid (someone who remembers life before the internet), I’m like the O.G. of online hookups. I started dating online before the internet was invented. The only difference is on one end of my line was a phone-sex call center and some sorry son of a bitch in an office cubicle working double overtime. Search engines like Bing and websites like PornHub keep a steady stream of porn running. Today’s gay ‘yout’s’ will never know the struggle of finding sex and porn before the computer and smartphone. Listen to the O.G., the struggle was real. Technology has changed a lot since then. It’s changed our lives and it’s changed the natural order of the

universe. You don’t have to look any further than the palm of your hand to see that the age of technology is here to stay. Unlike our straight counterparts, our use of online apps such as Grindr, Scruff, Recon, Hornet, etc., has made finding sex incredibly easy. So easy in fact, that, for many, the act of having sex gives way to muscle memory. So much so that we’re able to detach ourselves from the experience and multi-task. Your ‘guest’ may be pounding the living crap out of you and yet your mind is elsewhere, organizing a to-do list, wishing a different playlist was on, and mentally redecorating the bedroom. That said, sex without connecting with another person isn’t sex. It’s nothing but a rehearsed and disingenuous

series of actions, a mechanical routine. That’s unfortunate because sex involves humans (I hope!). We are not machines. Straight or gay, the online sex/dating/hook-up process involves real people. Real people have real feelings, but we’re forgetting that. And that is where the sexual gravy-train begins to slide off the rails. When did it become ‘cool’ to be a self-centered prick devoid of both manners and gratitude? Being an Online O.G., I feel a certain ‘Daddy’ duty to bring the younger men of today up to speed on things you need to know if you want to be invited to the next party or secure a spot on the FWB list of your latest crush. In this first of a two-part series, you’ll learn the Rules of Online Engagement.

Straight or gay, the online sex/dating/hook-up process involves real people. Real people have real feelings, but we’re forgetting that. And that is where the sexual gravy-train begins to slide off the rails.

Before we begin, let’s be clear, in the gay world, the word ‘dating’ in “online dating” is a bit of a misnomer. A ubiquitous term, for our purposes it ultimately translates into “I’m looking for dick”. Gay men don’t date anymore. In today’s world, free time is a precious commodity. Dating is time-consuming and expensive. Isn’t it more practical and efficient to just skip the song & dance and get right to the fcking? I shouldn’t have to say this, but gay dating apps are for sex. They are not the place to trade recipes, collect Instagram followers* or ask for help in self-diagnosing your latest STD. If you’re on a gay dating app and NOT looking for sex, delete your profile, immediately; otherwise, you just look like an asshole. If you are looking for ‘great friends’, a room to rent, or just curious to see how many Taps your new gym selfie can rack up, stick to Snapchat, or whatever app 14-year-old girls are geeking over. *If the Instagram link that you inserted into your profile leads to a locked account, only accessible to followers, you’re a first class douchebag. Ok, you’re signed on and horny as

10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

hell. Let’s dive in. Rule #1. Everybody lies. Everyone is lying about something in their profile. Maybe it’s their age or ethnicity or job title or real name or sexual position or height or dick size or whatever. Expect it and accept it. The opportunity to reshape yourself into any person you would like to be, instead of the person you are, is what makes the internet such an alluring and seductive vice. The reasons for profile ‘inaccuracies’ are as varied as the lies themselves. As long as you are still physically attracted to the person that shows up at your door, roll with it. It’s important to remember that men routinely lie about their HIV status. Most claim to be HIV -, including those who haven’t been tested recently and don’t actually know their status, as well as those who are HIV+ but are on a medicinal regimen which has rendered their viral load to be undetectable. There are also those individuals who are HIV+, are not on meds and just don’t care. Which leads us to rule #2. Rule #2. Assume that everyone online is HIV+. From that standpoint, any change in your health status as a result of a sexual encounter is your responsibility. If you enjoy bareback sex (and who doesn’t?) it’s paramount that you get tested and know your status. An ever-present stigma, ignorance and/or fear may keep men from either getting tested or from knowing their HIV status, but you’re running with the

big boys now, so put on your big boy pants and get tested. If you’re negative, you can stay that way by introducing PrEP into your daily routine. If you discover that you are HIV+, there are simple medicinal regimens that can provide you with a normal life expectancy as well as bring your viral load down to an undetectable level. Either way, you can then have all the bareback sex you want without the fear of contracting or transmitting the HIV virus. PrEP is 99.9% effective against transmission and an undetectable status is 100% effective in preventing transmission. At the end of the day, you and only you, are responsible for your actions. As a gay adult male, you presumably understand and accept the risks and consequences of your actions from the moment you sign on. Rule #3. Stop shaming. This applies to all gays, not just the ones using dating apps. Shaming within our own LGBTQ community is on the rise and it needs to stop right this fcking minute. This includes body shaming, femme shaming, bottom shaming, trans shaming--the list goes on. The very essence of our community is resistance and the unwillingness to conform to the demands and expectations of straight society. We are not straight so what happened that all of a sudden we’re self-policing our own people? Where

is all that Pride we boast about? Pride is more than that one day in June when it’s acceptable to dress up like a rainbow-colored unicorn and shoot confetti cannons out of your asshole. Having Pride means having respect, both for yourself and for other LGBTQ members. Make no mistake, you have pride because you have a community. A community that supports and looks after you. Shaming someone doesn’t define who they are, but it tells me all I need to know about you. Topping the shamer’s list (no pun intended) of concerns is one that finds a majority of the LGBTQ finger-waggers looking in my direction: slut-shaming. In general, slut-shaming involves the moralistic devaluation of others based on real or perceived behavior. More specifically, slut-shaming is aimed at chastising ‘reckless’ and ‘irresponsible’ individuals who are engaging in more than a moderate amount of bareback sex, usually with strangers. The problem is that there is a false standard. How many men is too many? How many is just enough? Plenty of homosexual men are still trapped by a subconscious need to hold onto heterosexist norms. Shaming can stem from self-loath-

ing, guilt, insecurity or a million other places. It doesn’t matter. All that’s important is that we stop doing it. If you can’t understand why then maybe you’re just an idiot. Unfortunately, we live in a sex-negative society that demonizes those of us who choose to live outside the lines of perceived ‘normalcy’. The truth is, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. What works for you, works for you. Bareback sex isn’t for everyone. You will undoubtedly meet individuals who prefer to use a condom. So what? Respect their choice as strongly as you would want them to respect yours. If the issue is a deal-breaker for you, make that detail known from the get-go. This concludes the first installment of a two-part series covering online dating Rules of Engagement. In the next issue of Ambush Magazine, we’ll continue to pull back the curtain on the illusions of gay dating apps and the sexual marketplace relating to group sex, drugs, the power of ‘No’, and much more. Until then, it’s my duty as America’s Next Fag Superstar to encourage you to get out and practice what I’ve preached.

PrEP is 99.9% effective against transmission and an undetectable status is 100% effective in preventing transmission.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 11

UNDER THE GAYDAR

New Orleans Hot Happenings

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com 2019 is off to a great start with lots of events to kick off the new year. Here are some festive suggestions to shake off those post-holiday blues. (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 EVERYDAY

Happy Hour: The Crossing; 439 Dauphine St. 7 days a week from open until 9pm (7AM to 9PM). It’s $3 domestic beer and well drinks. $1 off everything else.

MONDAY

Martini Mondays: The Crossing; 439 Dauphine St. (All Day) Tito’s and Deep Eddy martinis will be $3. 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. 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. The line up this month is 1/21 Jezza Belle L’Moore and 1/28 Sophia Sugar Star. 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 fast-

est 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. 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

12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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 Rodriguez 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. 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 Prime Time Trivia: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; starts at 9 p.m. Come out and enjoy trivia with great prizes with your host Honey Bee. Retro Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; starts at 10 p.m. Enjoy drink special from 10 p.m. to midnight and the best hits from the 80’s and 90’s.

FRIDAY

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

Play Girlz: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. Drag show 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. 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. Rupaul’s Drag Race All Star Season 4 Viewing Party with Laveau Contraire: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Avenue; 7 - 9 p.m. Get those heels down to Kajun’s Pub for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 4! This season, each episode is a whopping 90 minutes followed by an episode of Untucked! Each week, Laveau will be joined by a co-host from the local drag scene to help entertain you with insightful commentary, witty banter, and dazzling performances! They’ll also have prizes, drink specials, interactive games and did I say prizes? Misc4Misc: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. Enjoy this wonderfully weird drag show hosted every week by Apostrophe. Cover is $5.

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 a 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. Drag Dingo: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 6 - 8 p.m. Catch ChiChi Rodriquez, Persana Shoulders for Drag Bingo! 11 games of Bingo, 11 chances to win prizes! All the fun starts at 6 pm till 8 pm in their upstairs bar with your favorite bottom, Jake, slinging drinks for you all night long!

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 up-

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stairs 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 Rodriguez 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, 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 1/15

Crave: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 8 p.m. Taking male burlesque to the next level, our Crave performers are primed and ready for another hot and spicy show! Come see what we have in store for you at January’s Crave - the Naughtiest Male Show in New Orleans! UPSTAIRS at The Phoenix. Cover $10; Doors at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

THURSDAY 1/17

Gulf South Chamber Networking Workshop and Business After Hours: Tulane Medical Center; 1415 Tulane Avenue; 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Networking Workshop from 5.30 to 6.15 p.m. with Business After Hours networking social until 8.30 p.m. hosted by Tulane Medical Center. Workshop in Room 1114 (1st Floor entrance by Valet Parking). Business After Hours networking social

- 1st Floor Lobby (1st Floor Entrance by Valet Parking). Free Parking: LaSalle Garage, Saratoga Garage, Valet Parking. Check in starts by 5pm and Workshop starts promptly at 5.30.. Networking Workshop conducted by Julie Couret, Executive Coach. Looped: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7 p.m. Looped is a play by Matthew Lombardo that ran on Broadway in 2010. Starring Elizabeth Bouvier as Tallulah Bankhead & featuring Greg Nacozy as Danny Miller. Get tickets on their Facebook page and through Eventbrite. Untitled Drag Show: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. Drag has always existed in the complicated duality of artistry and entertainment, but in the modern day, entertainment has become the driving force of many a medium. In this [untitled drag show] they seek to let some of New Orleans’ most capable drag artists explore deeper into the realm of drag as art. No themes. Come find out what happens when drag gets real. Hosted by Siren (Tyler Cross), our first showcase will feature: Apostrophe, Visqueen, Auda Beaux Di and Versula Bottom. Doors at 10. Show at 11. $10 admission Make Out - Improv Workshop and Show: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Your faves from MAKE UP: improv + drag bring you MAKE OUT (with friends): improv + storytelling. Come at 6 p.m. for an improv workshop open to anyone and everyone at any level of experience. Then stick around for the show! They have star comedian Amanda Golob to tell some stories that will inspire our improv. Which stories? Excellent question! Amanda’s true and off-the-cuff stories will be based on YOUR suggestions, of course! Workshop @ 6 ($5 suggested donation); Show @ 7 ($5 cover)

FRIDAY 1/18

Dykes Do Deadlifts: Vitality By Kristin; 4304 Firestone Road; 11 a.m. They are back again with another fun workout for a good cause! They are partnering with the creators of Dykes Do again to bring you Dykes Do Deadlifts! A space for queer women to get our pump on in a judgement-free zone. This event’s proceeds will benefit BreakOUT: “BreakOUT! builds the power of LGBTQ youth most impacted by the criminal justice system to affect concrete policy change to fight the criminalization of LGBTQ youth in New Orleans, LA.” Don’t let the words “deadlift” freak you out. Dykes Do Deadlifts, and all programming at Vitality, is first-timer friendly. Check out their page on Facebook for registration details. Big Wig Ball - Rocky Hair Show: Opera Guild Home; 2504 Prytania Street; 7 - 10 p.m. Join the Sylvain So-

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

ciety Young Professionals at the third annual Big Wig Ball! The 2019 event is themed “Rocky HAIRror Wig Show”. The 2019 event will feature food, libations, music, a raffle for coveted prizes, and a wig contest to crown New Orleans’ official “Big Wig.” Tickets are $50 in advance and $75 at the door. Guests must be 21+ to attend. Cocktail or costume attire. Wig required. All guests will have the opportunity to be crowned New Orleans’ official “Big Wig.” For tickets, go to http://neworleansopera. org/news/big-wig-ball Smash/Catharsis: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 9 - 11:30 p.m. A fully actualized, multipiece performance companion to this past summer’s eruptive duet. Starring Lune Noirr, Grand Mafun, Ladee Lucerne and Tarah Cards. A visceral odyssey into the worlds of four women that explores the expurgation of social constructs and circumscription of the divine feminine. Doors at 9 p.m.; Show at 10 p.m. $10 cover. At Play: Okay Bar; 1700 Port Street; 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. The first At Play of the year and it’s Bouffant Bouffant’s birthday! This month Tristan Dufrene and Bouffant Bouffant welcome local legend Disko Obscura!!! No cover, no gifts, just come to play!

SATURDAY 1/19

Drag Queen Storytime: Alvar Library; 913 Alvar Street; starts at 1 p.m.

Come listen to the beautiful and talented Vanessa and Desiree read stories. Open to all families, caregivers, and children of all ages. 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. Set Your Phasers To Stunning: The Howling Wolf; 907 S. Peters St.; 8 11 p.m. Join the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus for their 9th Annual SciFi Fashion Show, Set Your Phasers To Stunning! SYPTS is chance for Krewe members to showcase your costumes and talents before the Chewbacchus parade and win the grand prize: an IKOC lifetime membership! Age 18 And Up / $10 in advance . $15 at the door for muggles / $10 at the door if you’re in costume. Buy tickets at www. brownpapertickets.com

HoneyBee Trivia Thursdays 7:00 PM

SUNDAY 1/20

Kinky Cabaret - Seance: The Twilight Room at the Allways Lounge; 2240. St. Claude Avenue; 8 - 10 p.m. Since the 18th Century and before, the Séance has been a staple of esoteric culture, a ritualistic vessel for calling forth the spirits of lives lost. Candles and incense and crystal balls and tambourines and a drag-queen-medium chanting bitchfully authoritative incantations. Before you know it, voices from the past fill the room…along with gor-

geous performers, fabulous music, and thunderous applause! To celebrate the resurrection of Kinky Kabaret, they will be hosting a musical SÉANCE, calling to life the spirits of artists gone by. Plan on a stellar cast invoking creative spirits using their own talents and the help of the audience. The cast of Shamans, Mediums, and Kinky Spiritualists: Dede Onassis, Angie Z, Expecta Patrone and hosted by Trey Bien.

THURSDAY 1/24

Looped: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7 p.m. Looped is a play by Matthew Lombardo that ran on Broadway in 2010. Starring Elizabeth Bouvier as Tallulah Bankhead & featuring Greg Nacozy as Danny Miller. Get tickets on their Facebook page and through Eventbrite.

FRIDAY 1/25

Blush Ball 2019: Generations Hall; 310 Andrew Higgins Dr; 8 p.m. Please join The Pussyfooters on January 25th for our annual Party with a Purpose! We are thrilled to have the Brass-A-Holics join us for this fun filled evening. DJ Ally Bea will be keeping the party people dancing! Our own Fresh Johnson will be the Master of Ceremonies. A portion of the proceeds benefit Metro Centers for Community Advocacy which provides resources to break the cycle of violence and aid survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault

Happy Hour Daily

and stalking through advocacy, intervention, empowerment, and transformation. There are a limited number of patron party tickets this year so be sure to get yours now before they run out! Tickets are available at https://501auctions.com/blushball

SATURDAY 1/26

Big Easy Sisters Bingo: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 6 - 9 p.m. Come win stuff with the BIG EASY SISTERS for their bi-monthly Bingo. There will be drink specials, bingo and fabulous prizes. Krewe of Stars Showball 2019: Jefferson Performing Arts Center; 6400 Airline Drive; Door open at 7 p.m., Ball starts at 8 p.m. Join the Krewe of Stars for their ball this year. The theme is The Stars Shine on Bourbon Street. Royalty this year is Chris Owens and Mark Davison. For tickets, go to http:// www.kreweofstars.com Drink Drank Dance: 300 Julia Street; 9 p.m. GrrlSpot is ready to help you break all kinds of resolutions. This time we’re headed all the way to the CBD, to a land of a thousand taps (or 50ish), a place with games, and food, and a DJ, and no cover. Hit It Vol. 4 - King Cakes: Cutter’s; 706 Franklin Ave.; 10:30 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. Your favorite POPPERS AND UNDERWEAR party is rolling through for a Carnival Season edition that is all you can eat CAKES. Featuring a full-

Sat, 01/19 - 10pm

noon - 9:00 PM $3.00 wells and domestics

Wednesday Video Game Night 7:00 PM

Fri, 01/25—10pm

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fledged dark room, steaming hot dance floor and a huge party supply of VHS cleaner from *Double Scorpio* available for purchase. Will the sling be back again? Probably! Clothes check will be at the door so you can strip down to your sexy underwear, jock, panties, or just go ahead and show off all of your king cakes, baby! Anything goes! Sexy beats for a transcendental poppers experience by DJ Tyler Cross. Hosted by: Joe Witkowski - resident poppers expert; FatsyCline Drag - Miss Louisiana Leatherette 2018; Ross Ransom Mr. Nude Orleans. $5 Cover includes clothes check

SUNDAY 1/27

King Cake Festival; Champion Square; 1500 Sugar Bowl Drive; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The 6th Annual King Cake Festival benefiting Ochsner Hospital for Children will be held on Sunday 1/27th from 10am- 4pm in Champions Square. For tickets, go to www. kingcakefestival.org. Poppy’s Pop-Up Drag Brunch Benefitting Crescent Care: Tujague’s Restaurant; 823 Decatur Street; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. In support of Crescent Care, Tujague’s is hosting a Drag Queen Brunch with Ms. Poppy Tooker. 25% of the proceeds will go to benefit CrescentCare’s Food for Friends program. This initiative provides nutrition through pantry services and home delivered meals to clients living with HIV/

AIDS and cancer in the Greater New Orleans area. Food for Friends provides 130,000 meals to its clients annually. Join Poppy and her fabulous entertainers in our Krewe d’Etat Room to put on a show filled with singing and dancing while you enjoy a three course brunch and bottomless mimosas. Call 504-358-4905 to reserve your spot today. Credit card authorization will be required for all reservations due to demand. $75 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity.

WEDNESDAY 1/30

NOAGE Monthly Potluck: St. Anna’s Episcopal Church; 1313 Esplanade Ave.; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Join the New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders for their monthly potluck! Come to eat, network, and make new friends in 2019! If you are able, please bring a dish. We’ll need main dishes, meats, sides, soups, salads or vegan/vegetarian dishes, desserts, and beverages. Please also consider bringing non-perishable food items for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. All ages welcome! For more information, call Jim at (504)228-6778.

THURSDAY 1/31

Looped: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7 p.m. Looped is a play by Matthew Lombardo that ran on Broadway in 2010. Starring Elizabeth Bouvier as Tallulah Bankhead & featuring Greg

Nacozy as Danny Miller. Get tickets on their Facebook page and through Eventbrite. Broadway @ NOCCA presents Beth Malone: NOCCA; 2800 Chartres Street; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Producer Mark Cortale presents Beth Malone, Tony nominee for 2016’s smash hit Fun Home, at NOCCA for one show only. Sirius XM radio star Seth Rudetsky will join her as music director and host.

The unique format of the series mixes intimate behind-the-scenes stories prompted by Rudetsky’s insightful, funny and revealing questions and music from the artists’ careers. All proceeds from the 2018/19 Broadway @ NOCCA series will benefit The NOCCA Institute. For tickets and information, please visit www.broadwaynola.com or call 800-838-3006.

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Mobile Hot Happenings WEEKLY AT FLIP SIDE

WEEKLY AT B-BOB’S

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

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

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

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

16 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com 2019 has finally arrived and not a moment too soon. The past year was filled with lots of highs and lows. The new year brings hope for more peaceful and happier times; so basically don’t look at the news. But our city is unique in that we don’t have any downtime after the new year because on 12th Night or King’s Day, our Carnival season starts which means king cakes, balls, lots of parties and parades. So hold on to your livers because Mardi Gras is in March this year and it’s going to be a very long season. After Christmas, I pretty much took it easy, caught up on reading, bingewatched lots of movies and TV series (love The Bodyguard) and just enjoyed my house. But I still managed to make it out and about a few times starting on Thursday with the soft opening of Cru, located in the former Feelings Cafe. I’m so glad to see someone has taken over that space, it once was my favorite restaurant in the city. Going there again brought back so many fond memories. Cru is inspired by Chef Marlon Alexander and has a location in Pythian

Market. The food at Cru is inspired and delicious; the atmosphere is just as exotic as I remembered it. I love this place that now also does drag queen brunches. Joining Chef Marlon is Chef Kelseay Dukae who was on Season 8 of Masterchef. After her fulfilling experience on the show, she moved back to New Orleans and put on “Veganori” pop-ups all around the city. She is now proud to call the treehouse at Cru her new home, creating delectable vegan and non-vegan options at the restaurant which has an amazing happy hour as well. You should definitely check this place out. I laid low after my Cru excursion until New Year’s Eve when I went to Marché for their holiday celebration. This is the third year in a row I have attended this event and it’s one of my favorite ways to ring in a new year. They have delicious cuisine, live entertainment, gorgeous decor, free flowing cocktails and an up-close’n’personal view of the fireworks. If what they say is true and the rest of your year is a reflection of how you spend New Year’s Eve (I do not buy

into that, I have had equally enjoyable NYEvenings on the couch watching TV with a bottle of champagne), then I will have a cocktail in my hand and be surrounded by good friends all year long, not a bad thing. The remainder of the week was devoted to catching up on work but I did manage to celebrate King’s Day or the Epiphany by attending Frank Perez’s 12th Night Party. He held it at this cool location on Rampart Street with an oversized balcony. It was quite a large crowd of celebrants in and out of costume. Costuming is my favorite part of the Carnival season. Frank had king cakes in every flavor, a four-layer cake,

cocktails, a DJ and they crowned the new Lord of Misrule for his Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers. The new Lord of Misrule is (wait for it) Frank Perez, and no he did not crown himself. There is actually another person who lives in the Quarter with the same name as Frank Perez, talk about kindred spirits. What a exceptional way to usher in the Mardi Gras season. That’s it for my celebration, until next issue, stay calm and party down! Do you want your party or event covered? Invite me! ledgemgp@ gmail.com

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Loyola University to Oﬀer Tour-Guiding, French Quarter History Courses Loyola University will begin offering Professional Tour Guiding courses this month. The courses will be offered through the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies and are non-credit. The new initiative is part of an attempt to accommodate the city’s growing tourism industry as well as to address increasing concerns that many of the newly licensed guides on the streets have not been properly trained. The city of New Orleans currently mandates that any guides who are paid for giving tours have a city issued tour guide license. At present, there are only three requirements to be issued a license: pay an application fee to the city, pass an FBI background check, and score a 70% on a written test. Students who successfully complete the first course at Loyola will have the city test waived. Professional Tour Guiding 1 begins on January 22. Designed for people who are preparing to take the New Orleans Tour Guide Permit exam or just want to learn more about the

city, this course is a rich exploration of New Orleans’ colorful history and the tourism industry. Students participate in classroom sessions and two field trips that are guided walking tours of the French Quarter and the Garden District. Classroom sessions consist of instructor lectures, guest speakers, and student presentations. Students also have the option to take the Tour Guide Permit exam for the City of New Orleans on the last night of class. Cost is $395. Professional Tour Guiding 2 begins on April 30. The focus of this course is research and story-telling. Students will learn techniques and resources to enhance their research and storytelling skills and build better tours. Class sessions will consist of lectures, workshops, and guest speaker presentations from research facilities such as The Historic New Orleans Collection, Louisiana Research Collection, New Orleans Public Library, the Notarial Archives, the Archdiocese Archives, Newcomb College Institute, the Louisiana State Museum, and Amistad Re-

search Center. Students will choose one subject to investigate and give a report on that topic at the end of the class. The last class meeting is a field trip with guided walking tour. Cost is $195. French Quarter History begins on March 27. This class focuses on the history of the French Quarter as both the original city of New Orleans and its shifting role as the city’s flagship neighborhood. While the French, Spanish, and early American periods are covered, the emphasis of the course is on 20th century history. Topics include, but are not limited to: architecture, historical preservation, colorful characters, the rise of tourism, literature and arts, drinking culture, crime and vice, and LGBT+ history. The last class meeting is a tour of the French Quarter. Cost is $245. The courses have been designed by and will be taught by local historian, licensed tour guide, and Ambush columnist Frank Perez. Perez has a long history of experience in both education and tourism. A former Associate Pro-

fessor of English, Perez taught Tour Guiding courses at Delgado Community College and created that college’s French Quarter History course. He is also a long-time tour guide, a volunteer with the Friends of the Cabildo, and for several years has owned a tour booking agency. Perez is also a member of the Sustainable Tourism Task Force, a collaborative effort among local residents and tour professionals to address the potentially harmful effects of an over-saturated tourism market.

Registration for all three courses is now open. More information here: http://pcs.loyno.edu/ programs/non-credit-courses

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SNAP PAPARAZZI The Corner Pocket PHOTOS BY JEREMY

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MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY Elmo Avet: The Boy Who Would be Queen Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com As Carnival Season is upon us, it is only right and fitting to remember a pioneer of Gay Carnival—Elmo Delacroix Avet. Born of Portuguese immigrants in 1896 in the small Louisiana town of Plaquemine near Baton Rouge, Avet served in the Navy during World War I before settling in Los Angeles. There Avet established a career in Hollywood and discovered a world inconceivable to a small boy in rural Louisiana. If the Great War turned Avet into a man, Hollywood turned the man into a Queen. In Hollywood, he worked behind the scenes on such camp classics as Glorifying the American Girl (1929), Shanghai Express (1932), Scarlet Empress (1934), and The Wizard of Oz (1939). Sets for the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City—all Elmo Avet. When not working on film production, Avet circulated effortlessly within the gay subculture of the studio system, rubbing shoulders with the likes of director Vincente Minnelli, and costume designers Orry-Kelly and Adrian. The Wizard of Oz was the last film on which Avet worked before moving to

New York during World War II. Having “done” Hollywood, he was ready for Manhattan. There he became an antiques dealer and became friends with Patrick Dennis, author of Auntie Mame and Little Me. While in New York, Avet utilized his Hollywood skills by creating sets and designing costumes for private parties and dramatic productions. Avet would bring this skill set to New Orleans when he returned to Louisiana in the early 1950s. He bought a home at 819 Bourbon Street where he lived with his lover, Billy Livingstone. He later opened an Antique Shop at 540 Royal Street in the heart of the French Quarter. Given his love of costuming and pageantry in general, it was only natural that Avet became a Carnival aficionado. Avet was a founding member of the Krewe of Yuga, the first gay Carnival krewe, in 1958. Yuga had grown out of the annual Krewe of Carrollton parade-viewing party hosted by Doug Jones at his home, which was on the parade route. Other founding members included John Dodt, Jim Schex-

nayder, Jerry Gilley, Tracy Hendrix, Otto Stierle, Carlos Rodriguez, Bill Wooley, John Henry Bogie, and Jo Jo Landry. On Mardi Gras, this group of friends wandered the French Quarter, with Dixie’s Bar of Music as a base of revelling operations. Miss Dixie affectionately referred to her gay regulars as “the cufflink set.” The annual Yuga party, or ball, grew in popularity and within a few years Yuga needed a new venue. The 1960 ball was held at a jazz club on Lake Pontchartrain. In 1961, the krewe moved its tableau to the Rambler Room, the dance recital hall of a school in Metairie. The ball, and venue, was a success and the krewe chose same place for its ill-fated 1962 ball. Elmo Avet had been selected queen—the fifth Yuga Regina. But before Avet could don her crown and make her grand entrance, Jefferson Parish authorities raided the ball. Pandemonium ensued and close to 100 men were arrested. Avet was fleeing the venue when a police officer stopped him. Fortunately, Avet knew the officer who let him go. Those who were arrested were eventually bailed out by Miss Dixie, who was always willing to help when a gay or lesbian bar was raided. The next morning, Avet and Bill Wooley, who also managed to evade arrest, met at the Bourbon House, a popular gathering place for gay Quarterites across the street from Dixie’s, to debrief and figure out what to do next. The police raid ended the Krewe of

Yuga and many of the members carried on with the Krewe of Petronius, which had been formed the year before. In fact, the two krewes shared many members, including Carlos Rodriguez, Otto Stierle, Jo Jo Landry, and Bill Wooley. Wooley would eventually go on to found the Mistic Krewe of Celestial Knights. Jim Schexnayder became a co-founder of Amon Ra and Tracy Hendrix was a co-founder of Armeinius. Avet became instrumental in the growth of Petronius and was actually slated to reign as Queen of the 1970 Petronius Ball, “Space Oddity.” But, alas, as fate would have it, Avet was once again denied the chance to wear the Queen’s crown. He died about a month before the ball. In his book, Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival, Howard P. Smith describes Avet’s lover’s reaction to his death: “Schindler was in New York when Avet died and returned to find Livingstone distraught over the loss of his longtime companion, whom he called ‘Madame’: ‘I just don’t know what I’m going to do. Madame had so wanted to be the Queen of Petronius, and to think she didn’t get to wear her rightful crown. And to top it all, boxes and boxes of rhinestones just keep arriving. What am I going to do with all those rhinestones, for God’s sake!” Elmo Avet—the boy who would be Queen. And what a Queen he was!

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Frank Perez PHOTOS OF 2019 KREWE DU RUE ROYALE REVELERS 6TH ANNUAL 12TH NIGHT PARTY | PHOTOS BY AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

Herewith, a round-up of some singular shows that played in NOLA before the holidaze, one of which is coming back.

The Stockings were HUNG! at The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret

Decked out in a silver & black sequined mini-dress and her signature mile-high blonde hairdo, the legendary Lady Bunny, recently dubbed “New York’s reigning drag queen” by the NYTimes, had the packed AllWays Cabaret audience in the palm of her hot hand from the moment she began The Stockings were HUNG! with the filthiest Christmas song medley ever. Gleefully warbling “I Saw Daddy Fisting Santa Claus” among other such ditties, Bunny put the X back in Xmas. Sassy as can be and full of fun, Bunny offered priceless riffs on Lady Gaga’s A Star is Born, and got in multiple loving digs at Varla Jean Merman and Persana Shoulders and not-soloving digs at the Kardashians, Sarah Sanders, and lyin’ Drump. As she tossed off terrible puns and dished on RuPaul’s Drag Race (“Maybe I’m just old and jealous”), the laughs

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came thick’n’fast and Bunny admired the “sick sick twisted freaks of New Orleans town.” Interestingly, whereas her Trans-Jester show of two years ago had some jokes that seemed a bit dated and, in discoursing about free speech, became a little “preachy,” for Stockings, Bunny was up-to-the-minute, especially when it came to Demi Lovato and a “hot spoon”, and all the contestants on Drag Race, references the audience caught immediately. Though dear pals in real life, Bunny mercilessly and repeatedly ribbed Bianca Del Rio; she clearly knows what crowds appreciate these days. Bunny used her AllWays gig to try out some new material so she read some sections off of a (large print) script. Nobody seemed to mind--I certainly didn’t--and it was fascinating to see this consummate performer shape her act. Sounding like a bullfrog in heat or a foghorn in the murkiest of murk, Bunny’s X-rated, un-PC parodies included Santa Baby (“Slip a pussy under the tree, for me...Shove a gerbil up my chimney tonight”), Rudolfo, the Uncut Reindeer, and a madcap version of The Twelve Days of Christmas in which her true love gave Bunny “herpes, chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea,” etc., etc. And who knew this founder of Wigstock is an equally talented and irreverent ventriloquist as well? Bunny’s 80-minute set had a few misses, but the vast majority of her material proved hysterically funny. At times, it seemed like the act was about to go off track as pages got mixed up or a sound cue was missed, but it always got right back on. Furiously twirling and shimmying around the small stage, I’m always afraid that Bunny’s wig might come off or she’ll have a heart attack, but such fears were completely misplaced. Presented by Daniel Nardicio, Lady Bunny seemed to have an even more fabulous time on stage than we in the audience who partook of this unique entertainer. And what a gift is that. Next up from Nardicio, the even uniquer Dina Martina returns to New Orleans in her new show Crème de la Dregs on February 2 at Café Istanbul. The last time I saw her, I wrote “I’m not sure if Dina Martina is a stand-up, drag, or cabaret performer, or maybe a “performance artiste”, or all of the above, but she’s wonderfully witty and fabulously bizarre and I can’t wait till she comes back here again.” ‘Nuff said.

Brent Ray Fraser and Daniel Nardicio (photo by Brian Sands)

Christine Ebersole/ Broadway@NOCCA

Somehow I had seen Christine Ebersole only once, in Grey Gardens on Broadway, before the marvelous Broadway@NOCCA series brought her to New Orleans. I certainly enjoyed that Tony-winning performance of hers, but it hadn’t prepared me for her amazing ability to bring to utterly convincing life an astonishing range of characters. Hosted by the inimitable Seth Rudetsky, Ebersole showed off her beautiful, clarion voice in Lullaby of Broadway, taking this showbiz anthem from 42nd Street (her other Tony winner) at a contemplative, slow tempo; a heartfelt and gorgeous How Are Things in Glocca Mora?; as an adorable Ado Annie explaining I Cain’t Say No with 39 years falling away as she took us back to her Broadway turn in Oklahoma; as elegance personified with an operatic rendition of The Simple Joys of Maidenhood from Camelot; and getting all the comic genius out of Lorenz Hart’s lyrics and the soaring lines of Richard Rodgers’ melody in To Keep My Love Alive.

Ebersole turned each of these magnificent songs into a mini-monologue, effortlessly embodying the appropriate character, whether humorous or dramatic, with subtle shifts of intonation and body language. It was a master class in musical theater performance. Born in Illinois outside Chicago, Ebersole seems to personify Midwestern niceness coming off as lovely and down-to-earth and charming. Ironically, however, this made for an evening that was more educative than the dishy fun I’ve come to expect from Broadway@NOCCA. While we did get some amusing tales of Ebersole appearing in the chorus of a high school production of Guys and Dolls with Christie Hefner, Hugh’s daughter, and auditioning opposite Richard Burton for Camelot, most of the rest of the chat part of the evening was only slightly more scintillating than a Wikipedia entry. It’s hard to say if Rudetsky just didn’t elicit better stories from Ebersole or if she’s just had a very nice, mostly drama-free life; I suspect the latter as Rudetsky’s usually pretty good at get-

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

ting dirt to be spilled. The evening concluded with Scott Frankel, composer of Grey Gardens and War Paint , Ebersole’s most recent Broadway turn opposite Patti LuPone (someone who does know how to dish), joining Ebersole onstage to accompany her on songs from those two shows. While nice, they weren’t quite in the same league as the aforementioned numbers, Ebersole choosing to do two of the lesser pieces from Gardens rather than either of its tours de force, The Revolutionary Costume for Today or Another Winter in a Summer Town. Don’t get me wrong, this was a highly enjoyable evening. It reminded me, however, of a tasty dish that just needed a little extra spice to be perfect. Perhaps the next Broadway@ NOCCA edition will provide that when Beth Malone, Tony nominee for Fun Home, joins Rudetsky on January 31. Wonder if her Fun Home co-star and part-time New Orleans resident Michael Cerveris will be there as well?

Jingle Balls! at Café Istanbul

When international drag chanteuse and self-described “petty criminal” Varla Jean Merman invites someone to share a stage with her, one arrives with pretty high expectations for such a two-headed act. When Ms. Merman further promises an “evening of inappropriate, never-before-heard holiday songs which will never be heard again” one wets one’s lips in anticipation. Euphonically billed as an evening of “Varla Jean & Deven Green”, I have to admit I was not familiar with Varla’s co-headliner who has gained fame as photographic fashionista Mrs. Betty Bowers. In fact, throughout the show’s opening moments I wondered, despite her willowy figure, if she was transgender. She must have read my (and, perhaps, others’) mind as she drolly stated that she had been on RuPaul’s Drag Race “as a judge, not a contestant; I have a low voice for a cisgender female.” In any case, Jingle Balls! got off to a disgustingly comic start with “Varla’s Beauty Tips,” a video which featured “Varla’s pepperoni wipes” which, after using to remove her make-up, Ms. Merman ingested. Varla, appearing in a sparkly Mrs. Santa Claus outfit, and Deven, poured into a sleek satiny blood-red gown, then combined for a Silent Night sung by Ms. Green in French and “creatively” (and waggishly) translated by Ms. Merman into English; I wonder if there might be a job at the United Nations for her. The evening continued as Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine’s love child treated us to her rousing version of Jingle Bells a la Barbra Streisand

complete with ankle bells; I’ve heard her do it before and never tire of it. In fact, it’s gotten even more operatically wonderful. Deven followed with the more traditionally risque I Want a Little Sugar In My Bowl, or “old school fun” as she put it, and a song about vampires in her stretched, sometimes screechy soprano. I mean that admiringly; she has an unusual vocal instrument and knows how to use it for best effect. Next, Varla’s “Suzie Snowflake” performed her burlesque “Tribute to Snow” with special video guest appearance by popular meteorologist David Bernard who provided a hilarious in-joke. Deven returned with her ukelele for Radiohead’s Karma Police, a witty mash-up of Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It and O Come, All Ye Faithful, a raunchy birthday tribute to the effervescent Lisa Picone Love, an updated Mariah Carey ditty (All I Want For Christmas Is Nudes), and another song and another song and another song, overstaying her welcome by at least two numbers. Varla finally came back to the stage as Frozen’s “evil ice queen” whom she had recently portrayed for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and gifted us with her revised lyrics for Let It Go which the LPO had declined to use. Suffice to say its new title was “Yellow Snow” and it was fckin’ brilliant. Jingle Balls! concluded with more holiday frivolity from the festive duo. I just wish there had been a better balance of Jean & Green. For those who want All Varla/More Merman, Café Istanbul’s the place to be on January 17 and 18 when she brings back Under A Big Top!, her 2004 homage to the “Greatest Show on Earth.” Promising “jaw-dropping videos, awe-inspiring songs, and death-defying wigs,” when it played at Le Chat Noir I wrote, “Under A Big Top is the new year’s first mega-hit. And tho the new year was only three days old when I saw it, VJM & Co. have already set the bar exceedingly high for 2004’s final 363 days.” While I understand the 2019 version may not be exactly the same, I’m expecting Big Top to be three rings-ful of delicious madness and sheer bliss.

Varla Jean Merman and Deven Green (photo by Brian Sands) his regular show, began with the artist appearing in full Santa Claus drag. It didn’t stay on him for very long. The jacket soon came off revealing 6-pack abs. The pants quickly followed. His brush was in a jockstrap. How would he paint? By ripping the jock, of course, allowing his pecker to poke out. Accompanied by classical music and Christmas carols, Fraser proceeded to make art, his back to us showing off buns of steel. If the overall picture

was a bit static, no one complained. Squeezing white paint out of a tube and then shmearing it all over his tool, Fraser’s first effort, a charming small angel, demonstrated a talent Picasso himself might have envied. (Wonder if Pablo ever painted this way?) Audience members helped in the creation of some works (and got to take them home with them). Fraser used other body parts, such as his ass cheeks, with which to paint (the result

XXXmas with Brent Ray Fraser at Café Istanbul

“You gotta get a gimmick” sang the strippers in Gypsy and, boy, does Brent Ray Fraser got one. Known as “Pricasso”, Fraser uses his penis to paint, one of only two penis painters in the world. If you’re wondering “Where does he put the brush, in his urethra?” as a friend of mine quizzically asked, um, his penis IS the brush. XXXmas, Fraser’s holiday take on

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 23

looked kinda like Rorschach blots). Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire played as Fraser employed his testes in the making of art. What made it surreal, as Fraser strutted around in a Santa cap & beard (which eventually came off), boots and not much else, was how non-sexual the whole entertainment was, the antithesis of porn. In fact, as the white paint, lubricated by Fraser’s saliva, got all over his body, it seemed to serve as a costume for him like the desnudas in Times Square. As for the art, well, after that first angel, his dick, balls, and ass rubbings were less impressive unless you lean toward abstract art. Just as I was about to give up on his talents, though, Fraser, using nothing but his penis as a brush, did a remarkably fine portrait of Café Istanbul’s owner Chuck Perkins and followed that up with a glorious one of Jesus Christ himself. It’s amazing the things folks can do. Assuredly playing to an appreciative crowd filled with both guys and gals, Fraser knows what he’s doing and how to make the most of his gimmick. Surprisingly, about the only thing lacking was a suitably big flourish at the end. Guess you can’t have everything.

Lady Bunny at The AllWays Cabaret (photo by Brian Sands)

Shear Madness at JPAS’ Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, January 25-February 17

[Shear Madness returns to Westwego later this month. Here are excerpts from my October 2018 review.] Having somehow never seen Shear Madness anywhere in the last four decades, I approached its New Orleans metro area debut, courtesy of the Jefferson Performing Arts Society, knowing little more than that this “comedy-whodunit takes place in the ‘Shear Madness’ hairstyling salon, and during the course of the action, a murder is committed, and the audience gets to spot the clues, question the suspects, and solve the mystery.” I expected it to be silly and it was. But it was also very entertaining, quite involving, and extremely well-done. I can see why it’s been sooo popular. Part of the genius of Shear Madness is that it mutates into virtually a new play with each different production as local references get put in (Morris Bart, Ochsner Hospital, The Times-Picayune, Chris Owens) and others are updated (Uber, Tinder, Stormy Daniels), keeping the material super fresh. Apparently Director Kris Shaw and the cast had free rein to fine-tune the script and they went at it with wicked glee, adding their own terrible puns and naughty wordplay. Whether good or bad, these just keep coming and

coming, including some funny jibes at Mitch Landrieu’s expense and the worst Viagra joke ever. Shear Madness gets off to a wacky start involving mistaken identities. After a while, however, it begins to bog down into a daffy episode of NCIS: New Orleans. Never fear as, just then, the cast breaks the fourth wall, the audience becomes involved, and the murder eventually gets solved with a Perry Mason-like ending. Whether it’s the absolute “funniest mystery in the annals of crime,” I’ll leave to you to decide, but it certainly delivers lotsa laughs. Shaw wisely has his cast invest Madness with as much real emotion as possible; to camp it up would force suspension of disbelief in unreality to the limit. All six actors (Glenn Boyer, Jonathan Damaré, John Detty, Casey Groves, Alison Logan, Janet Shea), playing various suspects and investigators, hit just the right level of tomfoolery for their parts. As ridiculous as the show is, I now appreciate how it can run and run as each performance is unique thus encouraging repeat visits. JPAS has done itself proud with this Madness.

Curtain Up

With works drawing inspiration from Arnold Schoenberg, novelist Jean Genet, and 19th century New Orleans composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Marigny Opera Ballet’s Program 2 promises to be one of the most ambitious, diverse programs in its five year history. Featuring acclaimed soprano Phyllis Treigle and the New Resonance Chamber Ensemble performing Schoenberg’s atonal music, choreographer Rebecca Allen’s Pierrot Lunaire traces the wide-ranging journey of a moonstruck commedia dell’arte clown. Querelle, Genet’s story of a French sailor who is, by turns, a thief, prostitute and serial killer, will have choreography by Diogo de Lima and a commissioned score by New Orleans composer Byron Asher. The Gottschalk Suite, three pieces rooted in old Creole melodies and Italian folk dances, showcases choreography by Derwin May Jr. and accompaniment by concert pianist Katalin Lukacs. Program 2 plays January 17-20 at the Marigny Opera House (725 St. Ferdinand St.). Please send press releases and notices of your upcoming shows to Brian Sands at bsnola2@hotmail.com.

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

BARTENDER OF THE MONTH Bob Miller of Laﬁtte’s in Exile Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com My Bartender of the Month for January just made his three year anniversary in the Crescent City as well as at Lafitte’s in Exile this month. Bob Miller, who is originally from Philadelphia, came down to NOLA with his husband and started working at Lafitte’s during the Mardi Gras season and it’s definitely a great fit. Stationed at the front corner part of the main bar on the first floor, Bob is normally the first person to greet you with his charming smile and jovial attitude. He seems very much at home behind the bar, both personally and professionally. He says the staff at Lafitte’s is like family and he conveys that warmth to his customers. He explained to me that he has done a million other things throughout his work career but he has always bartended as

well. That’s why he seems so natural and at ease in his position which immediately makes his guests feel the same. What he loves about working as a bartender and, particularly at Lafitte’s in Exile, is that he meets people from all over the world and it’s always a different day every day. Besides his great wit and personality, Bob also is a very good mixologist. His specialty is a delicious concoction called Holy Water (love the name) which is a vodka/citrus-based cocktail. When Bob’s out and about, however, his tastes are more simple preferring beer and Rumple Minze. So next time you’re out in the French Quarter, stop by Lafitte’s in Exile (901 Bourbon Street) to get blessed by some of Bob’s Holy Water!

BOOK OF THE MONTH NYPD Red Series Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com One of my resolutions for the new year is to carve out more time to read. The holidays provided an excellent time to do just that. My books for January are the latest two installments in James Patterson and Marshall Karp’s NYPD Red series - NYPD Red 2 and NYPD Red 3. The series follows Detectives Zacjh Jordan and Kylie MacDonald as they solve a series of crimes against New York’s very wealthy and influential citizens. Sort of like Law and Order RPU (Rich People’s Unit). In NYPD 2, Zach and Kylie are tracking a serial killer who is sent clues with each cryptic message at the crime scene. When the fourth victim, a woman of extreme wealth, gets the attention of their department, it’s a race against time to track the killer. In NYPD Red 3, they investigate a kidnapping of the son of a very prominent man, but noth-

ing is quite what it seems. Each book has numerous twists and turns to keep readers satisfied. One of Patterson’s newer crime series, the NYPD Red books give a different take on how the other half lives (and dies). The main characters’ personal dramas also play a large part of the novels. Zach and Kylie were involved briefly in the past and both have since moved on, but there are plenty of unresolved feelings. Both characters, although basically good people, are very flawed and their struggles with each other as well as other personal factors make interesting secondary plotlines. Patterson has once again, aided by Marshall Karp, woven two more interesting crime thrillers that will keep readers guessing until the end. For more information on James Patterson and his novels, go to www.jamespatterson.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT Artist Ryan Leitner Exhibit Premiers in New Orleans One of my resolutions for the new year is to carve out more time to read. The holidays provided an excellent time to do just that. My books for January are the latest two installments in James Patterson and Marshall Karp’s NYPD Red series - NYPD Red 2 and NYPD Red 3. The series follows Detectives Zacjh Jordan and Kylie MacDonald as they solve a series of crimes against New York’s very wealthy and influential citizens. Sort of like Law

and Order RPU (Rich People’s Unit). In NYPD 2, Zach and Kylie are tracking a serial killer who is sent clues with each cryptic message at the crime scene. When the fourth victim, a woman of extreme wealth, gets the attention of their department, it’s a race against time to track the killer. In NYPD Red 3, they investigate a kidnapping of the son of a very prominent man, but nothing is quite what it seems. Each book has numerous twists and turns to keep

readers satisfied. One of Patterson’s newer crime series, the NYPD Red books give a different take on how the other half lives (and dies). The main characters’ personal dramas also play a large part of the novels. Zach and Kylie were involved briefly in the past and both have since moved on, but there are plenty of unresolved feelings. Both characters, although basically good people, are very flawed and their struggles with each

other as well as other personal factors make interesting secondary plotlines. Patterson has once again, aided by Marshall Karp, woven two more interesting crime thrillers that will keep readers guessing until the end. For more information on James Patterson and his novels, go to www.jamespatterson.com.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 25

COMMUNITY VOICE

Changed

Pastor Allie Rowland MCCNO alisan.rowloand@gmail.com

I love almost everything about New Orleans: the music, the art, the architecture, the history, the food, the culture, the people…not the potholes, although only in New Orleans would people fill their potholes with Mardi Gras beads. That’s also what I love about this city; the glittering, outrageous, overthe-top party in the street way-of-being in the world. New Orleans has changed me. It’s people are fiercely loyal to her traditions, and will always lend a hand when tragedy strikes, whether it’s a hot bowl of gumbo to feed you or the Cajun Navy, you will receive support. Here family and God and football just have a different place in the world. So it broke my heart when my partner Pam and I needed to make the decision to leave. I have been incredibly blessed by the people of Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans; by the transgender, lesbian, gay, and bisexual community here in New Orleans; and by allies and generous people in this city. Pam and I have reached a point when we need to improve our health, when we are longing for some personal time with our family, and when God is calling us to new spiritual adventures. We don’t know what’s next for us, but we do know that change is an ever-present part of life, and of what it

means to be on any spiritual journey. We will say goodbye for now, but not for always, as we know that we will return to visit. And we know that our relationships begun here will remain strong and deep. Our lives are forever interwoven with people here, and in the best way. For every community group I’ve had the pleasure and honor to work with, I extend my thanks. For the blessing of the LGBT Community Center here in New Orleans, for CrescentCare and the NO/AIDS Task Force, for Lazarus House, for NOLA Wesley and the LGBT student group Prism, for WHIV Radio, and PFLAG, and NOAGE. For the Ambush Magazine, and the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, for New Orleans and Baton Rouge Pride; for all these organizations and more I am beyond grateful. I am grateful for all the churches and congregations that worked with us such as Temple Sinai, St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, First United Unitarian Church, St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, and the “More Light” First United Presbyterian Church. You have supported our church and you continue to support the LGBT community in New Orleans. For those who have been a part of the founding of Crescent City Sanctuary, our non-profit to end LGBT homelessness in the Greater New Orleans

Rev Alisan Rowland and Pamela Raptis at the Ambush holiday Party 2019 area, I thank you and encourage you to name, please know that when we continue the work going forward. worked together I was blessed by all I extend my heartfelt thanks as well that I learned from you, but I am a midto the scholars, journalists, and filmdle-aged woman in menopause. makers that I have met along the way We are leaving a part of our hearts such as Robert Camina whose docuhere in New Orleans, and taking with mentary film, Upstairs Inferno, about us some life lessons that could only be the Upstairs Lounge fire is the best learned here in this city. We will be here I’ve ever seen. And to Robert Fieselin New Orleans through Mardi Gras, so er, whose book The Tinderbox, greatif you would like to say a “goodbye for ly impacted me, I am grateful for our now” we’d love to see you before we conversations and the kindness you leave and share the warmth of a few showed me while in New Orleans. more smiles. Dear friends in the city of During my time here I have been New Orleans, you have taught me well grateful for the support of public serwhat it means to love others. We will alvants such as City Councilmember ways remember your generosity, your Jason Williams, former Mayor Mitch kindness, and your ability to dance Landrieu, and our current Mayor during any and all situations. LaToya Cantrell. At times of tragedy, Laissez les bons temps rouler! such as the Pulse nightclub shooting, We love you! and the deaths of members of our AfriRespectfully, can-American transgender community, Rev Alisan Rowland and Pamela your support was vital to so many. Raptis For anyone I have forgotten to

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS 6 Tips to Strengthen Your Financial Foundation in 2019

Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com far away, the earlier you increase the For many of us, the new year amount you’re contributing annually, means a fresh start and the chance to the more you can harness the power of set new goals. If your resolutions are compounding interest. Maximizing the money-related, here are some ways to amount you contribute to an individual strengthen your financial foundation in retirement account and increasing the 2019. percentage of your paycheck going 1. Review your financial picinto your 401(k) are two ways to boost ture. As the saying goes, it’s hard to your retirement savings. know where you’re going if you don’t 3. Consider your goals. If you know where you’ve been. Review your are setting other new year’s resoluinvestments and savings, and considtions, such as hiring a personal trainer, er where you have opportunities to mastering a new skill or traveling overimprove your situation. Reflecting on seas, incorporate the cost of pursuing the financial decisions you made – or these activities into your budget. wish you made – in the last year can 4. Consider paying more tobe an eye-opening exercise to help ward your mortgage. If you have a you decide what to focus on in the year mortgage on your primary or vacation ahead. home, evaluate if it makes sense to 2. Prioritize saving for retireeliminate the debt before retirement. ment. The reality today is that AmerPaying extra each month may reduce icans are more responsible for their your cash flow in the near term, but it retirement than previous generations can be worth it if you want to enter rebecause pensions are increasingly less tirement mortgage free. Accelerating common. Although retirement may feel

your payments may have tax implications, so review your situation with a tax professional before making this a financial focus in the year ahead. 5. Check your credit score. The new year is a great time to review your credit report for accuracy. Three credit reporting agencies Trans Union, Equifax and Experian, are required by law to allow you to receive one free copy of your report annually. Keep in mind that reports may vary between agencies. If you plan to purchase a new boat, car, vacation home or another big item soon, checking your credit score (and improving it, if necessary) can help inform you of what interest rate you may qualify for. 6. Seek professional advice. If you are balancing multiple financial goals, know that it’s possible to make progress toward each if you are intentional about how to allocate your dollars. Talking to a financial advisor can

help you sort out your priorities and decide on a strategy for the new year. Professionals also provide accountability, helping you stay focused on the big picture. It takes discipline to remain focused on saving and spending in alignment with your long-term goals. As you think about the year ahead, remember that a little effort today can make a big difference in helping you feel more confident about your financial future. 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.

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Oz New Orleans PHOTOS BY DWAIN HERTZ AND ANDREW HOPKINS #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 · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 27

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory

bars

Job Opportunities Ambush Magazine is growing!

Freelance & Contributing Writers Wanted

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

Snap Paparazzi Photographer Wanted

Do you frequent the LGBTQ bars and events? We want to hear from you if you are interested in regularly covering the bars and events.

If you are interested, please email your resume, cover letter, and portfolio to info@ambushpublishing.com

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

28 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · 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, Gay-

MardiGras.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.

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 Louisiana Pizza Kitchen Uptown, 615 S Carrollton Ave, 866-5900, www.louisianapizzakitchenuptown.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

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] Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., 835.2022, GumboStop.com

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www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · January 15 – 28, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South: www.AmbushMag.com · 29

Helen Cox alum Brittany Hall displays courage in difficult times Athletes at the college level have been exposed to competing at the most extreme levels. From youth to high school to college, the stakes rise incrementally. The spirit of competition drives many to great heights. While competing at the highest level possible drives such athletes, the spirit to compete in the midst of extremely trying personal difficulty is rare and to be admired. That admiration must be bestowed upon Brittany Hall of LSU-Alexandria. The junior point guard from Helen Cox had a difficult week. On Thursday, Jan. 3, Hall was informed that her grandfather had passed away when LSUA was in San Antonio taking on Our Lady of The Lake University. On Saturday, Jan. 5, Hall suffered an injury to here eye in an 81-67 loss at the University of the Southwest at Hobbs, NM. The funeral was Friday (Jan. 11) in New Orleans. While Hall is, by all accounts, a tremendous competitor who never wants to let her team down, family comes first. Hall made the difficult drive to New Orleans to attend the somber funeral of

Ken Trahan, Crescent City Sports a beloved family member. help her teammates. Naturally, Generals head coach Despite the eye injury, despite the Bob Austin understood. mourning period which was clearly still Hall was dealing with an eye injury, in progress and despite arriving in the anyway. There was no guarantee that middle of a game, Hall’s dedication to she would play. team and competitive spirit took over. I have never quite understood the Hall played the second half, scored axiom “have your cake and eat it, too!” four points, pulled down five rebounds, What are you supposed to do with dished out two assists and blocked a your cake? Stare at it without indulgshot as the Generals rallied to win 74ing? 68. Regardless of the interpretation, it “Brittany is tough competitor is safe to say that Hall had her cake through and through,” Austin said. “She and ate it as well Friday. While the taste really brings an edge to our team. It is may have been more bittersweet, consaid that it isn’t what happens to you sidering the circumstances, it is safe to but how you respond to those circumsay that she was able to celebrate a life stances that reveals your true characwell lived by a loved one while continuter. I think this past week is demoning to celebrate another chapter of her strating to everyone what all of us in substantive life experience. the LSUA women’s basketball family After attending the funeral, Hall already knew about Brittany.” went to an eye doctor to see if she Despite the eye injury, Hall saw could be cleared to play basketball. clearly that she could pay homage to She then made a three-hour drive back her grandfather and pay homage to her to Alexandria to rejoin her team. The team. Generals were facing Huston-Tillotson “My support system was very unin a conference home game. derstanding while going through the By the time Hall arrived, LSUA was grievance of the passing of my grandtrailing 37-34 at halftime. father,” Hall said. “My family knew it When her teammates saw her arwould be a few days before I can get rive, they were enthusiastic. They were home from a road trip to San Antonio compassionate. They were determined and New Mexico. While on the trip, I to help Hall and Hall was determined to suffered a severe eye injury which add-

ed fuel to the fire. After attending the funeral, my family gave me the option to stay or head back to Alexandria and being the competitor that I am, I chose to go help my team win a statement game, even while I was still grieving.” Then came the remaining challenges. “I then made the three-hour trip straight to the eye doctor and he cleared me to play,” Hall said. “Then, I headed to the gym. I truly appreciate my entire LSUA family, coaches and teammates for being with me during this emotional time period and I am happy I was able to make the impact I did.” Hall did Helen Cox proud. She did Harvey proud. She did the entire New Orleans proud. She did the Generals proud. She did Austin proud. Most of all, it is certain that her grandfather and family must be proud of a courageous young lady who experienced a very physically and emotionally draining week. This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

Saints by the Numbers: Defense steps up after slow start Lenny Vangilder, Crescent City Sports Can’t Guard Mike: On the heels NEW ORLEANS – After giving up 50-yard line in the final three quarters. of a record-setting season, Thomas touchdowns on the first two possesThat Drive: The Saints’ first posfinished with 12 catches for a Saints sions, the Saints defense came to the session of the third quarter was one postseason record 171 yards and a rescue in New Orleans’ 20-14 NFC for the ages – an 18-play, 92-yard drive touchdown. Divisional playoff victory over the Philthat took 11 minutes, 29 seconds off The third-year receiver is the sixth adelphia Eagles Sunday in the Merthe clock and ended with the go-ahead player in NFL postseason history with cedes-Benz Superdome. 2-yard touchdown pass from Drew at least 12 receptions and 170 receivAfter gaining eight first downs and Brees to Michael Thomas. ing yards in a game. The last player 151 total yards in the first quarter, PhilSince 1999 – the first year the dato reach those numbers was T.Y. Hiladelphia had just seven first downs tabase website Pro Football Reference ton of the Indianapolis Colts, who had and 99 total yards – and most imporhas drive information listed – only once 13 catches for 224 yards in that crazy tantly, no points – the rest of the way. previously has a team driven 18 or 2013 Wild Card comeback victory over The 250 total yards are the fewest more plays for a touchdown, and it was the Kansas City Chiefs. allowed by a Saints defense in a postexactly 11 years ago to the day when The other names read like a who’s season game. The previous low, 256, the Cowboys went 90 yards in 20 plays who of receivers: Calvin Johnson (who also came against the Eagles – in the for a touchdown against the New York did it against the Saints in January Wild Card game five years ago in PhilGiants. 2012), Steve Smith, Michael Irvin and adelphia. Three other drives have gone 18 or Raymond Berry. Only on the Eagles’ final drive, more plays since 1999, but they resultDouble Your Pleasure: Lattimore’s which ended with a Marshon Lattimore ed in a field goal, a blocked field goal two interceptions made him the third interception, did Philadelphia cross the and the end of the game. Saint to have multiple interceptions in a playoff game. Lattimore joins Jabari Greer (2011 Wild Card vs. Lions) and Sammy Knight (2000 Wild Card vs. Rams) in that group. It’s been three seasons since any NFL player had multiple picks in a game. The last to do it before today – current Saint Kurt Coleman in the NFC Championship Game in January 2016. Ground Game Gets Going: After sales@ambushpublishing.com gaining only 41 yards on the ground in the first half, New Orleans got things

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going after halftime and finished with 127 rushing yards. The Saints are now 5-0 in their postseason history when gaining 120 or more yards rushing. And Defense Stops the Run: Philadelphia finished with 49 rushing yards on 16 attempts, including just six yards on three tries after halftime. Only twice previously has New Orleans held a playoff opponent to fewer rushing yards – 32 to Detroit in the 2011 Wild Card, and 34 to the St. Louis Rams in the 2000 Wild Card. Close Games: Sunday marked the sixth consecutive Saints playoff game decided by one score (eight points or less). The last time the Saints had a margin of more than eight points was their 45-28 victory over the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round of the 2011 playoffs. Home Team Sweep: All four higher seeds and home teams won this weekend, capped off by the Saints’ victory. It marks just the third time in the last 20 years (along with 2004 and 2015) that all four home teams won on Divisional weekend. 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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Healthier Pelicans show signs of life, reasons for hope The New Orleans Pelicans won a third consecutive game after beating the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 140124 at the Smoothie King Center. Anthony Davis played another phenomenal game, leading the way with game highs in points (38), rebounds (13), and blocks (4), while making 15of-16 at the free throw line and handing out seven assists. He became just the eighth player (and third youngest) in NBA history to post that stat line. On a tear as of late, Davis is averaging 31.3 points, 15.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.9 steals over a 10-game span, shooting 54.4 percent. Often a point of great debate, Davis’ teammates have given him plenty of help as well. The Pelicans scored 115 points in the final three quarters against the Cavs after digging themselves an early 16-point hole. New Orleans shot nearly 55 percent from the floor and made more than 40 percent of their three point attempts. In total, the Pels had five players reach double figures in scoring. Frank Jackson set a new career-high with 19 points and Niko Mirotic returned from injury to add 17 (4-7 on threes). Of course, offense has never been

David Grubb, Crescent City Sports a problem for the Pelicans. They score cause they’re true. So it is with the sayplenty. Their problems have come on ing “defense wins championships.” the defensive end. Since Anthony Davis became a After the victory over Cleveland, Pelican in 2012, only one Western New Orleans still ranked 25th in the Conference Champion has finished the NBA defensively, even after opening regular season ranked lower than sixth 2019 with its best play of the season in DRTG (Golden State ranked 11th on that side of the court. last season). Last season, the key to the PeliAverage Defensive Rankings of cans’ second half surge was the team’s Western Conference Playoff Teams dramatic improvement at stopping its (2013-2018) opponents. The Pelicans’ three-game winning Over the first three months of the streak came at the expense of the 2017-18 campaign, New Orleans was Cavs twice and the Memphis Grizzlies, 18-18. With DeMarcus Cousins, Anthotwo teams that had combined to lose ny Davis, Jrue Holiday, and E’Twaun 17 of their last 20 games. Nonetheless, Moore all at relatively full strength, the Pelicans have held up their end by the Pelicans’ offense ranked 8th in the posting a net rating of 24.3 in those NBA at that point. games, with the defense checking in Defensively, they were 22nd. with a rating of 103.6; a nearly eight But from January on they didn’t point improvement over their season finish a month ranked lower than 10th average of 111.5. in defensive rating. During their closing In the postseason, the better dekick to secure a playoff berth, The Pelfensive team has won 33 of 42 playoff icans were top five in both offense and series (78.5%). defense. Beating up on bottom feeders is The Pelicans’ 30-16 run to the one thing, but we still don’t know if this playoffs simply doesn’t happen without effort can or will last. them becoming a lock down defensive This upcoming five game road team, and a similar run cannot happen swing should provide a clearer picture without lightning striking for a second as to whether or not the Pelicans are time finally beginning to fly in formation. Some things become cliches beNew Orleans will face Minneso-

ta, the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State, Portland, and Memphis. All but the Grizzlies (26) rank 13th or better offensively. Most observers and fans pointed to the losses of Niko Mirotic and Elfrid Payton as being problematic for the Pelicans offense. In reality, their loss had a much more impact on the defense. The fact is, the mere presence of Mirotic and Payton means that lesser defenders play fewer minutes in bad combinations for New Orleans. The Pelicans have 39 games left in the season (and 28 days to the trade deadline) to prove whether they are enough or have enough to return to the postseason. That’s a lot to prove and not a lot of time. No one or no thing will have a bigger say than the the Pelicans defense. It’s that simple. 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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