Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 11 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 11

TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

Memorial Day & Pre-Pride

www.AMBUSHMAG.com

THE “OFFICIAL” DISH by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, Memorial Day Weekend is upon us! While some of you will head to Pensacola to enjoy the sand and sun, others will flock to New Orleans for some bacchanalian nights on Bourbon Street. There’s always something for everyone on this holiday weekend along the Gulf Coast. Be sure to check out our “Hot Happenings” section along with the ads in this issue for a list of all the events, happy hours and drink specials this Memorial Day weekend. From all of us at Ambush, have fun and be safe! SOUTHERN DECADENCE 2019 Southern Decadence Grand Marshals Countess C Alice and Will Antill recently held the annual Press Party to announce the theme, colors and charity along with the members of their entourage. This year’s theme is “Fruit Salad: Come Toss A Good Time” and the official colors are polka dots and pinstripes. The official charity for this year is Odyssey House Louisiana.

I want to personally thank Grand Marshal Will Antill for choosing me, along with Larry Bagneris, to be the Lieutenants of his entourage. The Lieutenants and members of the entourage help coordinate many of the Southern Decadence fundraisers throughout the summer leading up to Labor Day weekend. It is truly an honor to be part of Will’s entourage and to be a small part of the history of Southern Decadence 2019. Thank you Will. I am both honored and humbled to be your Lieutenant. I hope you and Countess C Alice have an amazing reign as Southern Decadence Grand Marshals. NEW ORLEANS PRIDE Once again this year Ambush will publish The Official Pride Guide with everything you need to know about New Orleans Pride. Pride in New Orleans is the weekend of June 7th. There are events all weekend long at many of the bars located in the French Quarter, Marigny and Bywater. We will have an exhaustive list of parties

Inside this Issue of Ambush Community Announcements

6-8

New to New Orleans: High Spirits

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with Southern Decadence

Out of Exile: An Interview with Michael Meads

12-13

Trodding the Boards

14-15

A Community within Communities: It’s PRIDE Again

Musings by Catherine: Emerging Young Adult LGBTQ/ Trans Poly Community

THE ROCKFORD FILES: Don’t speak: 15 things you need to stop saying. Right now.

19-21

Snap Paparazzi Krewes of Armeinius and Amon-Ra

Strategist Christopher Massicotte Talks the Democrats LGBTQ Surge and Kim Kardashian

Museum Spotlight: New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

Honoring and Remembering Those Who Gave Us Pride

“Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival” on view at the Louisiana State Museum’s Presbytère

Moments in Gay New Orleans History: 1977: Pageants and Rags and Courts—O My!

Southern Decadence Announcements

Book Review: Juliana

Book of the Month: The Girl Who Was Taken

Bartender of the Month: Cameron West

Through Thick & Thin: A Couple’s Battle Against HIV Together

New Orleans EMS Debuts Pride Badges

Pride Calendars

31-33

Party Down

34-35

How to Create a Wedding Budget You and Your Finances Will Love

Under the GayDar: New Orleans Hot Happenings

36-44

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory

46-47

Word Search and Cartoon

48 50-51

Sports

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

and events. We also plan to highlight many of the other Pride festivals along the Gulf South. For more information about New Orleans Pride go to NewOrleansPrideFestival.com LGBT+ ARCHIVES PROJECT OF LOUISIANA The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana will hold its Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, June 12, from 7 to 9 pm at Hotel Peter & Paul located at 2317 Burgundy Street in New Orleans. The keynote speaker at the meeting will be Wayne Phillips, curator of the Carnival Collection at the Louisiana State Museum. He will speak about “Grand Illusions”, the new exhibit on the history of Gay Carival he is curating at the Presbytere. The event will be catered by Martin’s Wine Cellar and Bacchanal will provide the wine. The event is free and open to the public. Membership to the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is only $10. MARK YOUR CALENDARS Dining Out For Life will be held on Thursday, June 6, and will have over 40 restaurants participating again this year. Show your pride and dine out on June 6 to support the NO/AIDS Task Force, a division of CrescentCare. Each participating restaurant will donate a percentage of sales to NO/AIDS so grab your family & friends and dine out to support this worthy cause. For a list of restaurants participating you can go to www.diningoutforlife.com/city/ new-orleans/ The New Orleans Pride Parade will take place on Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 pm. The parade has become the highlight of Pride weekend in New Orleans and has over 60 groups and 24 Mardi Gras-style floats that roll through the Marigny and French Quarter. With thousands of spectators along the parade route, the New Orleans Pride Parade has become the largest parade of its kind along the Gulf South. For more information go to NewOrleansPrideFestival.com The 31st Annual Gay Appreciation Awards will take place on July 20th with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Southern Decadence 2019. This year we will once again have a call for nominations in each category after which official voting will begin. We will also soon announce the recipient of the coveted GAA Lifetime Achievement Award. Last year we had over 200 nominees and over 2,500 votes cast. We hope to break those records this year! Be on the lookout for more information in the next few weeks.

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@ambushpublishing.com CIRCULATION

Alabama - Birmingham, 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 DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & EVENTS Chris Leonard SENIOR EDITOR Brian Sands CONTRIBUTORS Brian Sands, Catherine Roland, Crescent City Sports, Frank Perez, Jim Meadows, Kevin Assam, Persana Shoulders, Rev. Bill Terry, Rodney Thoulion, Robert Fiesler, Ryan Rockford, Scot Billeaudeau & Tony Leggio LOCAL ADVERTISING sales@ambushpublishing.com Reed Wendorf 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 · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ambush Columnist Robert Fieseler Wins Lammy

Ambush columnist Robert Fieseler was recently awarded the prestigious Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers by Lambda Literary. The award recognizes LGBTQ-identified writers whose work demonstrates their strong potential for promising careers. Each award includes a cash prize of $1,000. The judges for this year’s prize were authors Chen Chen and Nahshon Dion Anderson. Fieseler is a journalist, a Pushcart Prize-nominated essayist and the author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation, winner of the

Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime, and finalist for the Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction. He graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is a recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship and the Lynton Fellowship in Book Writing. Fieseler also serves on the Board of Directors of the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana. On Fieseler, judge Chen Chen wrote, “Robert Fieseler’s nonfiction work, Tinderbox, is a critical and beautiful intervention, bringing not only the light of extensive research to the Up Stairs Lounge and the LGBTQ community of 1970s New Orleans, but also—and crucially—the warmth

of precise detail. Fieseler is a skilled storyteller, never forgetting the people-sized dimensions of the people he writes about, while weaving their narratives into larger histories. Fieseler’s dedication to storytelling is key to his approach to activism, as well—fighting to preserve queer documents and archives and sharing his own experiences with GSAs and other student-led organizations. In Fieseler’s hands, memory is an act of protest.” When asked for comment about receiving the award, Fieseler said, “I’ve been crying a lot of happy tears because, I think, this solidifies the Up Stairs Lounge legacy on a national scale. I mean, people care about this

history so much. My goal with Tinderbox was to build on the great scholarship of Up Stairs Lounge mentors like Clayton Delery and Royd Anderson and help put the Up Stairs Lounge more prominently on the map of the American story. And, I gotta share, when someone opened up that envelope and read “Tinderbox” at the Edgar Awards in a ballroom in New York City, you would not believe the applause that shot through the room—not for me, I don’t think, but for the victims and survivors of this tragedy whose stories so deserve acknowledgement.”

Dining Out for Life New Orleans - “It’s time to let someone else do the cooking!” Come out and kick off Pride and give back to those with HIV Supporting NO/AIDS Task Force has never been easier or more delicious. The New Orleans community has a once-a-year opportunity to treat themselves to New Orleans’ best local eats while also supporting an important cause. Dining Out For Life, presented by Chevron and Avita Pharmacy is a

“not to miss” event. This annual fundraiser and awareness campaign, now in its 25th year, supports friends, families, and co-workers living with HIV and AIDS in the greater New Orleans area. In this anniversary year, Food For Friends also expanded its mission to those fighting cancer. On Thursday, June 6, participat-

ing Dining Out For Life restaurants will donate a portion of their customers’ receipts from that day to benefit the Food For Friends program of the Task Force. Food For Friends serves home-delivered meals to home-bound clients who are not physically able to cook for themselves. In addition, Food For Friends offers pantry service to needy clients who can choose nutritional items to prepare themselves. Food For Friends serves up to 28,000 prepared meals and gives out more than 185,000 pounds of groceries and personal items annually. Take part in Dining Out For Life by dining at participating restaurants, with a portion of proceeds becoming donations to NO/AIDS. “The great thing about Dining Out for Life is that every cent raised here stays right in the community to help the men, women and families affected by HIV and AIDS and, now, cancer,” said Noel Twilbeck, CEO of Crescent Care. NO/AIDS Task Force is now a division of Crescent Care, a community health center provider. New Orleans treasure Poppy Tooker, host of the weekly NPR-affiliated radio show Louisiana EATS!, is this year’s Dining Out for Life Chair for the 8th consecutive year. With her mot-

to, “Eat It To Save It”, Poppy has been instrumental in reviving many endangered foods and food traditions. Tooker is always quick to say “Heck yeah!” when asked to support the Task Force. Tooker shares her love of food and cooking with our clients through the Task Force’s Life Skills program and as Culinary Arts Chair for Art Against AIDS. Both are generously sponsored by Chevron. “It’s time to let someone else do the cooking! Dining Out for Life is such an easy and fun way to support NO/ AIDS Task Force and our friends working in restaurants during the slowest part of the year,” said Tooker. Muriel’s Jackson Square is a long-time participant and always one of the first to sign on each year. Denise Gratia, co-owner of Muriel’s with her husband Rick, said, “Dining Out for Life is one of our favorite events, and we love being able to support NO/AIDS Task Force and the people right here in our community.” For the finalized list of participating restaurants and more information about Dining Out For Life New Orleans, please visit https://www.diningoutforlife.com/city/new-orleans/.

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Kick Up Your Heels, KINKY BOOTS!

Tyler Rosebush tyrosebush@gmail.com The Tony award-winning musical Kinky Boots comes back to town in June at the Saenger Theatre to lift our spirits as high as their heels. Featuring original musical by Cyndi Lauper, this toe-tapping musical tells the story of Charlie Price (Connor Allston), a young man reluctantly taking over his family’s struggling shoe factory who’s looking for a fresh idea. Charlie meets and finds inspiration in Lola (Kenneth Mosley), a dazzling drag performer who helps him break into making fabulous footwear for gender-bending entertainers. The pair, along with a brazen band of cavorting angels, embark on a journey about finding one’s calling, overcoming simple-mindedness, and breaking down stereotypes. Despite Kinky Boots‘ numerous accolades for music, writing, and choreography, the grounded cast “really

knows how to approach every character with their personal sympathy” says James May who plays George, the factory manager. He went on to remark in our brief interview that “the show does a great job of giving every type of person someone they can sympathize with; you can use that as a lesson about characters who you don’t immediately relate to.” From heel to toe, Kinky Boots promises to be a joyful experience that shines a light on the soul while throwing sparkle on some soles. KINKY BOOTS plays five performances at the Saenger Theatre Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16th. Tickets are available at the Saenger’s box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Lance Bordelon in the National Tour of Kinky Boots (Photo credit Matthew Murphy)

Jos N. Banks in the National Tour of Kinky Boots (Photo credit Matthew Murphy)

Ochsner Offers HIV PrEP Services Uptown Ochsner Health System is making preventative HIV treatment more accessible by offering HIV PrEP services at Ochsner Health Center – Tchoupitoulas (5300 Tchoupitoulas Street, formerly the Walgreens space in the Riverside Market shopping center). HIV PrEP services are confidential and available by appointment. According to recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports, more than half of new HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) diagnoses in 2017 were in the Southern region of the United States. Louisiana is ranked fourth in the nation for highest HIV case rates and New Orleans is fourth in the nation for number of HIV case rates among the large metropolitan areas in the nation. “Louisiana faces significant challenges when it comes to sexually transmitted infections and there is a strong need in our community for expanded sexual health services,” said

Christopher Garnett, MD, primary care physician, Ochsner Health System. “We aim to promote the sexual wellbeing of Ochsner patients in an environment that is comfortable and affirming to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities and others with unmet sexual health needs.” A key component of HIV prevention services is PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) – a proven preventative measure for individuals who do not have HIV but are considered at high risk for contracting the virus. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Individuals taking PrEP ingest a daily dose of Truvada, a pill that helps block transmission of the HIV infection from bodily fluids. Additionally, individuals commit to regular follow-ups every three months with a healthcare provider. According to the CDC, when taken consistently, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by over 90 percent.

PrEP is recommended for individuals who are HIV negative and: Have a partner whose HIV status is unknown Are in an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV positive partner who does not have the condition under control with daily antiviral medications Received treatment for a sexually transmitted infection within the past six months Have injected drugs and/or shared needles within the last six months Have a non-monogamous partner who may not be practicing safe sex “Having a candid conversation with a knowledgeable healthcare provider about your options is the first step toward seeing if PrEP is right for you,” said Dr. Garnett. “Creating a home for HIV PrEP services Uptown makes preventative STD and HIV prevention services more accessible. Additionally, we are demonstrating a long-term commitment to promoting sexual health in the

region.” In addition to PrEP treatment, the following services are available by appointment at Ochsner Health Center – Tchoupitoulas: STD diagnosis and treatment Select vaccinations (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and HPV) Evaluation for common problems with sexual function Like other Ochsner facilities, at Ochsner Health Center – Tchoupitoulas connects patients to the entire Ochsner Health System network of facilities and physicians through Epic – Ochsner’s integrated electronic health record system, which enables Ochsner physicians to securely share patient information, resulting in a higher level of coordinated care across the system. Patients can also use personalized MyOchsner accounts to access tests results and schedule appointments online with primary care physicians and other specialists throughout the Ochsner Health System. For more information visit ochsner. org/prep or call Ochsner’s HIV PrEP Appointment Scheduling Hotline at 1-855-241-9347. Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner’s 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org.

8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 9

NEW TO NEW ORLEANS

High Spirits

Robert W Fiesler wordbobby@gmail.com Uprooting to the Crescent City with my husband has been a whirlwind experience, exposing us every day – in palpable ways – to ecstatic, poetic, “Only-in-New-Orleans” moments, especially in our misadventures. They’d locked us in the haunted mansion. Granted, we sensed that we were lagging – and certainly the drunkest couple of our tour group of 30+ – but when I pressed the white double-doors to exit onto Decatur Street, nothing budged. Clearly, someone had made the wrong headcount or perhaps made the right headcount and condemned us to an undead hoard. Had they really left us behind? I shouted for Ryan, my twank (who once twink-ed) husband, and he stumbled on deer-thin legs into the stony entranceway. He was polishing off our 48-ounce daiquiri go-cup of “something strong, something awful” (what I’d demanded from the booze Slurpee attendant twenty minutes earlier). Together, we pressed the white doors with all of our force, but nothing happened. Clearly, an external lock was holding firm. I then did the logical thing. I pro-

ceeded to kick the antique wood repeatedly, like a caged beast. It made no difference. Next, I backed up and sprinted at the door with a flying leap that planted my shoulder against the double-door’s center seam. Ryan laughed as I bounced away harmlessly. How had this happened? Yes, we dillydallied a bit after the tour guide walked our group down the second-floor staircase from the room where restaurateurs had supposedly once seen a mysterious glowing orb, but we’d dawdled for reasons completely logical to a twosome of amateur spiritualists. We’d needed complete silence to conduct a spontaneous séance, which hadn’t worked. Had we really delayed that long? Sure, we were annoying and probably disruptive to the group. We’d barely made this ghost tour to begin with, and we’d only found the initial rallying point after almost getting in a fistfight with a mule driver who kept insisting that our tour didn’t involve his buggy. Patiently, the man had then pointed us across the street, where it seems the rest of our company had been watching us make a scene.

Yes, the rest of those tourists had looked scared when we walked up and joined them. Yes, we were two queers on a tear, but were we worth sacrificing to specters and apparitions, worth feeding to some infernal orb-floating monster in a Decatur Street restaurant? No, I thought, incensed. Yet where was my husband now? It was like he’d just disappeared from the hallway. Ryan, I called, Ryan. Oh, this was not good. I’d seen this scene a million times on ghost-hunting shows on the SyFy channel. Now, I was living through the most clichéd scene of a “Haunted French Quarter” episode. (Inevitably, something pops up to attack the white idiots when he shouts his husband’s name a third time.) Ryan, I shouted again, and he popped his head into the hallway, and I did scream. “Lookie look what I got,” he said, gesturing with a bottle of Old Overholt whiskey in his hand. I sighed with relief and followed him out of the hallway and into an open courtyard. Evidently, my Ryan had only needed seconds to ferret into the back of the old building and find a fridge full of unguarded booze. Turns out, my little thief had amassed a small trove of delights: this whiskey and two bottles of Mums champagne. I’d married very well. We sat in the courtyard taking pulls from the Overholt and decided, rather than bother calling to inform the tour company that we’d been locked into a haunted house by their employee, to simply wait for the next tour to arrive at this stop and slip into the crowd unnoticed. But we waited and waited, and the sky grew darker, and the whiskey dwindled, and we started to jump at weird noises. It became clear that no

other tour was passing through. We resolved to stash the champagne in our backpack and call the tour company before something visited us. (But no, nothing did.) Eventually, our tour guide keyed open the white double-doors to the street and apologized profusely. She led us a few blocks to the Lalaurie Mansion on Governor Nichols, where it turns out the rest of our group of 30+ were just milling about, because it turns out their tour guide had been to forced to pause the tour and backtrack to reclaim a few lost drunks. We decided that we’d experienced enough terror for the evening to rehear the tale of Madame Lalaurie, which we already knew from American Horror Story season 3, and quietly (like assholes) stumbled away. We wound up in the parlor of a friend in the Garden District, where we polished off the Mums champagne while her mother, who had rapid onset dementia, met us on some beautiful level and demonstrated Kettlebell exercises in her nightgown while a Tony Curtis movie played in the background. (That phenomenal queen would pass away several months later, tragically and precipitously. She was the last of that generation’s vivacious women who came alive when a gay man entered the room, even at the end.) I don’t know how, but she did love and accept us on such a night and in such a state. I look back and wouldn’t change a thing. Robert W. Fieseler is the author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation, which just won the 2019 Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime. He lives with his husband and dog in New Orleans.

10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PRESS PARTY AT OZ NEW ORLEANS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBUSH PUBLISHING

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 11

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Out of Exile: An Interview with Michael Meads Tyler Rosebush tyrosebush@gmail.com

For many long-standing denizens of the French Quarter, the paintings and drawings of Michael Meads might not come as much of a shock. After all, the orgiastic tableaus he is known for are in fact faithful compilations of the flagrant hedonism he experienced during his time living in New Orleans from the ’90s until his exile to the high desert after Katrina. Despite the distance, Michael managed to pull off a solo show at the Ogden in 2015 and makes yearly pilgrimages back here for Carnival season. More recently, Michael has reunited with New Orleans temporarily as an artist in residence at the Joan Mitchell Center where he indulged my request to get on record a few of his most risque memories, as well as his plans for upcoming art pieces. To start off with, why don’t we go back to that story you were just telling me about T.T.’s. So, a buddy of mine took me into a very upscale bar on Rampart– very swank and I am in there looking around going, “Wait a minute! This was T.T.’s!” This was a place I wish you could have known. Oh my god, the things I have seen people do on that bar– and it’s the same bar top. T.T.’s had the dancers who kinda aged out of the Corner Pocket– or their drug habits were so bad that they weren’t allowed in the Pocket. Holy mackerel, it was crazy in there! A buddy of mine came to visit from out of town and got roaring drunk. One of the dancers there jacked off onto the bar and my buddy licked it up. I was like “Jeff! That’s probably not a good idea!” Not so much what was in the load but what was on the bar! I’ve heard many bars at the time were like that, especially on Rampart. Mother Bob’s was one of the grand dame gay bars of Rampart. It was a hustler bar and there was an older performer, who I won’t name and she would always have on a mini skirt with some sort of midriff sequin number with “DIVA” spelled out in rhinestones. I’ve got photos of all this. One of the greatest routines she ever did was to Cher’s version of Bang Bang and when she got to the first chorus, “bang bang, he shot me down,” she just collapsed onto the stage and just laid there singing until she was done! That’s true camp. She’d get so drunk and come up to you and go “Ya wanna buy a lady a drink?” and of course Charles and I would buy her a drink. And then literal-

Liebestod by artist Michael Meads (Image Courtesy of Artist)

ly within 5 minutes she’d be back and have no idea that she had just run into us and say “Hey ya wanna buy a lady a drink?” Oh, she was a piece of work but an amazing performer. I have tons of photographs of these people performing in the Quarter. There was Ms. Fly a.k.a. Lee Fetherston, who started the Corner Pocket and was murdered. She’s one of my favorite people. There were several people we knew who got murdered. You gotta use your brain. It’s easy to think everyone is here to have a good time. Some people are not. Some people just want to rob you and then kill you. Did you ever worry about the models you brought into your studio? We used to photograph and draw quite a few models from the Pocket. But I would spend several weeks getting to know them and see what the bartender had to say. All of them were always very nice. I’d never go up to someone on the street and say “You wanna be a model?” How did your experiences in New Orleans parallel your art? Did one precede the other? I had been dreaming of New Orleans since 1980. I saw Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm Mcdowell in Cat People, which takes place primarily around the French Quarter. It’s a fun film, and it captures the atmosphere of New Orleans more than just about any other

film. I was like, “Ok, I have to go there.” Finally, when I got to college, some buddies and I snuck down a few times and did the whole stay-up-24-hours thing. I guess that saves on a hotel room if you are staying up all night. Yea it was a cheap weekend. But New Orleans was always on my radar. At what point do you feel like you developed the visual vocabulary that your work is known for? It all comes out of my lived experiences. I try to make sure that everything in the drawing is something I have personally witnessed. Now, I might be combining several events into one singular event, but when you see these characters in one of my drawings, I probably have a photograph of that somewhere as reference material. I might do my own interpretation of that moment, or make it more elaborate. Wally Sherwood appears in some of my drawings, particularly as a leather putto figure. I make sure I have some way of backing it up so that people don’t think that I am making it all up. I also have an obsession with grand opera, particularly Wagnerian dramatic operas. I try to always include some sort of a proscenium so that it tells you immediately that it’s not a picture frame, its a stage. When I construct these drawings I always keep in mind the question could you actually stage

this in a theater and how deep does that theatre go? I even do aerial views, not in detail, but where would this be if it were an actual theater stage. Where would the backdrop be? You are always looking at the last 5 minutes of a 5 hour long opera in my work. The opera stage is so important because without it no one could possibly believe the story you are telling. This stuff all really happened, maybe not all at once, but you could pull that off on Fat Tuesday. That’s the only day that I am on the stage, Fat Tuesday. I plan 364 days out of the year for that one day. Those are my people, Mardi Gras people. And carnies. What’s a carnie? It’s someone who works at a carnival. I have always wanted to be a snake oil salesman or sideshow barker. State fairs are one of my favorite things to go to. Carnivals, the cheaper, the sleazier, the better. To this day, it still gives me the willies, the memory of the gentleman running the Ferris wheel who was missing half of his nose. Just half? How do you just miss half of your nose? It was just like a hole. The flesh was just barely covering the bone. He was greasy, chain-smoked and was filthy. He was operating the Ferris wheel, oh the creaking, it was just one bolt away from being on the news “Thousands

12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Die In Ferris Wheel Disaster!”

self from working in the studio.

On a slightly brighter note, How has your time been as a resident at the Joan Mitchell Center? It’s given me a chance to reconnect with New Orleans, to see if there is still a place for me here, where I could have a go of it once more. [laughs] Third time’s a charm. The idea would be to have a small studio here and go back to the desert for the summers, which are actually hotter but it’s a dry heat. But I can tell you that I don’t wanna get on that plane when my residency is over. I just really enjoy wandering the Quarter by myself. All the old magic is still there.

This city is full of people who want nothing more than for you to come have a drink and waste the day away together. And honestly I am more than happy to do it. Molly’s is my home bar. I just sit in that window seat and literally the day will be gone.

Did you feel that moving out to the desert of New Mexico has removed some of the distractions? Even in the desert you have to set up a schedule. Its that mañana attitude of “oh, we’ll get to it tomorrow.” If you don’t set up a fairly rigid schedule, you won’t get anything done. Also being in the desert there’s always something that needs to be taken care of. The desert is always trying to get in. Here it’s the roaches, rats, and water that are always trying to get in, but out there it’s the sand, the dryness. There’s always something that needs to be repaired. If you let that take over, then suddenly that’s all you are doing. You can always come up with a project to distract your-

Do you have any current projects you are making progress on? Before Katrina I had started a series of paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross, but with all the characters played by drag queens, thieves, and prostitutes. I had completed two of them and left the third one on the drawing board as we evacuated. I lost the first two but the one left on the easel made it into my show at the Ogden a few years ago. Something’s brewing there. I still wanna do the idea, but I think I have to do more studies. I’ve got the canvases and everything ready to go. The hardest part is coming up with the story, the characters and making an interesting composition. After that, you are just filling in the blanks. You say your religion is Mardi Gras. How much of a Catholic are you? I was raised Southern Baptist, so to me, it’s all great theater. A dear friend of mine and a Catholic Brother always referred to it as “the swag and

the drag.” Putting aside all the their unpleasantness, the Catholic Church kind of invented drag. If the Pope had a stroke and said “you know what, I want Michael Meads to paint the inside of our next cathedral,” would you accept? Are you kidding me? I’ve always had two dreams: getting a Papal commission and being ambassador to the Court of St. James. But really, when I make a piece of art there’s always one simple question I ask myself as I am coming to the end and that is would a big chief say this is pretty. For me that is the highest compliment you can be given. I mean, ok, we are all adorable with our paintings, sculptures, or installations. We go to Julia Street, have our cocktail parties and be all chi-chi. We are all just so precious but let’s talk about the real art. The Mardi Gras Indians and their beadwork. That to me is what matters. If I make anything that gets close to that then I’m on the right track. They are the only critics I have in my head. Agreed. Michael Meads continues as artist in residence at the Joan Mitchell Center until May 24th. His work can be found at Oleander On Royal (1000 Royal St) and online at www.michaelmeads.com.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 13

Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

New in New York

Heading up to New York for Pride, WorldPride, and/or the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall? Well, in addition to all the parades and parties and celebrations, cultural offerings abound, some with a decidedly queer bent. Tootsie, the smash 1982 movie starring Dustin Hoffman, while not gay per se, certainly presaged our current obsession with gender identity and the fluidity of such. Though the tale of an out-of-work “difficult” actor who presents himself as a woman to nab a role is now approaching middle age, a new musical comedy based on it is the freshest show of the season. Unlike the movie, which unfolded on a TV soap opera set, Broadway’s Michael Dorsey (Santino Fontana) gets hired as Dorothy Michaels to play the Nurse in, natch, a Broadway-bound musical, a sequel to Romeo and Juliet. Suffice to say, it’s having problems. Bookwriter Robert Horn has wisely kept all the fizzy wit and warmly touching moments of Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal and Don McGuire’s Oscar-nominated screenplay while fi-

Santino Fontana (center) stars in Tootsie at the Marquis Theatre

nessing it to deepen its characters for today’s audiences, particularly Julie Nichols, the role created on screen by Jessica Lange, here the actress playing Juliet. David Yazbek wrote the music and lyrics. Approaching Tootsie at the Marquis Theatre, my biggest question was would it be more like his pleasant but hardly earth-shattering The Full

Monty? Or his sublime Tony winner The Band’s Visit with one of the most memorable scores ever composed? Fortunately, it turned out to be the latter. Yazbek’s lyrics remain razor sharp and if his melodies are not quite on Band’s’ level, unlike most other recent musicals, they aptly reflect the characters and their moods, whether angsty, defiant or soul-searching, with individualistic precision. If I didn’t quite come out of the theater humming any of them, I think they bear repeated listenings and some, especially for Dorsey’s neurotic girlfriend (Teri Garr’s character, here marvelously portrayed by Sarah Stiles), could go on to become comic standards for cabaret performers. Scott Ellis’ assured direction keeps everything sailing along smoothly, aided by Denis Jones’ inventive choreography and William Ivey Long’s splendid costumes (how does Dorsey transform so quickly into Michaels and vice versa?). Fontana captures all of Dorsey’s pigheadedness, sings brightly in both man’s and woman’s voices and, best of all, makes entirely plausible Dorsey’s journey into enlightenment. Lilli Cooper, as Julie, and the rest of the cast, featuring such comic pros as Andy Grotelueschen, Julie Halston, Reg Rogers and John Behlmann (with his ripped bod), all delight. Sure, you could wonder that no one notices Dorothy’s Adam’s apple or 5 o’clock shadow, let alone that her Social Security number and Actors’ Equity card come up as Michael’s, but don’t, and just enjoy this terrifically traditional, yet up-to-date show. Another new musical is also upto-date. The Prom tells the story of a bunch of wildly self-centered NYC actors who, after a monumental Broadway flop, decide to improve their grand-

ly narcissistic reputations by doing a good deed. After a little googling, they land on a young girl in a small Indiana town who’s been told she can’t bring her girlfriend to her high school prom, and they head West to help. Complications ensue. It’s a cute idea and certainly seems appropriate for our times. And Act Two, in which Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin’s book resolves all the conflicts with humor and warmth aided by the songs, some funny, some moving, by Beguelin (lyrics) and Matthew Sklar (music), is thoroughly enjoyable, despite a little preachiness at the end. You’ll walk out of the Longacre Theatre with a smile on your face. But the first act, oy (as they don’t say in Indiana). It’s one thing to satirize egotistical actors but The Prom stretches credulity beyond the breaking point. That might even have worked, but the Indiana characters are drawn more or less realistically. When the two come together it’s like a merging of two entirely different universes. Rather than the wacky charm the authors seem to be aiming for, the result is merely preposterous. Post-intermission, by toning down the ridiculousness of the NYers, all the folks on stage then plausibly inhabit the same world Casey Nicholaw directs with gleeful enthusiasm, allowing the zany NYers a long leash, most notably Brooks Ashmanskas and Beth Leavel both excellent at being vain and shallow; Leavel adds to that a tremendous set of pipes. I actually preferred, however, Christopher Sieber who underplays his egoism and leads a rousing second act number, Love Thy Neighbor, in which he uses his cachet as a one-time TV star to change hearts and minds. Angie Schworer also shines in her Fosse-inspired song, Zazz. Best of all is Caitlin Kinnunen who

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

makes Emma, the teenaged lesbian, sweet and charming, but also gives her a firm backbone. The Prom’s heart is certainly in the right place and, if you can overlook its craziness, it can make for a most suitable evening during Pride festivities. Ironically, the oldest musical on Broadway turns out to be the most edgy. Director Daniel Fish has given a significant make over to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! When you walk into the Circle in the Square Theatre, you find plywood covering all the walls and floor, well-stocked gun racks on the walls, and chili cooking in crock-pots onstage; you’ll eventually get a sample of it, along with some cornbread, at intermission. Now, I’m a fan of immersive theater and admire reconceptualizations of the classics. But something’s missing here. Fish emphasizes the starkness and isolation of the time and place. Fair enough. But in doing so he’s leeched all the charm and unabashed joyousness from the original. The result has the unfortunate effect of accentuating the narrative and exposition which is kinda dry in the first act. The classic songs remain, of course, but they seem more dutifully done rather than arising with an organic flair from the characters’ personalities. The second act begins with a Dream Ballet here rendered as a not very impressive modern dance rather than a true reflection of Laurey’s fears and apprehensions. When the show finally gets to the hoedown and auction of the women’s picnic hampers, however, Fish’s focus on the text works to its advantage. The actors dig deeply into it and heighten the palpable drama which often gets papered over in more traditional productions; Laurey’s encounter with Jud Fry (Patrick Vaill, chilling and pitiable) is harrowing. The beauty of two wary people, who had been circling each other for so long, ultimately coming together feels more triumphal than ever. The most jarring note of Fish’s revisionism comes at the end, after Jud’s death. When Mary Testa as a less folksy, more tough Aunt Eller urges the judge and marshal to release Curly so he can go off on his honeymoon with Laurey, what usually seems like “happily ever after-ness” comes off as Trumpian overriding of the law. A positively scary peek into the future. Real chemistry percolates between the Curly of Damon Daunno and Rebecca Naomi Jones’ Laurey, but it occasionally felt more suitable to Rent than Oklahoma! (which might’ve been their and Fish’s intention). In an appealingly diverse cast, Ali Stroker rides her wheelchair around the set like a galloping pony; if her Ado Annie seems a touch less helium-filled than other portrayals, it’s of a piece

Angelis Nannos reveals the many layers of Edward Hopper’s Tables for Ladies in his Yum Yum Met Food Tour (photo by B. Sands)

with the rest of the production. Sporting a twangy voice and outstanding ability at playing “dumb”, James Davis as Will Parker found the sweet spot between Fish’s vision and more traditional ones. Daniel Kluger’s folksy orchestrations and arrangements for banjo, mandolin, accordion and various guitars are gorgeous, and should be retained for all future productions. Audiences seem to be split on this production. If you’re as adventurous as those folks who tamed the plains, by all means check it out. James Graham mentions our current POTUS just once in passing in Ink, but his grand play serves as a virtual guidebook for just about any would-be populist demagogue Ink takes us from press rooms and offices to posh clubs and steam rooms to show how Rupert Murdoch took over The Sun, a relatively small tabloid British newspaper and turned it into something huge, while concurrently lowering standards of journalism and decency. With intrigue worthy of a BBC spy drama, this Fleet Street caper utterly enthralls for all of its 2 3/4 hour running time. Brilliantly written, directed (Rupert Goold), and acted by a large cast led by Bertie Carvel as Murdoch and Jonny Lee Miller as an editor who sells his soul to get ahead, Ink delivers a potent, timeless tale that we’re unlikely to see done at any of our local theaters. Ink plays at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre through July 7. See it if you can. Though I suspect there’ll be lots of yummy things to sample in New York during Pride, one thing to try then, or whenever you’re in Manhattan, is Angelis Nannos’ Yum Yum Met Food Tour during which this former civil engineer from Greece takes you through

the Metropolitan Museum. Eschewing the obvious, he shows you culinary and food-related objects and images, using them as jumping off points to discuss, with insight and passion, religion, history, politics, gender equality, etc., etc. After a brief introduction to the Museum, interesting even if you’ve been there many times before, Nannos might stop before a statue of Saint Nicholas of Myra and a pickling tub in the Medieval section, something I’d passed by many times without really noticing. He’ll then explain not only how it refers to the murder of three kids whom the Saint brought back to life (“It’s a bit creepy”), but show you other images of this legend, describe how different cultures use pickling for their foods, and place it in a historical, social and personal context, taking you down fascinating related byways in the process. Next comes a 17th century drinking vessel with a wind-up mechanism targeted at the wealthiest clientele. If you just saw it, you might admire its beauty and workmanship; Nannos, however, shows you a video of it so you can see how it actually functioned. He’ll go on to explicate the symbolism in an 18th century painting, but will first give a prize to the person who best guesses its meaning. A visit to the Egyptian galleries follow to view an amazing find in a pharaoh’s tomb which happened to be food-related; after discussing the archaeological aspect, Nannos relates it to modern day food production and explains why these large models had been placed in the tomb (it involves “food for the soul”). Consistently enthusiastic and engaging, witty and joking, Nannos goes beyond just food to discourse on wide-ranging topics. The result is that

he gets you to look at things, such as an oyster plate from 1881, in a whole new way. The tours are limited to six (he also leads 4 other tours in different parts of the City) and, at the end, he gifts you with some mementos, one of which he personalized as if by magic. It’s an absolutely delightful two hours, perfect for us food-obsessed New Orleanians. Nannos concludes with an ancient Greek shopping list on papyrus which he translates into English to show how similar the 3rd century is to ours. This leads to another shopping list of a very famous person. You’ll have to take the tour to find out whose it is (hint--he’d probably enjoy Pride.) Go to www.InFoodWeTrust.nyc for details. While you’re on the Upper East Side, you should also visit the Neue Galerie (1048 Fifth Ave. at 86 St.) for its Self-Portrait from Schiele to Beckmann (thru June 24) a superb exploration of this genre focusing on German and Austrian artists working between 1900 and 1940. The show begins with a wall full of Rembrandt self-portraits to put things in a historical context. These are quickly followed by an adjacent wall full of Egon Schiele self-portraits, much randier than Rembrandt’s. A room featuring great works by some lesser known artists is followed by one with some masterpieces by Max Beckmann, Otto Dix and others. The final three works, magnificent paintings by the Jewish artist Felix Nussbaum who was murdered by the Nazis, are heart-breakers. At the Guggenheim Museum (1071 Fifth Ave. at 90 St.), the photos, including many of his greatest hits, and other works on display in Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now (through July 10), may not be shocking any more, especially to readers of this col-

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umn. This thus allows them to be fully appreciated simply as works of art. His self-portraits serve almost as a continuation of the Neue Galerie’s exhibit; one, especially, clearly is a homage to Schiele. Women get the up close and personal treatment as well. Picasso’s Women: Fernande to Jacqueline at the Gagosian Gallery (980 Madison Ave., 6th fl., at 76 St., through June 22) offers a roomful of museum quality stunners, including La Reve (1932) which Steve Wynn once notoriously put his right elbow through (it’s since been completely repaired). You may find it difficult to tear yourself away from these beauties. Nearby on 73rd Street at Lévy Gorvy (909 Madison Ave.), Warhol Women (through June 15) gives you not only Jackie and Marilyn but Golda Meir and Aretha Franklin in Warhol’s signature style. And while many things will cost you dearly in NYC, the Picas-

so and Warhol shows are both free. Go with pride.

Curtain Up

The Komenka Ethnic Dance and Music Ensemble of New Orleans presents its 39th Annual Spring Concert on June 1 and 2 in the Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall of Loyola University New Orleans (St. Charles Avenue at Calhoun Street). Both shows include Komenka dance/music presentations representing the Cherokee Nation, China, Czech Republic, Haiti, Kenya, Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan as well as New Orleans. In addition, each performance will include a Chinese ribbon dance by the children of the New Orleans School of Ballet. On June 8, Bearded Lady Productions (George Monson & Nick Figueroa) and the Krewe of Armei-

nius will team up for the first time to present New Orleans Pride Ball, the official New Orleans Pride Parade after-party at the newly renovated Joy Theater (1200 Canal St.). It promises to be an extravaganza of entertainment! Dutch duo Lars Dales & Maarten Smeets, known as Detroit Swindle, are bound together by their mutual love of disco, hip-hop and early house music, and have quickly gained popularity throughout the world. You can look forward to classic house, obscure disco, African funk and many other genres of tantalizing music. Sharing the stage for the night is the Tulane/Loyola jazz-infused soul/ funk band Jank Setup, a diverse group of local artists who pack soulful vocals, funk-tastic grooves, and a crazy good horn section into a fabulous package. Plus throughout the evening, Ladybeast will be bringing out a spectacle of illusions and stunning visual displays!

Andy Warhol (1986) by Robert Mapplethorpe

The Ball goes from 10pm till 3am. Sounds like you won’t want to leave. Please send press releases and notices of your upcoming shows to Brian Sands at bsnola2@hotmail.com.

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

It’s PRIDE Again

The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ fr.bill@stannanola.org This very morning Luigi, my dear friend and Parish Administrator, and I were riding in to work together. We were talking about a recent event that several churches tried to promote called Peace on the River. The idea was birthed a while back by a great social activist, Joe Givens. The concept was simple--create a marriage among faith-based missions that work in our communities to lift our “at risk” kids up and empower them. The outcome would, we believe, be a more peaceful city. Funding for these programs is hard to come by. Joe worked hard with several business partners to put together a real show. The turnout at Mardi Gras World was slim. Joe was heartbroken. He really needed the faith community to step up and show the business community that it was vested and excited about this potential partnership. That said, the timing was off, which all acknowledged. It was Mother’s Day, Jazz Fest had just wrapped up, and for non-profits it was Give NOLA Day (a time consuming race if you are vested in it). Plus the final arrangements and promotions did not happen until a couple of weeks before the event. Now we know in New Orleans that people will always say “yes” to events and that “yes” actually means maybe. So, it went with this one. The promise of doing real work in our community to help stem the tide of urban violence will be a long term proposition. But it has to start with something and this was it. The question is, “Was it a failure?” So, Luigi and I drove down St. Claude on this lovely morning

speculating. We came full circle to PRIDE. Quite a long time ago PRIDE was so very small. I remember being asked to do an opening Invocation for PRIDE which was held at Washington Park. I showed up at 10 a.m. to do the Invocation. This was shortly after Katrina, maybe 2007 or so. The stage was set. The mic was on and there were 12 nice people hanging out at the PFLAG tent. A few technicians and a great gal named Dawn were putting together all of the support. Now doing an Invocation and hearing the echo can be a little off-putting. I think it was my first time being asked to do any public Invocation. Yet, here we are in 2019 with floats, bands, a parade route, parties, events leading up to PRIDE, the community strutting its stuff. Several faith groups have thrown in with the Parade. I know the Episcopal Church is doing a float and marching. PRIDE has exploded! A very bright young man, Zach, recently made a FB post about the continuing importance of taking and making social stands. I agree with Zach; social turns and legal turns don’t necessarily turn equally. Alabama’s justpassed abortion law flies in the face of federal law as it now stands. Do not understand my comment as advocating for or against abortion; as a priest I have mixed thoughts and feelings--just being honest. It is an intimate and very personal issue. The point is that while in 2018 the majority of Americans supported Roe v. Wade (71%) (and even the majority of Republicans (52%)) the “law of the

land” is being seriously challenged. Given the current political climate, which is a bizarre one, marches like PRIDE that seek to include more and more people becomes more and more important. Likewise, in a city that has almost “normalized” our emotional response to murder and urban violence or, perhaps better said, have emotionally isolated ourselves from the horror of it, things like Peace on the River become more and more important. There are moments in history--American, European, African, Asian, and worldwide--when activism is an imperative. It was imperative for even an itinerant Rabbi Yeshua. Apartheid --> activism --> reconciliation. Anti-Semitism -->no activism --> holocaust. Jim Crow --> activism --> Voter Rights Act Imperialism --> peaceful resistance --> India’s Independence. There is an historic litany of activism (or malaise). We need to ask ourselves are we in a period of malaise and are we as a people complacent? I trust not. Jesus, believer or not, stood against social divisions. He stood against exclusionary practices. He stood against marginalization. According to tradition he died for it. I do not suggest for one moment that we need die. But march, YES. Band together for what is just, compassionate, and right, YES. Cross over into other sectors that are experiencing violence, like our black young men, and take a stand. Together, with love as a primary touchstone, we can remain and not be pushed back. We can

be as intended, lights unto the nations. MARCH WITH PRIDE. POST SCRIPT It is May 16th. A lady was shot in the face and died outside of, or near, the Clover Grill. That is in our community. It is below the “lavender line.” Just weeks ago, I was enjoying time with members of Amon Ra who had generously presented Anna’s Place with a community support check. Who suspected, as we sat on the balcony at Lafitte’s enjoying the evening, that weeks later a murder would happen just across the strett. I have noticed several FB posts that offer sincere responses. Fatsy Cline, aka Zak, posted his offer to pray or simply talk with anyone traumatized by this event. Hers was not the only such post. I also extend that same offer. If one wants to talk about the violence sometimes experienced by our community let’s talk. Maybe it is time to gather as a group to support each other as trauma unfolds. We at St. Anna’s have the room and we have the capacity to offer space for this. If you are feeling threatened, however, reach out and talk to someone. If you are feeling unsafe, do not withdraw but reach out. I also note that the day before 4 people were shot outside a shop in St. Charles Parish. A tragedy. We should be scandalized by such violence wherever it happens not just on our doorstep. I had no idea when I wrote about the Peace on the River movement that this would unfold. Even more reason to start aggressively supporting programs that will reduce violence today and into the future. WE MUST TAKE PRIDE in how we manage this violence. PRIDE born out of action, love, compassion, mental and spiritual health and safe places. PRIDE and PEACE.

16 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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MUSINGS BY CATHERINE Emerging Young Adult LGBTQ/ Trans Poly Community Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com

Memorial Day. Gay Pride. The 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. There are multiple celebrations in the next month and a half for our community. And it’s summer in New Orleans, and all of the fun, edgy activities, and camaraderie should make any proud member of the LGBTQ+ community feel grateful to be here. Street flooding, potholes, and humidity be damned, I will take it all and love it. Sadly, that is not always the case for all of our community, to feel the positivity that can be New Orleans, especially this time of the year, for some of our young members who are exploring alternative ways in which to live their lives. Let’s explore some of the current developments and choices in a portion of our LGBTQ+ community. In the greater New Orleans area, there is a quiet but quickly growing group of young adults, between 18-23, who are not in the mainstream of the fun and celebrations that are upon us. They’re what could be self-identified as pre-transgender, or young trans individuals; non-binary or non-committed; or gender/orientation exploring. LGBTQ when the Q is questioning is a difficult place to be in our sharp-

ly-identified LGBTQ society. Pronouns preferred relate to the inner feelings of each individual, how they identify or have aspirations to identify and live for part, or the remainder of their lives, and include she/her/hers, he/him/his or they/them/theirs. The thing to understand in our current world is that the young adults I’m talking about are as scared, reticent, cautious, and untrusting as many of us were, years ago. And some of us, who always have been and always will be at least some of those things, should hopefully be able to relate to our young friends. The same socio-political scene that all LGBTQ adults should and are becoming more and more concerned about, is terribly threatening to our young adult groups. We joke about not wanting to ‘get old’ but often are not mindful that with age, comes security sometimes, or financial stability, or the inner feelings of self-confidence and strength one simply can’t possess in a developmental frame at a young age. Young adult LGBTQ folks here are highly vulnerable, and they seem to be acutely aware of that. They need us to offer them strength; we need them to

give us hope. Or is that vice-versa? You may be thinking, it’s all different now in 2019. It’s open, safe, and we’re in a pretty accepting city for LGBTQ+ people. Of course, it’s a different time, but is it really that much different? Interestingly, it’s also similar, and it’s more dangerous in some ways. I suppose it may even be, at times, safer. Our young friends between 18-23, of the ‘alternative lifestyle’ group as described, however, know little about the LGBTQ+ plus history and legend of New Orleans’ community or the US. They have deep concerns, troubling dreams and often, nowhere to turn for guidance, solace or assurance. These young individuals must often garner an uncanny ability to hide feelings and plans from parents, family, teachers, colleagues and employers. It seems that the young adult trans community in this area is unique, and ventures out of bounds sexually, relationally and in other ways. Current boundaries within the younger trans or pre-trans group may be unidentifiable to our unschooled eye, however the young adults I know have ‘moral’ codes based on rationale and logic, although they could be perceived as loose and flimsy. Questioning always comes at a cost, and for some, it’s very costly. An example might be Jonah, a 20-year old transgender young man who was interested in participating in polyamorous relationships and possible lifestyle with multiple partners, either permanent or revolving. Meeting young members of the LGBTQ poly community at a share party was fairly simple, but participating personally was not so simple. He noticed that a friend of his who was more experienced in the lifestyle was also in attendance, so Jonah asked that friend to ‘introduce’ him to the group, and he became more relaxed. He had several encounters, and arranged to begin “speaking” to

several individuals. And he liked it. The idea of a poly community actually sharing and being honest was a joy to him, and different from any dynamic he’d known. Jonah was able to find a house dinner gathering the week after, where many of the same people made food, shared stories and all around got to know more about one another. Alternative and different? Yes. It’s what Jonah wants, as so do many others in his age and gender identity group. Will this cost Jonah his family, friends, future plans? Another example would be a young couple, both of whom identify as non-committed or non-binary, inviting a third individual to join their family, i.e., someone who is compatible, kind, sexually open, and a bit edgy. And who appealed to both of them spiritually, socio-politically, with a complimentary personality and who was eager to explore sexually within the LGBTQ polyamory community. You may already know any number of families in our community who have always had multiple members as primary partners; it’s been a practice in this area for many years. Now it’s named, so it’s accessible to anyone. Our young adult trans and fluid communities seem to be very interested. How can we support this diverse lifestyle that really isn’t so different, it’s just more visible? So let us gather as we approach this Pride season in the Greater New Orleans area to celebrate, to cherish, and to support the young adult members of our LGBTQ community, no matter how they personally conceptualize their relationships and identities, and venture through life. If you relate at all to any part of this article, or need support, please reach out. Remember that “they” are us. We can learn from them, and they can learn from us. Mostly, they just need us to love them.

18 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

A LWAYS O P E N . A LWAYS W E L C O M E

O B UNCE

9 4 1 E LY S I A N F I E L D S

PHOENIXBARNOLA.COM

WITH

@PHOENIXBARNOLA

PRIDE

Pride Fest 2019

Saturday, June 8, noon-6 p.m.

Headline performance at 4 p.m.

The proud home once again for Pride Fest! We close Rampart and the back parking lot of Robért’s for the biggest, best block party celebrating our fantastic LGBTQ+ community. With New Orleans Pride, Absolut Vodka, and Robért Fresh Market, we have a huge celebration planned with vendors, food + drink, and The Queen Diva Big Freedia! And it’s all free!

#absolutplanet #allflavorswelcome

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THE ROCKFORD FILES Don’t speak: 15 things you need to stop saying. Right now. Ryan Rockford RyanRockfordNYC@gmail.com The regularly scheduled article written for this issue of Ambush Magazine has been interrupted to bring the gay community, the following public service announcement: Stop sounding stupid. Until you’ve finished reading this column, it might be best to take the advice of Helen Sinclaire, Dianne Wiest’s character in Woody Allen’s Bullets over Broadway: “Don’t speak. Please don’t speak… no, no, no… don’t speak…” New York is a city of over eight million people. One might think that so many conversations swirling around a person’s ears at any given moment would make for a maddening existence. Surprisingly, it’s quite the opposite. Somehow, the public chatter, taxi horns, and the explosions that thunder within construction sites blend into a white noise of sorts, that is almost calming. Not at first of course, but eventually, with regular exposure, the once disruptive day-to-day auditory assault becomes an accepted nuisance. If New York isn’t noisy, something is

wrong, like on that Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001. New York was silent then. That was almost twenty years ago. Now, the air of chitchat blowing through a city on the move usually evaporates. The sound of mispronounced words, however, heard in conversations, even subconsciously, will yank me out of my zone, and slap my resting bitch face back to reality. I’m not sure how it started, but I get really annoyed whenever I hear otherwise educated adults, mispronounce or incorrectly use common words or phrases. It’s less of a pet peeve and more of a deep psychological repulsion when I hear anyone “axe” a question about the “Artic” Circle or “punkin” pie. My skin starts to itch when I pass a bodega advertising “3 orange’s for a dollar”. And when my neighbor gets excited about visiting Rome, the Pope, and the “Sixteenth Chapel”, I want to Taser him in the balls. I’m not a grammar troll, my editor can attest to that. Nor am I a purist of the King’s English, but c’mon people! There is no public “liberry”!

Imagine how nice life would be if there was a secret society, or correctional task force of some kind. Perhaps a Black-Ops unit of nuns, who would seamlessly waft through pedestrian conversations, equipped with the authority to issue a summons or a fine or a week of study hall, to anyone caught using words like “suposebly”. If the straight, general public wants to obliterate the art of conversation, good for them, but not for us. As a gay man, I believe we have an innate responsibility to raise the common standard. Of everything, including conversation. Homos have a proven and well-deserved reputation for taking the mundane and making it fabulous. Language should be no exception. Many want to blame the decline in civilized conversation on the Y and Z generations, but the fault is ours. All of ours. We’ve sold our modem to the devil. As a nation, we have relaxed our expectations and surrendered our sophistication in exchange for a Wi-Fi fix and access to the World Wide Web, 24/7. The ability to ‘talk’ to computers is eroding our ability to speak for ourselves. As a result, we’ve allowed ourselves to encapsulate our vocabulary to a few hundred pages of the dictionary. Due to laziness, uninterest or a lack of motivation to do otherwise, we’ve collectively homogenized, not only what words we use but also how we use them, often using them incorrectly, and

complacent in our ignorance. Fck that! The buck stops here. Gear up, Queens. It’s up to us to stop the disintegration of our vocabulary. The best way to do that is to stop sounding like a moron. Fortunately for you, you have me. If you want to improve your (perceived) Intelligence Quotient immediately, and do your part to help keep the English language intact, here are fifteen things that you need to stop saying, right now: 1. “Basically” - Stop beginning every sentence with “Basically”. If you’re already saying something in simple terms, you don’t need to break it down any further. Not only is it annoying to hear, it also tells everyone know that you are nervous, unsure of yourself and well… basic. (Ditto for “Actually”.) 2. “Literally” – Google it. The word is known as an intensifier and is commonly used for emphasis. For example: “I’m literally asleep while I’m driving home.” However, “literally” means something is exact and true, so when used metaphorically, you sound like an idiot. 3. “Sorta”/”Kinda” – If you’re old enough to tie your shoes, drop these words from your vocabulary or risk being put in a time-out at the next office party. 4. “Conversating” – There is no such word. Saying it doesn’t make you sound cool. It makes you sound like you didn’t graduate high school. The word you want is “Conversing”.

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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5. “Expresso” – If you’re going to spend five dollars for a cup of coffee, at least know what you’re ordering because I guarantee the barista is laughing at you every time you order an “Expresso”. Unless you’re acting in an Italian parody as the Federal Expresso delivery man, the over-priced coffee drink you’re looking for is an “Espresso”. 6. “Don’t take it personal” – This is a sure fire douche-identifier. If someone tells you, “Don’t take this personal, but…” You can be sure of two things: You’re about to be insulted in a roundabout way and the sentence is grammatically incorrect. If they can’t even form a correct sentence, who cares what they have to say? 7. “Can you be more pacific?” Unless you are a casting agent looking for someone who can morph into an ocean, try using the word “specific”. That way, you’ll have less people barking at you like a seal off the California coast. 8. “Well, that’s ironic” – Chances are, no, it isn’t. I blame Alanis Morrisette for obliterating the definition of ironic. If you don’t already know, there isn’t one true instance of irony anywhere in her song Isn’t it ironic? George Carlin defines irony this way: “If a diabetic, on his way to buy insulin is run over by a truck, that’s an accident. If that truck was delivering insulin, that’s ironic.” 9. “The bank’s suppository con-

tained millions of dollars.” A million dollar suppository is something I’d like to see. If you’d like to describe a place that is intended for storage or preservation such as a vault or library, the word you want to use is “repository”. Get it right, or the next time you ask the pharmacist about a “repository” for your hemorrhoids, you might get a book shoved up your ass. 10. “Irregardless” – There is no such word. Erase the idea of it from your mind, forever. The correct word is “regardless”. 11. “Completely unique”, “quite unique”, “very unique” – if you find yourself using these phrases, now is a good time to ask Alexa to define unique. If you’re feeling particularly chatty, ask her about the meaning of “redundant”. 12. “I’m so busy” – Stop the glorification of “busy”. We know you’re busy, because we’re ALL busy. You may think the rest of us are just sitting on our asses, frozen in time, waiting for you to have a free moment to grab coffee, but I assure you, we are not. “I’ve been so busy” really means “I don’t want to.” 13. “Voila” – If you are under the impression that sprinkling in a few foreign phrases into your everyday conversation makes you sound fancy, you’re wrong. When in doubt, consider one of George Orwell’s fundamental language rules: “Never use a foreign phrase or scientific word, or a jargon

word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.” If you just can’t help yourself and you MUST use the term, “voila”, for Christ’s sake learn to pronounce it correctly. The correct pronunciation is “vwa’la”. Whenever I hear someone say “Wa-Lah”, I want to shoot them in the face. 14. “I’ve changed my life around 360 degrees.” No you haven’t. If you’re facing north, and make a 360 degree turn, you’re still facing north. You haven’t changed anything. If you’d like to imply that you your life is heading in the opposite direction than it was before, use a “180 degree” turn. You’ll get where you want to go a lot faster. Brace yourselves. For many of you, this last one is a doozy. If you take away nothing else from this article, please stop saying: 15. “I could care less.” Erroneously, this phrase is often used to completely dismiss something. When a person is unaffected and has no interest or concern about a subject, it is common to hear them say, “I could care less”. It’s wrong. This phrase which wobbles on the border of being an insult, is used by person too lazy to think through what they are saying before they say it. If they did, they would realize that using this phrase takes the wind out of their intended sails. If they “could care less” means that there is still a hint of caring left to give. The correct phrase is “I couldn’t care less”, meaning there is zero care. None. Nothing. For example;

when it comes to the subject of vaginal scraping or the details of feminine hygiene products, believe me when I tell you that I couldn’t care less. Everyone makes mistakes, but people misuse words so often that assumed meanings get confused with the original ones. Certain mistakes, like those above, are heard so often that they have become bad habits of speech that everyone assumes to be correct, because they’ve never learned the correct version in the first place. Why is this important? Because when language “evolves” through ignorance, when a word or phrase becomes disassociated from its original meaning because people don’t know any better, we are consenting to a dumbing down process, leaving us with a lackluster form of the English language. As our language continues to shrink, it becomes harder to express ourselves and to convey what we really want to say. I’ve never been good at small talk, and unleashing my true personality on others too soon sometimes backfires in an irreversible way. So, whenever I find myself in social situations, especially among people I’ve never met, before I begin to make the rounds, I take a deep breath and remind myself of what Plato once said: “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.”

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Krewe of Armeinius AT GLITTER AND BE GAY FUNDRAISER | PHOTOS COURTESY OF KREWE OF ARMEINIUS

SNAP PAPARAZZI Krewe of Amon-Ra AT KREWE OF AMON-RA CRAWFISH BOIL AT THE CROSSING | PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEREMY W

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INTERVIEWS FROM KEY WEST

Strategist Christopher Massicotte Talks the Democrats LGBTQ Surge and Kim Kardashian Kevin Assam kevin-assam@hotmail.com Christopher Massicotte is a veteran of several campaigns and currently works as a digital strategist in Washington DC. He serves as the co-chair of the LGBTQ Victory Fund Campaign Board. As the country gears up for the first debate on the blue side, let’s also see what he has to say about the red. Revisiting 2016, what is the most concise explanation of President Trump’s victory and the lower number of LGBTQ candidates? Christopher: My best explanation for Trump’s victory is a horrible stroke of bad luck. In Michigan where Clinton lost by 10,000 votes, a margin of barely 0.23%, there was a severe rainstorm in the Detroit area just as the polls were closing. It was similarly close in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. If 70,000 votes changed, less than 0.04% of votes cast, we would be talking about the Clinton landslide where she won the popular vote by 3 million. As for LGBTQ candidates, while we did not have as good of a year in 2016 as we did in [2018], there were more first time candidates elected across the country than ever before. Mostly down ballot candidates but that is how we create a bench for higher offices. Even if an LGBTQ candidate would be the most competent and qualified individual to be elected to a position, is it smart to run them in socially conservative areas? Christopher: Every potential candidate needs to not only assess the political landscape before they decide to run, but look at it for what it could be, and not for what it is today. Danica Roem became the first openly transgender person to win a state legislative seat in history. She won in a socially conservative district and defeated the author of Virginia’s “bathroom bill” who referred to himself as “Virginia’s Chief

Homophobe.” Voters will surprise you when given real alternatives. What are the rules of engagement on “outing” closeted gay but homophobic candidates? Christopher: Deciding to live one’s authentic self is deeply personal. But a politician must live their values. If you’re actively voting or working against our community then you’re fair game. This is why Aaron Schock makes my blood boil. Are political consultants experiencing an uptick in earnings as corporate and individual clients scramble to seize openings in a chaotic Capitol Hill? Christopher: The uptick in earnings came from the Citizens United decision. Individual politicians though are using the chaos on Capitol Hill to raise tons of money. I would like to see higher engagement through lower dollar donations. My household is divided politically and it’s getting worse between me and my partner. Would you suggest sex therapy or some sort of political conversion treatment? Christopher: I’m against conversion treatment of any kind. I don’t understand gay Republicans right now. The GOP represents an existential threat to our community. Not a single anti-LGBTQ bill has been introduced in a state legislature by a Democrat over the last few years. We need to get over the lower taxes less government myth and shun the GOP until our rights are no longer an issue. Should we expect to see many former LGBTQ policy neutral candidates jumping on the rainbow bandwagon for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising? Christopher: On the Democratic side I don’t think there are LGBTQ neutral candidates. Being supportive of

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT New Orleans Pharmacy Museum Because Louisiana was the first state in the Union to require pharmacists to be licensed, it is only fitting that New Orleans is home to a museum dedicated to the history of pharmacy. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic building at 514 Chartres Street in the French Quarter, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum showcases its extensive collection and provides interpretive educational programs to present and

preserve the rich history of pharmacy and healthcare in Louisiana, past and present. The space which houses the museum was once the apothecary of America’s first licensed pharmacist, Louis J. Dufilho, Jr. In 1804, the State of Louisiana, led by Governor Claiborne, passed a law that required a licensing examination for pharmacists wishing to practice their profession. Dufilho was the first man to pass the test.

Christopher Massicotte (Image Courtesy of Christopher Massicotte)

our issues is good politics and frankly good business. Republicans unfortunately SAY they’re supportive but then do nothing, and if they’re elected to a legislature the first thing they do is vote for leadership that is very much anti-LGBTQ. Take for example my state representative in Florida, Holly Raschein. She’s very vocal about LGBTQ support. She is one of very few Republicans in Florida who are. But she votes for leadership that is very anti-LGBTQ Will trending demographics in other parts of the country cause Ohio to cease being an indicator of who wins the presidency? Christopher: Ohio is becoming more and more conservative every election cycle. The Clinton campaign did not count on winning Ohio and when Ohio went to Trump I did not freak out. I freaked out when Clinton was not up by enough votes in Pennsylvania to win. Philadelphia and the suburbs’ votes get counted first and the Democratic candidate needs to be up by at least 400,000 votes to win statewide. My parents believe President Trump has stabilized the economy by putting the fear of God in manufacturers tempted to offshore pro-

duction. Are they correct? Christopher: No. The economy is performing well despite what President Trump has done. The tax cuts were nothing but a major giveaway to corporations and the wealthy. The tariffs are having real adverse effects on farmers and others trying to export goods from the US. Are you saying the Republican party cannot be credited with a single positive achievement in the past two years? Christopher: Prison reform! Really, Kim Kardashian gets the credit for that Is it morally wrong to declare my ban or unwillingness to engage members of certain political affiliations on my dating app profile? Christopher: It is not. You are trying to date, not solve all the world’s problems.

Prior to this law and before Louisiana became a state, there were some informal territory licensing measures, but none were enforced. A person could apprentice for six months, then compound and sell his or her own concoctions without any regulations or standards. The public received incorrect doses and erroneous medications. In 1804, Governor Claiborne established a board of reputable pharmacists and physicians to administer a three-hour oral examination given at the Cabildo in Jackson Square. Exhibits at the museum include: Show globes, Methods of Administration, Opium, Perfumes and Cosmetics, Voodoo Potions, Questionable Medical

Practices, Surgical Instruments, Patent Medicines, Soda Fountain, Prescriptions and Compounding Living Quarters and Architecture, Seasonal and Special Exhibits, Dr. J. William Rosenthal’s Spectacles Collection, Local Excavated Bottles, Physician’s Study and Sick Room. Admission to the museum, which is open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 am-4:00 pm, is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for students and seniors. There is no charge for children under six years old. Guided tours are offered at 1:00 pm Tuesday to Friday. The building’s spacious 19th Century courtyard is available for private events.

Kevin Assam is an average writer and hilarious interviewer originally from the Caribbean. He can be best described as a forty year old imaginative mind trapped in a pint sized twenty something year old body. His upcoming book is a collection of outrageous things overheard in Key West.

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 25

COMMUNITY VOICE

Honoring and Remembering Those Who Gave Us Pride Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org One of my favorite quotes in all of English literature is from the last sentence of Middlemarch: “[T]he growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.” A powerful declaration, even out of context. And yet its full impact cannot be felt without having read all that came before in the novel. The reader is first moved by the line because he has come to know Dorothea, and he sees it as a fitting description of her character. But he weeps when he considers the untold number of people here in the real world whose past efforts have given him the chance to live an authentic life that is less painful that it might have been. By “him” I mean me, and by “people” I mean those in our community who did the work to get us where we are today. We have lost so many of them, and in most cases, we can never know all that they sacrificed to create this world, nor can we know the full story of the lives they led. A great many of them are still with

us, however, and it’s way past time that we made every effort possible to learn their stories while we can. The opportunity is here and now, and we can be thankful that some organizations are taking it. On the national level, StoryCorps has recently launched their Stonewall OutLoud initiative. Locally, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana has begun collecting oral histories here in New Orleans. StoryCorps was founded in 2002 by David Isay, a radio producer. He is also the son of the late psychiatrist Richard Isay, whose books, Being Homosexual and Becoming Gay, helped change the way mental health professionals treated gay people. StoryCorps has recorded more than 200,000 conversations, given people from all walks of life the opportunity to tell their stories. Some of those stories have been made into animated short films that you may have seen on PBS. All of the recordings are housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. David Isay’s audio documentary, Remembering Stonewall, first aired on public radio in 1989, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

He had tracked down as many people who had been there as possible, and recorded their stories. The broadcast was the first time that a national audience got to hear the story of Stonewall from those who were there. Now, 30 years later, the Stonewall OutLoud initiative (a partnership between StoryCorps, SAGE, the National LGBT Taskforce, GLSEN, and GRIOT Circle) is encouraging LGBT youth to interview their elders using the StoryCorps app beginning in June. Anyone can participate. To learn more about this project, visit storycorps.org/discovery/outloud. The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana helps facilitate the preservation of materials that chronicle the culture and history of the LGBT community in Louisiana, with a focus on making those materials available for future generations to access, research, and study. This past year they helped fund the digitization of Just for the Record, an LGBT public access television show that aired from 1986 through 1993. The Archives Project’s oral history initiative is seeking LGBT individuals whose stories offer insights into the history and culture of our community. If you or someone you know has a story that needs to be told, please send an email to info@lgbtarchivesla.org. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, NOAGE is hosting a screening of the documentary, Before Stonewall, on Wednesday, June 5, 7:00PM at

Chalmette Movies. Directed by Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg, Before Stonewall premiered in 1984 at the Toronto International Film Festival, making 2019 the 25thanniversary of this landmark film. To reserve a free ticket, visit www.noagenola.org/events, and click the Eventbrite link. Please note that there are only 50 available free tickets for this screening. In the event that all of those have been reserved, there will also be 25 other tickets that can be purchased at Chalmette Movies. Visit their website at www.chalmettemovies. com for more information. NOAGE will also be partnering with AARP Louisiana later in June to present a screening of the Elton John biopic, Rocketman. For updates on that and other NOAGE events, visit noagenola.org and subscribe to our newsletter. As Pride month approaches, let us honor and thank every individual who made it all possible for us. Some are long gone, but many are living. A few are very well-known, while too many others are being forgotten. We cannot let that happen. We will remember. I’d love to hear from you. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for other services, events, or initiatives that you’d like NOAGE to provide for the community? You can always reach me at info@noagenola.org. I also urge you to consider making an investment in your future by supporting NOAGE. www.noagenola.org/support

MUSEUM EXHIBIT

“Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival” on view at the Louisiana State Museum’s Presbytère NEW ORLEANS, La.– The Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans will unveil a first-of-its-kind new exhibition at the Presbytère on June 6, 2019, called Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleans. The exhibition opens with a free reception at the Presbytère, THURSDAY, JUNE 6, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.The reception, hosted by the Friends of the Cabildo, will feature a specialty cocktail called “The Grand Illusion” provided and served by Absolut Vodka. The public is invited to this free opening. The opening will also serve as the official kick-off party to New Orleans Pride. This comprehensive exhibition on a topic never before fully treated in a museum setting features over two hun-

dred artifacts, including posters as well as original artwork for posters, original costume designs, other rare works of art never before seen in a museum, ball favors, ball invitations, historic photographs, original store and bar signs, and a dozen colorful costumes, both from the Louisiana State Museum’s permanent collection as well as on loan. In addition, clips from early gay balls taken from newly conserved and digitized film will be shown on monitors in the exhibition. Gay Carnival grew out of the traditional Carnival celebrations in New Orleans, which are organized around social clubs called krewes. The gay krewes began forming in the late 1950s, simultaneously mimicking and mocking the presentations of pretend

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

royalty but also adding their own modifications. By necessity, they presented their balls in secret, fearing police harassment and imprisonment. Men appearing publicly in female costume (i.e. “drag”) were still subject to criminal prosecution at the time except on Mardi Gras, the only day of the year when it was legal to cross-dress in public. The exhibition’s title is inspired by the theme of the 1976 ball of the Krewe of Armeinius. That ball, entitled “An Evening of Grand Illusions,” portrayed how everything from love to evil, lust to beauty, and even masculinity to femininity may be illusions. No more apt title could be conceived for an exhibition that presents in glorious flamboyance

the tradition of constructing and donning wildly creative costumes to invent a new identity that may be inverted or exploded beyond all reality. After beginning as an underground phenomenon, gay balls gained a more public profile as harassment began to taper off and societal attitudes evolved. During the 1970s people both inside and outside the gay community clamored for invitations. By the mid-1980s, a record thirteen krewes were active, yet the tragic devastation of HIV/AIDS soon led to the dissolution of all but four: Petronius, Amon-Ra, Armeinius, and Lords of Leather, all of which continue to exist today. Today there are a total of eight gay krewes, although

ironically, the expansion of gay civil rights and a greater acceptance of gay culture have left gay krewes working harder to attract new members as social options have multiplied. The exhibition will focus a spotlight on the artists and the visual materials they created for gay krewes, recognizing that these artworks are unique to the krewes for which they were created but were never meant to be preserved. Such works as costume sketches and poster designs were true ephemera in that they were destined to be used for one night of brilliance and then to be forgotten, as another Carnival season was always on the horizon. Over the past several years, the Louisiana State

Museum has made a concerted effort to locate and collect these materials so that they may be saved from being discarded and so that they may be shared with the museum’s visitors. Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleanswill be on display in the Presbytère until December 2020. The Presbytère is located at 751 Chartres Street. Admission to the museum is $7 for adults, $6 for students, seniors, and active military, and free for children 6 and under. Groups of 15 or more with reservations receive a 20% discount. School groups with reservations are free. Visit LouisianaStateMuseum.org for more information.

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY 1977: Pageants and Rags and Courts—O My!

Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com For history lovers, some years are more memorable than others. 1969 is remembered for the Stonewall uprising. In New Orleans, 1958 stands out--the birth of the first gay Carnival Krewe (Yuga), the gay bashing murder of Fernando Rios, and the persecution of Tony Bacino’s bar. 1973 is associated with the Up Stairs Lounge arson. Nationally, the year 1977 is notable for three events: Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected in a major U.S. city when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Anita Bryant founded her “Save Our Children” campaign; and the Log Cabin Republicans was founded. 1977 is perhaps best remembered by local queer historians as the year Anita Bryant came to town. The protest rally and march her visit prompted was arguably the first significant demonstration on behalf of LGBT+ rights in New Orleans. 1977 is significant, however, for other reasons as well; in fact, a lot was going on around the state that year. In addition to the Anita Bryant protest, Roy Letson and Gary Martin launched Impact, an LGBT newspaper that served New Orleans until 2000. In central Louisiana, 1977 saw the end of the Gay Blade, a statewide newsletter Skip Ward had started the year before. It was also in 1977 that Tom Horner moved to New Orleans and started the FM Bookshop, which would technically open in 1978. In Baton Rouge, George Perry and Alan Lowe began publishing The Zipper. Helping them with the monthly publication was a young Rip Naquin, whom they hired as Editor-in-Chief. Marsha Delain handled the accounting. The Zipper was a mere eight pages with a few black and white photos. A yearly subscription cost $8.00. In conjunction with The Zipper,

Perry, Lowe, Naquin, and Delain also formed the first Imperial Court of Louisiana. Founded in San Francisco in 1965, the Imperial Court System is an international grassroots network of organizations that works to build community relationships for equality and raise money for charitable causes through the production of annual Gala Coronation Balls. In Alexandria, patrons at a gay bar called The Lodge, were still talking about the late 1976 arrest of Vicki Gay, her ninth, for cross-dressing. Vicki and her lover John had opened the first gay bar in Alexandria, Cabaret, in 1973. Vicki’s never-ending legal battles had made national headlines. In Lafayette, the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) rejected the application for the formation of a student organization called Alterum, whose goals, according to their proposed Bylaws, were “to help broaden the education of the general populus as to the phenomenon of homosexuality, and to provide for homophiles a more positive group image, peer counseling, and a wider range of social alternatives than is presently available at USL.” The University Committee on Organizations voted “No” overwhelmingly. Conversely, at LSU in Baton Rouge, approval was granted to a new student organization, Students for Gay Awareness. The group held their first fundraiser at George’s Place and used part of the proceeds to purchase gay positive books for the LSU library. Despite this encouraging development, Baton Rouge was still a fairly homophobic town. Several gay men and one lesbian were attacked in a straight bar called Zachary’s near the LSU campus. When a few men started dancing with each other, the management of the bar tried to physically throw

them out. The incident degenerated into violence. Despite the general negative climate across the state, there were a surprising number of gay bars. Baton Rouge had George’s and The Dock. In Lafayette, gays could find other like-minded people at Southern Comfort. In Houma, gays enjoyed a bar called The Coral Reef. A gay bar in Lake Charles hosted a regular “Ladies of the Night” show. Alexandria had The Lodge. And tiny Monroe, way up north near Arkansas, even had a gay bar. New Orleans boasted the most gay bars, including Café Lafitte in Exile, the Bourbon Pub, the Post Office, Charlene’s, the Golden Lantern, Flamingo’s, the Midship, and several others. As gay communities emerged from the closet in the 1970s, they found expression not only in bars but also in pageants. Miss Vieux Carre began in 1977 (a performer named Booby won the title) and Mr. and Miss Gay Louisiana also began in 1977. Other statewide pageants included Miss Louisiana Entertainer of the Year, Mr. Gay Bayou State and Miss Bayou State. Monroe hosted something called the Miss Bunny Daye Pageant (Lady Carmen, bedecked in silver lame and white fur,

bested six other other contestants to take the title). And Charlene Barbaria, who got her drag start at the Powder Puff in New Orleans several years earlier, reigned as Miss Lafayette. Gay Carnival was in its heyday in 1977. The Mystick Krewe of Apollo de Lafayette had been founded the year before and the Krewe’s chapter in Birmingham, Alabama debuted in 1977. Also that year, Bill Wooley, who had broken away from Petronius the year before, formed the Krewe of Celestial Knights. Other New Orleans krewes in 1977 included Petronius, Amon Ra, Armeinius, Apollo, and Olympus. The Academy of the Golden Goddess, Inc. (AGGI) / New Orleans premiered that year and presented an annual award show celebrating gay Carnival clubs for several years. In the years following Stonewall, that seminal event when the closet door was kicked open, gay communities across the nation began to find themselves, and the early expressions of those newfound identities took various shapes in different communities. Louisiana was no exception and by 1977, the shape of what would become gay Louisiana was already identifiable.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 27

Theme: Fruit Salad: Come Toss a Good Time Official Color: Polka Dots and Stripes in any color Grand Marshals: Countess C Alice (Daryl Dunaway) w/ “Glitterati” Entourage & Will Antill w/ “Will’s Pills” Entourage Charity: Odyssey House Louisiana

us n i o J de a r a he P y, t r o f a Sund er 1 mb e t p Se PM 0 0 : 2 To become a sponsor: email Daryl & Will at SDGMXLV@outlook.com Official Website: SouthernDecadence.com

Odyssey House Louisiana (OHL) is a nonprofit behavioral healthcare facility with an emphasis on addiction treatment. Established in 1973, the mission of OHL is to provide holistic and client-centered services in a safe environment that address the full continuum of special care needs for the state of Louisiana. Through its services, OHL empowers individuals to become

active participants in their treatment and recovery to reclaim functional, productive lives. OHL upholds values to ensure its programs are nondiscriminatory and that services are provided fairly to all. OHL has developed programs, protocols, and ongoing trainings to ensure that we continue to provide culturally humble and LGBTQIA+ inclusive services to clients and community mem-

bers throughout our various programs. OHL’s Community Health Center addresses most adult primary and behavioral healthcare needs, including women’s health, HIV/Hep C testing & counseling, STI screening, PrEP, trans care, & hormone replacement therapy. iPrevent OHL is an innovative and interactive program focused on HIV/ Hep C prevention programming to New Orleans Youth. iPrevent prioritizes

serving marginalized youth in New Orleans including but not limited to LGTBQIA+, refugee, immigrant, African/ American, Latinx New Orleans youth. It is a community effort to increase awareness and mobilize our community to address various complex issues to which our youth are exposed.

28 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

BOOK REVIEW

Juliana

Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Juliana. Vanda. Studio ing historical research with a compelling story. Sands Press, 2016. Juliana: Volume 1: 1941-1944, a Juliana is the first installment of captivating work of LGBT historical roaward-winning playwright Vanda’s new mance, centers on two characters—AlJuliana series—a set of novels set ice and Juliana. in New York that chronicle that city’s New York City, 1941. Alice “Al” queer history beginning in the 1940s. Huffman and her childhood friends Much historical fiction is more ficare fresh off the potato farms of Long tion than history, but not in this novIsland and bound for Broadway. Al’s el. Vanda, who is also a professor of plans for stage success are abruptly psychology at Metropolitan College of put on hold when she’s told she has no New York, expertly balances painstak-

BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Girl Who Was Taken

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com My book for the month of May is tries. the suspense thriller The Girl Who The premise is two high school was Taken by Charlie Donlea. In adseniors, Nicole Cutty and Megan Mcdition to this novel, Donlea is the USA Donald, disappear after they attend TODAY bestselling author of Summit a beach party in their small town of Lake and Don’t Believe It. His latest Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police thriller, Some Choose Darkness, is launch a massive search, but hope is set for release next month. His books almost lost until Megan escapes from a have been translated into more than a bunker deep in the woods. A year later, dozen languages across fifteen counthe bestselling account of her ordeal

talent. As she gets a job to pay for acting classes, Al settles into a normal life with her friends and a boyfriend. It all changes when she meets Juliana. A singer on the brink of stardom, Juliana is everything Al isn’t: glamorous, talented, and queer. The farm girl is quickly enthralled, experiencing thoughts and feelings she never realized were possible. Al finds herself slipping between two worlds: the gay underground and the “normal” world of her childhood friends. It’s a balancing act she can handle until the two worlds begin to collide In a city bursting with change, can Alice find what she was looking for all along? This novel is the perfect blend of

history and romance. Essentially the story of a young lesbian’s awakening, the narrative also illuminates a critical time in history when coming out to oneself involved challenges today’s youth cannot comprehend. The characters are well-developed, the plot glides effortlessly, and the writing is like a time-machine transporting readers to social milieu long gone. The nuanced language is erotic and engrossing. From 2014 to 2016, Vanda produced a show based on Juliana at NYC’s Duplex Nightclub in which actors performed chapters from the book every month. The show included singing and dancing from the 1940s.

has made Megan a celebrity. There is one minor problem, however--her friend Nicole is still missing. Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found and her sister’s fate determined. But a new clue is revealed from the body of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she’s increasingly sure the cases are connected. Livia is sure that Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described.

And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for. The Girl Who Was Taken is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. One that will keep you excitedly unraveling this mystery until the final reveal. Donlea nicely married the pace and plot twists of the book to keep readers guessing until the startling conclusion. I highly recommend this book (and his new one) as a great summer read! For more information on Charlie Donlea and his novels, go to www.charliedonlea.com.

BARTENDER OF THE MONTH

Cameron West

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com My “Bartender of the Month” for May is truly one of my favorites in the city. I have known Cameron West at the Oz for several years now and he embodies all the wonderful aspects of a great mixologist paired nicely with his hospitable nature. Born in Colorado, Cameron eventually made his way down South to the Crescent City and we are all the better for it. Previously, he worked at Pat O’ Brien’s and Commander’s Palace before finding his home at Oz New Orleans. He has just made his four year anniversary at the popular LGBT nightclub named regularly as New Orleans #1 Gay Dance Club. It is also one of the busiest bars in the city which means handling large crowds throughout the year. Cameron moves effortlessly behind the bar serving guests quickly and efficiently. His professionalism and charm make him a fan (local) favorite. Those attributes coupled with his award-winning smile, gorgeous physique and movie star looks, bring all the boys (and girls) to the yard so to speak. Cameron has also come up with a

few of his own creations such as the vodka-based Blueberry Lemonade and the Bourbon Green Pea. I always like to find out what bartenders like to drink when they are out and about, and Cameron’s liquor of choice is Jameson. In addition to his work at Oz, Cameron is also studying pre-med in school. A future doctor who knows how to make cocktails, now that is a dream come true. He says his favorite aspect about being a bartender is the interaction with so many people and the ability to make friends easily. So when looking for a place to have your next cocktail, my suggestion is to Go West! You can find Cameron behind the bar at Oz New Orleans (800 Bourbon Street) Thursday through Sundays form 1 - 9 p.m.

Oz Bartender Cameron West posing for Tony’s Bartender of the Month (Photo by Tony Leggio)

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 29

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Through Thick & Thin: A Couple’s Battle Against HIV Together Chenier Reynolds-Montz Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana CReynolds@accesshealthla.org “If you’re in a relationship and your partner or spouse is diagnosed with HIV and reluctant to get treatment, leave,” says “Maxine” who was diagnosed with HIV in 1997. It’s a brutally honest statement from a woman who knows firsthand what it’s like both to live with HIV and care for a loved one with the same disease. Her husband “Glenn” was diagnosed in 2013. When Maxine was diagnosed in 1997, she encouraged her husband to get tested right away. She says that he was reluctant and figured that if she had HIV, he probably had it as well. However, the two approached the disease differently. Maxine quickly sought treatment, while her husband decided to self-medicate. When Hurricane Katrina hit New

Orleans, the couple fled to northern Louisiana. There, her husband developed serious complications from advanced HIV, so she begged the doctors to transfer him back to LSU in New Orleans for treatment. It was there that they both met Dr. MarkAlain Déry, infectious diseases physician now with Access Health Louisiana. “The first time I met Dr. Déry, he had a mohawk and I said to myself, gee this guy is really cool,” said Maxine. Dr. Déry visited the couple in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). “His demeanor made me want to make him our physician. He gave me his card and when we moved from northern Louisiana back to New Orleans, I quickly looked him up.”

HIV does not discriminate. Anyone can be its victim.

“He’s given both of us excellent care throughout the years. I love to do research on my own about HIV and he’s always willing to take time out for me and help me understand each process,” says Maxine. More than one million Americans are living with HIV in the United States currently. One out of seven don’t know they have HIV, according to HIV.gov. Maxine is currently undetectable, which means that as long as she takes her daily HIV medications, there is no detectable virus. She got tested and sought treatment for HIV early which is key to battling any disease. Unfortunately, her husband remains chronically ill, and she now serves as his around-the-clock caregiver. HIV does not discriminate. Anyone can be its victim. Maxine offers this advice for anyone on the fence about getting tested: “Better to know now and save your quality of life. My life is better. My husband’s is not because he didn’t get tested right away and his HIV progressed.”

Maxine and Glenn – a couple who have battled the odds and supported each other in their fight. A couple now serving as role models for other New Orleanians living with HIV. Free, private HIV Insti Tests are available at any Access Health Louisiana location. Walk-ins are always welcome. To find the location nearest you, visit accesshealthla.org. Free testing will also be offered from noon until 6pm at the upcoming Pride Festival in New Orleans on June 8th. Dr. MarkAlain Déry is proud to serve as local Grand Marshall of this year’s Pride Parade on June 8th at 7:30pm. Chenier Reynolds-Montz is Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana, a registered 501(c)3 organization. She can be reached at creynolds@accesshealthla.org. For information about our services, log onto our website at accesshealthla.org

EMS PRIDE

New Orleans EMS Debuts Pride Badges This year during June, the City of New Orleans’ Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) will celebrate Pride month by displaying rainbow decals on ambulances. EMS workers will also don rainbow themed badges. NOEMS embraces human dignity and diversity and recognizes the importance of consistently living those values, especially in the face of homophobia and transphobia. In an official statement, the NOEMS stated, “We commit to educate ourselves moving forward so that we can be better stewards of public safety for all of our residents. We strive to not only be tolerant but also accepting, including referring to our patients and colleagues by the identity they know themselves to be.” In a press release, NOEMS noted the rainbow decals and commemorative badges represent its commitment to: • Educate our providers on LGBTQ+ related emergency health conditions, healthcare disparities, and respectful practices when caring for homosexual and transgender patients • Conduct LGBTQ+ related sensitivity training for all staff, including teach-

ing management and support for transitioning employees • Develop policies and nondiscrimination protections that include gender identity and sexual orientation • Develop transparent complaint-handling procedures (both internally and externally) that deal with concerns the same way regardless of age, race, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, or ability • Appoint an LGBTQ+ individual to serve as liaison between community members and NOEMS regarding LGBTQ+ matters; and • Work with local partners to ensure that LGBTQ+ patients have positive pre-hospital healthcare experiences in the City of New Orleans. For more information, please contact New Orleans EMS Public Information Officer, Lt. Jonathan Fourcade, NREMT jcfourcade@nola.gov (504) 658-2907. Photo of New Orleans EMS’ 2019 Pride Month Badge (Photo Courtesy of New Orleans EMS)

30 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

NEW ORLEANS PRIDE

June 7-9, 2019 More than 20 events will take place

over three days at many area bars and venues for New Orleans Pride 2019.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

“Grand Illusions” Exhibit Opening 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM The Louisiana State Museum Free Admission, Cocktails by Absolut Vodka

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 BabyCakes Pride Game 7:00 PM The Shrine on Airline FrayLife // Pool Party 7:00 PM The Drifter Hotel Dancing/Queen Concert by the New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus 7:30 PM UNO Theater of Performing Arts Nola Dance United: Bollywood, Latin & Afrobeats Night 9:00 PM Cafe Istanbul

Grrlspot Jngl 9:00 PM Santos Bar PURPLE TAKEOVER: A PRINCE Celebration 10:00 PM One Eyed Jacks

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

PrideFest 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM 941 North Rampart Street (Between the Phoenix Bar and Robert Grocery) Absolut, and The Phoenix Bar Present PrideFest 2019 with headliner, Big Freedia! Join us for an afternoon of entertainment by DJ Matt Consola, Synes, Miss New Orleans Pride: Giselle Trivianni, Mr. New Orleans Pride: Blaine Bextor, & other local acts. Free health screenings provided by Access Health Louisiana, Pet costume contest, animal adoptions, plus lots of vendors, food, and drinks! This event is all inclusive and family friendly. Pets must be on a leash. (PrideFest takes place just 3 blocks from the starting location of the Pride Parade)

Big Easy Sisters Dunk Tank at PrideFest 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Come throw balls and get a sister wet! GrrlSpot | BLOQ Pride Parade Party 12:00 PM Coyote Ugly The New Orleans Pride Parade 7:30 PM The Largest LGBT+ Parade on the Gulf Coast will roll through the Marigny and French Quarter led by local and celebrity grand marshals and Pride titleholders. The Pride Parade is an all inclusive event with a recommended family viewing area at Jackson Square. Metropolitan Human Services District will have a “safe zone” viewing area at St. Jude’s Church on Rampart Street. The best balcony viewing will be at the Black Penny, Good Friends Bar, Oz New Orleans, or The Bourbon Pub and Parade. The 2019 Parade will feature 26 Mardi Gras style floats and more than 60 groups making this year’s parade the largest to date with nearly 4,000 registered participants. The Parade is made possible with the support of Presenting Sponsors: Walgreens and Access Health Louisiana and Sup-

porting Sponsors: Bells Brewing (Parade Line Up Sponsor) and Shell Oil. New Orleans Pride Ball 10:30 PM The Joy Theater Bearded Lady Productions and the Krewe of Armenius Present the official Parade After Party featuring Detroit Swindle, Jank Setup and much more! Hosted by FatsyCline Drag. Tickets available at http://bit.ly/PrideBall19 Queer as F▼CK :: Pride Dance Party 9:00 PM One Eyed Jacks GrrlSpot ROUGE 9:00 PM 209 Decatur Street

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

4th Annual Family Equality Day 10:00AM - 1:00PM Longue Vue House and Gardens 7 Bamboo Road, New Orleans New Orleans Pride Closing Party with Elysian Brewing 5:00 PM Oz New Orleans Performance by Synes and more!

For a complete list of events, visit NewOrleansPrideFestival.com!

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PRIDE GALVESTON

June 7-9, 2019 Pride Galveston began in 2017 as Pride Galveston Beach Bash & Block Party. Pride Galveston has now ballooned into a three day celebration.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 Piano Lounge 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM 23rd Street Station

Mister & Miss Pride Galveston Pageant 9:00 PM The Miss title is open to all female impersonators, transgender who identify as female, as well as Bio Queens. The Mister title is open to all gay men, transgender who identify as male, as well as straight men who wish to compete. The Scored categories will be Presentation (Pride themed), Gown for Miss (Club Wear for Mr.), on stage Q/A, and Talent. More information at pridegalveston.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Beach Bash 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM RA Apffel East Beach Park Grab your flag and towel and head down to Pride Galveston’s Beach Bash! Enjoy live DJ’s, snacks, and free goodies. We’re partying rain or shine! Piano Lounge 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM 23rd Street Station Drag Show 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM Robert’s Lafitte

SUNDAY, JUNE 9 Pool Party 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM Robert’s Lafitte

Sing-A-Long Sundays with Sean 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM 23rd Street Station

32 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Oxford Pride - April 28-May 5 CENLA Pride - May 31-June 2 World Pride - June 1-30 (NYC) Central Alabama Pride - June 1-10 Key West Pride - June 5-9 New Orleans Pride - June 7-9 Galveston Pride - June 7-9 Pensacola Pride - June 15-16 Baton Rouge Pride - June 15 Houston Pride - June 22 Gulf Coast Pride - June 29 The Woodlands Pride - September 28 Druid City Pride - October 2019 Mobile Pride - October 5 Pine Belt Pride - October 10-13

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 33

Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Jazz Fest may be over, but the beat in our city still goes on. Another two weeks consisting of parties, fundraisers, decadent announcements, Cinco celebrations and Miss Diana Ross filled my schedule. I started off my first weekend with the Zoo-to-Do which is an annual fundraising gala hosted by Hancock-Whitney Bank that has been held at the Audubon Zoo since 1972. Each year, it takes place the first weekend of May. The funds raised at the event go towards various improvement projects at the zoo; this year it went to the lion’s area. The event is a black-tie gala that features live music, food from over 70 restaurants, specialty libations, an auction, and a car raffle. At one time it was the largest non-medical fundraiser in the United States. Basically you dress up and, most times, sweat profusely while you drink and eat yourself silly. All joking aside, they had a lovely dance band that kept people moving the entire night and exceptional food vendors as well as lots of bars. And the sweating was at a minimum this year. After the party, a few friends and I visited the new gay bar Uptown called QiQi. This is a cool little place with a relaxed neighborhood vibe. Our bartender was a spitfire and so much fun. She poured cocktails and attitude that night. Guests can choose to grab an intimate spot in the bar or sit outside at one of their many bench seats. It’s about time Uptown had its own LGBT bar. QiQi is definitely a place you should investigate. No rain or bad weather could scare me away from that second Saturday of Jazz Fest. I started my day early by attending my friend Valerie’s Flamingo A Go Go party at her house. My life is now complete--I have done shots out of a plastic flamingo. It was a great place to hang on her porch and ride out the bad weather that marred the beginning of the day. But then the clouds parted and the sun came through. And it was gorgeous skies for the one and only Queen herself Diana Ross, one of the original divas -- sorry Beyonce. Not only did she do all of her hit songs, she had four amazing costume changes throughout her performance. The energy in the audience can be summed up in two words -- pure love. This was probably one of my top ten favorite Jazz Fest shows I have seen since I’ve been going and that’s quite a while! After the Fest, we went to a rocking house party thrown by my friend Liz and her family. Cocktails, boiled crawfish and drunken conversation -- it

does not get any better than that. Alas, that was not the end of my night. I ventured out again making my last stand at Good Friends. Fyi, late nights at this place are quite the fabulous scene. Unfortunately I wish I can remember more, but suffice to say, a good time was had by all. Well, at least from what I can recall. The next day, more mudbugs crossed my path at the Amon Ra Crawfish Boil at Crossing. The Krewe pulled out all the stops at this excellent event. The crawfish were seasoned wonderfully and they had all the extra fixings of corn, mushrooms, garlic, onions, celery and smoked sausage. They even had baked chicken for all the non-seafood people. In addition to the food, they had a 50/50 raffle and drink specials. It was a great afternoon and this was the best-attended boil they’ve had since they started this annual tradition. Keep up the good work, guys, and look forward to the Ball. Next we stopped at the opening party for one of my favorite stores Fifi Mahony’s. Yes, the fabulous wig store has opened up their new location at 3212 Dauphine Street in the Bywater. This location not only can help you with your fabulous wig needs, but they also have a beauty parlor. They had a great DJ spinning tunes and Cinco De Mayothemed food and cocktails. You need to check this place out. Speaking of the holiday, I had to get my Cinco De Mayo festivities in, so my friends and I were off to the Velvet Cactus for their block party. They had quite the crowd, too. And nothing screams Cinco de Mayo like watching lots of hot straight guys get drunk off of margaritas. In all seriousness, the event was very nice, with food booths, great music -- Groovy 7 is one of my favorite cover bands -- and good margaritas. It was truly a full day. The following weekend was just as jammed as the previous one. On Friday, I attended Project Lazarus’ annual Guardian Angel Award Gala at the Ace Hotel. This year’s award recipients were Laura Fine, Michael McIntosh, Robert Lucky, Jason Allen and Khanh T. Ho. The evening featured a cocktail reception, seated dinner, live and silent auctions. In addition to the Guardian Angel Awards, the Most Reverend Bishop Roger Morin received the Lifetime Achievement honor. It was a lovely evening thanks to the chairs of the night Lawrence Gobble and Sister Judith Gomila. Saturday was a flurry of fundraisers and announcements. In the afternoon, I attended the Halfway to Hal-

34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

loween Bar Crawl which incorporated After, I jumped to the next fundfive local favorites. Attendees were raiser/announcement party for Southtreated to cocktail specials at each ern Decadence at Oz New Orleans. establishment as well as a few comGrand Marshals Countess C Alice plimentary shots and William Antil here and there. all the After dropping my Mom off, unveiled We kicked details about the my friends and I met up for holiday this year. off at the Golden Lantern where The theme is Fruit a cocktail on the balcony James Garner Salad: Come Toss of Lafitte’s in Exile and whipped up a deA Good Time. I licious pot of jamwatched the Quarter come love it, very fun balaya so people and playful and to life below us. had a good base you can do so before they spent much with it. The an afternoon of day-drinking (my facolors are not colors at all but polka vorite pastime). After, we stopped at dots and stripes, due to the fact that Lafitte’s in Exile, Oz, Good Friends William is color blind. You are free to and 700 Club. At each location, a create your own color chart. The song special prize was raffled off. At Good is Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite, Friends and Lafitte’s, we were greeted another festive tune to keep us dancing with shots as we entered. Got to love in the street and throughout the seathat. Now that we have the theme and son. Their charity is Odyssey House locations for all the events set, let the Louisiana. From the excitement of the excitement begin. I am looking forGrand Marshals and their entourages ward to a successful year for this fab(be prepared, there’re a lot of people in ulous fundraiser that benefits Project them), it’s going to be a wild year! Lazarus. Following the announcement, we

did a mini-bar crawl visiting Crossing, The Corner Pocket, 700 Club and Rawhide. As a rule of thumb, whatever happens on a Southern Decadence Bar Crawl stays on the bar crawl, so mum’s the word. You just have to go on the next one to find out for yourself why this holiday has earned its name. I spent Mother’s Day enjoying the day with my best friend who I am lucky enough to say is my Mom. We enjoyed champagne cocktails at my house before going off to a lovely jazz brunch at Marche. The food was delicious, the views of the Mississippi River were spectacular, and the storm clouds and rain from the morning cleared leading to a gorgeous day. We enjoyed more bubbles and Bloody Mary’s as we dined on scrumptious fare. I love a seafood bar with shrimp, crab claws and oysters on the half shell. They served omelets to order as well as carved prime rib. Marche not only offers panoramic views of the river, but the French Quarter and city as well. It was a special meal for a very special person in my life.

We finished off the meal by going to local favorite Molly’s at the Market for a little dessert, their famous frozen Irish coffee with the ground coffee beans on top. Absolutely delicious. After dropping my Mom off, my friends and I met up for a cocktail on the balcony of Lafitte’s in Exile and watched the Quarter come to life below us. Relaxing with friends having a cocktail and watching life just ease by from a balcony, no better way to spend a late Sunday afternoon. Still made it home in time, tho, to see Game of Thrones. Yes, I am one of those people who are hooked on this show. I mean it is like a soap opera with zombies, giants and dragons. I mean can you imagine if Alexis Carrington had a dragon on Dynasty. I think that pond fight may have ended up quite differently. Until next issue, keep the party going. Do you want your party or event covered? Invite me! ledgemgp@gmail.com

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS

How to Create a Wedding Budget You and Your Finances Will Love Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com If you’re planning a wedding – whether it’s your own or your child’s – and haven’t been paying close attention to the wedding industry, you may experience sticker shock as you begin calculating costs. An average American wedding costs the newlyweds and their families just under $34,000 — and that’s without the honeymoon tab.1 Here is a list of tips to help you plan a wedding that works for your taste and your wallet: 1. Discuss expectations. The bride, groom and parents on each side may each have different thoughts about the ideal wedding. If you’re the bride or the groom, talk with your partner about what aspects of the wedding are most important to you. If you’re a parent, talk openly with the couple to hear their expectations. 2. Decide on a location. Do you have your heart set on a destination wedding? That’s great, as long as you’re prepared to incur the added expense of airfare and accommodations (and manage the logistical challenges of long-distance event planning). However, it’s common for destination weddings to have a smaller guest list, which may help balance the budget. 3. Set your guest list early. The size of your wedding guest list impacts many wedding decisions: how large of a ceremony and reception space you need, the per person amount you will spend on catering and beverages, how much it will cost to mail out save the dates and invitations, and more. Gen-

erally speaking, the larger your wedding guest list the more expensive the day will be. 4. Determine who’s paying for what. It’s important to have a frank conversation as early as possible to clarify who plans to contribute and how much. If you are receiving a check from another well-wisher be clear on what, if any, expectations are tied to the money given. It’s common for others to want a say in the wedding decisions if they’ve contributed financially. Being clear up front may eliminate awkwardness tied to the gift down the road. 5. Set a budget. Regardless of who is paying, couples need to identify a wedding budget before working out the details. Allocate your dollars based on what is most important to you. Is your dream dress or venue nonnegotiable for you? If so, think about what it means for the rest of your budget. Having clear priorities can help you confidently spend on your dream items while trimming costs in areas you care less about. 6. Research vendors. It’s common for wedding vendors (e.g. videographers, caterers, florists) to have many tiers of service to cater to a variety of wishes – and budgets. Do your

research and compare costs before signing contracts so you know what is reasonable. Get all agreements, requests and decisions in writing, even if the vendor seems open and easy to work with. 7. Manage cash flow. Cash flow can be tricky, even when your finances are in great shape. Ensure you understand how each vendor expects to be paid so you can plan your budget accordingly. Some expenses may need to be paid in full to book the services, while others may require a down payment or payment in installments leading up to the wedding. 8. Don’t forget other wedding events. Are you planning other wedding events, such as an engagement party, wedding shower, bachelor and bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner or gift opening the day after the nuptials? If so, it’s important to add these to your budget. It’s traditional for parents on both sides and your wedding party to contribute or take care of the costs for these events, but every family and situation is different. Communicate openly and be prepared to foot the bill (or parts of it) if your vision is more than the host is willing to pay. 9. Put the wedding in perspective. Couples beginning a life together

An average American wedding costs the newlyweds and their families just under $34,000 — and that’s without the honeymoon tab.

will likely have other financial goals, such as paying off student loans, a new car purchase or a down payment on a home. Discuss the priority and ideal timeframe of your goals to know when financial obligations are due (if you’re a parent, determine if and how much you’ll help). Then, consider how your wedding budget fits in to those other priorities. Consider working with a financial advisor who can provide an objective look at your financial picture. 10. Hire a professional wedding planner. If you don’t enjoy rigorous planning, or can’t afford the time it takes, consider hiring a wedding planning professional. While it is an added cost, the right planner will work within your budget to obtain the best vendors and help coordinate the big day. – Seaver, Maggie. “The national average cost of a wedding is $33,931,” The Knot, 2018. https://www.theknot. com/content/average-wedding-cost. 1

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.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 35

UNDER THE GAYDAR

New Orleans Hot Happenings

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Are you ready for the summer? May is upon us and there are lots of hot (literally and figuratively) happenings in the city. Here are a few hot happenings to fill up your calendar. (If you have a fundraiser, party, show or event coming up and would like to be listed in the calendar, please email me at ledgemgp@ gmail.com).

WEEKLY EVENTS 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. 777 Happy Hour: Kajun’s Pub; 2556 St. Claude Ave.; 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Happy Hour: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 7 days a week from 8 a.m - 8 p.m. Happy Hour: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (except Monday) Happy Hour: GrandPre’s; 834 N Rampart St.; 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. $3 Well/ domestics

Happy Hour: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Kajun’s Karaoke: Kajun’s Pub; 2556 St. Claude Ave.; Karaoke from 5 p.m. until. Happy Hour: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. (except Sunday)

WEEKDAYS

Happy Hour: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 5 a.m. - 9 p.m. Happy Hour: The Phoenix Bar; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

MONDAY

Martini Mondays: Crossing; 439 Dauphine St.; (all day) Tito’s and Deep Eddy martinis will be $3. 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. Happy Hour All Night: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; Open to close. Well, Domestic, and Wine. Mexican Monday: The 700 Club;

700 Burgundy St.; Open to close. $3 Coronas, $3 Cuervo Shots, 2 for 1 Margaritas Primal Nights: Bacchannal Wine; 600 Poland Ave.; 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. $20 donation. Guest Chefs grill a personalized menu and the plate donations go to the charity of their choosing. NOAGE & Stonewall Sports Walk/ Run Club: Audubon Park; 6:15 p.m. Join Stonewall Sports New Orleans and NOAGE starting at 6:30 p.m.. Meet for the walk/run at Audubon Park by the Magazine Street entrance parking lot. This will be a weekly event for walkers and the Stonewall Run Club will join every 3 weeks. This group is for ALL fitness levels, and you can go at your own pace. Whether that’s running, jogging, leisurely walking, or using a wheelchair or walker, this group is for you. If you are worried that you’ll be left behind, don’t worry; someone will walk with you. If you are the fastest person there, we’ll see you at the finish line. If you need assistance or have questions, call Jim at (504) 228-6778. 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. Lazy Susan Karaoke: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Join bartender Mark and a revolving cast of drag queen hostesses for Lazy Susan Karaoke with music by DJ Lucius Riley. Mondays are a drag, so make them fabulous and sing the night away. Underwear Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; starting at 9 p.m. The Eagle now is open EVERY Monday night. Happy Hour prices if you’re in your underwear. Doors open at 9 p.m. and No Cover. Pool Tournament: Rawhide 2010; 740 Burgundy St.; 9:45 p.m. $2 PBR and $50 gift certificate for Rawhide S.I.N.: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 1 a.m - 4 a.m. 2 for 1 drinks.

TUESDAY

Tequila Tuesdays: Crossing; 439

36 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Tony Leggio AT THE PROJECT LAZARUS ANGLE AWARDS AT THE ACE HOTEL

AT THE HALLOWEEN NEW ORLEANS BAR CRAWL

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Dauphine St.; (all day) Tequila drinks $5. Tunes Tuesday: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. Free Jukebox credits with a $4 drink purchase. Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Burlesque Bingo with Lefty Lucy: The AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Loose Hellfire presents their free weekly grown-up game show where everyone’s a winner! There’s No Cover for this sexy and silly game. Just buy a drink from the bar & Tsarina Hellfire will give you a Bingo Card! Each round winner gets a Bucket of prizes including exclusive prints & a grand finale prize from Abita Brewing Company! Just for showing up you get to enjoy the free Burlesque side of this unique game! Between every round, Lefty Lucy performs an improvised striptease to a song the crowd selects, removing only one item per round—don’t miss your chance to win the finale prize, and to see the tassels twirl! Trivia: Cutter’s; 706 Franklin Ave.; 7:30 p.m. Join your host, bartender and local music legend Johnny Sketch. Join a trivia team or bring your own and test your knowledge across multiple categories to win an often odd and useful assortment of prizes! Tito’s Tuesday: The Bourbon Pub; 801 St Ann St.; 8 p.m. - close. $5 Tito’s cocktails 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. 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. 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. Happy Hour All day and Night: 700 Club; 700 Burgundy St.; 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. Every week on Tuesday from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am the next day.

WEDNESDAY

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. WednesGays at LPK Uptown: Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 South Carrollton Ave.; 5 p.m. Join us every Wednesday to celebrate diversity. See old friends or make some new ones and find out what’s happening in the Nola community. All this while enjoying 1/2 price drinks from the bar. Invite your friends. Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. 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. Show Tunes Night: The Bourbon Pub; 801 St Ann St.; 8 p.m.- Midnight 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. Kafe Karaoke: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – midnight. $25.00 Bar tab and Free Shots & Givea-ways with Happy Hour All Day. Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean.

THURSDAY

Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. 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. RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party with Laveau Contraire: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 8 p.m. Are you ready for Season 11? RuPaul’s got a fresh crop of queens competing for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and we’re going to be watching each episode at 2019’s Best Karaoke Bar Kajun’s Pub! Lots of FREE swag with the purchase of one of our Drink Specials. 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.

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

FRIDAY

Fireball Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. $4 Fireball Shots. Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. Beat The Clock; 700 Club; 700 Burgundy St.; 5 - 9 p.m. Well Drinks: 5 PM - 6 PM $1.50, 6 PM - 7 PM $2.00, 7 PM - 8 PM $2.50, 8 PM - 9 PM $3.00 Take It Off Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 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. New Meat Amateur Dance Contest: Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 6:30 p.m. Anyone can enter - $100 cash prize. 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. Bayou Blues Burlesque: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8-10 p.m. An intimate night of live blues music accompanied by burlesque and variety acts. Drink specials and comfy seating to enjoy the art of the striptease. Music by The Delta Revues; burlesque by Andrea Louise Duhe´ (Ooops C.) Cherry Brown and special guests. Doors: 7:00pm; Show: 8:00pm; Cover: $10. Jock Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave; 9 p.m. Happy hour prices for wearing a jock or singlet. Misc4Misc: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. Enjoy this wonderfully weird drag show hosted every week by Apostrophe. Cover is $5. Play Girlz: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. Drag show featuring Gia GiaVanni and special guests. Late Night Happy Hour: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Ave.; 10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. Executive Chef Marlon Alexander and sushi & vegan Chef Kelseay Dukae look forward to serving you some delicious drink specials and amazing food during late night happy hours. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

38 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI The Corner Pocket MEET ME ON ST. LOUIS—WHERE THE BOYS ARE DANCIN’ NIGHTLY ON THE BAR | PHOTOS BY POCKET PEEPS

THE CORNER POCKET Where the Boys are dancing nightly on the bar starting at 9PM!

OPENING HOURS Everyday Noon - TILL ADDRESS 940 St Louis Street, New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 568-9829 www.cornerpocket.net

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SATURDAY

Queer Meditation: Mid City Zen; 3248 Castiglione St.; 10:30 a.m. A queer and trans centered meditation group meeting regularly on Saturday mornings. Open to all LGBTIQ+ people, and all folks interested in holding and sharing an intentionally queer-centering mindful space. Join for a sit, breathe, notice, rest; to cultivate presence and kindness together. Free/by donation. Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. Beer Bash: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. $10 pitchers of beer, $9 pitchers of Miller Light draft (upstairs only) 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 St.; 6 - 8 p.m. Catch ChiChi Rodriquez, Persana Shoulders for Drag Bingo! 11 games of Bingo, 11 chances to win prizes! All the fun starts at 6 pm and goes till 8 pm in the upstairs bar with your favorite bottom, Jake, slinging drinks for you all night long! Music of Vanessa Carr Kennedy; Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Enjoy songstress Vanessa as she sings some of the top hits of yesterday and today.

Divas R Us; Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. This wonderful drag show directed by Monica Sinclaire Kennedy includes special guest stars. Late Night Happy Hour: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Ave.; 10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. Executive Chef Marlon Alexander and sushi & vegan Chef Kelseay Dukae look forward to serving you some delicious drink specials and amazing food during late night happy hours. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

SUNDAY

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin St.; 11 a.m. Vanessa Carr presents Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch featuring an amazing menu from Chef Marlon Alexander and awesome entertainment! Come celebrate with the phenomenal talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy and Friends! For tickets, go to www.crunola.com Bottomless Mimosas: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 1 - 4 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas are offered upstairs from 1 - 4 p.m. for $12. Happy Hour: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 1 p.m. - 11 p.m. $3.75 well drinks and domestic beer. The Half Assed-Straight Boys: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 3 - 5 p.m. Beer Bash: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. $10 pitchers of beer, $9 pitchers of Miller

Light draft (upstairs only) Happy Hour/ Drink Til You Drop: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; Happy Hour 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. and Drink Til You Drop $12 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. The Original Trash Disco: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 4-10 p.m. Includes the original napkin toss and the best music videos to sing along with. Jubilee: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 5 p.m. This Sunday Funday show stars Reba Douglas and special guests. Divas at the Dive: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave; 5 p.m. Vanessa Carr LIve. 6:30 p.m. Drag Karaoke. 8 p.m. Audience Karaoke Drink and Drown: 700 Club; 700 Burgundy St.; 5 - 8 p.m. Unlimited well drinks, Bud Light and Miller Lite draft $10 Drag Dingo: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 6 - 8 p.m. Catch ChiChi Rodriquez, Persana Shoulders for Drag Bingo! 11 games of Bingo, 11 chances to win prizes! All the fun starts at 6 pm till 8 pm in the upstairs bar with your favorite bottom, Jake, slinging drinks for you all night long. 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. Zingo: Corner Pocket; 640 St.

Louis St.; 6:30 p.m. Play Bingo followed by the Barry BareAss Dancer of the Week Contest. You Better Sing Karaoke: GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Join DJ Dereesha as he plays Karaoke. Sunday Swing: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; starts at 8 p.m. Every Sunday, local swing dance instructors offer a community class from 8-9pm. From 9 till midnight there is live, local music and social dancing! There is NO cover, but a one drink minimum is required per set. Jock Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave; 9 p.m. Happy hour prices for wearing a jock or singlet. Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean.

SPECIAL EVENTS TUESDAY 5/21

NOAGE Potluck; St. Anna’s Episcopal Church; 1313 Esplanade Ave.; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Join NOAGE for their monthly potluck at St. Anna’s. Come eat, network, and make new friends! If you are able, please bring a dish (main dishes, meats, sides, soups, salads

40 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 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

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or vegan/vegetarian dishes, desserts, and beverages). Please note that the potluck is in the back of the Parish House (the building to the right of the church itself, located at the corner of Esplanade Ave. and Marais St.). Please also consider bringing non-perishable food items for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. All ages welcome! There is limited parking and an accessible ramp on the Marais Street side of the building. For more information, call Jim at (504)228-6778.

THURSDAY 5/23 – FRIDAY 5/24

Mink Is Back: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8 p.m. (5/23); 9 p.m. (5/24). Comedy legend Mink Stole returns with Harry Mayronne and Dr. Sick to bring you a night of cabaret favorites, jazz standards and untold stories from Mink’s career as John Waters’ leading lady (Pink Flamingos, Desperate Living, and Hairspray). General admission tickets are $20. VIP reserved seat tickets are $40 and include the best seats in the house, an exclusive backstage meet and greet with Mink Stole and a signed headshot! For tickets, go to www.neworleans.boldtypetickets.com.

THURSDAY 5/23 – SUNDAY 5/26

New Orleans Greek Fest 2019: 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd. For more information, go to www.greekfestnola.com.

THURSDAY 5/23

Ben Smith Fête: Felicity Church; 1220 Felicity St.; 6 - 9 p.m. Join the ACLU of Louisiana for the Ben Smith Fête, an evening of fantastic food, drinks and entertainment. Mrs. Sybil Morial, a community activist, will be honored with our 42nd Ben Smith Award, given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of civil liberties in Louisiana. Proceeds from the Fête support our work to defend the civil liberties and rights of all people in Louisiana. Dress is cocktail attire. For tickets, go to action.aclu.org. Something Else: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11 p.m. Come out for this special show with an amazing cast of non binary, androgynous entities that haunt the drag bars of this beautiful city. Your hosts are Sofia SugarStar and Mae TelYu. The cast includes Gayle King Kong, Mary Boy, Quinn Laroux, Nicki Nicolai, and Kara. $5 cover at the door.

FRIDAY 5/24

Bayou Boylesque: GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 10 p.m. Come celebrate the kickoff to Memorial Day

Weekend with men and one special lady taking their clothes off for you. The cast includes Mr. Gay Louisiana America 2019 Eros S Guillen, Mr. New Orleans Pride 2018 Poseidon S Davenport, Mr. Sexy Phathoms Deep, the handsome Trey Bien, and Bayou Boylesque Virgin Jalisa Danielle (Synamin Vixen). Show starts at 10 PM and it’s only $5 for all these sexy people.

SATURDAY 5/25

Free Intro to Yoga Class: City Park Popp Bandstand; 54 Dreyfus Dr.; 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Yoga instructor, Sushma Vishnubhotla, is offering a free Introduction to Yoga class in City Park’s Popp Bandstand for NOAGE on Saturday, May 25, 11:00am. Please bring your own mats. To reserve your space, go to www.eventbrite.com. Note: Due to limited space, RSVP via Eventbrite is required. Big Easy Sister Bingo: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields; 6 - 9 p.m. Join the Big Easy Sisters for their bi-monthly Bingo. There will be drink specials, bingo and fabulous prizes with all proceeds going to local charities. Secrets of the Sea: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Scorpio Boys Entertainment presents Secrets of the Sea, their monthly variety show. The cast includes Mr. Gay Louisiana America 2019 Eros S Guillen, Mr. New Orleans Pride 2018 Poseidon S Davenport, and very special guest Jalisa Danielle (Synamin Vixen) . Show starts at 10:30. This is a FREE show!

SUNDAY 5/26

Drag Brunch with the Ladies of VaVaVoom: The Pythian Market; 234 Loyola Ave.; 12 - 2 p.m. Join the ladies of VaVaVoom for their monthly Drag Brunch at Pythian Market. This performance will feature Taze-Ya Ballz, Gia GiaVanni & Lana O’Day. Coca Mesa will be hosting and it will also feature DJ Senator KEN. No reservations required. Uptown Bingo: Del Fuego; 4518 Magazine St.; 1 - 5 p.m. The Big Easy Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence BINGO fundraiser at Del Fuego returns! (Doors open at 1pm, BINGO starts at 2pm). There will be 6 BINGO games with prizes! $20 entry gets you 1 house margarita, sangria or Juan Daly, salsa bar, & 5 bingo cards. 25% of all sales, go to Zeus’ Place and Hogs For The Cause. Extra BINGO tickets available! 21+ with ID, rain or shine, Tip/Gratuities not included. Come Party with the President: The LGBT Community Center; 2727 S. Broad St.; 7 p.m. - midnight. Come join the President of the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans, Sy’ria Jackson as she shares the special occasion of her 28th+ Birthday Celebration with Family, Friends, Community Leaders, and the Community. It’s a

Party, Celebration of Life, and Fundraiser for the continued Longevity (27 years) of our LGBT Community Center! Food catered to perfection by Express Catering, special guest entertainment, great DJ, fabulous cocktails, cash bar and wonderful atmosphere. A portion of all proceeds will go to the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans. To rsvp, go to www.eventbrite.com.

MONDAY 5/27

20th Annual Mascara Race: Clover Grill; 900 Bourbon St.; 12 p.m. Come out to see this hysterical drag race. Starting at Clover Grill, contestants will race from bar to bar doing a cocktail challenge and adding a part of their drag outfit till it’s complete. Mascara Race is a competition of skill, endurance, beauty, and talent all benefitting NOCCA. If you or your team want to sign up just call or message Clover Grill for details. Memorial Day BYOM: QiQi; 1515 Aline St.; 6 - 8 p.m. Come out to this Memorial Day cookout. Bring Your Own Meat as well as potluck style side dishes. Free.

TUESDAY 5/28 – SUNDAY 6/2

Come From Away: Saenger Theatre; 1111 Canal St.; The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them on September 11, 2001. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Come From Away plays: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 p.m.; Friday: 8 p.m.; Saturday: 2 p.m., 8 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m., 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit BroadwayInNewOrleans. com, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone (800) 982-2787 or at the Saenger Theatre Box Office. Ticket prices start at $30.

SATURDAY 6/1 – SUNDAY 6/2

Komenka’s 39th Annual Spring Concert; Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall of Loyola University New Orleans; St. Charles Ave, at Calhoun St.; The Komenka Ethnic Dance and Music Ensemble of New Orleans presents its Annual Spring Concert on Saturday, June 1 (7:30pm) and Sunday, June 2 (2pm). Both shows include exciting Komenka dance/music presentations from all over the world...and New Orleans. In addition, both shows include a Chinese ribbon dance presentation by the children of the New Orleans School of Ballet. Admission prices are $15, and $10 for seniors, students, and children.

42 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Crossing PEOPLE ARE CROSSING NOLA TO SEE AND BE SEEN AT CROSSING NOLA | PHOTOS BY TEAM CROSSING

CROSSING

Neighborhood video bar with a steampunk theme in the historic Vieux Carré.

HAPPY HOUR DAILY 7 AM – 9 PM OPENING HOURS 7 AM – 1:30 AM ADDRESS 439 Dauphine Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 523-4517 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 43

SATURDAY 6/1

OUTClimb - LGBT+ Climb Night: New Orleans Boulder Lounge: 2360 St. Claude Ave.; 7 - 10 p.m. OUTclimb is a New Orleans based LGBT+ climbing club dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming space for queer & trans people to climb. With support from the New Orleans Boulder Lounge on St. Claude, we are able to offer a night of climbing FREE to the LGBT+ community of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Allies are welcome to attend and should donate $5-$15 as you are able, which will go to a local LGBT+ organization. This is a safe space for the LGBT+ community--a space for conversation, inclusion, education, and of course, climbing! Respect and inclusion expected by all. Chin Up Tits Out, a fundraiser for the Trevor Project: Oz New Orleans: 800 Bourbon St.; 7 - 10 p.m. Miss Apollo de New Orleans 2019 Lana O’Day & Miss New Orleans Pride 2019 Giselle Trivianni present #CHINUPTITSOUT | Gimme Some of That Good Stuff: A Retro Dance Party | A Fundraiser for The Trevor Project. Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.

Another F*cking Homecoming: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. Celebrate the return of Candy Snatch. Anything goes at this tailgate featuring our Homecoming Court. Tickets $10 cash. Doors 10 p.m.| Show 11p.m. 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. Crescent City Leathermen Beer and Gear Night: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. The gear theme for June is colors/ Flagging/ Hanky code. Cost is $10 all you can drink draft beer and $1 jello shots.

SUNDAY 6/2

Poppy’s Pop-Up Dim Sum Drag Brunch: Maypop; 611 O’Keefe Ave.; 10:30 a.m. Enjoy “Poppy’s Pop Up Drag Brunch” at Maypop Restaurant with a special Dim Sum Drag Brunch - 3 courses, 3 cocktails and 4 drag queens - LOTS of surprises! Two seatings 10:30 am & 1:30 pm. Call 504518-6345 for reservations.

WEDNESDAY 6/5

Crescent City Leathermen Monthly Board Meeting: The New Orleans Eagle, upstairs at The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 7:30 -9 p.m. Meet-

ing open to the public and all are welcome.

THURSDAY 6/6

Dining Out For Life: New Orleans Metropolitan Area; All Day event. Show your Pride and dine out on Thursday, June 6 to support HIV and cancer efforts of NO/AIDS Task Force, a division of CrescentCare. Choose from more than 40 restaurants throughout the metro area. Gather your family and your friends to support those in need. Together we can make HIV and AIDS history! For a listing of restaurants, go to www.diningoutforlife.com/city/ new-orleans.

FRIDAY 6/7 – SUNDAY 6/9

New Orleans Pride: Various Places in New Orleans Metropolitan Area. For more information, go to https://togetherwenola.com/pride.

FRIDAY 6/7

Stonewall Sports First Friday Happy Hour: Phillip’s Bar and Restaurant; 733 Cherokee St.; 5 - 8 p.m. Join fellow Stonewallers for a monthly happy hour on the first Friday of every month at Phillip’s Bar, one of our Stonewall Sports New Orleans Sponsors. Baby Cakes Pride Game: Shrine on Airline; 6000 Airline Highway; 7 10 p.m. Celebrate the kick off of Pride with the New Orleans Baby Cakes vs. Sacramento River Cats and fireworks. A perfect event for the entire family! Price is $10. Fray Life Pool Party: The Drifter Hotel; 3522 Tulane Ave.; 7 p.m. - midnight. A #FrayLife Pool Party with DJ and 2 drinks included, a combination for kings and queens. Not only will there be a live DJ ready for song suggestions, but all your favorite Fray games provided. The list doesn’t stop there! There’ll be special gifts and #FrayLife swag, and best of all, 2 drinks are included. This is a 21+ event. Find out more info at: https://www.nolafray.com/ events/nola-pool-party/ Dancing Queen: UNO Theatre of Performing Arts; 2000 Lakeshore Dr.; 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. Come enjoy the music of Abba and Queen as performed by the New Orleans Gay men’s Chorus. For tickets, go to www.nogmc. com. Dancing Queen - A pride Extravaganza featuring Abbarama; House of Blues; 225 Decatur St.; 8 p.m. For more information and tickets, go to www.houseofblues.com/neworleans. GrrlSpot Jungle: Santos Bar; 1135 Decatur St.; 9 p.m. The first Girl Party of the weekend will be on the 2nd floor of the former home of the Ruby Fruit Jungle, the last lesbian bar in New Orleans. Upstairs will be Grrls only, with a giant balcony, DJ’s, and go-go danc-

ers. Downstairs we’ll be mixing it up with drag and other outrageous queerness with Bearded Lady Productions. Save on this event by purchasing a GrrlSpot | Triband instead. Tickets are $25. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite. com. Fusion - NOLA Pride Edition: Santos Bar; 1135 Decatur St.; 9 p.m. - 4 a.m. Bearded Lady Presents: Fusion NOLA Pride Edition. Doors: 9pm Drag Show: 11PM; 21+ - Cash only at the door. Featuring: Bouffant Bouffant, Tristan Dufrene and Bearded Lady Residents Nick Figueroa & George Monson. We’ll also have drag performances by Franky, Tarah Cards, and Fabigail Tchoupitoulas! Our host for the evening will be Hexxorsis.

SATURDAY 6/8

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Artisan Cafe; 2514 St. Claude Ave.; 11 a.m. Vanessa Carr Presents Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch at Artisan Cafe featuring an amazing menu and awesome entertainment! Come celebrate with the phenomenal talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy and Friends! Make your reservation at www.eventbrite. com. Pride Ball: Joy Theatre; 1200 Canal St.; 10:30 p.m. - 3 a.m. Bearded Lady Productions and Krewe of Armeinius present New Orleans Pride Ball 2019! Come out for the official after-party of the New Orleans Pride Parade. Entertainment for the evening provided by Detroit Swindle, Jank Setup, and your Bearded Lady resident DJs. Hosted by 2019 Bourbon Street Award winner FatsyCline Drag! Doors: 10:30pm; Ticket link: http://bit.ly/PrideBall19.

SUNDAY 6/9

Drag Brunch: Pythian Market; 234 Loyola Ave.; 11am-3pm. Join the ladies of VaVaVoom for their monthly Drag Brunch at Pythian Market. This performance will feature Taze-Ya Ballz, Gia GiaVanni & Lana O’Day. Coca Mesa will be hosting and it will also feature DJ Senator Ken. No reservations required. Lords of Leather Pool Luau/Pool Party and Auction; 714 France St.; 2 - 5 p.m. Join the Lords us for their annual “Luau”. There’ll be food, drinks, $1000 Raffle, Auction, and a sunny afternoon of leather love laughter and NO TAN LINES! $15 in advance on Ticketleap or in person hard ticket - nhttps://mystic-krewe-of-lords-of-leather.ticketleap. com/lords-of-leather-pride-luau-andpool-party/ $20 at the door.

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44 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Mobile Hot Happenings WEEKLY AT B-BOB’S 213 Conti St., Mobile, AL (251) 433-2262

TUESDAY

Gay Bar BINGO 9:30 & 11PM

THURSDAY

Amateur Drag Night 11PM

FRIDAY & SATURDAY Midnight Drag Show

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Along the Gulf South BATON ROUGE MONDAY

Game Night: George’s Place; 860 St. Louis St; 10p.m. Hosted by Chance

WEDNESDAY

p.m. No Cover. Ladies drink half off

WEDNESDAY Drag Bingo & Show

THURSDAY

WEEKLY AT FLIP SIDE 54 S. Conception St., Mobile, AL (251) 431-8819

SUNDAY

Funday with Karaoke

MONDAY

Service Industry Night

WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM

THURSDAY Karaoke

SATURDAY SEC Football

TUESDAY Karaoke

FRIDAY

Drag Bingo with Monica Heart; 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Win cash and prizes

GALVESTON 23RD ST. STATION 1706 23rd Street

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

MONDAY

SATURDAY

Live Entertainment 9pm

SUNDAY

Sing Along Sundays w/ Piano 4pm7pm

RUMORS

3102 Seawall Blvd.

Queens Karaoke: George’s Place; 860 St Louis St; 10p.m. Hosted by Alvin McGee Free Cover Wednesdays: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd; 9pm

Drink & Drown Karaoke; $10 selective alcohol with $1 refill

Texas Hold ‘Em 7pm

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

PENSACOLA THE ROUNDUP

TUESDAY

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

Tube-ular Tuesday with Jim 8pm

Show Nights 11 p.m. & 12:30 a.m.

THURSDAY

560 E Heinberg St

WEDNESDAY

SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY

Double Trouble Thursday: George’s Place; 860 St Louis St; 7pm. $6 Double Wells and $10 Double Calls Show Night: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd; 11:30pm. Featuring the Bombshells of Baton Rouge

FRIDAY

TUESDAY

Karaoke; 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.

THURSDAY

Speed Quizzing Trivia; 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Ladies Night w/ Piano 6pm

THURSDAY

Movie Night with Chris 8pm

FRIDAY

Karaoke 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

The Sunday T with Carly & Kymber 4:30 p.m.

Live Entertainment 6pm

Upstairs Karaoke: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd; 9pm $1 Martinis 9-10pm

LAFAYETTE BOLT BAR & PATIO 114 McKinley St

THURSDAY

Thirsty Thursday; No Cover. $4 Double Wells and $2 wine

FRIDAY

The Ladies of Bolt; 11:30pm. $5 cover

SATURDAY

Dance Night; No Cover. Happy Hour 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

LAKE CHARLES CRYSTAL’S DOWNTOWN 720 Ryan Street

TUESDAY

Anything But Techno Tuesdays; 10 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 45

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory

bars

Mobile, AL [251] B-Bob’s Downtown, 213 Conti St., 433.2262, B-Bobs.COM Flip Side Bar & Patio, 54 S. Conception St., 431.8819, FlipSideBarPatio.COM GABRIEL’S DOWNTOWN, 55 South Joachim St., 432.4900 The Midtown Pub, 153 Florida St., 450.1555 Pensacola, FL [850] THE ROUNDUP, 560 East Heinberg St., 433.8482 Baton Rouge, LA [225] GEORGE’S, 860 St. Louis, 387.9798, SPLASH, 2183 Highland Rd., 242.9491, SplashBR.COM Lake Charles, LA [337] CRYSTAL’S, 112 W. Broad, 433.5457 Metairie, LA [504] FOUR SEASONS & PATIO STAGE BAR, 3229 N. Causeway, 832.0659, FourSeasonsBar.com New Orleans, LA [504] 700 CLUB, 700 Burgundy, 561.1095, BIG DADDY’S, 2513 Royal, 948.6288 BIG EASY DAIQUIRIS, 216 Bourbon, 501 Bourbon, 409 Decatur, 617 Decatur THE BLACK PENNY, 700 N. Rampart BOURBON PUB & PARADE, 801 Bourbon St., 529.2107, BourbonPub.COM Café Lafitte in Exile, 901 Bourbon Street 522.8397, Lafittes.COM. 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

46 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 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, GayMardiGras.COM/KCQ LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana,

1308 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504.475.7911, www.lgbtarchivesla.org MYSTIC KREWE OF LORDS OF LEATHER, 1000 Bourbon St #B415, New Orleans, LA 70116, www.lordsofleather.org MYSTIC KREWE OF SATYRICON, 2443 Halsey Ave., New Orleans, LA 70114, 504.906.7990 Todd J. Blauvelt / Secretary, krewe.of.satyricon@gmail.com, MysticKreweOfSatyricon.COM NO/AIDS TASK FORCE, 2601 Tulane Ave., Suite 500, 70119; 504.821.2601; NOAIDSTaskForce.COM NEW ORLEANS PRIDE, info@neworleanspridefestival.com; 504.321.6006; NewOrleansPrideFestival.COM; NOLAPride. ORG; New Orleans Pride fully embraces the message of “One CommUNITY” as we celebrate our history and promote the future prosperity of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region. We use public awareness and education about the LGBT+ community as a way to combat “phobias” and discrimination. Our programs, seminars and events leading up to, and during Pride weekend, are meant to include individuals from all walks of life. RENEGADE BEARS OF LOUISIANA, PO Box 3083, New Orleans, LA 70177; renegadebearsoflouisiana@gmail.com SOUTHERN DECADENCE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, SouthernDecadence.COM ST. ANNA’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1313 Esplanade Avenue New Orleans, LA 70116 504.947.2121, stannanola.org Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans (MCCNO), 5401 S. Claiborne Ave — Pastor Alisan Rowland: New Orleans first LGBTQ church welcomes you to join us for our weekly Sunday worship services at 10:00 AM, where we celebrate God’s Love for everyone. CRESCENT CITY LEATHERMEN, c/o The Phoenix Bar Complex, 941 Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70117, info@crescentcityleathermen.org, www. crescentcityleathermen.org.

op.com New Orleans, LA [504] The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, 577.2237, www.bombayclubneworleans. com Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard, 819 Rue Conti, 581.3866, http://broussards.com Cafe Sbisa, 1011 Decatur St., 522.5565, www.cafesbisanola.com Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude Ave., 265.0045, www.TheCheezyCajun.com Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., 598.1010, www.CloverGrill.com. Since 1939, our quirky, cozy, unique diner has been home to the best breakfasts & burgers on Bourbon Street–maybe even the whole French Quarter! Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., www.TheCountryClubNewOrleans. com, 945.0742 Gene’s Po-Boys & Daquiris, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 943.3861, www.genespoboys.com Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 947.8341, www.Facebook.com/ILYSBistro Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres St. 598.5005, www.KinfishNewOrleans.com 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.RoyalHouseRestau-

rant.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, GumboSt-

Get Listed for $10 per Issue Want to see your business, organization, or event in our next issue?

Email Ambush sales@ambushpublishing.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 47

WORD SEARCH

New Orleans Pride Puzzle Locate the given words in the grid, running in one of eight possible directions horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. CHALLENGE: How many can you find? Tag us and your completed puzzle on Facebook @AmbushMag

PUZZLE WORD BANK

PRIDE

ACCEPTANCE

GAY

TOLERANCE

RAINBOW

QUEER

STONEWALL

GAYRIGHTS

BISEXUAL

HARVEYMILK

UNITY

TRANSGENDER

MARSHAPJOHNSON

LGBTQ LOVE

CELEBRATEDIVERSITY

LESBIAN

Want More Puzzles? Email us at info@ ambushpublishing. com with ideas, suggestions, feedback, etc. on content for the comic/puzzle section.

48 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Sipps Bar Gulfport, MS PHOTOS BY DWAIN HERTZ

SIPPS BAR GULFPORT Our beer is cold, patio is shaded, and pool tables and nightlife dance floor are waiting for your moves at Sipps bar Downtown Gulfport.

OPENING HOURS Everyday 5pm - TILL ADDRESS 2218 25th Ave, Gulfport, MS Phone: (228) 206-7717 Email: sipps25th@gmail.com www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 49

From Gig ’em to Who Dat: Erik McCoy ready to meet high expectations for Saints Rene Nadeau, Crescent City Sports Erik McCoy represents the top draft pick by New Orleans Saints in the recent 2019 NFL draft. He represents so much more to the future of the franchise. The Luftin (Texas) High School product fielded offers from Oklahoma State, Kansas, Houston and Arkansas State as a 3 star prospect in 2015. But he wanted to play against the very best in the nation’s best conference, so he chose the Txas A&M Aggies. It proved a solid choice by McCoy. The level of talent that he faced on a regular basis in the SEC prepared him for the future. He noted that Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, this year’s 19th overall pick by Titans, was the toughest competition he faced in college. Challenges like that have him ready for the next level. McCoy served as captain of the 2018 Aggies, despite being classified as a junior in eligibility. He started 39 games during his days in College Station, recognized as the A&M offensive MVP as well as receiving the team’s strength and conditioning offensive award in demonstrating his commitment and work ethic. The 6-foot-4, 302 pounder displays good feet, maintains his balance throughout his blocks, process things

quickly pre-snap, has a low center of gravity, uses good boxing skills with his hands and possesses a high IQ. Notions that he will be ready to contribute quickly are clear in his new home. McCoy was brought into the Saints organization to man the center spot, although he is versatile enough to play guard. “Yes, I can,” McCoy responded when asked about playing anywhere on the interior line. “I’d have to learn terminology there. I feel like it would be relatively easy. Something that I did at A&M a lot, back and forth, especially during spring.” McCoy is a talented enough athlete to be versatile as well. He ran a 4.89 forty at the NFL Combine while posting a 31″ vertical and 29 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds. Expectations are high in New Orleans after the team traded up in round two to pick him, but McCoy is embracing the challenge by focusing on the mental side of the game at the NFL level first and foremost. “I’m loving it so far. I couldn’t be happier to be in New Orleans. I’m just learning the terminology. It’s different from what I’m used to (Texas A&M),” he stressed. Saints head coach Sean Payton

likes what he has witnessed thus far during the team’s rookie minicamp. “He’s been good. He’s smart. He’s a guy that you can see is experienced at his position.” Growing up in a lineman’s body, McCoy took notice of the best players at his position to emulate early in life. “I was a big fan of Mike Pouncey. My college coach (Texas A&M’s Jim Tuner) coached him in Miami. We watched a lot of film on him and learned a lot from what he did.” Playing with Drew Brees is a dream come true for many players entering the NFL. McCoy is no exception. “I can’t wait,” he exclaimed. “Easily one of the best QB’s all-time in the NFL, a Hall of Famer. I’m definitely looking forward to it.” Much of what the Saints run offensively is done from shotgun formation. That’s a growing NFL trend. That won’t be any new for McCoy. “We were 85% ‘Gun, 15% under center,” McCoy noted about the A&M offense. “We were under center on goal line and short yardage stuff. It’s not a huge adjustment. I did a lot in practice. It’s something that you can always improve on.” As for the cultural adjustment despite moving just one state over, there

are quite a few Louisiana natives that wore Texas A&M colors as teammates of Erik and prepared him for what’s ahead. “A good friend, Kendall Bussey (Isidore Newman), said the fans are always supporting the team. There is a great fan base.” That’s not much different from the ultra-devote Texas A&M fan base. On November 24 last year, LSU and Texas A&M battled for seven overtimes, consuming four hours and 53 minutes in College Station before McCoy’s Aggies walked away with a controversial 74-72 win. Now on Louisiana soil and asked him about his take on the contest, he kept his answer brief. “Gig ’em,” he said with a hearty laugh. “I’m sticking with that one to the end.” From Gig ’em to Who Dat, McCoy hopes to keep producing without a hitch. This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

50 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 21 – June 3, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Now the Pelicans are holding the stronger hand Les East, Crescent City Sports Now the Pelicans hold the stronger hand. Ever since Anthony Davis told New Orleans’ NBA franchise in late January that he would not sign another contract with it, that he wanted to be traded, the Pelicans have been back on their heels. They have been trying to navigate complications triggered by Davis’ demand. It was left to coach Alvin Gentry for nearly half a season to try and play Davis a sufficient enough amount of time to avoid significant fines from the NBA for not playing a healthy superstar, while limiting Davis’ playing time enough to not retard the development of young players who might be a part of the post-Davis era in New Orleans. That was just one example of how the Pelicans have had to operate under terms set by others. That all changed Tuesday night. The Pelicans won the NBA Draft Lottery and the opportunity to draft Zion Williamson, widely regarded as the best prospect since LeBron James in 2003. That means he’s widely regarded as being a more significant draft choice than Davis was when New Orleans won the 2012 lottery and grabbed him. When Davis issued his trade demand, the Pelicans could hear a faraway clock ticking, knowing they had time to put together the best trade for

Davis but also realizing that he can beagency. come a free agent after next season. Anthony DavisTo Griffin’s credit, The only good thing Davis did in when he was hired he didn’t just asthis exit strategy was give New Orlesume he had to trade Davis. He imans some lead time to make a trade mediately announced that he would sit before potentially losing Davis in free down and talk with Davis and Davis’ agency and getting nothing in return. agent before deciding whether to move Nonetheless, the Pelicans were in forward with a trade. He wanted to dea reactive state, termine with his forced to make the Ever since Anthony Davis own eyes and ears best of a situation he had to told New Orleans’ NBA fran- whether and time frame get rid of his best forced on them by chise in late January that he player or whethothers. would not sign another con- er Davis could be To the credit talked into staying tract with it, that he wanted and re-upping. of former general manager Dell That meetto be traded, the Pelicans Demps, he didn’t ing hasn’t taken have been back on their succumb to the place, but it will heels. pressure to get soon. At the very a deal done and least, Griffin sent make a bad one, most likely with the a clear message to potential trade Lakers, before the in-season trading partners: The Pelicans aren’t in a desdeadline in February. perate situation. The resolution of the To the franchise hierarchy’s credit Davis situation is in the hands of a pro it recognized that Demps, who had a and if we choose to shop him around mixed record of success in 10 years, we’ll be in touch. wasn’t the best person to handle the Now it’s clear, the Pelicans will not Davis situation and fired him. be rebuilding from scratch or anything To the hierarchy’s greater credit, like it in the wake of Davis’ trade deit went out and hired former Suns and mand. If Griffin decides it’s in the best Cavaliers executive David Griffin to run interest of the franchise to move Dathe basketball operation. As executives vis – and the guess here is that when go, Griffin’s presence on the open marthe GM looks into the player’s eyes he ket wasn’t a whole lot different that Dawon’t see the championship mettle that vis’ would be if he ever makes it to free he requires of franchise players – the

Recruiting: Country Day QB Justin Ibieta commits to Tulane Lenny Vangilder, Crescent City Sports In what could be the biggest commitment in Willie Fritz’s tenure at Tulane, reigning Crescent City Sports metro player of the year and pro-style quarterback Justin Ibieta of Country Day made a verbal pledge to the Green Wave Friday night. Ibieta, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound threesport standout, led Country Day to an unbeaten regular season and the Division III semifinals in 2018, including victories over eventual Class 2A champion Amite and fellow state semifinalists St. Charles Catholic and Newman. On the season, Ibieta completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,870 yards and 38 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also rushed for 1,023 yards and 17 touchdowns, accounting for 55 touchdowns total, in earning Offensive MVP honors in Class 2A from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. In two playoff games, Ibieta accounted for all 16 touchdowns scored by his team. He threw for 11 scores and ran for five touchdowns.

He was a starter on Country Day’s Division III state champions in basketball and a pitcher on the Cajuns’ baseball team. Because he was usually in season with one of the three sports, Ibieta had not attended many camps, limiting his scholarship offers. Rivals.com rates him as a three-star prospect. Country Day coach Joe Chango said last week that among Power 5 schools, Duke and Pittsburgh had expressed interest, but his only FBS offers to date have been from Tulane and South Alabama. Ibieta has significant ties to the Uptown campus. His father, Juan, was a pitcher at Tulane from 1990-93, and his older sister, Jenna, is a volleyball player for the Green Wave. This article was originally published by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

assets that come in return will be significant. The combination of assets acquired for Davis, Jrue Holiday, Zion Williamson and perhaps Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton will produce a team in transition, but one with a bright future. The same will be true if Griffin and Davis come to a meeting of the minds and decide to move forward together. That possibility is greater now than it was before the lottery and much greater than it was in late January. But it’s still less likely than the alternative. “We said coming into this, we didn’t know what would happen (at the lottery), but we knew we were sort of the epicenter of the offseason,” Griffin said Tuesday night. “Now that’s true to an even greater degree. So we’re really grateful.” New Orleans hired the best card player available and he has just been dealt the strongest hand he could have gotten. 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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