Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 19

THE OFFICIAL GAY MAGAZINE OF THE GULF SOUTHâ„¢

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 19

TUESDAY, September 10, 2019

Southern Decadence Highlights

www.AMBUSHMAG.com

THE “OFFICIAL” DISH

by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, Another Southern Decadence is in the books! Thousands of people came to town to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer. It was an amazing weekend of parties, special events and just wandering around the French Quarter to take in the sights. As always, the highlight was the Grand Marshals’ parade on Sunday. Flip through this issue of Ambush for picture highlights of all things Southern Decadence.

A huge thank you goes to everyone who made this year’s event a smashing success. That includes all the sponsors of the parade, bartenders, barbacks, waiters, performers and everyone who works in the service industry in and around the French Quarter. I’d also like to give a thank you to Grand Marshals Daryl Dunaway and William Antill who coordinated a summer’s worth of fundraisers and put on an amazing parade. The parade was a collection of members of the LGBTQ community and allies who all came together to produce a spectacular presentation. The costumes, as always, were simply incredible.

We at Ambush would like to express our appreciation to everyone who participated in this year’s festivities. Whether you live here along the Gulf Coast or traveled from afar, we are thankful you came and enjoyed every-

thing Decadence has to offer. We are also thankful for your continued support for our local gay community and businesses. The support of locals and tourists alike allows New Orleans and its events to be so unique. There simply isn’t anything like Southern Decadence! If you didn’t make it this year, fear not, there is always next year!

GAY HALLOWEEN IN NEW ORLEANS In New Orleans and along the Gulf South, we seem to move from one holiday or celebration to another without much downtime in between. This time of year is no different as the next big event is less than 2 months away, Gay Halloween in New Orleans. Halloween is always a fun time in a city known for voodoo, magic potions and ghosts. We all know it doesn’t have to be Halloween for people to wear costumes in the Big Easy, but Halloween usually brings out more costumes than other holidays. I’ve always enjoyed Halloween in the French Quarter and on Frenchman Street where you can people watch for hours.

This year, Ambush will once again produce the Official Gay Halloween Guide with a full list of parties, events, performers and more! There is always something for everyone in New Orleans during Halloween. And of course, the big event of the weekend is the

Inside this Issue of Ambush Community Announcements

6

Arts & Culture

18

Health & Wellness

40

Hot Happenings Calendar

50

Business & LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory

60

Comics, Puzzles & Horoscopes

68

Sports

70

Gulf South LGBTQ Entertainment & Travel Guide Since 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana | info@ambushpublishing.com | (504) 522-8049

Halloween New Orleans (HNO) lineup of parties, a fundraiser for Project Lazarus. The HNO Saturday night party this year will be at The Fillmore and the theme is Hallowdays! For more information you can visit HalloweenNewOrleans.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS The Chevron Walk to End HIV will be held on September 28th at Woldenberg Park along the river next to the Audubon Institute’s Aquarium of the Americas. The walk begins at 10 am and helps to raise awareness of HIV in our community and raise much needed funds for CrescentCare - NO/AIDS Task Force. There are currently over 3,500 people in our community who receive HIV services from CrescentCare.

Entertainment will be provided by DJ/ Dance hit artist Synes and the headliner will once again be Big Freedia.

For more information go to endhivnola. com.

This year’s Gulf Coast Equality Fest will take place on October 19th from 11 am to 6 pm on The Great Lawn at Harrah’s Gulf Coast located at 280 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, Mississippi. The event has live music, vendors, food and activities for the kids. For more information go to GulfCoastEqualityFest.org.

Winter Wonderland 8 will take place on Sunday, December 1, from 5 to 8 pm at Capulet. The event is an annual fundraiser and this year the charities will be PFLAG New Orleans and St. Anna’s Episcopal Church.

The event features live entertainment and several auction items. For more information or to purchase VIP tables, contact Misti Gaither via Facebook.

Southern Decadence 2020 will be here before you know it. Decadence is always celebrated over Labor Day weekend. Next year those dates fall from September 3rd thru September 7th. For more information you can go to SouthernDecadence.com.

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 Adam Radd, Brian Sands, Catherine Roland, Charles Pizzo, Crescent City Sports, Frank Perez, Jim Meadows, Kevin Assam, Rev. Bill Terry, Rodney Thoulion, Robert Fiesler, Ryan Rockford, Scot Billeaudeau, Tony Leggio, & Tyler Rosebush PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Hopkins, Charles Pizzo, Doug Adams, Dwain Hertz, Glenn Melancon, Persona Shoulders, TJ Boudreaux, 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 WITHIf you are looking for additional income, OUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, Apply Now! Send your CV to info@ambushpublishing.com MAPS & PHOTOS. 4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS LGBT+ Archives Project Opens Exhibit Space in French Quarter The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana recently opened a new exhibit space and administrative office at 636 St. Ann Street in the French Quarter.

The “Visitor Center” opened just before Southern Decadence and received rave reviews from both locals and out-of-town revelers. The space features a ten-foot timeline of local queer history as well as photographs of Gay Carnival, Southern Decadence memorabilia, and vintage issues of Ambush Magazine.

Jack, a Southern Decadence first-timer from Denver, wandered into the space and was transfixed. “I never knew New Orleans had so much gay history,” he remarked. This sentiment was echoed by two lesbians from Manchester, England, “We had no idea, this being the South and all.”

In addition to the small exhibit on display, the space also serves as office and storage space for the Archives Project. Archives Project President Frank Perez said, “We’ve been around since 2013 and were experiencing some growing pains. It was time for a physical location.”

Formed in 2013 by a group of lo-

cal citizens concerned about the preservation of local queer history, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is a non-profit statewide collective that works to preserve and promote local LGBT+ history in a number of ways.

Essentially, the Archives Project reaches out to the community and encourages individuals and organizations to donate their records and other items to an institution that can properly preserve them and make them accessible to the public and future researchers.

These records range from personal letters and journals to organizational records to Carnival Ball costumes to long-gone LGBT newspapers and magazines to video footage to bar memorabilia and much more.

The Archives Project also has an active Oral History program.

The following institutions are collaborative partners with the Archives Project: Amistad Research Center, Center for Louisiana Studies, Louisiana Research Collection (Tulane University), Louisiana State Museum, Louisiana State University, Newcomb College Institute, The Historic New Orleans Collection, and the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History.

The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana has a new visitor center at 636A St. Ann Street

In addition to preserving primary historical sources, the Archives Project also hosts, sponsors, and funds events throughout Louisiana that chronicle queer history.

The new space at 636 St. Ann is open daily from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

The space is staffed entirely by volunteers.

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

He’s On A Crusade: New Mr. Louisiana Leather Kurt Goodman to Use Title to Put HIV/AIDS Back In Our Minds (Pensacola, FL) Even before Kurt Goodman of Pensacola contemplated entering a leather contest, he was already putting HIV/AIDS in front of him.

It’s his job.

After working in various support roles, Goodman is now the Executive Director of OASIS in Pensacola, the region’s HIV/AIDS awareness and assistance organization. In fact, it was the opportunity to extend that message that helped make his decision to compete.

“The last month shredded the picture of what I thought I knew about how the next year of my life would look like,” Goodman recently posted on Facebook. “If you had told me just over a month ago that I’d be sitting here with today’s reality, I would have laughed at you.”

After coming in second in Pensacola’s Mr. Roundup contest, Goodman took a look at the Mr. Mobile Leather contest during Mobile Bleather Weekend. Its format requires a short speech by each contestant, and that seemed like a great opportunity to reach a target audience of playful gay men.

Goodman bested four other contestants from across the Gulf Coast that night, earning him a spot as Mobile’s representative in the Mr. Louisi-

Mr Louisiana Leather Kurt Goodman

At the Mr. Louisiana Leather contest over Southern Decadence

ana Leather contest. And he won that, too, during New Orleans’ Southern Decadence.

In front of a packed house at The Carnival Lounge on St. Claude (formally Siberia Lounge), Goodman spoke from the heart about his efforts, and the responsibility that should be shouldered by everyone. Expect that

theme to be echoed when Goodman competes in Chicago at next year’s International Mr. Leather.

“Mine obviously will continue to be HIV prevention focused on Treatment as Prevention (U=U) and PrEP,” he says. “You all know how passionate I am about this. I’m excited that these titles allow me to take my message di-

rectly to many more people throughout the Gulf Coast.”

Goodman is a Missouri native and graduate of the University of Missouri.

He lives with his husband in Pensacola.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

Important Facts About DOVATO This is only a brief summary of important information about DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and treatment.

What is the Most Important Information I Should Know about DOVATO? If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Resistant HBV infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV infection before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection.

• Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HIV-1 and HBV infection, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver disease can be serious and may lead to death. ° Do not run out of DOVATO. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your DOVATO is all gone. ° Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare provider. If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your liver.

What is DOVATO? DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults: who have not received antiretroviral medicines in the past, and without known resistance to the medicines dolutegravir or lamivudine.

HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in children.

Who should not take DOVATO? Do Not Take DOVATO if You: • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir or lamivudine.

• take dofetilide.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection.

• have kidney problems.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. ° You should not take DOVATO if you are planning to become pregnant or during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine if you are planning to become pregnant or become pregnant during treatment with DOVATO. ° If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider will perform a pregnancy test before you start treatment with DOVATO. ° If you can become pregnant, you should consistently use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with DOVATO. ° Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become pregnant, you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during treatment with DOVATO.

©2019 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

DLLADVT190008 June 2019 Produced in USA.

Learn more about Kalvin and DOVATO at DOVATO.com

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: (cont’d) • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take DOVATO. ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. ° One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk. ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

• You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with DOVATO. • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take DOVATO with other medicines.

What are Possible Side Effects of DOVATO? DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “What is the Most Important Information I Should Know about DOVATO?” section.

• Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing.

• Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with DOVATO. Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms that could be signs of lactic acidosis: feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) muscle pain; trouble breathing; stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the signs or symptoms of liver problems which are listed above under “Liver problems.” You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female or very overweight (obese).

SO MUCH GOES INTO WHO I AM HIV MEDICINE IS ONE PART OF IT. Reasons to ask your doctor about DOVATO: DOVATO can help you reach and then stay undetectable* with just 2 medicines in 1 pill.

That means fewer medicines† in your body while taking DOVATO

You can take it any time of day with or without food (around the same time each day)—giving you flexibility

DOVATO is a once-a-day complete treatment for adults who are new to HIV-1 medicine.

Results may vary. *Undetectable means reducing the HIV in your blood to very low levels (less than 50 copies per mL). † As compared with 3-drug regimens.

KALVIN‡ Living with HIV

What are Possible Side Effects of DOVATO (cont’d)?

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines.

Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking DOVATO. • The most common side effects of DOVATO include: headache; diarrhea; nausea; trouble sleeping; and tiredness.

These are not all the possible side effects of DOVATO. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Where Can I Find More Information?

• Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Go to DOVATO.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

Compensated by ViiV Healthcare

‡

Could DOVATO be right for you? Ask your doctor today.

THE HERE AND THE NOW

The Walk to End HIV, A Personal Retrospective Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com On Saturday September 28, New Orleans will celebrate the 30th Annual Walk to End HIV. Thirty years. Such a long time, so much hard work, so many memories and so many dreams.

The NO/AIDS Walk, as it was called until a few years ago, has always been meaningful for me. I attended the first one and the next several, until I moved away from New Orleans for a number of years. I recall that first one, the months leading up to it, and the energy of those spirited meetings in the old NO/AIDS Task Force office in the Marigny that always had coffee, friendly dedicated volunteers, and an atmosphere of sharp awareness that something big was being planned.

I was a volunteer with NO/AIDS at the time, which is now CrescentCare, and while I didn’t know what would occur, I prayed it would be big, noticeable, and might help bring the scourge of AIDS into view for the city and all its communities. Our friends and loved ones were dying, more every week.

Perhaps the Walk would make a difference, could encourage awareness. I wanted to commemorate this important

30th anniversary, and I decided to write a column to encourage our community to support and participate in the Walk this anniversary year, and to emphasize the importance it holds in 2019, as it did in 1989. This column is dedicated to the first brave and brilliant men and women who fought to create the Walk in our city. And my message is WALK! New Orleans has always been known for parades. There are celebratory parades, showcasing costumes, beads and baubles, with lots of drinking, noise and feelings of release. The first AIDS/WALK as it was called, was a protest of sorts to many, and came at a time when the pandemic was being ignored, and discrimination was rampant against LGBTQ folks in general, especially if you were HIV positive. It was a time of daily assorted emotions for some, with worries about health, and then rage that nobody seemed to care that people kept on dying.

Many things were happening, such as the emergence of the Names Project and AIDS Quilt. The same church NO/AIDS had used for its initial HIV Counselor Training, was now

also being used as a gathering place to make AIDS quilts. The Names Project had begun a few years earlier in San Francisco, and the quilt-making was one way in which people who grieved could feel useful, while commemorating those lost. Quilts were sent from all over the country to San Francisco, and NOLA wanted to participate. Unfortunately, we seemed to have a lot more loss than many other places. On any given Saturday morning, someone could be sitting at a sewing machine, helping people they probably didn’t know, design a quilt for someone they had lost. Afterwards, we would return to the NO/AIDS office to make signs as the WALK drew closer. Signs, banners, big letters, announcing that the community was tired of losing people. We were going to ACT UP. The Walk coordinators worried a lot about how many people would attend that first one. All hoped it was going to garner enough participants to make a large impact. Flyers were everywhere (there was no Facebook or other social media as we may know it).

I recall at least a few TV ads that had

been donated. It seemed to be a smaller, more intimate community, likely due to the fear and judgment that surrounded us all, and which caused the group to tighten.

On the morning of the first AIDS/ WALK, people came from all over the state, and parts of the Gulf South.

The smaller Uptown streets leading to Audubon Park were crowded with excited people trying to park. Others set up their tents and tables with their materials, cookies, sodas, condoms – condoms everywhere! Huge PLAY SAFE signs were everywhere too, and banners from various organizations that had supported us both financially (purchasing tables, sponsoring music, or providing food or drinks) and in spirit.

At that time, the Walk was just that, a real walk through the streets of New Orleans’ neighborhoods, St. Charles Avenue, Uptown and Magazine St. Thinking back, I imagine a number of residents were not happy, and some likely horrified. There were banners supporting PWA’s, therefore residents knew that there were actually Peo-

5th Annual

This year’s Oracle Gala will honor Valda Lewis, videographer, who has donated hundreds of hours of videos documenting LGBT+ history to local archives, including her 1987-1993 public access TV show, "Just for the Record," in which the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana sponsored the digitization of that series this past year.

The LGBT Archives Project of Louisiana aims to promote and encourage the protection and preservation of materials that chronicle the culture and history

New Orleans Jazz Market 1436 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard New Orleans, LA 70113

of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender Community in Louisiana.

To become a sponsor, contact us at info@lgbtarchivesla.org.

Saturday, September 14, 2019 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Open bar - hors d'oeuvres

Tickets: http://bit.ly/OracleGala 10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence STREETWALKER SOUTHERN DECADENCE SNAPSHOTS | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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ple Living with AIDS right there. And yet the WALK thrived, year after year, growing larger, adding entertainment and many more venues for people to pick up information, learn about each other, join various organizations, and just have some safe fun with friends.

We made excellent progress that first year, and the Walk has grown, supporting more people living with HIV and generating more money for services for those in need. The very good news is that now there is PrEP, which must be discussed and considered.

Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken daily. And while that’s wonderful and will hopefully be life changing, a person has to realize the issue on a personal basis, and then take advantage of all avenues to remain disease-free.

So why is there still a WALK to End HIV/AIDS, and why should you care?

We walk because it is not over, the epidemic is with us, perhaps looking a bit different than it did 30 years ago, or 20 years ago, or even 10. But HIV/ AIDS is here, in the world, in the United States, and in Louisiana! There is no cure so far. HIV is a major health crisis that is now preventable, because we have medications that can protect from contracting HIV. And yet HIV/AIDS is still here.

There are many individuals who don’t realize they are HIV positive. The hope we had that the government, the medical profession, someone, would eradicate this epidemic has not been realized. I’d like to share some numbers about HIV/AIDS that give me chills when I see them. Why chills? Because I could not have imagined that 30 years later, we would be considering these statistics. Or still need the Chevron Walk to End HIV/AIDS. (Please note, all stats come only from people who have reported their status) FACT: In Louisiana, there are at least 22,119 people living with HIV. Of those 22,119, there are 11,125 people who have been given a diagnosis of AIDS. Roughly half.

FACT: In Louisiana, men comprise 69.9%; and women comprise 28.7% of people living with HIV. FACT: In Louisiana, trans women comprise 1.4% of people living with HIV. FACT: In the Metro New Orleans area, there are 9133 people living with HIV. The parish breakdown would be Orleans -5244; Jefferson – 2146; St. Tammany – 541; St. Bernard – 195; St. Charles – 120; St. John – 183; St. James – 84; Tangiapahoa – 437; St. John the Baptist – 183.

FACT: In the United States, 1.1 million people are living with HIV. It is estimated that 1 of every 7 infected individuals are not even aware of

their status.

FACT: In 2017, the CDC reported over 19, 963 new HIV diagnoses in the South, of about 39,000 new HIV diagnoses in the entire US. FACT: In 2018, the CDC reported 38,500 new HIV infections.

FACT: In 2018, the CDC reported over 6,000 AIDS-related deaths.

FACT: Rates of HIV are higher in southern states, which are home to over 52% of all people living with HIV. FACT: In 2017, adolescents and young adults age 13-29 accounted for at least 41% of new HIV diagnoses.

Roughly one in five new diagnoses occurred in the age group 13-24.

FACT: From the start of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic until 2016, around 692,790 people have died in America of AIDS-related illness. Add three and a half additional years of deaths from 2016-present, to that staggering number. Please keep in mind that number is of deaths reported as AIDS-related.

Many are never reported that way.

The source for national statistics is the CDC, Centers for Disease Control (various reports); the source for Louisiana statistics is the Louisiana Department of Health.

I think you’ll agree that these statistics are staggering. The WALK this month is a commemoration of all the dedicated, loving and at times excruciating work that was done in order to start the first WALK 30 years ago.

Please register and join us on Saturday, September 28, at Woldenberg Park at the River, next to the Aquarium of the Americas. Assemble at 8 am on the Great Lawn; the WALK will begin at 10 am. Please check out the CrescentCare website (crescentcarehealth.org). To register, scroll down to 2019 The Chevron Walk to End HIV/ AIDS. Special thanks to dear friend Rodney Thoulion for his support of my writing this column. Folks, I’ll look for you there, with friends, new acquaintances, partners, relatives and anyone who values the legacy of our LGBTQ+ community. It will be fun, you’ll feel good, and you can make an important statement. Please make it with us.

Dr. Catherine Roland, LPC, is a therapist in private practice, specializing in our LGBTQ+ community for 25 years. Catherine is a member of the Board of Directors of both CrescentCare-NO/AIDS Task Force, and NOAGE - New Orleans Advocates for LGBTQ+ Elders.

12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence STREETWALKER SOUTHERN DECADENCE SNAPSHOTS | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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OBITUARY Daniel McGovern (1970-2019) Dr. Daniel Patrick McGovern, D.P.M., passed away suddenly on August 19, at the age of 49 in his adopted home town of New Orleans.

Daniel (“Danny” or “Dan”) was a board certified podiatric surgeon. He graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School in 1988, Catholic University of America in 1992, and Barry University School of Graduate Medical Sciences in 2001 where he earned his doctorate of podiatric medicine. He completed his residency in podiatric medicine/ surgery at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. He then completed a surgical residency at Department of Veterans Affairs/Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco.

Board Certified in Foot Surgery, Dr. McGovern spent more than seven years with the Department of Veterans Affairs, most recently as chief of podiatry, at their Anchorage, Alaska location. He also founded and ran a private practice in Virginia.

Dr. McGovern joined Ochsner in 2012. He was the physician lead for podiatry on the North Shore before moving to the Ochsner Baptist campus where he began a leadership role in coding and documentation. He also

served on the professional affairs committee for Ochsner, and sat on the executive board of the Louisiana Podiatric Medical Association.

Daniel was a longtime Host of Halloween New Orleans, and a member of multiple Stonewall Sports teams, including kickball and bowling. He attended many of the gay Mardi Gras balls and krewe-sponsored events.

He participated in the Red Dress Run every year since his arrival in New Orleans, and could be seen enjoying Jazzfest and the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He had been a member of the Third Thursday Dining Club since 2013.

Daniel brought joy to those around him with his incredible sense of humor, his love of life, his warmth, and his kindness of soul. He had an adventurous spirit, traveling often, and never shying away from being the center of attention or the life of the party. Daniel left this world all too soon but touched the lives of so many. He will be forever loved and dearly missed.

Daniel is survived by his fiancé and love of his life, Luis Flores; mother Eileen McGovern; father John McGovern (late Linda); sisters Trish (Ray) Coach-

Daniel McGovern at the 2018 Halloween New Orleans Dinner & Silent Auction

er and Blythe (Jim) Leitz; brothers Shaun (Greg) McGovern, Brian (Michelle) McGovern, Dennis McGovern, and Kevin McGovern; his nieces Morgan Coacher, Taylor Coacher, Paige Coacher, Hope Coacher, Meggie Leitz, Tess Leitz, Allison McGovern, and Lily McGovern; nephews Ford Coacher, Buddy Coacher, JR Leitz, Liam McGovern, and Owen McGovern; his dear cousin Christine Croce, and many more aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is

also survived by his most precious canines, Baxter and Boscoe.

A funeral service was held in Philadelphia, as well as a memorial service in New Orleans where, at Luis’ request, Taze-ya Balls, paid wonderful tribute, performing two of Daniel’s favorite numbers.

Donations in Daniel’s memory may be made to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation; its website is www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

Silence! The Musical at the AllWays Lounge thru Sept. 16; at N.O. Art Center Sept. 19-28 If you’re looking for an evening of pure silly fun, and who isn’t these days when the headlines can drive you to despair, head to the Twilight Room at the AllWays Lounge where Silence!

The Musical plays thru Sept. 16 (it continues Sept 19-28 at the New Orleans Art Center). This parody of The Silence of the Lambs should satisfy your appetite.

Written by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan (music & lyrics) and Hunter ([title of show]) Bell (book), Silence! hews pretty closely to the plot of Jonathan Demme’s movie so if you haven’t seen it before, or for a while, it might not be a bad idea to watch (or re-watch) it prior to seeing Silence! to get all its pointed satirical jabs. Even without intimate knowledge of the film, tho, you should find yourself grinning throughout Silence!’s nearly 2-hour running time.

For those who don’t know or have forgotten Lambs’ plot, Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee with daddy issues, a lisp, and bad childhood memories involving lambs, seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant but kinda wacky psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, to apprehend another serial killer, known only as “Buffalo Bill”, who’s completely batshit crazy.

Personally, I never did fully get what all the fuss was about. Sure it’s a good flick, but Oscar worthy? I tend to agree with Charles Isherwood’s assessment of it (“[it] shellacked a thick layer of highbrow cinema gloss over fundamentally pulpy material”) that

was part of his NYTimes review of this off-Broadway musical.

That didn’t stop me, however, from enjoying Silence! It’s campy through and through, its tongue so far in its cheek that it practically comes out its ear to the delight of the audience. Bell’s book reminds one of a MAD Magazine send-up or an extended Carol Burnett sketch. The Kaplans employ a classic Broadway style, almost innocent-sounding, for their tunes which deliciously go against the grain of their potty-mouthed lyrics. Could Bell’s script be sharper? Yup. Could the Kaplans’ melodies be more memorable?

Yeah. It’s still, though, undoubtedly a *** meal.

What might stop some, however, from having fun at Silence! is (spoiler alert) its portrayal of a transsexual as a murderous uber-villain, a remnant of a plot device not uncommon when Lambs first came out. What he does to women is equally revolting. That said, unlike the movie, it’s hard to take it all too seriously here.

As we’ve come to expect after such outings as Reefer Madness and Matilda, Michael McKelvey directs this ridiculousness with a sure hand adding great little comic touches throughout.

Despite having overseen two previous productions of Silence! in Austin, nothing about this one feels like a retread or xerox, rather coming off as utterly fresh.

My only, well, not criticism, merely just an observation or, better yet, a musing, is that now, after seeing McKelvey’s work over the past few years since his arrival here, there’s no doubt that he knows how to put on a musical with the best of ’em. I hope, however, that for one of his next outings,

Hannah Rachal and Kevin Murphy in Silence! The Musical

he might bring a new, incisive, personalized approach to a classic show like John Doyle did with Sweeney Todd or Broadway’s current revival of Oklahoma!

Greg Kata’s choreography showcases dancing lambs, seductive tango, rhythmic gymnastics, and a homage to Bob Fosse, all (including a hysterical dream ballet sequence) with imaginative flair on the AllWays’ teeny stage.

Jefferson Turner as music supervisor and keyboardist fulfills his duties with distinction as always.

Hannah Rachal plays Clarice (or “Clarishe Shtarling” as she’s rendered here) with impeccable deadpan drollness. Singing and dancing under a wig evoking Jodie Foster’s signature brunette bob, Rachal is absolutely scrumptious.

As Hannibal the Cannibal, Kevin Murphy never overdoes it, wisely offering a delectably straight approach with just enough of an edge to let us all know he’s in on the joke. Murphy also admirably fulfills the demands of the score which at times has Lecter sounding like Lloyd Webber’s Phantom or Les Miz’s Jean Valjean.

Trey Ming, who’s had small roles in some previous musicals while pursing drag, burlesque and the establishment of his own theater company, comes into his own here with a go-for-broke characterization of the singing lunatic Buffalo Bill (sample number: I’d Fuck Me). He has quickly become one of this town’s most valuable theater artists.

The rest of the cast (Beau Bratcher, Elyse McDaniel, Matt Reed, Rebeckah Gordon-Kirk, Derrick Toups, Drew Pearson, Emma Fagin and Josie Gautier) whether cavorting as lambs or FBI agents all add a succulent merriment to the subversiveness.

Based on Silence!’s sold-out opening night performance, if you have a hunger for fun campy musicals, and c’mon, if you’re reading a theater column in Ambush, I expect you do, and would like a tasty treat, you ought to make your reservations pronto for Silence! And don’t worry--should you want a refreshment before the show or at intermission, you can purchase an actual bottle of Silence! wine at the ticket table. What type you ask? “I Can Smell Your Chianti”, of course.

18 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Roleplay at Tulane University’s Lupin Theatre through Sept. 15 From the ridiculous to the serious.

At Tulane, that fine group Goat in the Road Productions partnered with professors and students in response to the University’s 2018 Survey on Sexual Misconduct which revealed shockingly high rates of sexual assault on campus. Roleplay, the resulting collaboration, explores students’ experiences with love, sex, consent, racism, addiction and mental health issues as it focuses on a group of 11 sophomores over the course of an academic year.

According to the program, students shaped characters and scene ideas, then improvised using those ideas. The improvisations were transcribed and edited; new material was written and then incorporated into the script. This was then read, edited, reread, re-edited “til infinity” (or at least opening night. There actually was a series of workshops prior to this run.)

The result is a consistently watchable 90 minutes of fluidly naturalistic dialog which certainly addresses the aforementioned issues. The students all seem to be good kids and we empathize with them.

In its current form, however, Roleplay comes off as more documentary, impressively so, than the red-hot drama its promotional materials seem to

imply it will be. Or, rather, by trying to tackle so many issues, none fully get the in-depth exploration they deserve and Roleplay becomes reminiscent of a young adult soap opera or an ABC Afterschool Special. (I was told that an earlier incarnation focused more on sexual assault and, as a result, was more hard-hitting.) Several dramatically inert characters don’t help matters.

Still, there are any number of piquant lines (“Being in a relationship is always a shit show,” so young, so cynical these kids). Until explained, we yearn to understand the mystery of one lover shutting down communications with an ex (i.e., “ghosting” her). And, perhaps ironically, in a play in which there are any number of well-written scenes, the best is a nonverbal one of budding romance.

Directors Darci Fulcher and Chris Kaminstein adroitly oversee the intersecting storylines and, more importantly, keep them all clear and comprehensible. They employ stylized dance/ movement passages to convey the passage of time and which, additionally, provide a kewl vibe. It’s different and I liked it.

Kevin Griffith’s multi-dorm room set comes to life before our eyes and allows scenes to easily flow into each other. Roleplay’s being in-the-round, however, does occasionally make certain lines difficult to hear.

As Roleplay tackles its thorny sub-

Lucy Sartor, Alexandra Elam and Hannah Gordon in Roleplay

jects and muddled situations, its cast’s outstanding acting talents consistently shine through. While I especially admired Miranda Kramer’s and Hannah Gordon’s heart-wrenching performances and Lucy Sartor’s wildly comic one (her acting out of cunnilingus will forever be stuck in my memory), I look forward to seeing every member of the ensemble again.

Roleplay may not have all the answers, but certainly begins for some, continues for others a conversation on some very important topics. There are four more performances. Tickets are free (but must be reserved at www. goatintheroadproductions.org) making it very easy to be part of this vital discussion. If the challenges facing today’s college kids interest you, go.

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE | PHOTOS BY DOUG ADAMS, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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The B-52s with OMD and Berlin at the Saenger Theatre

did 35 years ago, and Fred Schneider remains ever the clowny lead man. Cindy looked statuesque and regally outer spacey in a winged silver jumpsuit. A green fringe dress and saturated-red The B-52s recently came through wig that seemed to have collapsed on town with OMD and Berlin for an ‘80s her head did not do Kate justice, howmusic & dance party at the Saenger. ever; as she swivelled around I kept Was it fun? You betcha! thinking it looked like late-in-her-career It’s difficult to write critically about Mae West doing the Twist. these iconic bands. Even with most If The B-52s’ backing videos were of their members now in their 60s and fun and kitschy, their staging was too 70s (a few kids are still in their 50s), random; maybe I they sounded as expecting too vibrant and enerHow groovalicious to hear was much, but I wish it gy-filled as they did in their heyday.

The B-52s do their trippy had been more focused and theatriHearing them play genre-bending songs! cal as befits their their hits thrills inventive brand. and made me Andy McCluskey, cheeky as ever, wonder “Is this what it was like when and Paul Humphreys of OMD (aka Oraudiences were entertained by Mozart chestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) playing Eine Kleine Nachtmusik?” (or took us back to the 80s with their elecwhichever of his hits he might’ve done tropop music, campy retro videos and, back in the day.) of course, their biggest hit If You Leave How groovalicious to hear The from Pretty in Pink. I may not have B-52s do their trippy genre-bendbeen fully familiar with them--I was ing songs! But we had to listen to too more of an Erasure and Pet Shop many of their other songs, which kinda Boys fan--but my companion was and blurred together, till we got to Roam, thoroughly grooved on their hour long which got the crowd on its feet, and set. especially Love Shack--entirely worth Similarly, I was aware of Berlin but the wait. Those two unlikely successes hadn’t realized that the same band who Rock Lobster and Planet Claire made released those ballsy new wave dance terrific encores but I wouldn’t have numbers The Metro and Sex (I’m A...) minded if one had come earlier. also gave us the chart-topping, MTV Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson’s perennial Take My Breath Away from lustrous voices sound as bubbly as they

Top Gun. Wading into the audience, Terri Nunn looked and sounded much like she did 30 years ago as she sang this Oscar-winner.

I’m not sure if it was because Berlin played a shorter set (8 vs. 12 numbers) or because they featured a higher percentage of hits, but theirs was my favorite gig of the over 3 ½ hour long evening. Having edited the night in my memory bank down to its many highlights, I’m a very happy camper that I was at the Saenger for it.

More musical history comes to the Saenger on September 28 with the 70’s Soul Jam featuring The Stylistics, Delfonics, Emotions, Heatwave and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes.

Curtain Up

For its second (!) annual water ballet production, Aqua Mob, New Orleans’ first and only community-based water ballet ensemble, presents Watership Damn!, running Thursday-Saturday, September 26-October 5, in the pool at the Drifter Hotel.

Inspired by Richard Adams’ novel, in Watership Damn! Diver, a young rabbit, dreams of a new home, safe with plenty of vegetables – and far from the oppressiveness of her home warren. To get there she will need the help of her friends to overcome the dangers that lie beyond her doorstep. Through song, and aquatic, aerial, & terrestrial

dance, Watership Damn! explores the magic of hope in a dark world.

On the North Shore, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years plays at the 30 By Ninety Theatre in Mandeville from September 14 to 29. Directed by Cashel Rodriguez, this 2002 off-Broadway musical tells of Cathy, a struggling actress, and Jamie, a budding novelist on the brink of success, who meet in New York, fall in love, marry, and divorce over the span of five years. Cathy tells the story from the end of their marriage; Jamie begins from when they first meet. As the narrative unfolds, Cathy moves backward in time to the beginning of the relationship as Jamie moves toward the end, meeting only once, in the middle, at their wedding.

Inspired by Brown’s failed marriage to Theresa O’Neill, after it opened, O’Neill sued Brown on the grounds that the story violated non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements within their divorce decree by representing her relationship with Brown too closely.

Brown, in turn, sued O’Neill for interfering with his creative work and his creative process. Wonder if that might be the basis for Brown’s next show?!

Please send press releases and notices of your upcoming shows to Brian Sands at bsnola2@hotmail.com.

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE | PHOTOS BY DOUG ADAMS, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY 1958 Was a Very Gay Year Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Four events occurred in 1958 which made it a seminal year in the history of queer New Orleans: the creation of the Committee on the Problem of Sex Deviates, a lawsuit regarding a gay bar, the murder of a gay man in the French Quarter, and the birth of gay Carnival.

As one of its first orders of business, the Committee on the Problem of Sex Deviates turned its attention to Tony Bacino’s, a gay bar located at 738 Toulouse Street. In the summer of 1958, the manager and staff of Tony Bacino’s were arrested six times. They were charged with violating a city ordinance that prohibited “immoral” people, including “sexual perverts,” from working in bars and restaurants. Amaz-

ingly, the ordinance was not repealed until 1993.

In the 1950s, it was common for gay bars to routinely pay off the police to leave them alone. But Roy Maggio, the manager of Tony Bacino’s was apparently not so inclined. Instead of making the customary “protection” payments or folding under the pressure of police harassment, Maggio and the two bartenders, Louis Robichaux and Amos McFarlane, both of whom had previously worked at the Starlet Lounge, applied for, and were awarded, a temporary restraining order against the police.

The city attorney responded by arguing the plaintiffs had obtained the temporary restraining order under

false pretenses. In a brief arguing the temporary restraining order should be dissolved, the city argued the bartenders had committed the following “lewd acts”: they “kissed,” “embraced,” and “fondled” patrons of the bar, they addressed male patrons as “Darling,” Sweetheart,” and “Doll,” they proposed “unnatural sexual intercourse” to Navy sailors, and they encouraged patrons to “conduct themselves in a lewd and preverted [sic] manner.”

Transcripts from the subsequent legal proceedings reveal a McCarthy-like investigation into the lives and characters of the bartenders. A sampling of some of the questions Assistant City Attorney Raoul Sere peppered the plaintiffs with include the

following gems: “Have you at any time kissed or embraced other males in the place known as Tony Bacino’s?” “Have you ever kissed them on the mouth?”

“Now when attending bar at Tony Bacino’s how are you attired?” “Do you use false eyelashes?” “Do you wear earrings?” “Do you wear bracelets?”

And on it goes just like that for over 100 pages of court proceedings transcripts.

Roy Maggio, Louis Robichaux and Amos McFarlane eventually lost their case and abandoned their fight on appeal. The case of Tony Bacino’s is significant not only in that it was an early attempt to have discriminatory laws based on homophobia ruled unconstitutional but also that it was a perfect example of the “Climate of Hostility” toward the GLBT community the City of New Orleans actively encouraged.

Not unexpectedly, violence ensued as a result of the city’s attitude While Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998 was a touchstone in the national fight for equality, Shepard was not the first gay person killed just for being gay. In fact, the gay community in New Orleans also has a martyr who predates Shepard by forty years. In 1958, Fernando Rios was savagely attacked and murdered by three homophobes in the heart of the French Quarter.

It was September and the fall semester at colleges and universities was underway. At that time, a common recreational activity among fraternity brothers at college campuses across the nation was to “roll a queer.” This homophobic ritual essentially consisted of two to five fraternity brothers going to the “gay” section of town, or a gay bar if the town had one, and beating up someone they perceived to be gay.

In New Orleans, that meant the French Quarter and Café Lafitte In Exile, the oldest gay bar in the city. And so one night, three fraternity brothers from Tulane University (John Farrell, Alberto A. Calvo, and David P. Drennan) decided to “roll a queer.” The three homophobes went to the Quarter in search of a victim. After carousing a few hours, Farrell went to Café Lafitte in Exile about 1:30 in the morning while Drennan and Calvo waited outside. Surveying the bar for potential victims, Farrell settled on Fernando Rios, a twenty-six year old tour guide visiting from Mexico City with a group of doctors and their wives.

The two sat next to each other in the bar and chatted for a while before they decided to leave together. As Rios and Farrell were walking back to Farrell’s car, they entered a narrow alley adjacent to St Louis Cathedral, where Calvo and Drennan were lying

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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in wait. The three undergrads then atLandry. On Mardi Gras, this group of tacked Rios, beating him repeatedly in friends wandered the French Quarter, the head and kicking him in the stomwith Dixie’s Bar of Music as a base of ach several times. reveling operations. Miss Dixie affecAfter the attack, the three gay tionately referred to her gay regulars bashers returned to campus bragging as “the cufflink set.” about the assault and showing off Rios’ The annual Yuga party grew in wallet, which they had stolen. Rios, popularity and within a few years the barely conscious and unable to move, krewe needed a new venue to host its was not discovered until the next mornball. The 1960 ball was held at a jazz ing. His face bloody and swollen, he club on Lake Pontchartrain. In 1961, was rushed to Charity Hospital where the krewe moved its tableau to the he died.

Rambler Room, the dance recital hall During a routine autopsy, the city of a school in Metairie. The ball, and coroner discovered Rios had an unvenue, was a success and the krewe usually thin cranium and this revelation chose the same place for its ill-fated played a key factor in the subsequent 1962 ball. murder trial. Farrell, Calvo, and DrenOn Saturday, February 24, 1962, nan were arrested and went to trial on the Jefferson Parish police departmurder charges on January 21, 1959. ment raided the Yuga Ball and arrested The defendants admitted to the beatnearly 100 men, most of whom were ing, citing what is in drag.

About now called the gay fifteen minutes panic defense, into the tableau, which essentially The Krewe of Yuga folded policemen with argued that the at- as a result of the ensuing bullhorns burst tackers didn’t want into the room and scandal, but the idea of announced, “No to beat Rios, but were compelled to gay Carnival persisted. one is to leave this because he made room!”

Among a pass at them. those arrested They further arwas Carlos Rodrigued Rios died because of his “eggguez, who, a week earlier, had been shell cranium,” not because of their atpresented as the first Queen of Petrotack. Tortured logic aside, this defense nius in the same hall. Escaping arrest made perfect sense to a homophobic, were Bill Wooley and Elmo Avet, two all male, all white jury in 1959 and the founding members of Petronius who three students were easily acquitted by would go on to shape the phenomenal the jury after it deliberated a mere two development of gay carnival. When hours and fifteen minutes. news of the raid reached the French The acquittal and press coverage Quarter, Dixie Fasnacht, owner of Dixof the trial provide a glimpse into the ie’s Bar of Music, gave Carl Escovitch, highly homophobic public attitudes of who was sitting in the bar at the time, the time. When the “Not Guilty” verdict a wad of cash and told him to go bail was announced, the courtroom eruptout all those who had been arrested at ed in cheers and applause. The New the ball.

Orleans States-Item pictured on its The Krewe of Yuga folded as a front page a picture of the defendants result of the ensuing scandal, but the smiling broadly next to a boxed joke idea of gay Carnival persisted. Several entitled “Today’s Chuckle,” which read, Yuga members had also founded the “Overheard in a nightclub: ordinarily I Krewe of Petronius in 1961; the first never chase a man, but this one was Petronius ball was held in 1962. Under getting away.” Also, a deluge of letters the leadership of Bill Wooley and Elmo poured into the editorial offices of the Avet, Petronius obtained a state charcity’s newspapers, the overwhelming ter and became an incorporated Carnimajority of them supporting the hoval Krewe. The Krewe of Amon Ra was mophobic defendants and urging the founded in 1965 by six friends (Sidney city to “clean up the Quarter.” The few Barrios, Carter Church, Scott Hoy, letters in support of Rios were often Vincent Indovina, Roeling Mace, and backhanded. One incensed reader arVic Scalise), some of whom had been gued the police should leave the gay Petronius members. Two years later, bars alone so the “perverts” wouldn’t four friends (Jerry Loner, Scott Morfeel compelled to mingle with “normal” vant, Wendell Stipelcovich, and Don people.

Stratton) founded Armeinius in 1968.

It was also in 1958 that a group In 1970, Jamie Greenleaf founded of gay men formed the first gay CarOlympus. Many who were around then nival krewe. The Krewe of Yuga grew have noted that the first Olympus Ball out of the annual Krewe of Carrollton (1971), whose theme was “Camelot,” parade-viewing party hosted by Doug represented a departure from previJones at his home, which was on the ous gay krewe’s bal masques in that it parade route. Other founding memelevated the tableaux from humorous bers included John Dodt, Jim Schexsatire to serious art. This was a pattern nayder, Jerry Gilley, Tracy Hendrix, other krewes would follow.

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COMMUNITY VOICE

An Apartment in the City: Prioritizing LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing in New Orleans Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org “When are we going to have affordable LGBT-friendly senior housing in New Orleans? What’s it going to be like when we are older if we don’t have that?” These are questions that I hear more and more frequently, and every time I do, I smile just a little bit more.

Why? Because we are finally beginning to talk about this.

Sure, many of us have fantasized with our close friends about one day being 85 and dancing with our walkers, gazing at the mirror ball in the day room/cocktail lounge of our future retirement home while listening to Madonna’s greatest hits. (The 75-yearolds can listen to Gaga’s The Fame once we’ve heard the rest of The Immaculate Collection.) But we haven’t given it much thought beyond that, except maybe having a feeling of uneasiness some time later, alone, when we asked ourselves, “What is it really going to be like?”

In a recent article (Vol. 34, Issue #15), I wrote about how small groups of friends might consider planning to live together in a single-family home when they get older, à la The Golden

Girls. Joe Fay, founder of A Home To Call My Own, recently hosted a focus group on the possibility of small-scale affordable housing for LGBT older adults here in New Orleans. Aging in place (living where you want, with whom you want, for as long as you can) is, without question, the ideal. But what if we don’t have enough resources to pool to live like the Golden Girls? Or if we can’t find other LGBT roommates to share a small, subsidized home?

Let’s look at what’s happening in Houston right now. Last month, the Montrose Center’s Law Harrington Senior Living Center, an affordable housing complex geared toward LGBT seniors, had its groundbreaking ceremony. From the Montrose Center website: “The complex, designed by Smith & Company Architects, will feature 112 one- and two-bedroom independent apartments for low-income seniors ages 62 and older. Eligible seniors will pay no more than 30 percent of their income for rent. Additional features of the property will include a social services department managed by the Montrose Center [a community center in Hous-

ton that provides a variety of services and supports to LGBT people], a geriatric primary care clinic provided by Legacy Community Health, a group dining area, meeting and game rooms, a fitness center, a dog park, a vegetable garden, and outdoor recreational spaces.” And according to the Houston Chronicle, the living center “will also be home to SPRY, a 14-year-old Montrose Center program that offers around 250 LGBT seniors year-round book clubs, support groups, social outings, and other activities.”

So how did they pull this off? With financial support from federal subsidies, Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ) funding from Houston’s Department of Housing and Community Development, donated land, and fundraising by community organizations and private donors. Ultimately, however, it couldn’t have come to pass without the vision of the Montrose Center’s leadership, in coordination with other community organizers and city leaders. This is, of course, in sharp contrast to the resources currently available to those of us in New Orleans. We don’t have the equivalent of a Montrose Center, and although our current city government has made some great strides recently in pushing for equity for LGBT citizens, the focus has not been on the growing needs of LGBT older adults.

We can change this. We can begin making calls and sending letters & emails to our Mayor’s office and to our City Council members to let them know why this is so important to us. Here are some bullet points: • LGBT older adults are more likely than their straight and cisgender peers to live alone, to lack a caretaker, and to have smaller social networks over time.

• LGBT older adults are more likely to

live in poverty.

• LGBT older adults are often afraid that they will face discrimination, mistreatment, and bullying in senior housing and/or long-term care facilities. Many go back into the closet when they move into such places.

• We have earned this. We came from small towns all along the Gulf Coast, and built a community that we could call our own. We bring untold millions of dollars to the city each year with a variety of events that attract countless tourists with deep pockets. New Orleans would not be New Orleans without us. We deserve this.

Those calls, emails, and letters would be a good start, but we must also come together as a community.

While we don’t have an LGBT community center on par with Montrose, we do have a variety of strong LGBT community organizations and groups.

Some of us have wealthy friends and acquaintances who are looking for the right cause to invest in, and many of us know developers, politicians, and other movers and shakers. We are more organized than we have been in the past, and we can plan for our future if we decide that it’s important enough to do so. No one is going to just do this for us because it’s the right thing to do; we have to make this happen together.

Start by writing those letters and sending those emails to city officials.

Visit https://maccno.com/cityofficials for the addresses. Copy me (Jim Meadows, c/o NOAGE, 1631 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117, or info@noagenola.org).

What’s it going to be like when we’re elderly? It will be then what we decide to make it now.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME.

THE HEART OF THE MARIGNY Georgous two-story property featuring rare garage and enormous fully fenced, lush backyard. Main floor includes hardwood floors, tall ceilings, amazing natural light and much more. Lower level could be an extension of main home or separate unit. Incomparable location steps to the best of the Marigny & French Quarter.

Learn more about 1930 N. Rampart online at nolastyles.com

Inner Makeup

New Orleans #1 Astrologer

Michael Styles ∙ Engel & Völkers New Orleans 722 Martin Behrman Avenue ∙ Metairie, LA 70005 4826 Magazine Street ∙ New Orleans, LA 70115 +1 504-875-3555 +1 504-777-1773 michael@nolastyles.com ©2019 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

Dan Beck

Owner & Astrologer 504-313-8706 dan@innermakeup.met www.innermakeup.net

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence THE PHOENIX SOUTHERN DECADENCE BLOCK PARTY | PHOTOS BY PAULY CAJUN, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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BOOK REVIEW Drag Queen Brunch Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com

Drag Queen Brunch.

Poppy Tooker and Sam Hanna. Rainbow Road Press, 2019.

Given the Drag Brunch craze that has gripped the nation recently, it was only a matter of time before a book about drag brunches was published.

This is Poppy Tooker’s sixth book and it is amazing! Most striking are Hanna’s photographs (of both the food and the queens). In addition to 15 drag queens, the book also features 60 brunch recipes (food and cocktails), including traditional favorites such as Eggs Sardou, as well as less well-known delicacies like Crabmeat Cheesecake. The recipes are culled from some of New Orleans’ most iconic restaurants: Commander’s Palace, Antoine’s, Brennan’s, Shaya, etc.

Nationally acclaimed (and local) drag artist Vinsantos Defonte pens a beautiful forward which explores the history of drag and its role in New Orleans. Then it’s bon appetit! And don’t feel guilty—a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be dedicated to Crescent Care.

Tooker, a local food historian, hosts the Louisiana Eats radio show and podcast, as well as a weekly show on WYES called Steppin’ Out. Her past cookbooks have won a variety of awards, including Best New Cookbook (Crescent City Farmers Market Cookbook (2007) and Pascal’s Manale Cookbook (2018)). Additionally, The Crescent City Farmers Market Cookbook won the Eula Mae Dore Tabasco Cookbook Award (2007) and Louisiana Eats! was given the Literary Award of the Year from the Louisiana Library Association (2013).

Cover of Drag Queen Brunch by Poppy Tooker and Sam Hanna

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Tony Leggio AT THE DRAG QUEEN BRUNCH COOKBOOK BOOK SIGNING HAPPY HOUR AT BRENNAN’S | PHOTOS BY TONY LEGGIO

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INTERVIEWS FROM KEY WEST

Hotelier David Bowd Is Fine with Your Mum Sitting In On An Interview for Salt Hotels Kevin Assam kevin-assam@hotmail.com David Bowd is the co-founder and CEO of Salt Hotels, which currently spans five properties including Provincetown’s stylish Salt House Inn and Eben House. He has no problem steering the next generation of hoteliers having lived through his own mother attending his first interview for a hotel position. David talks about his community work with Salt School, advises on how one should handle an extramarital love interest while on vacation, and responds to humanity discovering how to fold a fitted sheet.

As a hotelier, is it time to retool the expression, “even the salty customer is always right?”

David: It is a very old-fashioned phrase that doesn’t always fit in today’s world. However, our motto is the guest should always be at the center of everything we do from designing a room to operating a hotel. It’s important that we focus on the guest’s needs all of the time.

Growing up, what was the first hotel or guesthouse you fantasized about moving into?

David: That’s a very funny question. Growing up there was a TV show in the UK called Crossroads Motel. I loved to watch it and that was where my love of hotels started. The mix of people and the different guests every day just really appealed to me.

What was the deal with Kay Thompson’s fictional character, Eloise? How would you handle a precocious seasonal kid in your inn with a fairly useless nanny?

David: Luckily, we don’t have kids in our two inns in Provincetown for that reason. We have seen it many times.

Our other hotels do have children and when they become too intrusive to our other guests we generally have a good chat with the parents or nanny and they usually help us out.

What if there were a real protégé?

A queer maverick eleven-year-old sociologist or artist who needed to observe Provincetown life from the comfort of your establishment as they swirled their iced tea?

David: All rules are there to be broken for sure — with us it’s very personal — in every way so we would make sure they are respectful of our other guests. We always want to help, support, and guide our youth. One of our young managers is a Summer of Sass graduate so we would do everything we can to accommodate them.

Speaking of youth, would you disapprove of a teenager bringing their mother with them to an inter-

view for a front desk agent position?

David: Much to my horror, when I was a 15-year-old being interviewed for my first hotel role they asked my mum to join the interview. They wanted her to also understand that it involved long hours and hard work so she would be supportive. I would never mind. Everything we do is transparent and I would happily encourage both mum and teenager asking as many questions as they like.

You’ve brought a Summer of Sass graduate into the fold. Young queers can sometimes feel as if the more seasoned queers’s sage advice is confined to online interviews and media blitzes. How do you connect with the youth on a more personal level?

David: We have a very open door policy and as a family company we truly encourage openness and transparency. We build great bonds with our teams and have open dialogue about everything. We never take for granted how lucky we are to live in a place like Provincetown where everyone is so accepting. We use it as an opportunity to really encourage everyone, as they grow in both their personal lives and careers, to take advantage of the wonderful team we have working with us across all hotels.

Who’s the stud muffin you wound up with and what sort of four star travails were involved?

David: It was quite plain sailing.

We both worked for Ian Schrager. Kevin O’ Shea in design and me running operations. We met in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was still in London at the time so it was a long distance relationship for eight months before I relocated to New York. He’s also the co-founder of Salt Hotels so we still work and run the company together.

So, long distance is not always just for the birds?

David: Not exactly. If you want something enough, you make it work.

We both travelled and still do a lot so we are used to not being in each other’s pockets.

Tell me about your venture and the properties you would both go on to acquire and create.

David: Salt Hotels was very organic. We decided to buy a hotel together. I would run it long term. Kevin would design it. Then it was massively successful and we thought let’s do a second. Eben House. Again, it just did really well. Our guests loved it. It was something new for town and then we continued to grow organically. We only

CEO & Co-Founder of Salt Hotels David Bowd (Facebook)

partner with great people who care about the guests and the experience and who want to create interesting hotels. We just opened our fifth hotel and next year will be London. After that another four hotels will open over three years bringing us to 10 hotels. We both have specific responsibilities within the company so we don’t have to live and work together 24 hours a day.

Are you trained now to spot a pseudonym from the get-go? Be it for a mistress/sir or someone high profile?

David: Oh yes. That’s the easiest part of the job for me now. I can tell how people act whether they are with their actual spouse or not. Some people go to extreme lengths to cover it up, not realizing it happens every day and we really don’t mind.

Any pointers with regards to making a reservation and communicating with staff in such a situation?

David: Not really. Just ask us to take you off the emails so we don’t go and send you a thank you for staying with us!

Is education one of the first major constructs a young individual encounters that highlights how much socioeconomic background can matter? Why did you start Salt School?

David: Salt School was started as your early life should not define your life. Many people don’t do well at school, especially LGBTQ youth as they have so many struggles. Salt School was started to allow someone at any age to learn about hospitality and what it takes to be in the business.

We have trained over 400 people and employed over 75% of them across our five hotels. At Salt School, everyone mixes with everyone and age, sexuality, and socioeconomic backgrounds don’t matter. As they don’t in any of our hotels.

Are there overrated hotels and inns you really wish would just go away at this point?

David: [Laughs] Yes but none I would say publicly.

The Plaza has Eloise and Kevin from Home Alone. Beverly Hills has Marilyn Monroe and Bungalow Seven. Omni Parker House hosted JFK’s proposal. What character personifies the Salt properties?

David: Each is unique and tailored to its location. They don’t share a “voice.” Each one has a distinct personality. Salt House and The Asbury are young and energetic whereas Eben House and Asbury Ocean Club are more serene and spa like.

If you chose an individual, fictional or real, who came close to capturing what each property stood for, who would it be?

David: Captain Eben Snow for Eben House who was the Captain who built it. You feel him around. The Chequit would be an old Victorian lady who likes everything in place. Salt House is an artist and beatnik who populated the dune shacks at the turn of the last century. The Asbury is Antoni from Queer Eye, great to look at and fun. Ocean Club is an old English gentleman who likes the finer things in life like a good cigar or a great claret.

How would you describe humanity’s reaction to the correct way of folding a fitted sheet?

David: Like most things in life it’s not that hard. Take a moment to think about it and it’s easy.

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.

32 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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NEW TO NEW ORLEANS

The Cat Returns Robert W Fieseler wordbobby@gmail.com The Cat Lady’s claws were out for me, and they could carve bone. I sincerely hoped to avoid her after our ill-fated first encounter at dusk, but I crossed her path again and again near the liquor store, as if our lives were toys being banged together by an infant world. As if some bored fucker in the sky just laughed and decided, “Let’s see what happens with these two fools!”

I’d open my door to walk my dog, and, as if on cue, she’d be crossing in front of my stoop. Each time with a different cat in tow, each time wearing a satin slip: peach, tie dye, coral, orange, split pea. Each time with her pancake breasts nearly hanging out her armpits, her grey hair frizzed into an Afro from the humidity. Sometimes, she’d be heading towards the river dangling a black bag that held a bottle of fortified wine. Sometimes, she’d be meandering in the opposite direction toward St. Claude—to the place that keeps the bags that hold the goodies.

Light or dark, I stood in the doorway to my home and waited for the verbal jab, something to let me know that I didn’t belong in her energy field, her beatific presence. Perhaps she’d finally give the signal, and her cats would attack en masse and eat me alive. Each time, I presumed that the Cat Lady would never forgive the slight of my failing to say “Good Evening!” on our first neighborly meeting, beneath a pink sky.

Instead, this would happen. She’d squint her fluorescent eyelids, two

aquamarine costume jewels gleaming on her temples. (Sometimes, her accompanying cats also donned jewels on their ears.) Then, a flash of recognition would cross her face. “Hello!” she’d shout, though I was standing just a few feet away. Slightly embarrassed, my eyes would dip to the sidewalk, and I’d respond, “Hello” “Good morrow,” “How do you do,” as appropriate. “Well, it is a good morning evening summer solstice afternoon!” she’d answer with vigor. This woman, this mystic embodiment of New Orleans, was training me into a different person.

It would be then in our little dance that I’d notice how there were no shoes on the Cat Lady’s feet, which stretched out flat the size of mini-baguettes or small skis. Who is this woman, I’d ask myself, a hobbit? There’s glass on our street. I’m grateful to say, to this day, that I’ve never caught a glimpse of her soles underneath. Maybe she was too drunk for shoes, I figured at first, but it became clear over time that this was no mistake. This Mountain Girl senior, this retired Orgy Goddess, this Dryad of the Felines, had no use for footwear.

My dog Chompers, a greying Cairn Terrier (like Toto in The Wizard of Oz), grew to adore the Cat Lady, and he learned to rush past my leg and leap down the front stairs to greet her, as if she were Mogli in The Jungle Book, as if she exuded the aura of a fellow creature. “Look at this dwahhhling,” she’d say in an East Coast accent as she leaned down and placed his head in her hands. “Aren’t you a dwahhh-

ling?”

His tail wagged frantically, and her cat jumped onto a nearby car to avoid it. “Come on, dude!” I said to encourage my dog to disengage from her and continue our walk—using “dude” as kind of loving shorthand, an easy nickname for commands that he responds to well because it’s one syllable. “Dude!” the Cat Lady said, overhearing me. She doubled over in delight. “I just love a dog named Dude.” I couldn’t find the heart to tell her, since she’d just started liking me, that “Dude” wasn’t actually his name.

“Bye Dude, and Dude’s owner!” she said, waving as we walked away.

It wasn’t until my husband Ryan poked his head out the door one morning that I saw through the mystery of the Cat Lady’s friendliness. The Cat Lady, it turns out, neither forgets nor forgives.

I watched this woman squint her painted eyelids at my husband, look him up and down and stamp her shoeless foot. “Well, this neighborhood’s gone to hell,” she said. She huffed, gathered up her cat and speed-walked toward the St. Claude liquor store.

My husband shrugged and said, “Have a good one!” She yelled back, “You try having a good one with you roaches everywhere.” My poor husband had done nothing to deserve this rebuke. But the Cat does not forget. And, because she’s the Cat Lady, she’ll hoard and misdirect her rage.

Given her poor eyesight, it seemed obvious to me that the Cat Lady – having crossed my path that first evening around sunset – mistook my husband for the man who’d once failed to say “Good Evening!” to her, a.k.a. me.

What’s funny is that Ryan and I don’t look much alike. He’s a thin, tall giraffe with punky muscles, and I’m a short, upside-down triangle. All we

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

The Big Lie--American Christianity The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ Rector St Anna’s Episcopal Church fr.bill@stannanola.org This article is prompted by and supports an essay “The False and Idolatrous Narrative of ‘American Christianity’ by Stephen Mattson published May 13, 2019 in Sojourners. Many of the thoughts and views are drawn from this important article, personalized and with some points expanded upon.

“Following Jesus is political by nature, but maybe no religious group has been more influenced--co-opted--by political power than white, conservative Christians in America. “ We need to step back and consider the various myths and legends about Christianity in America and where they came from, how it has developed and what the very sad and heretical outcome is. First, one must grant and un-

derstand that Church and Politics can find their intermingling as early as the year 313 A.D. with a thing called the Edict of Milan by Constantine the Emperor.

Jump to the year 800 A.D. Charlemagne legitimized his position as Holy Roman Emperor that year. The Church was under attack by the Lombards in Italy and he essentially kicked them out.

Church/State relations begin to take deep root. Later, the Western Christian Church centered in Rome would claim the Donation of Pepin and later the false Donation of Charlemagne created a Nation State for the Papal See. So, Church and State become intertwined. By the time we roll up to the Reformation, circa 1521, governments

were so vested in state religion that to understand any outcome of the Reformation is to understand a deep European political history.

NO DON’T STOP READING I’ll get to the good stuff shortly but we MUST know the roots of the current heresy of the Christian Right.

North America can rightly be said to have been colonized by three major groups: The Spanish Roman Catholic Conquistadores; The English Protestant Landed Colonists; and the French (the latter was less zealous in religion than the other two). The Spanish annihilated entire cultures quickly and efficiently using Jesus as a cause and grabbing excessive wealth.

The English pushed their dissidents

share is brown hair. But this was how it worked: I was rude to her, and she was mean to my husband for it. Which, in the end, is truly the most Cat Lady thing she could do.

Down the block one morning, I passed a shotgun house with flaking pink paint and a sign that read, “SUPPORT THE ARTS, HELP KEEP CRAZY PERSONS OFF THE STREETS.” I whistled for my dog and said, “Come on, dude,” and the Cat Lady ran out the front door. “There’s a bunch of male unneutered male cats under that house,” she told me, apropos nothing while pointing several places. “And someone told me, ‘Calllll the ASPCA.’ And you know what I did? I laughed in his face and said, ‘You think I can call the ASPCA anymore?’”

Just then Chompers ran up to the Cat Lady. “Oh, helllooooo Dude!” she said to him, musically. “Actually, his name isn’t Dude, it’s Chompers,” I retorted before I could catch myself. It was early, and I’m not that friendly early in the day. I wish I could be a friendlier person. I wish I could be a lot of things.

“CH-Hompers?” she bellowed loudly, as if it hurt to pronounce the word, as if I’d betrayed some fundamental trust.

“CHompers?” she said again, taking a breath. I gulped. “FUCKING CHOMPERS?” I nodded. She put her hands on her bony hips…well, whatever was left of them. And she broke into a grin so mad it spun the earth around me, for a second. “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeven better!”

Robert W. Fieseler is the author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation, which won the 2019 Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime.

He lives with his husband and dog in New Orleans.

to the New World ridding them of this nuisance as well as proper Church of England gentry which would embrace what is called Enlightenment thought and ideologies. So, for the “American” experience, Enlightenment ideology was the language of rebellion BUT the culture was of privileged white male Protestant Christians. This culture of privilege was expanded in the American myth of “Manifest Destiny” that is God’s ordaining conquest of the western continent from sea to shining sea.

In so doing such nefarious acts like forced enculturation of Native Americans sought to obliterate any type of native culture once again using Christianity as the hammer alongside, in most cases, land grabbing as well. We can also look to the political leverage of the New Testament to justify slavery and to “help the enslaved by bringing them to the true faith out of care for their souls.”

I want to be clear that, within the context of the use of Christianity to justify horrid acts, true Christianity can still

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be seen in the acts of mercy by smaller religious groups. The Quaker reform of prisons is an example. The religious movements such as the Catholic Workers Movement; the creation of free hospitals by Episcopal orders of brothers and nuns. All played a role in America but the loudest voice remained the socio-political voice of Conservative Christianity. So I am always in defense of a faith that is worked out in so many different ways.

Virtue and love are expressed in many churches and denominations. It always seems that the loudest voices, however, are borne by “White conservative Christianity [which] selfishly prioritizes partisan platforms that favor and oppressive agenda over following Jesus.” The current political climate uses these white patriarchal structures shrouded in Christianity to oppress and diminish opposing voices while promoting nationalism.

“We are a Christian Nation” is a lie and one that has been perpetuated since our founding. Those Enlightenment privileged white guys that signed the Declaration of Independence were

informed by a new philosophy and were generally secular humanists more than devoted Christians yet even then patriarchy can been teased out of those great documents. After all, 41 of 56 of the delegates signing the Declaration of Independence were slave owners.

What they wrote and what they were are two different things.

Here is what the Christianized, weaponized political rights trade-offs look like (it is heresy): • Economic charity in return for a robust Stock Market.

• Economic parity in return for tax cuts impacting industry and the top 1%.

• Social charity in return for closed borders obviating the scriptural command to show hospitality to the stranger and care for the foreigner.

• Supporting a leader who reportedly is an adulterer (Jesus did talk about that); a narcissist (Scripture talked about that as well using the word Pride); a liar (a matter of public record).

• All of the above for a shot for a conservative Supreme Court with deep social implications like: a possible re-

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT St. Louis Cathedral Although technically not a museum, the Basilica of St. Louis might as well be one. As the focal point of Jackson Square, the Cathedral features nearly three centuries of New Orleans history.

Since 1727, New Orleanians have worshipped in churches on this site.

Half a dozen years earlier, the French engineer, Adrien De Pauger, who arrived in the newly founded city on March 29, 1721, designated this site for a church in conformity with the plan of the Engineer-in-Chief of Louisiana, LeBlond de la Tour.

The new parish church, dedicated to Louis IX, sainted King of France, was thus perhaps the first building in New Orleans of “brick between posts” (briques entre poteaux) construction, an effective method of building that

continued to be used in Louisiana until at least the middle of the nineteenth century. De Pauger, unfortunately, died on June 21, 1726, before his church was completed. In his will he requested that he be buried within the unfinished building, a request presumably granted.

A fire on March 21, 1788, started when a candle ignited the lace draperies of an altar in the home of the military treasurer of the colony, Vincente Jose Nunez, on Chartres Street. Among the buildings burned to the ground were the Church of St. Louis, the priests’ residence, and the Casa Principal, which housed the Cabildo.

Nearly a year elapsed before the charred remains of the church were cleared away and construction of a new church began in early 1789. More

incarnation of something like DOMA; striking down reproductive rights; gun ownership over gun safety etc.

[Note: As a priest I am generally not for abortion. I believe that all life is truly sacred and that we must invest more time, effort and energy in sex education. The medical ethics of abortion are complex as, perhaps too, the moral implications of the issue. That said I am for retaining Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. I can support both positions without compromise, but that is for another article if I dare.]

I have used the word “heresy” a couple of times here. Heresy is that which is contrary to “orthodox” Christian doctrine. What is “orthodox” is “right belief or correct belief.” Therefore, rightly Jesus teaches radical acceptance of all humans but with emphasis on the marginalized. Jesus and the Torah also teach acceptance of and support for foreigners and travelers. Jesus teaches that power and wealth used unwisely (to help others) is a reward without spiritual gain (it is hollow). Jesus characteristically fought a powerful, patriarchal political state

and was ultimately killed by that same controlling state. The Jesus movement then encountered several attempts to kill the typology of love preached by Jesus in the persons of Peter, James, Paul, and the other early martyrs of the church.

Times have changed but not the message. If you cannot buy into Jesus and his teaching as a whole, then I say with a loud voice “Do not call yourselves Christians.” When the people here for Southern Decadence were having a good time, signs were hoisted by haters trying to decry the unfolding revelry. “Take the log out of your own eye.” Jesus spoke to the woman, “Have they judged you?”

The woman said, “No.” Jesus said, “Then neither do I. Go and do no sin.”

All of this in response to “Judge not lest ye be judged.”

In that short story, Jesus confronts a dominant patriarchal culture and calls it to account. Charity and reconciliation are the hallmarks of what should be the Christian definition. But then again, like the song says, “Haters gonna hate.”

than five years were to pass before the new church was completed in December, 1794. The second Church of St. Louis was the gift of the wealthy Don Andres Almonester y Roxas, father of the fabled Baroness Pontalba. Almonester is buried in the Cathedral.

In 1819 a New Orleans clockmaker, Jean Delachaux, was authorized by the trustees to obtain a suitable clock to be placed in the facade of the Cathedral. The central tower, which added grace and dignity to the Cathedral, was one of Latrobe’s last projects, for he died in New Orleans of yellow fever on September 3,1820, before it was completed.

In 1829 an organ was imported and in 1825 Francisco Zapari, an Italian painter, was employed at a fee of $1,855 to decorate the interior of the church and its three altars.

In 1844, the Baroness Pontalba, through her New Orleans agents, presented to the Council for the First Municipality a project to construct a two-story arcaded facade in front of the old buildings bordering both sides of the Place d’Armes, buildings she had inherited from her father, Don Andres Almonester. Two years later, this remarkable woman again submitted and had approved by the Council elaborate plans, prepared under her personal supervision, which called for remodeling her buildings with arcades similar to those of the Cabildo and Presbytere, and also for extensive improvements to the square itself, to create a bit of Paris for her native city.

These additions so increased the size of the two flanking buildings that something had to be done to the Ca-

thedral to bring it to proper scale. Besides, the church was old, its walls were cracking, and it was too small for the congregation of the growing city.

As far back as 1834 the trustees of the church had consulted with J. N. B. de Pouilly, the French architect.

De Pouilly had suggested lengthening the church and adding galleries but he was not very optimistic that even these changes would enlarge the church sufficiently to fit the needs of the growing congregation.

A contract was made on March 12,1849, with an Irish builder, John Patrick Kirwan, “for the restoration of the Cathedral of St. Louis.” De Pouilly’s original specifications, which became part of the contract, called for a reconstruction that left intact only the lateral walls and the lower part of the front and the flanking hexagonal towers of the old church. But as construction proceeded, it became evident that the side walls, too, would have to be demolished.

During construction, the central clock and bell tower collapsed. This calamitous incident caused damage estimated as high as $20,000. In the months that followed, inspections by experts sought to determine the cause of the collapse, and proposals and counter-proposals between trustees and builder culminated in the trustees ordering Kirwan to quit the job. De Pouilly, the architect, was also dismissed and the trustees employed another architect. The Cathedral we enjoy today has a long and storied history. The stained glass and artwork alone are worth a visit.

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PAID ADVER

AGGREGATE REWARD For credible and competent information relating to the identity of the “anonymous” source of the various complaints made against the following local LGBT establishments: TOM WOOD ENTERPRISES, LLC is offering three individual rewards for information leading to the identity of the person or persons responsible for the anonymous tip provided to the New Orleans Police and/or the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control regarding: 1. An anonymous complaint made in September 2018, resulting in a summons issued October 2018 to Rawhide 2010 Bar, 740 Burgundy Street, New Orleans, LA 70116. A reward of $10,000.00 is being offered.

2. An anonymous complaint made in April or May 2019, resulting in a summons issued in August 2019 to the Phoenix Bar, 941 Elysian Fields, New Orleans, LA 70117. A reward of $10,000.00 is being offered.

3. An anonymous complaint made in April 2019, resulting in a field investigation in April 2019 of the Good Friends Bar, 740 Dauphine, New Orleans, LA 70116. A reward of $5,000.00 is being offered.

You may make your complaint anonymously. See “How It Works” for details on the reward offer.

PURPOSE As local businesses catering to the LGBT community, we are mindful of our obligations under state and city laws. However, these continued “anonymous” complaints have been disruptive to our businesses and in some instances contained false, misleading and defamatory information designed solely to harass our patrons, visitors and our businesses. Our purpose is to identify these sources, and if the complaints are legitimate, correct them; if they are targeted at these businesses solely as a form of LGBT harassment, to end it.

We encourage any complaints our patrons or visitors may have to be made to us directly to allow us to correct the problem on the spot. As such, we have posted contact information inside our establishments which you may use if you observe anything that makes you uncomfortable or you believe is illegal.

However, “anonymous” complaints open the door to falsified allegations, political and personal vendettas, unfair business competition and defamatory statements. Further, these “anonymous” complaints deny us the opportunity to correct issues as they may arise. This is not an attempt to silence critics but to identify the source of the information and, if credible, address their concerns and correct any issues that may impact the ability of our patrons and visitors to enjoy our City, including ending LGBT harassment if that is the sole purpose of these “complaints”.

RTISEMENT

D OFFERED $25,000.00 HOW IT WORKS You may either submit your information under your ordinary email or an email created for that sole purpose by emailing us at nolareward@gmail.com. No personal identifying information for you is required. You may submit a tip on all or any one of these establishments.

You do not need to have information on all three. If your tip pertains to less than all three establishments, you are eligible for the individual rewards for the establishments on which you submitted tips as set forth in our offer.

The process is simple. Email us the information you believe will assist us in identifying the person or persons responsible along with which establishment your tip applies to. Once you email us, we will respond acknowledging your email and you will be assigned a code number, date and time stamp, and unique password. While we may email you regarding your information, you may also email us to check on the status of the information you have given.

In the meantime, we pass your information onto our investigators who use your information to determine its accuracy and report back to us on whether it has led to credible and competent evidence of identifying the person sufficient to be proved in a court of law. You may supplement the information provided and the later provided information will be considered time and date stamped at the same time as your original tip provided the first tip provided substantial identifying information.

Eyewitnesses, Facebook or other social media posts, texts, emails and personal admissions by the person you are identifying are all useful information that may be submitted in support of your claim. If your information was material to determining the identity thereof, you will receive the cash reward as stated in our offer.

Once your tip has been verified and leads to competent credible evidence of the identity of the “anonymous” complainant(s), you will be notified to come claim your reward.

To receive the reward, you may collect it in person or if you wish to receive it anonymously, you may pick it up from our attorney’s offices with your code number and unique password.

No questions asked.

Rewards will be paid on a first reported basis. Where multiple tips lead to the correct identity of the person, we reserve the right to divide the reward among the various tip providers where any one tip was not sufficient on its own but taken together with others that assist us in identifying the “anonymous” source. Whether a tip appropriately supplements an earlier tip is within our sole discretion. In the event that a tip is merely duplicative or redundant of an earlier tip, then the earlier tip will receive the entire reward.

Tom Wood Enterprises, LLC, is the sole judge of any dispute arising over the reward and the person or persons, if any, entitled to share therein, and its decision on any point connected with the reward will be final and conclusive. This offer of reward expires March 31, 2020 unless extended by publication.

You may submit questions regarding this offer by email as well.

HEALTH & WELLNESS HEALTH & WELLNESS Flu Shot Fears Chenier Reynolds-Montz Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana CReynolds@accesshealthla.org “Many people are concerned about the myth that the flu shot can cause the flu,” explains Nurse Practitioner Sam Obgartel. “However, the flu shot is a killed virus and is unable to cause the flu.” Obgartel works for Access Health Louisiana’s (AHL) Kenner Community Health Center inside the Esplanade Mall. AHL is already seeing patients this month test positive for flu. Flu season typically runs from October through February; however, seasonal influenza viruses can be diagnosed year-round in the United States.

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs.

Symptoms include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches and fatigue. While millions of people get sick from the flu each year, the CDC says the number of confirmed cases only accounts for about eight-percent of the total population. While that percentage seems small, it is important to remember that each year perfectly healthy people who catch the flu die from the virus. Therefore, flu vaccines are so important.

“A flu vaccine is needed every season for two reasons,” says Obgartel.

“First, the body’s immune response from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Secondly, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the formulation of the flu vaccine is reviewed each year and updated as

needed to keep up with changing flu viruses.” For the best protection, everyone six months and older should get vaccinated annually according to the CDC. Researchers who work for the CDC change the composition of U.S. flu vaccines annually and update them to match circulating flu viruses. The CDC says that flu vaccines protect you against three or four strains of viruses depending on the vaccine that you receive. Flu vaccines which can protect against three strains of the virus are called trivalent flu vaccines. Flu vaccines which can protect against four strains of the virus are called quadrivalent vaccines. AHL clinic locations stock quadrivalent vaccines which protect against A and B strains of the flu, as well as high-dose flu shots for seniors.

When you first start experiencing flu symptoms, it is important to get to the doctor right away. Your doctor will give you a Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Test or “RIDT”. RIDTs work by detecting the parts of the virus (antigens) that stimulate an immune response. The doctor will simply swab the back of your throat or inside of your nose and send the sample to the lab. Results are received within 10 to 15 minutes.

If you do test positive for flu, antiviral drugs can be given. If started within the first two days of becoming sick with the flu, antiviral drugs can lower fever and flu symptoms, shorten the overall

time you are sick and reduce your risk of complications including: ear infections, respiratory troubles and even help you avoid hospitalization.

Doctors say that antiviral drugs are a second line of defense in fighting the flu, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get a flu shot. Flu shots have three main benefits: they can prevent you from getting the flu, reduce your risk of flu-associated hospitalization and reduce the severity of your flu symptoms if you end up getting sick.

Flu vaccines can be administered several ways. Flu Mist is a nasal spray that is inhaled through the nose and is a live virus that has been altered so it replicates in the nose and doesn’t cause the flu. All shot forms of the flu vaccine are inactivated and made up of particles of the virus. Experts still believe that flu shots work better than Flu Mist.

Sometimes people mistake flu symptoms with symptoms of the common cold. How can you tell the difference? Cold symptoms come on gradually over time. Flu symptoms like fever, chills and muscle aches come on rather abruptly. Another clue is headaches.

You typically don’t get headaches with a common cold, but you often do get headaches with the flu due to the high

fever and congestion. People infected with the flu are most contagious during the first three to four days after their illness begins. Experts say if you are exposed to influenza, you can expect to see symptoms beginning about two days after exposure.

While it still may seem early in the season to get a flu shot, experts say don’t wait. “Flu shots take about two weeks to take effect in your body after receiving the shot, so get your flu shot early,” recommends Obgartel. It’s important to note that most commercial insurances, as well as Medicaid and Medicare, cover flu shots 100-percent. This means you will only pay out of pocket for a flu shot if you are uninsured. All AHL clinic locations offer flu shots for $20 to uninsured patients. To schedule an appointment, call 1-866530-6111 to find the AHL location nearest you.

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

WELLNESS

Daddies, Otters, And Bears, Oh My! Decadence And Body Positivity Dr. Andrew Watley Professional Counselor in the State of Louisiana www.drandrewwatley.com Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have survived Southern Decadence 2019. If you’re like me, you are both happy that you can finally get some well-deserved rest, and also sad that you have to wait an entire year for it to come again.

Decadence is a wonderful festival! It brings out so much freedom and love, and for some of us, a lot of anxiety. What do I wear? How will I look?

Will other people like what they see?

These are just a few of the questions that ran through my mind during the

weeks leading up to Decadence. Like many, I was haunted with body negativity. It didn’t help that Facebook showed me pictures of last year’s Decadence. I remember thinking that I looked amazing last year...until I saw those pictures.

Suddenly, the body dysmorphia that I ran from for most of my life was staring me right in the face.

And thus, the preparation for Decadence began. This year was different however. I wasn’t just participating in Decadence as an excited bystander mingling in the streets. This time, I was

dancing on one of the most popular bars in the Quarter. I would wake up every morning with two things on my mind: diet, and exercise. I had somehow convinced myself that my happiness and success at Decadence was based purely on how good I looked, or rather, how good other people thought I looked. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this thought pattern has been around long before I had ever experienced Decadence.

Let’s face it. Our community can be pretty superficial, especially during

the summer holidays. We go through extreme measures to get “beach body ready”, we invest in the best “manscaping” products, and we spend way too much money on speedos that show off our best assets. And for what? For the attention of others? Are we so bent on the idea that happiness is equivalent with being attractive?

This past weekend, I saw so many beautiful bodies of all different shapes and sizes. Throughout most of the year, we put people into categories based on the way their bodies appear.

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www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 41

Bigger and hairier guys are stuck in the “bear category” while skinny, hairless, and boyish men are forced into the “twink” category. Most of us live our lives in these categories until our bodies change, forcing us into another.

During Decadence, however, none of that seemed to matter. Everyone was able to express him or herself in any way that he or she felt comfortable. I loved that people felt comfortable enough to walk in the streets wearing their harnesses, jockstraps, and thongs. As I finally got the courage to dance on the bar in mine, it dawned on me that my happiness shouldn’t be

subjected to what other people think of me, but what I think of myself. That revelation helped me to find what I believed that everyone in the streets had already found, confidence!

This confidence far surpasses just the outer appearance. Decadence, like Pride, allows people to be confident in all that they are. Despite what those silly protest signs say, we are a people who truly do know love, and it starts with ourselves. We then spread that love throughout our community and to the rest of the world.

Let’s make a choice together to be more confident. Let’s appreciate

the bodies that we have. If we decide that we want to lose a little weight or build more muscles, that’s fine too. But let’s break out of the habit of shoving ourselves and others into categories because of the way that we appear.

Just because a koala is small and cute doesn’t mean that it’s any less of a bear. Let’s make our confidence loud and proud like the clacking of fans. We are all made beautiful and we should never be ashamed or afraid to show the world just how decadent we can be.

I am already counting down the days until Decadence 2020, not only so I can smile back at this year’s Face-

book memories, but also so that I can show you all my new confidence that I am working on starting today. See you all next year!

Dr. Andrew Watley is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Louisiana. His practice is geared toward helping adolescents, members of the LGBTQ+ community and men who experience concerns with their masculinity and body image. More information about Dr. Watley and his practice can be found on his website, www. drandrewwatley.com.

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE | PHOTOS BY TJ BOUDREAUX, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

42 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 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 CHARLES PIZZO

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 · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 43

Party Down

AT THE FORMER GRAND MARSHALS’ BAR CRAWL AND LUNCHEON

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com AT MY HOUSE ON DECADENCE BEFORE THE PARADE FILMING WITH JEFF GOLDBLOOM

What an amazing Southern Decadence! I have enjoyed this holiday for many years, but only a handful are truly memorable, outside the year that I reigned, although I may be somewhat biased. But this year was an over-thetop rollercoaster of events, some annual occurrences I have done before and some new things. I think the word that best describes my Decadence this year is “surreal.”

Before I detail my exploits over the long weekend, tho, let’s talk about the week prior. I began like many Mondays by taking part in the NOAGE (New Orleans Advocated for GLBT Elders) weekly walk at Audubon Park. This weekly exercise/networking group is a great way to get healthy and meet people at the same time. They meet every Monday at 6:45 p.m. at the Magazine Street entrance to Audubon Park by the Golf Club. You should definitely come out and walk.

The following day I attended the startup event BYOBikes, which held a reception at the Chicory. BYOBikes was the brainchild of my friend Ali Brown and is doing some great things in the community. The bikes the group donates for at-risk youth, underprivileged children and the forgotten help them become the future leaders and influencers of the greater New Orleans Community. By providing bikes, the kids are taught responsibility, commu-

nity spirit, promoting a healthier lifestyle and providing transportation to school, work and all the things that every New Orleanian wants to enjoy. BYOBIkes partners with individuals, local businesses, national corporations and New Orleans-based non-profit organizations, that wish to make a difference in our community. They rely on the donation of funds to purchase the bikes, volunteers to build the bikes and the assistance of local community organizations to distribute the bikes so we all together can give back to our community. For more information on this great cause, go to www.byobikes.org.

On Thursday, I got to have a few cocktails at one of the most well-known bars in the city, Pat O’ Brien’s. The company held an open house for the hospitality community at their venue on the river located in Jax Brewery. They provided a delicious spread for guests as well as all their signature cocktails, like the TNT, Rainbow and Hurricane.

I took a cocktail down memory lane from my college days by trying a few of them that I had not had in forever.

They were every bit as potently delicious as I remember. I have to admit, Pat O’ Brien’s is one of those bars that as a local I appreciate just as much as a tourist. And if you have ever had an event at their space in Jax Brewery, it is wonderful with breathtaking views of the Mississippi River.

Saturday was quite a busy day starting with the Southern Decadence Grand Marshals’ luncheon at Starlight followed by the annual bar crawl.

A bountiful buffet of delicious food by Chef Ron from Chef Ron’s Gumbo Shop was provided. There was lots of cocktails and camaraderie and the current Southern Decadence Grand Marshals William Antill and Countess C Alice hosted the group. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to catch up and reminisce about years past and raise a glass to those who have passed on. The bar crawl was a festive drinking train that went to Crossing NOLA, Corner Pocket, 700 Club, Rawhide (where Miss Stormy Daniels made an appearance), GrandPre’s, Lafitte’s in Exile, Good Friends, Oz, Pub and ended at the Golden Lantern. Liver check, so far so good.

Part two of my Saturday was a wedding celebration. A few weeks ago I celebrated my friends Cheryl and Jim’s nuptials in Upstate New York. This evening, they hosted a party at the Rooftop on Basin (Basin Street Station’s newly remodeled venue). This celebration was for the people who couldn’t make it to New York.

There was great cuisine, lots of alcohol, dancing, a voodoo priestess giving out gris-gris bags to guests and a fun photo booth. The happy couple shined brightly this evening as once again I

was able to toast their happiness. And this venue is a spectacular place to hold a party with sweeping views of the French Quarter and St. Louis Cemetery #1. What a great day!

The following week began my countdown to Decadence with the NOAGE monthly potluck event at St. Anna’s on Tuesday. This monthly gathering keeps getting larger every time. The NOAGE events are open to people of all ages and I am astounded by all the new people I meet of our community. If you are shy, come on out, everyone is welcome. This is a fun and accepting group and you get a great meal. You can bring any kind of dish you like either home-cooked or store-bought. Unable to bring a dish?

Do not worry, you are still able to attend. As a board member, we want you to come and enjoy the companionship and community. Many LGBT people feel more isolated as they get older, living in a youthful and, at times, ageist society (and community). To me loneliness kills more people a year than some diseases. If you have any questions about the organization and their events, go to www.noagenola.org.

The long Southern Decadence weekend started for me on Friday afternoon with the Queen B Drag Brunch at Broussard’s Restaurant. Broussard’s first opened its doors in 1920.

Hollywood celebrities, politicians, dig-

44 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

AT HALLOWEEN NEW ORLEANS’ PARTY AT PYTHIAN MARKET

nitaries, Mardi Gras royalty and literary figures such as Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner have all played a role in the history of Broussard’s. Now Moanalot Fontaine and Coca Mesa can be added to these ranks.

The food was great and the queens put on a show. With bottomless champagne being served a good time was had by everyone at our table and the entire restaurant. Surreal moment #1 -- dancing to ABBA in the beautifully appointed dining room of Broussard’s with my friends. Memories are made of this.

Next, we went to Brennan’s for the book signing for Poppy Tucker’s new drag queen cookbook. There was a crowd on hand to celebrate this fabulous new literary achievement and guests who purchased a book were able to get it signed by Poppy as well as several of the drag queens. They also served champagne and lots more cocktails. Surreal moment number #2 -- taking pictures in the Brennan’s courtyard with drag queens and gay porn stars. I mean could this get any more interesting???

My next stop was Pythian Market for the Halloween New Orleans (HNO) Decadence Kickoff Party.

Getting a jump on the next holiday, HNO celebrated one festival and promoted their upcoming three-day weekend of activities. For 35 years, HNO has been raising money for Project Lazarus, an assisted-living home for those with HIV/AIDS in New Orleans.

This year’s theme “Hallowdays” will rule over three amazing events during Halloween weekend October 25-27.

For more information, go to https://togetherwenola.com/halloween/.

After quite a few more libations, I was well liquored up for my last stop of the night, the block party at the Phoe-

nix. Now this is where my night seems to get a little bit fuzzy, but suffice to say a good time was had at least up to the point I can remember. All kidding aside, the Phoenix’s outdoor parties during Decadence are always packed with sexy bears, cubs, otters and a wide assortment of sexy animals to enhance your gay zoo.

I was up and about early the following day when I participated in the Pride Run/Walk at Crescent Park.

This is the second year for this family friendly event put on by the New Orleans Track Club and there were plenty of people out for it. It may have been a short course, but that did not matter to the throngs of rainbow clad runners and walkers. A 5K run first thing in the morning after my Friday night was tough. I saw so many friends and hot men, plus there was food and lots of beer. It may have been a rough trek, but the cool medal received by everyone who finished was well worth it.

That night, I did something more on the mellow side when I went to see Randy Rainbow perform at The Fillmore. If you have not been to see a show at the Fillmore, do it. This is one of the best new concert venues in the city. Everything is done right, from the decor to the layout of the bathrooms.

Randy is a comedian/singer who mixes current pop tunes, show tunes and standards with a political twist.

His recent Donald Trump videos have gained massive popularity and gone viral; the latest one, Cheeto Christ Stupid Czar, is a hysterical tour de force.

Randy is entertaining & talented, and as he performed each song, its video played behind him on a large screen.

His comic timing is genius and he sings his heart out. His earlier dating videos are pretty funny, too. He’s a 2019 Emmy nominee for Short Form Vari-

ety Series for his brilliant video Barr!.

Check Randy out at www.randyrainbow.com.

Sunday, I woke up again at the crack of dawn to get my house ready.

Several members of the Big Easy Sisters were coming over at 8am to get ready for the parade and put on their make-up. They were also being filmed by a television show doing a segment on glitter, so I had a full production team at my home first thing in the morning.

It was one of the coolest experiences watching them work and set up shots for the show.

And then the best part. There was a knock at my door and Mr. Jeff Goldblum entered my home. Surreal moment #3 -- the star of the Jurassic Park movies and The Fly was in my living room asking me questions about Southern Decadence and glitter! He is everything I thought he would be and more. Witty, charming, very tall, polite, fascinating and above all well-mannered. He was an absolute joy to talk to. I have to thank Daryl Dunaway (Countess C Alice) for giving me this opportunity. Also, the Big Easy Sisters were in wonderful form. They hit all their marks and their make-up artistry is nothing short of spectacular.

So we did out interviews and Jeff was whisked off to appear later in the day.

We all finished getting ready and then we met up with Countess C Alice and the rest of her entourage and headed over to the Friendly Bar. The Friendly Bar is the best thing to do on Southern Decadence. It’s a tradition that the grand marshals meet up and get ready there and walk over to the parade start. This is a great chance for visitors to get some great shots before the chaos of the parade.

We got ready and made our way to the Golden Lantern where we were joined

once again by Jeff G. for the start of the parade.

The Golden Lantern put on a fabulous show for people at the parade’s line-up. It was organized craziness, but soon the parade was off and running. There were so many people on the route supporting us, it was wonderful. Also this year for the first time, the LGBT members of the New Orleans Police Department marched. The parade this year was so festive and gay (pun intended) stopping at all the gay bars in the French Quarter. A huge thank you to the parade captains and the grand marshals for creating a very special event. After the excitement of the parade, I hung out at Lafitte’s in Exile for a cocktail or two before heading over to former Grand Marshal Adikus Sulpizi’s house for an impromptu pool party. It felt so good relaxing and floating around after walking in all that heat covered with glitter in a costume!

Perfect way to end the day!

Normally I end on Sunday, but I thought I would play straight through Labor Day Monday. I was exhausted and did not make the Survivors’ Bar Crawl this year, but I returned to Adikus’ home for his official Labor Day BBQ and pool party. Spending the day lounging around the pool, eating burgers and ribs while sipping on cocktails was the perfect finale to the long weekend. Surreal moment #4 -- knowing you have incredible friends who you think the world of!

Happy Southern Decadence everyone. Now keep calm and Halloween on!

Do you want your party or event covered? Invite me! ledgemgp@gmail.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 45

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE | PHOTOS BY TJ BOUDREAUX, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

46 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE | PHOTOS BY TJ BOUDREAUX, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE | PHOTOS BY TJ BOUDREAUX, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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HOT HAPPENINGS UNDER THE GAYDAR New Orleans Hot Happenings Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Southern Decadence may be over, but the good times are still happening in the Crescent City. Here is just a sample of some exciting gings-on. (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 Sea-

sons 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. The Stonewall Run Club joins 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 ques-

tions, 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 Dauphine St.; (all day) Tequila drinks

50 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 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 CHARLES PIZZO

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 · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 51

$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 There’s no cover for this grown-up game show where everyone’s a winner! 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.

BYOBikes Wednesday Bike Rides: Liuzza’s Bar and Restaurant; 3636 Bienville St.; Starts at 6 p.m. Come get over the hump with BYOBikes and meet every Wednesday at LIuzza’s On Bienville for a mid week Mid City Social Bike Ride. Drink Specials, family friendly, lawn games and FUN! It’s for a great cause! Meet up at 6 p.m.; Bike Ride at 6:30 p.m. and social hour at 7 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 Wednesday Night Karaoke: Cru; 535 Franklin Ave.; 8 - 10 p.m. Join Vanessa Carr Kennedy and the krewe at Cru NOLA - Raw & Bubble Bar for Wednesday night karaoke in the treehouse. Sing your heart out, enjoy some amazing cocktails, and get some food from the kitchen.

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.

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. En-

52 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 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 CHARLES PIZZO

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

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 53

ALL THAT DRAG Weekly Drag Shows in New Orleans

MONDAY Mondays Are A Drag - 8PM - Southern Rep Theater A weekly spectacle hosted by Latonia Dupree Black, and Malaysia Walker

TUESDAY Tacos, Tequila, & Tiaras - 8PM - Buffa’s Bar & Restaurant Hosted by Vanessa Carr Kennedy

WEDNESDAY WEDNESD Show Night - 10:30PM - Oz New Orleans Persana Shoulders presents this production featuring the fabulous ladies of Oz and music by DJ Tim Pflueger.

Hello Gorgeous - Every third Wednesday - Southern Rep Theater DeDe Onassis hosts this circus cabaret alongside aerialist Liza Rose that includes contortion, music, drag, and more.

THURSDAY THURSD Turnin’ Da Page - Every other Thursday - 9PM - The Page Serenity L. Lord emcees this bi-weekly marvel

FRIDAY Misc4Misc - 9PM - Oz New Orleans A weird and wonderful show presented by Apostrophe and featuring a new cast every week.

Play Girlz - 10PM - Golden Lantern Hosted by Gia Giavanni Illusions - 10:30PM - The Bourbon Pub The Queens of Illuisons offer up superstar female impersonation

SATURDAY Drag Brunch - 11AM & 1PM - The Country Club Enjoy bottomless mimosas at one of the most popular drag events in the city. cit Reservations are recommended.

Divas R Us - 10PM - Golden Lantern Hosted by Monica Synclaire Kennedy Showtime on Rampart - 10PM - GrandPre‘s Every other Saturday. Hosted by Moanalot Fountaine & Sable Starr Illusions - 10:30PM - The Bourbon Pub The Queens of Illuisons offer up superstar female impersonation

SUNDAY SUND Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch - 11AM & 1PM - Cru Bottomless beverages, a decadent brunch prepared by Chef Marlon Alexander, and the talents of Vanessa Carr.

Jubilee - 5PM - Golden Lantern Hosted by Reba Douglas Divas at the Dive - 5PM - Kajun’s Pub Hosted by Vanessa Carr Lipstixx - 8PM - The Bourbon Pub Oz Show Night - 9:30PM - Oz New Orleans Hosted by Persana Shoulders

Are we missing your show? Email us at info@ambushpublishing.com

joy 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 serve delicious drink specials

and amazing food during late night happy hours. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

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.

Burlesque Brunch: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Ave.; Join the incomparable Angie Z and friends for a boozy, burlesque brunch every Saturday from 11-3pm. For reservations, go to www. opentable.com.

Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.11 a.m. - 3 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 serve 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 Chef Marlon Alexander’s amazing menu and 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.

54 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

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

OPENING HOURS

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

ADDRESS 800 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA Phone: (504) 593-9491 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 55

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 9/10

Benefit At Large for Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Kayla Starr: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.: 8 p.m. midnight. Benefit for Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Kayla Starr to represent Louisiana at the National Miss Gay USofA at Large pageant in Dallas Texas Sept 18-21. Come out and show the girls some support and help raise some funds.

WEDNESDAY 9/11

Let’s Art with Lefty Lucy: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 6 - 8 p.m. LET’S ART! with Lefty Lucy is an original Drink’n’Draw where everyone is invited to ART in your own way. DRAW Lefty in poses that tell a story across two hours! WRITE your own story inspired by what you see! PHOTOGRAPH poses & ENJOY a burlesque act that will reveal the final chapter in this slow-motion play or just drink and enjoy a custom playlist in a low key cabaret environment.

Crescent City Leathermen General Membership Meeting: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 7:30 p.m.

Open to the public.

FRIDAY 9/13

Belles and Beaus Ball New Orleans: Mardi Gras World; 1380 Port of New Orleans Pl.; 7. - 11 p.m. Join this years’ honorees for American Cancer Society’s 19th Annual Belles and Beaus Ball. This year, all proceeds will benefit the Hope Lodge New Orleans.

For tickets, go to https://one.bidpal.net/ bbbnola/welcome Lords of Leather Beer Bust: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Come out and enjoy the beer specials with the Lords of Leather.

The Graduates: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. A monthly show featuring students and graduates of The New Orleans School of Burlesque!!

Each show will feature a rotating cast of current and past students who have studied extensively perfecting their craft and developing new acts! These performers are working hard to take the next step in their performances and are ready to show you what they’ve got! $10 cover. Tips encouraged!

SATURDAY 9/14

Coffee Talk - Your Emotional Well Being: Crescent Care: 1631 Elysian Fields Ave.; 10 - 11:30 a.m. Location: 2nd Floor Conference Room at CrescentCare. Parking is available in the CrescentCare parking lot (enter on right side of the building). Topic: Your Emotional Well-Being: Are you a Participant or an Observer? Join the discussion on just what makes up your

emotional well-being, how we combat feeling down or depressed, and how to reframe that info feeling powerful and strong! Moderated by Dr. Catherine Roland. PJs coffee and pastries will be provided.

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Artisan Bar and Cafe; 2514 St. Claude Ave.; 11 a.m. - 3 p.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! For tickets, go to www. eventbrite.com.

Dykes Do Deadlifts: Vitality by Kristin; 4304 Firestone Rd.; 11 a.m. noon. Come out for another fun workout for a good cause! They’re partnering with the creators of Dykes Do again to bring you Dykes Do Deadlifts! Don’t let the words “deadlift” freak you out.

Dykes Do Deadlifts, and all programming at Vitality, is first-timer friendly.

Nola Gaymers September Party: The LGBT Community Center; 2727 S. Broad St.; 2 - 6 p.m. Join the LGBTQ GAMERS OF THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS REGION at the LGBT Community Center to socialize and game. They will have board games, party games, card games, and snacks to share! We strongly encourage you to bring your own favorite games as well. Donations of $3 or more towards future Gaymer events will be split with the LGBT center. +1 Gaming will be our sponsor again and those who donate will be entered into a drawing to win a prize from their store!

5th Annual Oracle Gala: New Orleans Jazz Market; 1436 Oretha Castle Haley Dr.: 7 - 10 p.m. This year’s Oracle Gala will honor Valda Lewis, videographer, who has donated hundreds of hours of videos documenting LGBT+ history to local archives, including her 1987-1993 public access TV show, Just for the Record. The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana sponsored the digitization of that series this past year. There will be an open bar, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com.

2020 Mr. And Miss Gay Apollo de New Orleans: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon. St.; 8 - 11 p.m. Join the krewe of Apollo as they celebrate The Greatest Show. Guest performers include Shelton Carruth and Lana O’Day, Mr and Miss Apollo de New Orleans 2019.

Bon Appetit Dessert and Champagne Afterparty: Generations Hall; 310 Andrew Higgins Drive; 9 p.m. midnight. Come out and celebrate the mission of Project Lazarus at Generations Hall in the Warehouse District for the Dessert & Champagne Afterparty-with a fully air-conditioned dance floor, separate chic lounge areas for dining on desserts and sipping champagne, AND later start and end time! If you wish to attend the Dessert & Champagne Party, there is a suggested do-

56 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 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 · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 57

nation of $40 at the door. For tickets or more information, contact lhannigan@ projectlazarus.net.

MONDAY 9/16

Drag Queen Bingo: Mimi’s in the Marigny; 2601 Royal St.: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Vanessa Carr Presents Drag Queen Bingo at Mimi’s in the Marigny!

Join us for some fun and excitement with bingo and prizes and some outrageous Drag!

THURSDAY 9/19

Talk To The Hand! 3rd Thursdays Totally ‘90s/00’s: GrandPre’s 834 N. Rampart St.; 10 p.m. Join the fun at GrandPre’s for their monthly Third Thursday Totally ‘90s (and early ‘00s) Dance Party! No cover!

SATURDAY 9/21

Drag Queen Story Hour: Alvar Library; 913 Alvar St.; 1 - 2 p.m. Come listen to the beautiful and talented Vanessa Carr Kennedy and friends read stories. Open to all families, caregivers, and children of all ages.

Girls Gone Broadway: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 7 - 10 p.m.

Join the Krewe of Amon Ra for this fabulous fundraiser and show.

Queer Connection Dance Class: LGBT Community Center; 2727 S. Broad St.; 7 - 9 p.m. Free admission, no dance partner needed.

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.

Dirty Dime Peepshow: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. The Dirty Dime Peepshow is the most outlandish burlesque show in all of New Orleans, produced by Bella Blue and hosted by Ben Wisdom. The corps cast consists of the artistic genius of The Lady Lucerne, Tarah Cards, Bella Blue, and more. The Dirty Dime provides a platform for performers from New Orleans and beyond. Since 2009, the Dirty Dime has been feeding audiences the raw, dirty, and boundary-busting burlesque they crave. This isn’t another classic burlesque show! Cast aside your judgement and preconceived notions of what burlesque should be, and join them for a walk on the darkside.

11pm doors. Midnight show. $15 cover

at the door.

THURSDAY 9/26

Untitled Drag Show: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11 p.m. Drag has always existed in the complicated duality of artistry and entertainment, but in the modern day, entertainment has become the driving force of many a medium. In this [untitled drag show] we seek to let some of New Orleans’ most capable drag artists explore deeper into the realm of drag as art. No themes. No fetters. Come find out what happens when drag gets real. Doors at 10 p.m. Show at 11 p.m. $10 admission at the door.

FRIDAY 9/27

Jock Strap Lube Wrestling: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11:30 p.m. - 2 a.m.

There will be jockstraps, squirting lube, amateur wrestling, drag queen performance, and a $100 cash prize for the winner. JSLW is an all inclusive, no judgement, exhibitionist platform. At no time during the show are photos or videos allowed. All wrestlers sign up under their own consent. $15 cover | Show at midnight | Jockstraps provided.

SATURDAY 9/28

Chevron Walk to End HIV: Woldenberg Riverfront Park; 1 Canal St.; 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. It’s been 30 years since the walk began to end HIV and support those living with the virus. Come again and join Crescent Care at Woldenberg Park as we celebrate the advances in care and remember those we have lost. While conditions have vastly changed and people are living longer there is still no cure for this disease.

If left untreated, the condition still has dire consequences. It is important that everyone get tested and that everyone knows their status. We continue to walk for the 3500 people who seek care at CrescentCare every year. The Walk will take place at Woldenberg Park next to the Aquarium of the Americas along the Riverfront! For more information, go to www.endhivnola.donordrive.com.

Big Easy Sisters Bingo: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 6 - 9 p.m.

COME WIN STUFF! The BIG EASY SISTERS are playing with balls again.

Bingo to raise monies for local charities.

ARE WE MISSING YOUR EVENTS? Email Us at info@ambushpublishing.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

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

MONDAY

Service Industry Night

TUESDAY Karaoke

WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM

THURSDAY Karaoke

SATURDAY SEC Football

SUNDAY

Funday with Karaoke

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Along the Gulf South BATON ROUGE MON-FRI

Happy Hour: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue; 3-7p.m.

MONDAY

Game Night: George’s Place; 860 St. Louis St; 10p.m. Hosted by Chance SIN Night: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue; 30% Off

TUESDAY

Fat Tuesdays & Billiards & Darts Tournaments: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue

WEDNESDAY

Queens Karaoke: George’s Place; 860 St Louis St; 10p.m. Hosted by Alvin McGee Free Cover Wednesdays: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd; 9pm Open Mic w/ Ryan Jenkins: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue; 9p.m.

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 Think and Drink Trivia: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue;

FRIDAY

$5 Fridays: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue; Upstairs Karaoke: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd; 9pm $1 Martinis 9-10pm Theme Nights at Splash 7/26 - Homecoming: A Night Of Beyoncé 8/9 - August Birthday Bash 8/16 - Heroes & Villains Costume Party 8/23 - Drag Search All-Stars competition 8/30 - Spiceworld: A Night Of Spice Girls

SATURDAY

Non-stop Dance Music: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd Dancing in the Park: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue;

SUNDAY

Sunday Social Brunch: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue; Noon-3:00p.m. $20 Buffet with Bottomless Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s

58 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

THURSDAY

and Draft Beer

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

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

PENSACOLA THE ROUNDUP 560 E Heinberg St

TUESDAY

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

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY

TUESDAY

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

Drag Bingo & Show

THURSDAY

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

Movie Night with Chris 8pm

FRIDAY

Live Entertainment 6pm

SATURDAY

Live Entertainment 9pm

SUNDAY

Sing Along Sundays w/ Piano 4pm7pm

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

SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY Karaoke 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

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

GALVESTON 23RD ST. STATION 1706 23rd Street

WEDNESDAY

RUMORS

3102 Seawall Blvd.

Drag Bingo with Monica Heart; 6 p.m.

- 8 p.m. Win cash and prizes

720 Ryan Street

Anything But Techno Tuesdays; 10 p.m. No Cover. Ladies drink half off

WEDNESDAY

Ladies Night w/ Piano 6pm

MONDAY

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

Texas Hold ‘Em 7pm

TUESDAY

Tube-ular Tuesday with Jim 8pm

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 59

BUSINESS FINANCIAL & BUSINESS Tips to Save for Your Child’s College Tuition After You’ve Gone Through a Divorce Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com Parents of college-bound students know that paying for higher education takes planning and saving. For divorced parents, it can be particularly complex. Whether they’re paying for the college bills solo or contributing to the expenses in partnership with their ex-spouse, there are a lot of financial and emotional items to consider. If you fall into this category, here are five tips to help you work toward your college savings goal.

Tip #1: If possible, set aside time for a conversation with your ex-spouse. If you and your ex-spouse desire to work on funding college for your child together, it may be helpful to have an open and honest conversation to align on a savings strategy.

Ask your ex-spouse to pick a time to connect with you on this topic. While it may seem formal, scheduling a conversation will ideally allow both of you to set aside other emotions and get on the same page about funding your child’s college education.

When it’s time to talk, consider bringing in a financial advisor to help facilitate the discussion. A professional can help initiate the difficult topics, offer an informed opinion on how to reach a compromise and provide accountability as you divide and conquer

the various expenses (see tip #2). Your divorce settlement may have stipulations or a framework to help guide the conversation.

Tip #2: Decide how to divide and conquer college expenses. Decide sooner rather than later who will pay for expenses like tuition, books, a laptop, a parking pass, and room and board. If your child plays an instrument, participates in a sport or pursues another activity, there may be additional expenses (e.g. uniforms, travel, activity fees) for you to divvy up. If you’re able to come to an agreement, put your game plan in writing to help keep you and your ex-spouse accountable.

Tip #3: Fill out the FAFSA to see your options for potential financial aid. Regardless of how much you have in college savings, it’s important to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually, starting when your child is a senior in high school. The FAFSA determines your child’s eligibility for financial aid (including needs-based aid, certain grants and loans) after taking into account the amount they expect your family to contribute.

In general, the FAFSA considers the finances of the parent the child has lived with more in the last year when

assessing any qualification for aid (and that parent – often called the custodian parent – should complete the FAFSA).

If the child has lived with both divorced parents equally, the FAFSA factors in the finances of whomever has provided more monetary support in the last year.

Different factors may be considered in the FAFSA calculation depending on your specific circumstances. Visit the FAFSA website for more details (https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/ fafsa/). You may also contact the financial aid office at your child’s college of choice for additional help.

Tip #4: Pay close attention to account ownership of 529s. If you or your ex-spouse funded a college savings plan while you were still married, ownership of the account was likely decided in your divorce settlement. (Typically account ownership remains with the spouse who created and/or funds it most often.). If your ex-spouse retains control of one or more 529 accounts, consider if it makes sense – whether for financial or emotional purposes – to create your own account with your child as the beneficiary.

Tip #5: Set expectations with your child. Your child is likely considering a multitude of factors to deter-

mine which college may be the best fit – including which one may be the most affordable. Be honest about the type of support he or she can expect from you and your ex-spouse. Bear in mind that this doesn’t mean you have to share all the nuances of your arrangement.

Rather, consider providing key details to help your child make their choice – and know who to turn to when tuition or a school fee is due.

It’s true that divorce may add a few extra steps and considerations when saving for your child’s college tuition.

But don’t let the complexity stop you.

As a financial advisor, I have helped many clients sort out the details and feel good about their plan and savings.

If you are interested in learning what your options are for reaching this goal, talk to a financial advisor in your area.

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.

SOCIAL SALES Engage Your Customers to Sell to Them Charles Pizzo pizzocharles@gmail.com “Is print dead?” was a common question heard in the mid-nineties. At that time, the Web was new. Consumers had unprecedented ways to search for information, and marketers debated whether or not the public would embrace the new technology.

We know how that turned out. The question seems quaint now, but at the time, people in business struggled to make sense of the shift.

Amazon, Netflix, and Uber were all unthinkable to those whose mindset was firmly rooted in the past. The newspaper industry was affected as readers flocked online.

Suddenly, people without printing presses could reach vast audiences using Facebook and Twitter. Information flowed at the speed of the Net. Fast forward: print is still not dead.

Nearly a quarter century later, you may

be reading this article in a printed edition of Ambush. Print remains the favored choice for readers on the bus, bath, and in bed. And, from what I have observed, in bars.

And yet, the impact of digital media has been profound. Smartphones are now ubiquitous and most of us find ourselves inseparable from our devices.

Most people don’t care whether they get information via print or virtually. What matters is that they get it “just in time”—at the moment when they need it.

Social media has evolved from personal use to professional. Businesses regularly post updates in an effort to meet the needs of their audiences and inform them.

How does one make sense of all this?

Businesspeople sometimes ask

“What’s more effective, a print ad or a Facebook post?” The answer is not so simple. You have to ask customers about their habits.

Where do they get information? In Old World terms, you must “fish where the fish are biting.” Audiences are seldom homogenous and the answer is often a mix.

An ad is appropriate for print, but on social media, the name of the game is engagement. Studies show that people want to be informed more than sold. A conversation is more persuasive than a hard sales pitch (think “word of mouth”).

For example, I read social posts about food, but I don’t want companies or restaurants to hard sell me with repeated (and often inflated) claims about their products. I want to know about their offerings, and conversa-

tions online can influence my purchase decisions.

Some small business owners refer to social posts as ads, a throwback to the way things used to work. Through ads, a business talks to its customers and prospects. That dynamic exists on social media too, but customers can now talk back.

They have product questions and want to know your hours & address.

They ask very specific questions to determine if they want to buy what you’re selling. In that regard, social media is as much about customer service as it is about marketing.

It can also be an effective way to resolve problems. People complain on social media, and they expect an apology & resolution within minutes.

Remember, young people grew up with Google. They are digital natives

60 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

LIVE MUSIC • VENDORS • INFORMATION • FOOD • KIDS’ ACTIVITIES

SCAN TO DONATE

gulf coast equality fest 10/19/19

UNITY

[yoo-ni-tee]

noun, plural u·ni·ties.

The state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification.

Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English unite < Old French < Latin unitas, equivalent to un(us ) one + -itas -ity

THE GREAT LAWN / 11AM – 6PM Harrah’s Gulf Coast • 280 Beach Blvd • Biloxi, MS 39530 GulfCoastEqualityFest.org Facebook.com/EqualityMS Must be 21 or older to gamble. Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort reserves all rights. ©2019, Caesars License Company, LLC. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 61

who don’t remember the old days. It’s us old dogs who must adapt and learn new tricks.

Youth will drive the economy going forward. They are accustomed to receiving information instantaneously.

Perhaps owing to Instagram, they are also very visual (this has long been said about LGBTQ+ audiences too). A good photo or graphic is still worth a thousand words.

The more customers see and learn, the more likely they are to be

attracted to your product or service.

When the time comes, you have to be ready to engage with them in real time.

Can you drive consumers to your business using social media?

Yes, you draw them into your sphere of influence, inform them about your offerings, build awareness for whatever you’re selling, answer their questions, and engage in discussions to help them trust you. When they’re ready, they’ll convert to buyers.

And that’s how you measure suc-

cess. Remember when people talked about the number of hits a Web site received? Professionals derisively say H.I.T.S. stands for “How Idiots Track Success” because hits (and likes) are meaningless by themselves.

Sales are the name of the game.

Communication must connect to the bottom line. The technology may be new, but the business need is as old as it was in your grandparents’ day. Social media is simply an additional channel to engage buyers.

In future columns, we’ll examine strategies and best practices to increase sales.

Charles Pizzo is an award-winning PR person who offers creative solutions to help businesses reach their audience more effectively. He is a former Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE PARADE GOERS | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

62 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Southern Decadence SOUTHERN DECADENCE SURVIVOR’S BAR CRAWL | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 63

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory NEW ORLEANS

ACCOMMODATIONS The Burgundy Bed and Breakfast, 2513 Burgundy St, (504) 261-9477, theburgundy.com Aaron Ingram Haus, 1012 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 949-3110, ingramhaus.com Blues60 Guest House, 1008 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 324-4311, blues60guesthouse.com

Bourbon St, (504) 593-9761

(504) 523-4517 Friendly Bar, 2301 Chartres St, (504) 943-8929

700 Club, 700 Burgundy St, (504) 5611095, 700nola.com

Golden Lantern, 1239 Royal St, (504) 529-2860

Black Penny, 700 N Rampart St, (504) 304-4779, facebook.com/ blackpennynola

GrandPre’s, 834 N Rampart St, (504) 267-3615 Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St Claude Ave, (504) 947-3735 Mags 940, 940 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 948-1888

Big Daddy’s, 2513 Royal street, (504) 948-6288 Big Easy Daiquiris, Several locations throughout the French Quarter

New Orleans Pride, June 7-9, 2019, NewOrleansPrideFestival.com Southern Decadence, Labor Day Weekend, SouthernDecadence.com Halloween New Orleans, October 25-27, 2019, HalloweenNewOrleans. com Gay Appreciation ambushpublishing.com

Awards,

GALLERIES Casell Bergen Gallery, 1305 Decatur St, (504) 478-6744, casellbergengallery.com

Oz New Orleans, 800 Bourbon St, (504) 593-9491, ozneworleans.com

Good Friends Bar, 740 Dauphine Street, (504) 566-7191, goodfriendsbar.com

Phoenix Bar, 941 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 945-9264, phoenixbarnola.com

Napoleon’s Itch, 734 Bourbon St, (504) 237-4144

Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St, (504) 525-8106, rawhide2010.com

Tropical Isle, 721 Bourbon St, (504) 529-4109, tropicalisle.com

Matassa’s Market, 1001 Dauphine St, (504) 412-8700, https://www. matassas.com

Bourbon Pub/Parade, 801 Bourbon St, (504) 529-2107, bourbonpub.com

The Page Bar, 542 N Rampart St, (504) 875-4976

Allways Lounge and Cabaret, 2240 St. Claude Ave

Quartermaster Deli, 1100 Bourbon St, www.quartermasterdeli.net

Café Lafitte in Exile, 901 Bourbon St, (504) 522-8397, www.lafittes.com

VooDoo Lounge, 718 N Rampart St, (504) 265-0953

BOOKSTORES

Robert’s Fresh Market, 2222 St. Claude Ave, (504) 207-0162, robertfreshmarket.com

Corner Pocket, 940 St Louis St, (504) 568-9829, www.cornerpocket.net

The Country Club, 634 Louisa St, (504) 945-0742, thecountryclubneworleans. com

The BEARigny Suites, 2226 N Rampart St, (504) 309-0062, thebearignysuite.com

BARS & CLUBS Four Seasons & Patio Stage Bar, 3229 N. Causeway Blvd, (504) 8320659

Cutter’s Bar, 706 Franklin Ave, (504) 948-4200 Crossing NOLA, 439 Dauphine St,

Phillips Bar, 733 phillipsbar.com Lafitte’s

Blacksmith

Cherokee

St,

Faubourg Marigny Art and Books, 600 Frenchmen St

CIRCUIT / EVENT Gay Easter Parade, Easter Sunday, gayeasterparade.com Gay Mardi Gras, gaymardigras.com

Shop,

941

GROCERIES

GUIDES Official Gay Easter Parade Guide, gayeasterparade.com Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide, gaymardigras.com

64 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory Official Gay New Orleans Guide, gayneworleans.com Official Pride Guide, neworleanspridefestival.com

2000 Canal Street, 4th Floor, 4C Clinic, (504) 702-4344, umcno.org/ infectiousdisease

Official Southern Decadence Guide, southerndecadence.com

CrescentCare, 1631 Elysian FIelds Ave, (504) 821-2601, crescentcare. org

HAIR SALONS

MUSEUMS

FiFi Mahony’s, 934 Royal St, (504) 525-4343, fifimahonys.com Head Quarters Hair Salon, 906 Bourbon St, (504) 522-2666 Micky Nolan Salon, 717 Toulouse St, (504) 587-7782, mickeynolansalon. com Two Guys Cutting Hair, 2372 St Claude Ave #125, 215.519.5030, (504) 239-2397

Mardi Gras Museum, 813 Bienville St, (504) 523-5433

ORGANIZATIONS Louisiana Trans Advocates, (877) 565-8860, latransadvocates.org NOLA Softball League, nolasoftball. org Crescent City rougarouxrugby.org

Rougaroux,

Krewe of Mwindo, PO Box 51031, (504) 913-5791 Krewe of Stars, 1010 Conti St, kreweofstars.com Krewe of Narcissus, PO Box 3832, (504) 228-9441

com P-Flag New Orleans, (504) 617-5987, alberto.oliver@cox.com Mystic Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans, mkaneworleans.com

PHARMACY

Mystic Krewe of Lords of Leater, 1000 Bourbon Street #B415, lordsofleather.org

Mumfrey’s Pharmacy, 1021 W. Judge Perez Dr., (504) 279-6312, mumfreyspharmacy.com

Renegade Bears of Louisiana, PO Box 3083, renegadebearsoflouisiana@ gmail.com

Avita Pharmacy, 2601 Tulane Ave Ste 445, (504) 822-8013

Crescent City Leathermen, 941 Elysian Fields Ave, crescentcityleathermen.org

G Douglas Photography, LLC, Wedding and Portriat Photography, By Appointment Only, gdouglasadamsphotography.com

NOAGE, noagenola.org

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Krewe of King kreweofkingarthur.com

Arthur,

HARDWARE

Stonewall Sports, facebook.com/ groups/stonewallneworleans

Craig Fremin Photography, By Appointment Only, craigfremin.com

Mary’s Ace Hardware, 732 N Rampart St, (504) 529-4465, acehardware.com

Krewe of Petronius, PO Box 1102, kreweofpetronius.net

LGBT Community Center, 2727 S Broad Ave, (504) 333-5412

Graham/ Studio One, By Appointment Only, grahamstudioone.com

HEALTHCARE

Krewe of Amon- Ra, PO Box 7033, kreweofamonra.com

Gulf South Chamber of Commerce, (504) 754-5279, gulfsouthchamber. com

Parker Studios, By Appointment Only, halle.parker15@outlook.com

Friday Night Before Mardi Gras, fridaynightbeforemardigras.com

Steve Richards Properties Latter & Blum, 712 Orleans Ave, (504) 2581800

Odyssey House, 1125 North Tonti Street, ohlinc.org Access Health Louisiana, 3300 South Broad Street, 234 Loyola Ave. Ste 300B, accesshealthla.org UMC - HIV Outpatient Program,

Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans, P. O. Box 770973, www.mkaneworleans. com Krewe of Armenius, 433 N. Broad St, armenius.org

Krewe of Queenateenas/ King Cake Queen Royalty Club, gaymardigras.

REAL ESTATE

Michael

Styles

Realtor,Engel

&

WWW.NOLAPRIDERUN .COM PRIDE www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 65

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory Volkers, (504) 777-1773, nolastyles. com, Michael specializes in helping first-time homebuyers and real estate investors find the perfect New Orleans properties.

Cru, 535 Franklin Ave, (504) 446-0040, crunola.com

RELIGION St. Anna’s Espicopal Church, 1313 Esplanade Ave, (504) 947-2121, stannanola.org Metropolitan Community Church New Orleans, 5401 S Claiborne Ave, mccneworleans.com

RESTAURANTS 801 Royal, 801 Royal Street, (504) 581-0801, 801royal.com Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard,

bombayclubneworleans.

Washing Well Laundryteria, 841 Bourbon St, (504) 523-9955

Dat Dog on Frenchmen, 601 Frenchmen St, (504) 309-3362, datdog.com

The Ruby Slipper Café, 2001 Burgundy St, (504) 525-9355, therubyslippercafe.net

Bear Hebert Yoga and Life Coach, bearteachesyoga.com

EAT, 900 Dumaine St, (504) 522-7222, eatnola.com

Who Dat Coffee Cafe, 2401 Burgundy St, (504) 872-0360, whodatcoffee. com

Envie Espresso Bar & Cafe, 1241 Decatur St, (504) 524-3689, cafeenvie.com Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres Street, (504) 598-5005, kingfishneworleans.com Lousiana Pizza Kitchen, 615 S. Carrollton Ave, (504) 237-0050, louisianapizzakitchenuptown.com

819 Rue Conti, (504) 581-3866, broussards.com

Mona Lisa, 1212 Royal St, (504) 5226746, monalisaneworleans.com,

Cafe Sbisa, 1011 Decatur Street, (504) 522-5565, cafesbisanola.com

NOLA Poboys, 908 Bourbon, (504) 655-3312, nolapoboys.com

Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop , 2309 N. Causeway Blvd, (504) 835-2022, gumbostop.com

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans Ave, (504) 5231930, Orleansgrapevine.com

Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St, (504) 598-1010, www.clovergrill.com

Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal Street, royalhouserestaurant.com

Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa Street, (504) 945-0742, thecountryclubnreorleans.com

Santa Fe Restaurant, 3201 Esplanade, (504) 948-0077, santafenola.com The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, (504)

577-2237, com

Who Dat Coffee Cafe, 9207 W. St. Bernard Hwy, (504) 354-8452

RETAIL Mr. Binky’s Boutique, 107 Chartres St, (504) 302-2095 QT Pie Boutique, 241 Dauphine St, (504) 581-6633 Skully’z Recordz, 907 Bourbon St, (504) 592-4666 Bourbon Pride, 909 Bourbon Street, (504) 566-1570 COK (Clothing or Kink), 941 Elysian FIelds, Located inside the Phoenix Bar XXX Shop, 1835 N. Rampart St, (504) 232-3063

NOLA Healer: Lawrence Gobble, nolahealer.com , Massage Therapy A&B Errand Services, (504) 3197227, aandberrandservices.com Flambeaux CrossFit, 505 N Causeway Blvd, Metairie, flambeauxcrossfit.com

THEATERS Cafe Istanbul, 2372 St. Claude Ave #140, (504) 974-0786, cafeistanbulnola.com Southern Rep Theater, 2541 Bayou Road, (504) 522-6545, southernrep. com

TOURS Crescent City Tours, 638 St. Ann, (504) 568-0717, Gay New Orleans Walking Tours

HOUSTON

BARS & CLUBS

SERVICES

Rich’s, 2401 San Jacinto Street, www. facebook.com/richshouston

Formal Connection, 299 Belle Terre Blvd, 985.652-1195

JR’s, 808 Pacific Street, (713) 5212519, jrsbarandgrill.com

66 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory Rouge, (225) 242-949, splashbr.com

CAMPING

Guava Lamp, 570 Waugh Drive, (713) 524-3359, guavalamphouston.com

George’s Place, 860 St. Louis St, Baton Rouge, (225) 387-9798, georgesplacebr.com

Wildwoods Hideaway, Eutaw, AL, (205) 860-0836, wildwoodshideaway. com

Pearl Houston, 4216 Washington Ave281.757-3229, facebook.com/ pearlbarhouston/

The Park Pub & Bar, 4619 Benningotn Ave, Baton Rouge, Facebook @ theparkbr

Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon, 11410 Hempstead Rd, (713) 6770828, neonbootsclub.com

Bolt, 114 McKinley St, Lafayette, (337) 534-4913, facebook.com/boltlaffy

Eagle Houston, 611 Hyde Park Blvd, (713) 523-2473, houstoneagle.com

Ripcord, 715 Fairview St, (713) 5212792, theripcord.com The Ranch Hill Saloon, 24704 Interstate 45 Ste 103, (281) 298-9035, ranchhill.com Axelrad, 1517 Alabama St, (713) 5978800, alexradbeergarden.com Poison Girl Cocktail Lounge, 1641 Westheimer Rd. Ste B, (713) 5279929, poisongirlbar.com

CIRCUIT / EVENT Houston Pride, June 22, pridehouston. org The Woodlands Pride, September, thewoodlandstxpride.wordpress.com QFEST, Houston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, q-fest.com

ORGANIZATIONS UH LGBTQ Resource Center, 4465 University Drive, (832) 842-6191, www.uh.edu/lgbtq The Montrose Center, 401 Branard Street, (713) 529-0037, montrosecenter.org AIDS Foundation of Houston, 6260 Westpark Dr. Suite 100, (713) 6236796, aidshelp.org

PHARMACY Avita Pharmacy, 6800 West Loop South Ste 225, (713) 592-0211, avitapharmacy.com

SOUTH LOUISIANA ACCOMMODATIONS

Apartments Available for Rent in Baton Rouge. Friendly, quiet, small apartment complex with one and two bedroom apartments available now.

Pool, free parking, gated property, centrally located, owners live on site.

Please contact us today for a tour: (225) 505-6531, @ChateauJacques, facebook.com/chateaujacques Mid City Baton Rouge. 1 or 2 Bedroom for rent: Furnished or Unfurnished $450/month per bedroom. Includes all utilities, internet, and full use of the house with washer and dryer. No smoking or drugs in house. Richard Clement rpcgemcajun@hotmail.com or text (225) 666-9194

BARS & CLUBS

Crystals, 112 W. Broad St, Lake Charles, (337) 433-5457

CIRCUIT / EVENT Baton Rouge Pride, June 15, brpride. org Acadiana Pride, acadianapride.org

Date

TBA,

Pride of SWLA, Date TBA, prideofswla. org, info@prideofswla.org

HEALTHCARE HAART (HIV AIDS Alliance Region Two, Inc), 4550 North Blvd. Ste 250, Baton Rouge, (225) 927-1269, haartinc.org

ORGANIZATIONS Krewe of Apollo de Baton Rouge, apollobatonrouge.com Krewe of Apollo kreweofapollo.com

de

Lafayette,

PHARMACY

NORTHERN LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI & ALABAMA BARS & CLUBS

Club Pink, 1914 Roselawn Avenue, Monroe, myclubpink.com Central Station, 1025 Marshall St, Shreveport, (318) 222-2216 The Korner Lounge, 800 Louisiana Ave, Shreveport, thekornerlounge. com

Just Us Lounge, 906 Division Street, Biloxi, (228) 374-1007 Sipps Bar Gulfport, 2218 25th Ave, Gulfport, (228) 206-7717, sippsgulfport.com

CIRCUIT / EVENT

Oxford Pride, April 28-May 5, Oxford MS, oxfordmspride.rocks

Mobile Pride, October 5, 2019, Mobile, AL, mobpride.org

Central Alabama Pride, June 1-10, 2019, Birmingham, AL, facebook. com/centralalabamaprideinc

Gulf Coast Pride, June 29, 2019, Biloxi, MA, gcpride.org

Druid City Pride, October 2019, Tuscaloosa, AL, druidcitypride.org

Sexacola, May 23, Pensacola, FL, sexacolabeach.com

ORGANIZATIONS

Memorial Weekend Pensacola, Pensacola, FL, johnnychisholm.com

The Spectrum Center, 210 S 25th Ave, Hattiesburg, (601) 909-5338

Pensacola Pride, June 15-16, facebook.com/pensacolapride

Krewe of Apollo mkabirmingham.com

Birminham,

HEALTHCARE Oasis Florida, 25 E Wright Street, (850) 429-7551, oasisflorida.org

RELIGION Safe Harbor Family Church, safeharborfamilychurch.org Joshua Generation joshuageneration.rocks

MCC,

GULF COAST BARS & CLUBS

The Midtown Pub, 153 Foorida Street, Mobile, (251) 450-1555

Avita Pharmacy, 5551 Corporate Blvd, Baton Rouge, avitapharmacy. com

Wonderlust, 3911 Drive, Jackson, (337) wonderlustjackson.com

CIRCUIT / EVENT CENLA Pride, May 31 - June 2, Alexandria, LA, facebook.com/ cenlaclasspride

Rumors Biloxi, 3540 Bienville Blvd, Biloxi, (228) 875-4131

Gabriel’s Downtown, 55 South Joachmin Street, Mobile, (251) 4324900 B-Bob’s, 213 Conti Street, Mobile (251) 433-2262, b-bobs.com Flip Side Bar & Patio, 545 S. Conception Street, Mobile, (251) 4318819, flipsidebarpatio.com The Roundup 560 East Heinberg Street, Pensacola, (850) 433-8482 Cabaret, 101 S Jefferson Street E, Pensacola, (850) 607-2020

Coastal Family Health Care, 1046 Division St, Biloxi, coastalfamilyhealth. org

HIV CARE AND SERVICES My Brothers Keeper, 407 Orchard Park, Ridgeland, MS, (769) 257-7721, mbkinc.org

ORGANIZATIONS Order of Osiris, PO Box 1991, Mobile, AL, orderofosiris.com Order of Dinoysus D’Iberville, MS, https://www.facebook.com/Order-OfDionysus Gulf Coast Transgender Alliance, (850) 332-8416, gulfcoasttransgenderalliance.com, gctransgenderalliance@gmail.com Gay Grassroots, 6847 N. 9th Avenue, Ste A, Box 317, Pensacola, ggnwfl. com

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Our Place, 2115 7th Ave Birmingham, (205) 715-0077

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COMICS, PUZZLES & HOROSCOPES WORD SEARCH

There is only one Southern Decadence E N D E E N N D C E D A A E E D D D E C E C N D C D E E D E E A N C C D C C A E E E E D N C C C D D A C N C A E E N N C E D A C N D E C E A D C E D A E D D A A C D D E N C C E D D C D C E C D D N D D E D D E E E E E C D C C D N E E A C D C E N C C E E E C E A E D C C E E C C C C D A C D E A A E D C

Locate the given words in the grid, running in one of eight possible directions horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

C E E A E D C C E D N D D E D N E D E E C E D C E E E E E D N C D D C C C C D D D D E D D N A D D E A N E C C E C D D A D D D D C C A C N D E E D D E C A C C E D C E D D E D E C N D E A C C E E E E D C A E E D D D C N C E C E D E A D D E C E E D N D D N E N D E A D C C E A C E E C D E E E A E N D A

CHALLENGE: How many can you find? Tag us and your completed puzzle on Facebook @AmbushMag

E C C E A N N N N C D D E E D C E N A D E A N D A C C N C E D D N D E N N E A N N C C E D C N D C E E D E N D N D D D C E D E E E E E E E D E D D E E C A E N D D E D E A C E C D E E C A E C C E A C D E C C E E E E D E N D N E C C E E N D C E E E E E

PUZZLE WORD BANK

D E E N N D N C C C C E E D N D E A E E D N C E C E C A A D E E C N E D C E C C A N D A E N E E E E D C A C D E E C C E D E N A D D D N C A A C D E E

DECADENCE

A E C C A D N A N C C E C D N D D E E N A N D D C E C D E N D C E C N D E N E E A D E E E C D E C A E N D E N D D A C A D E D N A A D E D E E E C E E E E E N E D C D E E C N C E E D D E D E C C D D N C C D D D E A A D E E A D D N E D D A E E C C C C

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HOROSCOPES Messages from the Oracle in New Orleans Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans dan@innermakeup.net If you just want to read your horoscope, skip this paragraph. But I encourage you to pause and consider the nature of astrology and what it means to read your horoscope. Astrology was originally understood as omens, prophecies, and oracles. Whenever you go to a psychic, tarot reader, or an astrologer like myself, you’re engaging with the possibilities of the future. But modern astrology is also the alignment of the heavens at your moment of birth that serves as the celestial signature of your personality. This combination of your star chart and sun sign—Aries, Taurus, etc.—and the usage of that tool to divine the future is here for your taking. Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Though different, ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. This is for your entertainment so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars!

Labor Day Weekend and Southern Decadence have passed. Hopefully you’re not still hungover because you have work to do. Astrology is based on the seasons. You are born at a certain time and place and thus the sign, or the season, is reflected in you. Still, we all experience the seasons regardless of when we are born and now we are in the season of Virgo, the virgin. Clearly you are not a virgin. But the season of Virgo reflects the virgin who collects the harvest to be judged. What materials do you have to reap that you can carry forth into the months ahead?

That’s where your head should be as this process does take a fair amount of clarification, analysis, and organization. You might be surprised by the fruit you have.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19 As the most driving, physical, assertive sign of the zodiac, you’re putting this energy into your daily health routine. You’re even placing some extra effort to analyze exactly what you’re doing. However, you have a real opportunity to help and serve others in this effort. This actually benefits you, as teaching someone else to do something reinforces and deepens what you already know. Take somebody to the gym and show them the ropes. This might be a coworker who has the hots for you.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20 You’re surprised as your romance sector lights up. This is a more practical kind of love, and you’re actively in pursuit of it. Understand that this love is more about commitment and practicality as opposed to fun, risk, and recreation. Real love isn’t when everything is going great. True love is when you wake up next to someone the morning after, they look like shit, and you love them even more.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20 Your mind is on clarifying your home situation. This has to do with a lover who may have stayed beyond his welcome. The heavens are demanding you make a change in this situation or it will get worse. Think more conservatively about how you want your home to be as if it were a stoic old building.

Your home is an institution and lovers need to have the proper respect when they come over. This is critical as he’s deceiving you.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22 For the past nine months and the next nine following you are moving ahead and making gains though not without pain. Think of this as two periods of gestation and two births. Right now, though, you’re talking and communicating quite a bit about your daily conditions. This occurs in the workplace. Your coworkers have strong beliefs, though, and you want to make sure you present your thoughts in a rational, reasoned way. If you don’t, it will be a clash of harsh critiques vs. deeply held beliefs that will leave everyone on edge.

help you think big about your long-term financial goals.

VIRGO

August 23 - September 22 There is so much activity in your soul right now. You’re analytical, loving, and aggressive. This energy expresses itself in many ways. Because you’re so stirred up, be careful not to let yourself get carried away. Don’t make any rash decisions regarding career and status.

Consult a friend who helps you re-center your beliefs, and lean on a sibling to help get your thoughts in order.

LIBRA

September 23 - October 22 You’re giving too much of yourself and this isolates you. It’s a drive to serve that is currently your undoing, but relationship boundaries are what’s needed. If you don’t take care of this, you’ll be driven to avenge the one to whom you’re beholden. I believe this person is amongst your coworkers. You benefit by disrupting this relationship, evaluating its benefits, and engaging with those whose resources truly benefit you. You’ll be surprised that the ones who seem distant are actually the ones who offer the most treasure.

SCORPIO

October 23 - November 21 A relationship is upended but this is necessary if you are to protect your friendships. You’re being the shrewd judge, and that’s ok. You know that the motivations of others aren’t always pure. If you don’t nip things in the bud, you’ll end up with the wrong bedfellows.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 - December 21 You have a great opportunity to renegotiate your salary. Bring all of the evidence to the higher-ups about why you deserve a raise. Make sure to mention how paying you more will actually benefit them in the long run. Even if you’ve had some financial losses as of late, this is the time to move ahead,

even if your mood doesn’t match. Seeing the future is difficult if you can’t separate yourself from how you feel in the moment.

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 19 This is a great time for you to get out of town before autumn and the holidays. You’ll have to act fast with your plans, but a lover will be willing to take a backseat to your needs as long as you commit during this getaway. You’re going to want a cozy Airbnb style place so you’ll feel like it’s a home away from home, and you might want to consider going West. Your lover will even be happy to cook for you!

AQUARIUS

January 20 - February 18 You’re feeling a little confused about your finances. Sometimes confusion can actually yield good insights, and the revelation is that you need some clarity. Consult your accountant with regard to your taxes and even contracts regarding wills, etc. That person will be there to help guide you and has the feminine touch you need. Along with feeling confused, you’re acting a bit stubborn as well.

PISCES

February 19 - March 20 Since the end of last year, your career has expanded. Then it really took a wild swing at the beginning of this year. It’s great that you’re making gains, but don’t give it all away to those who are envious of your success. New people have emerged as a result of your success and have their own ambitions in mind. Keep a watchful eye on all of your partners. They may be swayed to the dark side.

I’m Dan Beck, M.M. Yale University and #1 Astrologer in New Orleans. I’m at your service for readings, parties, events, corporate trainings, and more.

Visit http://www.innermakeup.net and to contact me email dan@innermakeup.net or call 504-313-8706.

LEO

July 23 - August 22 You have a real chance this month to clarify your personal finances. These are your finances as in the money you have and your movable resources. You can update or initiate a budget that will get you on track. You might find big savings and benefits by looking at your bills at home i.e. electricity, cable, and water or even refinancing your mortgage. If you want, you might have some good fortune touching some of your investments, but only if you acknowledge some of the pain you’ve had in the past regarding financial advisors. If you go down that route you want to partner with someone who will

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SPORTS Joe Burrow worthy of Heisman chatter Ken Trahan, Crescent City Sports When it comes to LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the superlatives are flowing and flowing freely.

Burrow is a good leader, on and off the field. We deciphered that last season.

Burrow is a good runner and a physical runner, much to the chagrin of Ed Orgeron at times. We saw that last season.

Burrow is an accurate passer with a good arm. That was evident in 2018, particularly in the latter stages of the season.

Expectations for Burrow in 2019 were large, as were expectations for the LSU football team, as a whole.

Thus far, neither has disappointed.

To the contrary, both have perhaps even exceeded those expectations.

LSU has a 55-3 win over a Georgia Southern team that won 10 games, including a bowl game a year ago.

The Tigers have a huge road victory over a very good Texas team.

In the process, the Tigers have scored 100 points while amassing 1,025 yards of offense in just two games.

While Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall have had much to do with the productivity, it all starts with Burrow.

In two games, Burrow has been amazing. Simply put, he has been the best quarterback in the country.

Of course, it is a small sample size but the numbers and the accomplishments cannot be ignored or taken lightly.

Of the top 40 ranked passers in the country in the FBS rankings, Burrow is second in completion percentage at 81.8 percent (54-of-66). Only Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma (82.9 percent) ranks higher.

Burrow is second to Hurts in quarterback rating at 219.1 while Hurts is off the charts at 252.3.

Burrow ranks fourth in the nation in passing yards with 749, trailing on Elijah Sindelar of Purdue, Anthony Gordon of Washington State and Cole McDonald of Hawaii and none of those schools figure prominently in the national championship picture as LSU does.

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Joe Burrow

Burrow is tied for first in the nation in touchdown passes with nine with Sindelar and Gordon.

Hurts is a good player but he was not the best quarterback at Alabama.

That would be Tua Tagovailoa, who is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this season after finishing second a year ago.

The other name mentioned most prominently in the Heisman discussion at quarterback entering the season was Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and he does not rank among the top 40 in any statistical category after two games.

Let’s put this in perspective.

It is just two games. We have barely scratched the surface.

Then again, LSU will be favored in every game the rest of the way with the exception of a date at Tuscaloosa.

Could the Heisman Trophy be front and center when the Tigers battle the Crimson Tide on Nov. 9?

It is not a far-fetched concept at all.

No one has been better than Burrow thus far this season, including Hurts.

For good measure, Burrow has rushed 10 times for 35 yards, thus far resisting the urge to take off too frequently and try to run over tacklers.

Suffice it to say that his decision-making has been as good as his play, which has been superb.

To even broach the subject of an

LSU quarterback being a Heisman Trophy candidate was a laughable concept as recently as a year ago.

To win the Heisman, you have to win big, win big games and put up big numbers.

LSU will beat Northwestern State Saturday. How long will Burrow play and will he be able to post huge numbers?

Can LSU beat the likes of Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M? Most importantly, can the Tigers finally catch up with Alabama?

All of the above will hinge largely on how well Burrow performs before an improved offensive line, with improved receivers and with running backs who should be good.

Joe Burrow was a godsend for the LSU football program. He was sorely needed. LSU won 10 games a year ago. They appear poised to exceed that this season, barring significant injuries.

It is safe to mention the “H” word in connection with Burrow. He is most definitely in the conversation now and should be. Here’s hoping that he will be.

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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W 28-13

L 16-13

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SNAP PAPARAZZI New Orleans Pride Run & Walk AT THE 2019 PRIDE RUN & WALK BY NOTC | PHOTOS BY CHRIS LEONARD, AMBUSH PUBLISHING

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Marcus Davenport looks to make a difference in second year with Saints Rene Nadeau, Crescent City Sports The New Orleans Saints surrendered their first and fifth round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft plus their top pick in the 2019 draft to acquire the opportunity to select Marcus Davenport. With that much involved, the microscope has been focused on the 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive end who enters his second NFL season with great expectations on a Super Bowl contender.

During his days at UTSA, Davenport tallied 186 tackles, 22 sacks and 38 tackles for loss in setting school records and wreaking havoc in Conference-USA. He was viewed as a player with tremendous upside while requiring some patience in his development despite his physical gifts. His stats indicate that he improved each season in college despite facing double and triple team blocking.

Davenport drew some attention at the 2018 Senior Bowl and ran an impressive 4.58 forty with other elite testing figures at the Indianapolis Combine.

Once he steps between the stripes, he shows no quit. Davenport is not relying on his physical abilities alone.

That’s something you can’t teach.

“Everyday I have to improve on things. It’s all a process,” Davenport Nelson Agholar, Marcus Davenport, Jason Peters (Photo: Parker Waters) explained. “Right now I’m concentrating on going fast and playing my game, to believe in it.” who was athletic, just someone who trusting my eyes.”

His preparation does not include worked hard.”

He landed as a wide eyed rooktrying to copy othHelp from experienced pros has ie, but Davenport ers.

Davenport helped, of course. Two players who has a better feel have been instrumental in helping for what to expect “Everyday I have to improve embraces his own to shape him as an NFL players are as he prepares on things. It’s all a process,” unique skill set, both the strangths Cameron Jordan and former teammate for the rigors of Alex Okafor. “The whole time, they his second pro Davenport explained. “Right and areas where he needs to imhave been the best coaches and teamseason. He feels now I’m concentrating on prove. mates,” Davenport stressed emphatmore confident in going fast and playing my “I felt like I ically. “They have lifted me up. When his abilities. was different.

I was negative I could always talk to game, trusting my eyes.”

“Confidence Other players did them, lean on them.” comes from things fluently. I A toe injury last season impeded preparation,” he felt like I had to adapt, find how to do it. his progress, causing him to miss three said. “Once you feel certified in your I would watch a lot of players and pick games as a rookie. When he came preparation , you can exude it. That’s up little things and adapt it to my style. back, Davenport was not quite at full an important key. Sometimes you work I never thought of myself as someone strength. His career high was a pair of on things. It just takes one time for you

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sacks against the Minnesota Vikings but he eyes more performances like that one in his second year.

The Saints have the highest of expectations, and only a Super Bowl will meet them. UTSA struggled to find consistent success during Marcus’ tenure, finishing with 19 victories in 48 contests. “Anytime I did something special in college, we lost,” he recalled with a sheepish grin. That is unlikely to be the case for New Orleans.

He has taken on both the mental and physical challenges of pro football, but Marcus admits it’s how you handle things between the ears that is most important.

“The mental portion was more difficult. Not things that I necessarily hadn’t seen before, but sometimes with injuries or uncertainties, sometimes the pressure, you begin to second guess yourself. I had to stop second guessing myself and trust my coaches, my staff and myself. I have to just trust the position that I was put in.”

Marcus Davenport is in position to be a star and make a difference on a title contending team. The 2019 season will be an interesting journey for both Davenport and the Saints.

This article was originally published

by Crescent City Sports. For the most comprehensive sports coverage in the Big Easy, visit crescentcitysports.com.

74 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · September 10 - 23, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com