Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 21

THE OFFICIAL GAY MAGAZINE OF THE GULF SOUTHâ„¢

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 21

TUESDAY, October 8, 2019

www.AMBUSHMAG.com

Oktoberfest, National Coming Out Day & Pre-Halloween

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THE “OFFICIAL” DISH

by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, As we move into October both Election Day and Halloween are upon us. So before you begin to worry about your Halloween costume, make sure you vote! Exercising your right to vote is more important than a Halloween costume, just not nearly as sexy as that slutty pirate costume you are thinking of wearing.

Election Day in Louisiana is Saturday, October 12. I would encourage each and every one of you to vote for candidates who support equal rights for all and LGBTQ protections. There are elections for all statewide offices including Governor and all legislative seats in Louisiana. I would also encourage you to reach out to friends in the LGBTQ community, especially individuals who are older or who live alone without transportation. Make sure they have a way to get to the polls on Election Day. There are more people than you think who live in our community who could use help getting to their polling place on that day. Use this as an opportunity to reach out to friends just to check in and see how they are doing. Even if the friends you call don’t need help getting to the polls, they’ll be

glad you simply thought of them and reached out.

HALLOWEEN This year, Ambush will once again publish the Official Gay Halloween Guide with a list of all the events and parties. Look for it in our next issue of Ambush. Halloween New Orleans (HNO) is once again celebrating with a weekend full of parties featuring great DJ’s. The Lazarus Ball is Friday night at the Board of Trade. Saturday night is The Main Event at the Fillmore followed by Sunday’s Pier Dance at Crescent Park. HNO’s events will feature DJ Ben Bakson, DJ Grind and DJ Blacklow. The weekend of events by HNO raises funds for Project Lazarus.

For tickets and more information you can visit HalloweenNewOrleans.com.

LGBT+ ARCHIVES PROJECT OF LOUISIANA On Sunday, September 29th, I attended a board meeting for the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at their new exhibit space located at 636 St. Ann in the French Quarter. The Archive Project works to educate people on the importance of preserving LGBT historical materials, identifying and collecting those materials and finding them a proper home so that they are available for future generations. The Archives Project works with organizations such as The Historic New Orleans Collection, Tulane Library and the Louisiana State Museum to provide a home for LGBT historic materials.

The Archives Project’s new exhibit space is staffed by volunteers and is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm. If you have the time, please stop by for a visit. They have a timeline of New Orleans gay history along with copies of Ambush Magazine from the 1980’s.

There are also photographs courtesy of the Louisiana State Museum on display.

At the board meeting, several items were discussed including the

recent Archives Project’s Oracle Gala which honored Valda Lewis. Lewis, along with the late Loretta Mims produced a LGBT-themed TV show on open access cable television from 1987 to 1993. The Archives Project is also working on an oral history project along with identifying individuals and organizations that may have LGBT historical materials. If you or someone you know has materials that should be preserved, or simply for more information, you can visit the Archives Project website at lgbtarchiveslouisiana.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE) will have their next potluck dinner on Wednesday, October 16th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

In keeping with the Halloween spirit, the theme for this potluck is Halloween Potluck Spooktacular. The event will be held at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church located at 1313 Esplanade Ave. If you are able to attend, please consider bringing a dish (although not required) or a non-perishable food item for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. All ages are welcome to this event! Come eat, network and make new friends!

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 Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. The event has live music, vendors, food and activities for the kids.

For more information go to GulfCoastEqualityFest.org.

The New Orleans Pride Organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Come out to Oz on Saturday, October 19, from 8 to 10 pm for the Pride 2020 Coronation celebration. Find out who will be crowned as the royalty for Pride 2020. The event will be hosted by 2010 Miss Pride, Tami Tarmac and will feature live performances by several entertainers. Suggested $5 donation at the door.

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 Community Announcements 6 reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual’s name or photograph in this pubArts & Culture 16 lication implies nothing about that individuHealth & Wellness 32 al’s sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc.

Hot Happenings Calendar 34 appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of Ambush Business & LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory 48 Magazine.

Comics, Puzzles & Horoscopes 54 ©1982-2019 AMBUSH PUBLISHING LLC, Sports 56 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHGulf South LGBTQ Entertainment & Travel Guide Since 1982 OUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE New Orleans, Louisiana | info@ambushpublishing.com | (504) 522-8049 PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS & PHOTOS. 4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Inside this Issue of Ambush

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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS The Hallowdays Are Upon Us FRIDAY 2018 AT HNO The story of Halloween New Orleans (HNO) is a story of the New Orleans gay community – one coming together to share their love and sense of family, celebrating its unique culture and love of showmanship, and coming to the aid of its own in the dark days of the AIDS crisis. It is a community triumphing over challenges with a resilient, joyful spirit.

What started as a dinner party given by a few people to honor friends and loved ones who died from AIDS has grown into a three-day event spanning the last weekend of October. Each year, HNO has a theme, and this year it’s HALLOWDAYS! You better watch out, you better not cry because the HALLOWDAYS are coming. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Cupid and their other holiday friends are tired of missing out on HNO. So this year they are coming back for revenge. This year’s events are taking place October 25-27.

Halloween New Orleans has raised almost $5 million for Project Lazarus, an assisted-living home for those with

HIV/AIDS in New Orleans. All funds raised after expenses are donated to Project Lazarus.

Kick off the weekend on Friday, October 25th with The Lazarus Ball, held at The New Orleans Board of Trade from 7:30-10:30 p.m. The black tie-preferred event will feature an open bar, food, entertainment, and a silent auction. The auction will be filled with art, housewares, packages, and gift certificates of all types. Come see everyone dressed up before getting into the “Hallowdays” spirit.

On Saturday, October 26th shed the cocktail attire and slip on your most eye-catching costumes for this year’s main event: the “Hallowdays” themed dance party at The Fillmore – featuring costumes from all the holidays.

Let your imaginations run wild for this year’s costume by putting a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the most iconic and beloved holidays of all time.

The event will feature an open bar and the music of DJ Ben Bakson and International DJ/Producer DJ Grind.

Doors open at 10 p.m. and costumes are required. Guests go on stage as they arrive and parade their costumes for the crowd and judges. Awards include “Best Group”, “Best Individual”, “Best Stage Performance”, and more.

The contest is hosted by Persana Shoulders and awards are given out at the Pier during the Sunday event.

There will be a special midnight show and dancing until 3 a.m.

Cap off your weekend with Sunday’s Tea Dance beginning at 1 p.m. at Crescent Park (on the side of the park that backs up to the French Quarter).

Dance away the afternoon as ships of all sizes pass on the Mississippi River.

The covered outdoor venue will feature food trucks, vendor tables, and music by DJ Blacklow who always turns the party up. The improved VIP host lounge will have frozen drinks from Faubourg Bistro and VIP lounge seating. Dress is casual and some people do light costuming.

As the party ends around 6 p.m., paraders will march from the Tea Dance through the French Quarter

SATURDAY 2018 AT HNO

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ending at St. Ann and Bourbon streets.

The second line features marching bands, dance troops, and more! Touted as a favorite event of the weekend, the second line through the Quarter is something you won’t want to miss.

If you’re a first-timer and enjoy a VIP experience, we’d recommend purchasing a Host Pass. It allows entry for one person to each event and includes 2 VIP wristbands for Saturday and Sunday (so you can bring a friend into VIP with you). There is also a regular Weekend Pass and individual event tickets available.

For more information or to buy tickets, go to www.halloweenneworleans. com.

SUNDAY 2018 AT HNO

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Rue Royale Revelers Announce New Venue for 2020 Twelfth Night Party The Mystik Krewe de Rue Royale Revelers is pleased to announce that its seventh annual Twelfth Night Party will take place on January 6, 2020, at the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture.

Krewe Captain Frank Perez said, “This venue is perfect considering Twelfth Night marks the beginning of Carnival Season. It is also the largest venue we’ve ever had, which will allow us to do a few things logistics have prevented us from doing in the past.”

The Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture, located at 1010 Conti Street in the French Quarter, features the private collection of Carl Mack and shows his love and dedication to

the fanfare and whimsy that makes Mardi Gras such a special event.

On exhibit at the museum are the regalia of Mardi Gras Kings and Queens, elaborately feathered and beaded Mardi Gras Indian suits and Social Aid and Pleasure Club attire, as well as costumes from Carnival Krewe Tableau balls, Cajun Mardi Gras riders, neighborhood walking parades and more.

12th Night celebrations are a modern incarnation of the Feast of Fools, a popular festival during the Middle Ages, particularly in France, in which a mock bishop or pope was elected, ecclesiastical ritual was parodied, and low and high officials changed places.

In New Orleans, 12th Night marks the beginning of the Carnival Season, which culminates on Mardi Gras. The Krewe de Rue Royale Revelers grew out of founder Frank Perez’s Twelfth Night Party, which was originally held at his home on the corner of Royal and St. Ann Streets.

The party will feature an open bar, go-go boys, a buffet, and the sounds of legendary DJ Jimmy Armstrong. The highlight of the evening is the arrival of the Lord of Misrule and the League of Distinguished Revelers. After a Royal Procession of previous Grand Revelers, the new Grand Reveler is presented. The coronation of the Grand Reveler is followed by the Meeting of the

Courts of the Rue Royale Revelers and the Krewe of Queenateenas.

Tickets for the party will go on sale the first week of November.

Previous Grand Revelers include: 2014 First Party / no Grand Reveler 2015 Grand Reveler I--Jeffrey Palmquist 2016 Grand Reveler II--Will Antill, the Financial District Reveler 2017 Grand Reveler III--Rip Naquin, the Award-Winning Reveler 2018 Grand Reveler IV--Felicia Philips, the Cheese Reveler 2019 Grand Reveler V-Frank Perez, the Faux Reveler

CAC Announces George Scheer as New Executive Director The Board of Directors of the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in New Orleans is excited to announce the selection of George Scheer, PhD, as the organization’s new Executive Director effective October 1. Scheer brings extensive leadership and management experience to the Contemporary Arts Center, including his 16-year tenure as Executive Director and Co-Founder of Elsewhere, a 12,000 sq. ft. living museum, artist residency, and education laboratory set in a former thrift store in Greensboro, North Carolina.

At Elsewhere, Scheer oversaw the creative and operational direction of the three-story museum that included a residency program for more than 50 artists each year, public programming, fellowships, and internships. Scheer also led the capital fundraising, historic building restoration, collection management, and financial management of the organization.

“After an extensive, nationwide search, we are thrilled to have found a leader like George Scheer, whose track record of success in driving the

creative and operational direction of a multi-disciplinary arts center will ensure that the CAC is well-poised for the next chapter of our history,” said CAC Board Co-Chair Bryan Bailey.

“Scheer has a strong history of success securing national, regional, and local community foundation support,” said CAC Board Co-Chair Gregg Porter, adding, “He also brings the unique experience of operating and stewarding historic buildings like the CAC, which is vital for our future.”

During his term of leadership at Elsewhere, Scheer developed and directed multiple artists residencies, fellowships, and commissions. Southern Constellations, funded for seven years by the National Endowment for the Arts, offered residencies, fellowships, traveling exhibitions, and state & regional convergences to advance experimental practices across the South.

Exchange Residencies fostered local arts ecologies through incubator residencies with local artists in Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. South Elm Projects explored the immediacy of neighborhood revitalization through 20+ placemaking public art commissions in downtown Greensboro funded by ArtPlace America.

Most recently, George developed Art + Healthcare Residencies in a hospital simulation campus, inviting artists to work alongside nurses to explore the intersection of art, science, and human care. Scheer’s comprehensive approach to community engagement & planning, programming, fund development, and impact assessment, provides a backdrop for his future work at the CAC and demonstrates his commitment to artists and New Orleans’ cultural community.

Earlier in his career, Scheer gained global recognition as Co-Founder and Curator of Kulturpark, a curated site-specific public art exhibition in a former Soviet amusement park located in Berlin. Scheer developed the

curatorial framework and managed Kulturpark’s 15 locally based artists, public programming, and educational outreach, while simultaneously producing a three-day design conference with 30 Berlin-based architects, journalists, and district officials.

“The CAC emerged from an artistic impulse 42 years ago into a multi-disciplinary arts center,” said George Scheer. “Today, it is poised to be a touchstone for contemporary art in New Orleans, a critical partner in a national dialogue around art and equity, and an asset to the city’s artist community. It is an honor to be welcomed into New Orleans’ cultural community, to champion the importance of this place and its artists, and to work alongside the CAC’s staff and community to grow the organization’s creative and critical vision.”

As an artist-founder, director, curator, and cultural policy researcher, Scheer brings extensive experience to the artistic and operational aspects of multi-disciplinary arts organizations.

His research and field work in cultural policy and urbanism considers the role artists play in housing, transportation, and land development to support trust and resiliency among communities facing development pressures. Scheer cites his own interest in fostering creative communities at the intersection of aesthetics and social change by working with institutions in the fields of art and urbanism, publishing essays on the creative economy, and serving as a lecturer and panelist while supporting local arts initiatives.

“During a rigorous national search, George’s dedication to the arts and artists, as well as his deep administrative and fundraising leadership skills, impressed our committee,” said Search Committee Chair Robyn Dunn Schwarz. “George’s keen interest in the CAC’s artistic impact in our community and at a national level affirmed our belief that he will not only be an as-

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set to the CAC, but also a contributing force to the artistic community of New Orleans.”

New to New Orleans, Scheer hopes immediately to begin making connections in the arts community and beyond that will strengthen partnerships and program offerings at the CAC. Scheer has led numerous stra-

tegic arts initiatives, including serving on the City of Greensboro Arts Task Force to develop the city’s first cultural arts master plan and design its office of cultural affairs.

Scheer holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in Communication and Performance Studies; an MA in Critical Theory, Lit-

erature, and Visual Studies from Duke University, and a BA from the Annenberg School for Communication, Political Science, Nonprofit, and Government Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Scheer succeeds MK Wegmann who has served as the Interim Executive Director of the CAC since Novem-

ber of 2018. “We are thrilled that the CAC was able to attract a candidate of George Scheer’s caliber,” said Wegmann. “I am confident that he will advance the CAC’s vision of keeping art, artists, and community at the center of its multi-disciplinary mission to present and promote the art of our time.”

Transgender Filmmaker Transitions into New Career Roles

For many years, Sophie White, has been known to many in the Louisiana filmmaking industry as Rory White. Letting the world know that she is transgender, is her latest chapter in a life and career that’s already been diverse. “I’ve experienced a lot of chapters over the years, many of which will hopefully give me the strength and courage I need on this new journey, in coming out as a transgender person,” explains Sophie.

Before transitioning, Sophie had many different job professions. She had done everything from motorcycle racing to boxing promotion. She even worked as an EMS in downtown Atlanta for five years during college. After graduating, Sophie taught at Life University in Marietta, Georgia and started her own chiropractic practice in Roswell. Eventually she moved back to Louisiana and established her practice in the town she grew up in. “The timing felt right. I was homesick, so I came

back to Houma with my family to raise our two sons and daughter.”

Sophie’s journey into filmmaking started when she invested in a new and local TV station. The project eventually went bankrupt and she was left with a lot of gear, so she decided to learn how to use the equipment instead of selling it. She also started doing camera work for a local TV station and that paved the way to gigs as Director of Photography and then producer on a number of film projects.

Sophie went on to work on several films with producer Alicia Allain and actor, writer and director John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard, Smallville, The Haves and the Have Nots). She says, “John became a real friend and has always been there when I needed him.

When I told him and his wife Alicia about my decision to transition, they were and continue to be nothing but supportive.”

Transitioning isn’t something So-

phie’s filmmaking community knew about until about two years ago. She explains, “I always felt that I had a secret, in which I couldn’t tell anyone. It wasn’t until I got to the point of suicide, that I realized I could no longer hide. I’d known for a long time that who I was inside and my exterior didn’t match.

Coming out has been an ongoing process. I started with my family and closest friends.”

In 2017, Sophie won the International Screen Writers Association award and New Orleans writer of the year for a screenplay called Neuro Confinement. During the festival, she pitched a movie called Hummingbird that is loosely based on her own story of being pushed to wanting to commit suicide. Sophie decided to play the lead in the proof of concept. After showing another filmmaker a few of the scenes, he was blown away with the acting and asked if he could tell a friend who was an agent about what he saw. Sophie

agreed and a few days later, she met the agent who signed her as an actor.

As far as Hummingbird, Sophie says that it still hurts her heart thinking about what happened next. One of the transgender consultants on the film was supposed to work the last day of shooting, but had some problems. Two weeks after they finished, she committed suicide because her family wouldn’t accept her. “This ripped the heart out of the project. I wish I would have picked up on the clues that she was that bad off, Sophie explains. “However, Hummingbird has sent me on the journey of a lifetime, and for that I am grateful.”

This Fall, Sophie will be on the NBC TV show Chicago Med as a guest star. She will also be on the new TNT series Tell me Your Secrets in the fall of 2019. After the television debut, she has a number of roles in features and short films set to be released, including We All Think We Are Special.

New Orleans Pride Celebrates 10 Years, Names New President

Michael Musa (Photo Arthur Severio)

The New Orleans Pride Organization is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, June 12-14, 2020. In preparing for the milestone weekend, the organization has named Michael Musa as president.

Michael brings experience with non-profit and business operations, as well as fundraising and community service. Before moving to New Orleans, Michael was active with the South Carolina Pride Organization. Since moving to New Orleans, he has taken on board

roles with the Mystic Krewe of Barkus, as well as working with many community organizations to build a stronger, more unified LGBTQ Community.

The New Orleans Pride Organization holds monthly meetings that are open to the public, and welcomes individuals from all walks of life to join the committee. For more information please visit neworleanspridefestival. com or email president@neworleanspridefestival.com

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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.

DLLADVT190011 July 2019 Produced in USA.

Learn more about Alphonso 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.

ALPHONSO‡ 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.

An Open Letter to HRC From Trans Community Leaders (Note: This letter was originally published in OUT Magazine and among its signers are New Orleans / Louisiana trans advocates) As transgender and nonbinary leaders of prominent advocacy, grassroots, national, regional, legal, and leadership development organizations across the United States, we are troubled by Human Rights Campaign’s announcement of its new “trans-centered” framework, which we first learned about on Out.com. Trans people, and primarily Black trans leaders and trans leaders of color, have been leading the work for trans liberation since long before HRC existed. As new HRC president Alphonso David acknowledged to Out, our work in recent decades has more often been opposed and undermined by HRC rather than supported.

We believe that organizations can change and that there could be a role for HRC in the fight for trans liberation.

But we were surprised to read that David believes HRC’s role is “to come up with solutions and stand on the frontline to provide meaningful solutions for the transgender community.”

Our lives are the frontlines. We have the solutions. And after many years of holding institutions like HRC accountable, we finally have won some infrastructure — with still far too limited resources — to support our move-

ment for trans liberation in the United States.

We need more funding. We need more power. We need to be trusted to lead with our own solutions to the oppression that threatens our lives. We do not need a cisgender-led $40 million organization to copy our work and brand it as new.

The trans leaders signing this statement work day in and day out to build and strategize towards what liberation may look like for all of us — and HRC should not claim to lead this for us. Trans disability justice and HIV/ AIDS leaders have said it best: Nothing about us, without us.

Many of us are Black trans leaders and trans leaders of color, and were excited by David’s appointment as the first Black president of HRC. Racism, anti-Blackness, and transphobia together work to undo our movements and threaten our lives and visions for liberation. We remain hopeful for David’s leadership and recognize that he alone cannot resolve the organization’s full legacy of transphobia, racism, and its compounding effects in two months on the job.

But if HRC is truly committed to trans liberation, the organization’s leadership must start with repairing, healing, and listening. They must start by addressing past harm, building gen-

uine relationships, and demonstrating support for our leadership. They must bolster our work, not take credit for it.

We invite a conversation with Alphonso David and other HRC leadership. We would welcome HRC’s support — but we will not accept their cooptation of our movement.

Adrien Lawyer, Co-Director, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, Aidan Key, Executive Director, Gender Diversity, Aldo Gallardo, Alex Patchin McNeill, Executive Director, More Light Presbyterians, Alexander Lee, Board Member, Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center, Amita Swadhin, Founding Director, Mirror Memoirs, Ana Andrea, Organización Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT), Ana Conner, Andy Marra, Executive Director, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Anjali Rimi, South Asian trans leader, Aryah Lester, Deputy Director, Transgender Strategy Center, Bamby Salcedo, President/CEO, The TransLatin@ Coalition, Ben Hudson, Jr. Executive Director, Gender Health Center, Beyond These Walls, BreakOUT!, C. Chela Demuir, Unique Woman’s Coalition, Cathy Kapua, Native Hawaiian trans leader, Cecilia Chung, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation, Transgender Law Center, The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at University of California, San Francisco, Chase Strangio, Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, Cristina Herrera, CEO & Founder, Translatinx Network, Dale Manning, President, Transgender Equality Network, Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, Executive Director, Trans United Fund, Diego Barrera, Founder and Director, inTRANSitive, Arkansas, Dr. Lourdes Ashley Hunter, Executive Director, Trans Women of Color Collective, Drago Renteria, Executive Director, Deaf Queer Resource Center, Dylan Waguespack, President, Board of Directors, Louisiana Trans Advocates, Ebony Ava Harper, National Alliance for Trans Liberation and Advancement, Eli Clare, writer and activist, Elle Hearns, Founder and Executive Director, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, Erica Woodland, Founding Director, National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network, Evonne Kaho, Love Me Unlimited 4 Life, Gabriel Arkles, Gender Justice LA, Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director, Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth (BAGLY, Inc.), Isa Noyola, El/La Para TransLatinas, Isyss Honnen, Director, TRANSform Washington at Pride Foundation, Jamison Green, Ph.D, Janetta Johnson, Executive Director, Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP), Jennicet Gutiérrez, Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, Juniperangelica Cordova, National TRUTH (Trans Youth) Council, Karter

Booher, Executive Director, Ingersoll Gender Center, Kit Malone, community organizer, Kiyomi Fujikawa, Kris Hayashi, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center, LaGender, Inc., LaLa Zannell, LaSaia Wade, Founder and Executive Director, Brave Space Alliance, Lillian Lennon, Lisa Stuart, Vice President, Transgender Equality Network, Luc Bensimón, Activist, Black Transmen Inc, Kansas chapter, Maria Roman, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, The TransLatin@ Coalition, Marisa Richmond, Ph.D., Middle Tennessee State University, Marsha Botzer, Mattee Jim, Supervisor, HIV Prevention Programs, First Nations Community HealthSource, Native American trans advocate, Michael Soto, Executive Director, Equality Arizona, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Founder, House of GG, Monica Roberts, Founding Managing Editor, TransGriot, Montana Gender Alliance, Morey Riordan, Founding Director, Transgender Strategy Center, New York Transgender Advocacy Group, Octavia Y. Lewis, MPA, Ola Osaze, Director, Black LGBTQIA Migrant Project, Payshunz Nagashima, Texas-based activist, Quentin Bell, Executive Director, The Knights & Orchids Society, Rev. Debra J. Hopkins, Pastor, Essentials for Life Ministries, Charlotte, NC, Rev. Elena Rose Vera, Executive Director, Trans Lifeline, Rev. Louis Mitchell, Executive Director, Transfaith, Ruby Corado, Executive Director, Casa Ruby, Ryan Li Dahlstrom, Sam Ames, Interim Executive Director, Our Family Coalition, Sammie Ablaza Wills, Executive Director, APIENC, Sayer A Johnson, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Metro Trans Umbrella Group and Founder, Trans Queer Flat, Sean Coleman, Executive Director, Destination Tomorrow, Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SNaPCo), Racial Justice Action Center, Taffy Johnson, Executive Director, UTOPIA Seattle, Tita Aida, Toya Washington, Executive Director, TAKE Resource Center, Toni Newman, Executive Director, St. James Infirmary, Toni-Michelle Williams, Director, Solutions NOT Punishment Collaborative (SNaPCo), Trans Justice Funding Project, Trans Queer Pueblo, Trans(forming), Tre’Andre Valentine, Executive Director, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), Úmi Vera, Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, Victoria Rodríguez-Roldán, Wes Ware, Z! Haukeness, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), (National) Chapter Support Co-Coordinator, Zahara Green, Executive Director, TRANScending Barriers, Zane Stephens, Co-Director, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico

12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Glamarama Glitters at Bamboula’s November 2 (New Orleans; October 1, 2019): Break out your bell-bottoms and platform shoes November 2!

Seventies tribute band Glamarama beams you back in time to the early, influential glam rock era with the music of David Bowie, T-Rex, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, Sweet, and others during a “double feature” show at Bamboula’s Frenchmen Theatre.

Front man David Otillio rocks, shocks, and bedazzles audiences in the style of the glitter era. Glamarama features Brad Orgeron (Backstabbers) on guitar, James Singletary (Red Rockers) on lead guitar, and drummer Bryan Barberot. Multi-talented musician Dave Stocker tickles the keyboards, and

Karen Anklem wails on the saxophone.

Blythe Crawford, a new addition to the band, plays bass. Anklem and Crawford also contribute backup vocals.

For the LGBTQ+ community, the glam era represented the first time gender non-conformity went mainstream. “Young people likely got their first glimpse of musicians on TV sporting androgynous looks with outrageous fashions and make-up during this groundbreaking period,” said Otillio.

One price includes two different sets. There will be a one-hour intermission for food & drinks.

Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Bamboula’s Frenchmen Theatre (in back), 516

Frenchmen Street, New Orleans.

General admission: $10, limited re-

served seating: $25. Tickets: facebook. com/glamaramanola/

“Gulf Coast Equality Fest” Join us on October 19 from 11am to 6pm as Gulf Coast Equality Council, along with Harrah’s Gulf Coast, Scarlet Pearl Casino, and The Stonewall Gives Back Initiative presents the third annual Gulf Coast Equality Fest. The festival will be on The Great Lawn at Harrah’s GulfCoast (280 Beach Blvd) in Biloxi, Mississippi. Our equality event inspires, educates, commemorates, and celebrates our LGBTQ+ community and our allies.

Featured items at the festival will be live music, vendors, food, kids’ activities, raffles, and much more. We

will have two great bands performing this year: Unfazed Show and Band along with Kelsey Moran Band. Our Gulf Coast Drag Super Show will star: Adonis DeLorean, AnikenThighwalker, Brooklyn Alexander, Ivy Drip, Jawakatema Davenport, Lexis Redd D’ville, Miss Catastrophe Love, and Zanny Ex. Our guest speakers will be Daniel Ball, from the Human Rights Campaign, and Rhiannon Owens, President of PFLAG Gulfport.

More info at www.gulfcoastequalityfest.org

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 13

OBITUARY James “Jim” Henry December 8, 1958—September 23, 2019

James “Jim” Henry passed away in his home 09/23/2019. He enjoyed gardening, visiting with his neighbors, and caring for his dog Lucy. A small memo-

rial was held on September 29 at 900 Dumaine St. He will be missed by all who knew him.

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT Contemporary Arts Center Many people credit the 1984 World’s Fair with revitalizing the then run-down Warehouse District, but the transformation of the old neighborhood from warehouses serving the port to what is now called the Arts District began in 1976 with the opening of the Contemporary Arts Center.

Founded by a passionate group of visual artists at a time when the movement to tear down the walls between visual and performing arts was active nationwide, the CAC began as an artist-run, artist-driven community organization in the nearly empty arts district of New Orleans. As the burgeoning arts district grew, so did the CAC, evolving to meet the increasing needs of a diverse audience and artist

communities.

Renovated in 1990, and donated to the CAC in 1999, the CAC’s building mixes the timelessness of New Orleans’ historic architecture with contemporary materials and usable open spaces. Throughout the CAC’s 40 years, the center has remained active in the visual & performing arts and arts education communities, continuing to represent an era of creative freedom and multidisciplinary expression.

In September 2017, the CAC completed a landmark capital project in partnership with The Domain Companies to develop The Shop, a creative co-working space on the under-utilized third and fourth floors of the CAC’s 100,000 square-foot building (including

two adjoining warehouses). This project triggered an essential full-building update, with approximately $12 million in significant renovations and systems upgrades. Notably, the CAC doubled the size of its first-floor galleries and upgraded the security and climate controls and transformed its raw warehouse space into a more functional, efficient, and ADA-compliant open space well-suited for visual arts, performing arts, and special events.

Today, the CAC is one out of a handful of nationwide arts organizations that have remained solvent and successful while serving a truly multidisciplinary mission. Currently dedicating two floors, about 10,000 square feet of gallery space, on the four-story building to rotating exhibitions throughout the year, the CAC is home to artists’ bold experiments in painting, theater, photography, performance art, dance, music, video, education, and sculpture.

The CAC’s education department engages over 10,000 children and adults annually, including those with special needs and those from economically deprived backgrounds.

The CAC’s education and outreach projects offer intimate arts education settings where students, most for the first time, work together with artists, generating a greater impact through more personal, interactive experiences. The CAC’s significance and role in the cultural community of New Orleans has and always will be cemented in its broad community-based programs and initiatives.

The CAC is located on Camp Street between Andrew Higgins Drive and St. Joseph Street in the Warehouse Arts District, one block from Lee Circle and the Saint Charles streetcar line. Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Monday, 11am–5pm

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at JRs in Houston AT JRS IN HOUSTON | PHOTOS BY BRIAN SANDS, AMBUSH

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 15

ARTS & CULTURE

Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

Gilded at the Marigny Opera House

The Marigny Opera House fielded a full house for the recent world premiere of Gilded. That so many people would come out for a 45-minute song cycle on a Sunday evening following a Saints game was heartening indeed.

With music by Tucker Fuller set to a text by Megan Levad, Gilded is inspired by the wandering lieder of the Romantic era and today’s free market/ neoliberal sensibility. In its nine sections, using three voices, it tells of the tortured search for love by a successful, powerful man, perhaps a tech entrepreneur. He cruises. He hooks up.

He’s cast aside.

How noble to tell a story like this in such a classical form; Levad’s angsty, passionate text could just as easily have served as the basis for a glam rock extravaganza. And how interesting that Levad, a straight woman can, with only a few poetic overindulgences, so potently capture the emotional state of a gay man.

Though its title clearly conjures up images of robber barons, Levad uses references subtle (e.g., a phrase evoking Sinéad O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U) and not so subtle (“a disco ball”) to place this tale in our own era.

If her hero exhibits a refined yearning, she bravely makes him not the nicest or most sympathetic of people, a man who’s not afraid to admit to self-hate and who evinces a scary, almost Trumpian ruthlessness in his business dealings.

Fuller employs both an apt romanticism reminiscent of Beethoven and the astringencies of the Second Viennese School to convey the lovesick, tortured personality of the “Entrepre-

Brenden Gunnell (center) and the Polymnia Quartet performing Gilded at the Marigny Opera House

neur”. Fuller sets his music to Levad’s text well; there’s nothing arbitrary about the vocal line as it seems in some contemporary classical music. He gives us extended phrases of longing in a passage for viola and cello (“He Loved Him That Evening”), and switches from major to minor keys to bring out shifting moods.

There are tumultuous passages with tremulous undertones as well as intriguing dissonances as Fuller tries to musically answer the question “What does a person who seemingly has everything really want?”

While thoroughly accomplished from the start, I felt it wasn’t until the two-thirds mark that the music truly probed the emotional depths of the text and its characters. In total, however, Fuller and Levad deliver a subliminally affecting portrayal that captures these sad and scary times in which we live.

Though Gilded could conceivably

Inner Makeup Astrology #1 New Orleans Astrologer Dan Beck Answering All Questions Call 504-313-8706 Email dan@innermakeup.net www.innermakeup.net

be done with three singers (a possibility that Levad acknowledged could occur in future performances), for the premiere all three voices were taken by Brenden Gunnell, for whom the piece was written. Looking like a Teutonic James Corden, this young American heldentenor sang with clear tone and precise diction. He confidently hit all of Fuller’s high notes with a piercing and, at times, anguished self-awareness. I would be curious to see him in a staged performance of Gilded with two other vocalists and how that might add to the work.

The Polymnia Quartet (Benjamin Hart and Kate Withrow, violins; Amelia Clingman, viola; Philip Von Maltzahn, cello) played with their usual flawless expertise, bringing out all the colors of Fuller’s score.

At a time when glbt characters are finally getting a bigger voice on recital and operatic stages (the trans-themed As One, which New Orleans Opera presented last year, has been one of the most produced works of recent vintage), Gilded deserves to have a long life. Whether it does or not, the Marigny Opera House and all others involved with this performance can be justifiably proud for introducing it to the world.

Songs That Won the War at the WWII Museum’s BB’s Stage Door Canteen through Nov. 27

[Songs That Won the War returns to the Stage Door Canteen through Nov. 27. The following are excerpts from my October 2015 review of the

original production.]

We’re told at the start of Songs That Won the War, the terrific new entertainment at the WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen, that “popular songs had an important part in building morale.” If that initially provokes a raised eyebrow and an “Oh, really?”, by the end, the show convinces any doubters just how integral music was to winning the war.

Sure, you’re probably familiar with Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Lili Marlene, but Victoria Reed [who conceived the show and wrote its script] has unearthed a bunch of great songs, most not heard at the Canteen before, with such titles as We’re Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line and Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet.

Starting with What Do You Do in the Infantry?, Songs That Won the War is intelligently crafted and, appropriately for its museum setting, offers historical tidbits that enhance our appreciation of the numbers. For example, the Germans thought The Lambeth Walk was Jewish propaganda because it had “Oy” in its refrain (oy!).

And if The Victory Belles perform Comin’ In On a Wing and a Prayer a capella it’s because it was originally done that way due to a 1943 musicians’ strike.

Wisely, Reed doesn’t overdo such factoids but lets the songs speak for themselves. And speak (sing?) for themselves they do, some with beauty and elegance, others with bouncy wit, all of which still holds up 70+ years later.

Rosie the Riveter [is] a rousing stand-out in a show that rolls smooth-

16 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

ly along for its entire 65 minutes, each number highly polished without ever becoming cruise ship plasticky thanks to the Belles’ warmth and charm.

[There’s] just the right amount of audience interaction, and the Belles are adorable as they play to the WWII veterans in the front row, dancing with them and leaving red lipstick kisses on their foreheads. The three vets who were at the show I saw seemed to enjoy themselves immensely.

Songs That Won the War concludes with Irving Berlin’s White Christmas which, as an anthem of WWII, we’re told was considered a song of peace and is, of course, still hugely popular. Sadly, it made me realize how few war songs have been written in the last 12 years; I found one website that listed 27, none popular hits. Though no war is good, at least World War II gave us some lasting cultural gems.

Songs plays on Wednesday afternoons and is preceded by a buffet.

[Mandi Mueller, who was part of the original production’s cast, now directs and choreographs the show which features Jessica Nicole Gordon, Hannah Rachal and Skylend Roussell.

Next up at the Stage Door Canteen is Higgins: The Man, The Boat, The War which combines live-action newsreel re-creation, musical revue, and dramatic history, to tell the story of New Orleans boatbuilder Andrew

Higgins, one of America’s most famous wartime Home Front contractors, and the combat watercraft that carried the Allied effort to victory. The show runs Oct. 11–Nov. 10.]

The Color Purple at the Saenger Theatre, Oct. 2527

[The Color Purple returns to the Saenger Oct. 25-27. The following are excerpts from my March 2018 review of the touring production that played here.]

Ah, what a brilliant director can do.

John Doyle’s imaginative reconceptualization of the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s epistolatory novel The Color Purple took a lumbering show and, by paring it down to its essentials, made a simple but powerful production out of it.

Gone are any hyperrealistic scenic elements replaced by chairs, lots of them in various shades of brown, that effectively stand in for all the book’s locales. If the touring company’s recent stop at the Saenger still had an episodic feel to it, Doyle’s fluid staging allows for a greater narrative momentum while still encompassing lovely images as when cast members cause large pieces of cloth to billow up and then gently float down.

Marsha Norman’s book never fully

overcomes the challenge of having a basically passive heroine at its core; would that she had inserted some scenes to show how an oppressed wife forges her way to being a successful entrepreneur. As it stands, one rarely feels viscerally connected to the events unfolding onstage which are ultimately wrapped up too tidily.

The score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray reflects their pop backgrounds; the music reveals its jazz, R&B and gospel influences in pretty ways yet never rises much above the synthetic and generic. One wishes for one or two truly memorable numbers, though Sofia’s Hell No! could become an anthem of the #MeToo movement.

Under Jane Cox’s lighting, sublime in its subtleties, the entire cast sang ravishingly and did fine dramatic justice to their characters.

[Wicked plays at the Saenger through Oct. 20. Following The Color Purple, the Queen-inspired rock musical We Will Rock You will be there on Oct. 29 and then the Tony Award winner Dear Evan Hansen comes to the theater Nov. 5-10.]

Curtain Up

Pete McElligott, whose version of The Three Musketeers was such a delight last year, is back with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This outdoor,

spooky, immersive production features Ichabod Crane and the infamous Headless Horseman and, like Musketeers, will be performed in NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden (Oct. 16-Nov. 10).

Directed by Leslie Claverie, The NOLA Project will be presenting this Halloween-season show and promises that “this new telling is bound to leave you laughing your head off. Perhaps literally.”

If your favorite things lean more to classic Broadway musicals than classically scary tales, climb every mountain or at least do-re-mi your way over to Metairie for JPAS’s production of The Sound of Music (Oct. 18-27) at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved tale of a postulant who proves too high-spirited for the religious life, and winds up serving as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain will star opera singer Sarah Jane McMahon as Maria and Rich Arnold, who triumphed this summer in Tulane Summer Lyric’s She Loves Me, as Captain von Trapp. No tricks here-this should be a treat!

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

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 17

THE HERE AND THE NOW Eating Disorders and Body Image: How to Help Fight the Epidemic Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com As we approach National Coming Out Day on October 11, it’s fitting to dedicate this column to the topic of eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction, with a focus on gay men.

According to a study NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) published in 2017, the occurrence of eating disorders is three times higher in gay men than in straight men, and nearly 15% of all gay men report dealing with anorexia or bulimia during their lifetime.

For many years, the national conversation about eating disorders and negative body image was focused on women and girls, however, in the last few years, it has become clear that gay men are affected more and more.

Body-hate, rigidly seeing yourself as only ‘you see you,’ and body-shaming are some examples of the serious manifestations of poor body image that can lead to a serious eating disorder.

Eating disorders endanger lives every day. There are many ways to control eating, including what you eat, how you eat (alone or in front of others), how food is prepared, times of day that you eat, and not eating. The ‘not eating’ way to control the uncontrollable can be a last effort or a first act, depending upon the individual.

This isn’t getting better, it’s getting worse, especially in our community.

I’ve worked with individuals of all ages who have had an eating disorder over the years, i.e. anorexia or bulimia to simplify, and all areas in between, as well as people with disordered eating strategies. A full-blown eating disorder is one of the most difficult areas to help, in part because the fight is with multiple aspects of that person’s past, present, and hope for the future.

That loss or disbelief in HOPE is a major key, because hope points forward, to living, to smiling, to breathing.

The complicated ‘picture’ of that individual must be regarded and the various parts are very often moving. No self-

help initiatives alone will be adequate; this is a situation requiring assistance from a medical and mental health team who are well-versed in issues of negative body image, eating disorders, and clinical depression.

There are non-medical and hopebased ways in which we can supplement treatment. One way to frame the issue is about loss. When you negate how you feel, what you believe, or how you rigidly perceive how you are regarded by others, you are losing yourself, the very special and unique individual you are.

The continuous reaching for perfection and ‘sameness’ if you compare yourself to others, or even invisibility due to your own self-hate for your body, can be very isolating and may exacerbate one or more of the things most feared – loneliness, non-acceptance, and ridicule by those you yearn to accept you. The situation is traumatic for many and should be regarded as such.

Saying all that, there remains a very personal, rigidly planted view of self, of your own imperfect body with all of its parts, that is negative, despised, and ultimately has the power to prevent a better and more satisfying life.

That powerful ‘grab’ as I call it, can be buffered away perhaps, but for most, the self-deprecation carried for many years coupled with the body-shaming renders it nearly impossible. There is inner trauma around the negativity about something that often cannot be changed, and when bullied, embarrassed, or made fun of, it becomes more traumatic. And that trauma over time can increase.

Another reason I frame serious body-image issues and eating disorders around loss is that through that negative self-perception, a space is created, a dark space between reality and our perception. Perceptions are what we see, what we believe to

be our truth, and as you know, when a perception is set, it’s very difficult to alter. When the perception is unrealistic or untrue, we face the conundrum of helping someone who has a fixed but erroneous perception of himself or herself. You might ask, how can my perception be wrong? Easy – the negativity and hate that have been planted and now grows in your heart are just that, planted deeply.

Like an old and trusted tree that gives shade, roots go very deep, and often defy movement. And it can often be that way with negative body image, and usually, that past and long-lasting negativity has permeated the self-esteem and confidence that you can achieve. And let’s not forget the habit and comfort of thinking you are imperfect. Hurtful or not, if we feel and believe something long and deeply enough, there is a tendency to make it our truth, and often not accept anything that contradicts it, not because it’s not wanted, but because we cannot see it to even consider it.

There are emotional buttons or triggers for all of us, and for those who are plagued with negative body-image issues, the microaggressions in everyday life can be harmful. Fat shaming, teasing, taunting, pointed jokes, condescending looks by an individual or group, or little offhand comments ‘meaning no harm’ are but a few examples.

Or just comments that are derogatory about a body, a disability, a way in which a person presents. Pretty often, something on TV, social media, or even a magazine can include comments that are shaming in nature, predominantly about physical characteristics, not to mention the ‘six-pack’ persona to try to emulate for many gay men.

These are stressful events, and the intention is not important. I say that because it is a bit like standing next to a car, saying goodbye to the driver who is a friend, and they run over your toe, unintentionally. Guess what, your toe is broken, and there is pain. At that moment, you aren’t thinking there’s no pain because it was unintentional. It hurts!

Let’s keep in mind that all hurtful comments are not microaggressions, some are aggressive, more blatant and purposeful, and when they are it is most often from someone who is unhappy with his or her own life, own body, and unsure of their own place in their community. And none of those reasons softens the blow, or makes them acceptable; they are all buttons for many, inexcusable, and traumatic.

Since there is no cure for negative

body-image or full-blown eating disorders, positive Personal Growth Initiatives can help. These are steps that you can try yourself, or ask for help from a therapist or advisor of some kind. The rationale is that positive personal changes can occur in people as they struggle to deal with very stressful events, even life-long traumatic perceptions, and depression.

Assess your personal areas of strength – we all have them, just some are well-hidden.

Consider new possibilities – spend some time brainstorming about what you’d LIKE to see happen, and what you’d LOVE to see happen, for you.

Consider what may not be the most supportive or healthiest part of your life right now, and see if you can get out of it, stay away from it, or just steel yourself against the negativity.

Give some time to reviewing your life, the good parts especially. When you isolate some of those, make a list and look at it daily, like a kind of SELF-GENERATED meditation.

Seek more meaningful relationships. Meaningful is the important word here. ONE connection can be extremely powerful, and often it is surprising where that connection can come from.

The key is to be OPEN and accepting of connection in general, in a non-sexual aspect.

Seek and gather a sense of peace, of spirituality, of mindfulness – however, you think about that concept. This may be the most difficult to conceptualize for yourself, and also in some ways the easiest because only you have the tools to know what YOU crave.

While there may be no cure, the use of kindness, compassion, and acceptance can go a pretty long way in making someone feel accepted and loved. Check your own attitude – are you a person who laughs at others?

Are you someone who speaks or writes to shock, get a rise out of folks, or is shy and feels they need to make a splash or joke and target others in order to take attention away from them in their imperfect frame? Honest support of others can be the very best way in which to allow yourself to feel better, more alive, and all-around experience life satisfaction.

If this column has in any way initiated some thoughts or feelings about your own self-care, please act on it in some way. National Coming Out Day 2019 can be your coming out of darkness as well as a celebration of who we are as members of our community.

I celebrate all of you.

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.

18 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

An Interview with Nall Hollis Tyler Rosebush tyrosebush@gmail.com

Nall Hollis, simply known as “Nall,” is living proof of Oscar Wilde’s notion that “life imitates art.” He has roamed the earth as boldly as a Fauvist and loved as passionately as an Impressionist. He has lived the quintessential bohemian lifestyle of many legendary artists of the 20th century. Now in a new century, Nall returned to his native Alabama nestling into downtown Fairhope. I went to his eclectic live-in studio/gallery where we talked about travel, psychedelic trips, and artistic temperament.

Is there any place you haven’t been yet that you want to spend time?

I would rather live somewhere than visit. That way you can really absorb the cuisine, know the surroundings, get to know the character of the people.

You can make some friends and go to their homes and snoop around and see how they live. That’s more fun to me.

Any place in particular you fantasize about living?

I will eventually make it to Peru and I want to go live with the cannibals in the Amazon. I’ve just been dying to see what they’re like. But I don’t know

if they accept people. Maybe in the pot, they do. End up in the stew.

Have you ever tried the ayahuasca ceremonies that they perform in the Amazon?

I haven’t there but I have with the Huichol Indians.

Oh yeah? Where was that?

Mexico. I’ve eaten the cactus buttons, two or three of those. Locals would stay upstairs in my thatched roof and bring all of their goodies. They would bring their little store with them in a big white sack with beaded bowls and serpents and things like that.

They’d also bring some buttons and say, “We brought you these.”

Did you ever do them as part of a ceremony or just recreationally?

I would say that everything they do was a ceremony. When they leave it’s just recreational.

Yeah.

It’s very beautiful. In fact, that painting above there was inspired by doing the peyote buttons. See those dots everywhere? When you’re on it, those dots are moving around and the flames are fanning.

Did you have a new perspective

on life after that?

Well, I think the first change of perspective of life was when I took LSD. But I did six hitsAt one time?

But I didn’t know it.

Oh My God. These little pieces of paper, you’re supposed to divide them up into four pieces and take one. So I split one in two and then four, I gave one to my wife and I took one and then I said, yeah, I’ll take another one. And then there was a whole other sheet and I said, well, what the hell? So I pop that in and I was zooming.

Oh, I bet.

It was at the Atlanta Rock Festival.

In 1968 or ‘69. I went up to a policeman on a horse and knocked on the horse’s nose. I was like, “Quick, you’ve got to get me to the OD tent. I’m tripping so bad.” It was a wonderful experience laying on this cot, they strap you down otherwise I would’ve broken through the tent walls and run. I had already peeled buck naked and climbed on top of my car and was crawling around on the top of it purring like a cat. Then the cat decided to go down and check out the horseHow old were you at the time?

I don’t know, 18, 19. I think I had maybe just graduated from college.

These are some of the high points of my experimenting with drugs. I haven’t done this stuff in 30 years. No need to, all I’ve got to do is just look around and I can trip.

It’s a skill you’ve mastered?

I think once you’re an artist you’re tripping anyway. You’re living in a different world and to come back to the normal is like going to Walmart. As an artist I’ve always seen things differently

and had the good sense not to verbalize most of it.

So did you really need the drugs to see differently as an artist?

They totally blew away every bit of restraint and subtlety that I had. All of my education went out the window and the light of creation dawned on me.

For the first time, I understood what the spiritual was and what the material was, and it was a clear separation. I think that’s what it did for me the most.

And that was a relief with a banker father.

Did you make art before these revelations?

I’ve been doing art since my mother said I stabbed my way out of the womb. Her backyard continued into the city park and I was in the art pavilion every day, eating cookies that she made or a chocolate cake, and weaving baskets, weaving bracelets and going to the creek, getting mud, bringing it back, sculpting it, and cooking it in the oven.

Did you ever question yourself as an artist when you were growing up?

No. Never.

Did you ever have to work a day job to support yourself?

To respect and honor my father for putting me through college, I said, “Well, I will go and work for the bank for one year.” And the minute I got there, they said, “Do you enjoy being a bookkeeper?” I said, “Good heavens, no, I’ve already been a bookkeeper.

I’ve been through the whole manager training department of my father’s bank.” They said, “Well, we’re looking for somebody to design new stationary and do some posters for the international convention.” I said, “That’s me.

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Hire me to do that but I will have to have a budget for art supplies and I will have to have my own studio because I can’t do this at the bank.” They created the art department at the bank. It was one person, me, and then they let me use one of the runners that was an artist. He was also a lover.

So they rented a studio for you somewhere offsite?

I had already rented it and I was using it to get away from my family life.

My wife. That was my studio.

So you got married in college?

Yeah. I was 19 or 20 and she was the same. Everything was compartmentalized.

Did all the compartmentalization eventually breakdown?

No, they only had me for one year.

Three months before that date, the president of the bank said, “Come to my office. We need to talk.” He said, “When I was your age, I wanted to be a writer. So I went to Paris to the Sorbonne. I stayed there for one year and I didn’t make it as a writer. So go, try it. if you are really leaving, leave now, I will pay you the three months you have left.”

You could just leave with the money?

Yes, so I tagged along with my sister who was going to Munich and immediately when we got up there, I left my wife in Germany to room with my sister and I moved to Paris. In Paris,

I met Juliana, who was this Cleopatra type with coal eyes, wore Bedouin wedding dresses and moved by her own morality, which I did as well.

Yeah, it seems like it.

We made a great team. She also lived next door to the École des BeauxArts. Juliana eventually got a dream job selling books and traveling around Europe and I got my wish to live alone as a Bohemian across the street from the Beaux-Arts.

Did you study at the École des Beaux-Arts?

Yes. For two years I was enrolled as an official student. Somehow they transferred four drawing courses that I had taken but when I tried to take them again, the school said, “You’ve already taken them.” I said, “It’s a good course.

I want to learn how to draw.” They said, “Well, you’re not going to get credit.” I said, “I’m not here for credit, I’m here to learn drawing. Do you have any objections?”

Did they let you take the class again?

They did. Then when it was time to give me my degree, they said, “Well, you lack so many courses in art history, you lack so many courses in this.” I said, “It doesn’t matter. I mean, drawing is the basis of all of the arts. And I have a PhD in drawing.”

What about your affinity for color? Where did you learn that?

I would jog to the Louvre everyday.

I’ve always been a jogger and I would put on my shoes and when I got to the entrance of the Louvre, I’d jog all the way through and stop in front of the pieces that I liked. And you’d pick up people. Lovers. Models.

Actually in the labyrinth outside the Louvre. I’ve– You’ve cruised there at night.

Yeah, I have.

Great place. The bridge, the Palm bazaar. Like throwing a net over and getting about 50 at one time. That was the Paris that I lived.

I don’t think you can jog through the Louvre anymore.

Well, jogging hadn’t started yet.

Jogging really came in as a sport for the public, probably in the mid-seventies. Everybody jogs now, but then they didn’t. They were getting over hangovers and suffering.

Do you think a bohemian lifestyle is still available to artists who want it?

Anything’s available if you take it.

Nobody says you can’t do this. You just do it. You go for it. If somebody says “No,” you just ignore them completely.

Well, that’s good. You still have hope.

You just do what you think needs to be done and 9 times out of 10, it’s against the rules. You do it anyway.

You just don’t let people stop you from expressing yourself. It’s all just an experiment that the human being has not

defined yet.

The Nall Art Foundation-Gallery is available by appointment at 414 Equality Ave, Fairhope, Alabama, 251-9282729.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 21

COMMUNITY VOICE Angel on My Corner: An Interview with Author Kyle Scafide Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that Kyle Scafide is something of a Renaissance man. Among other endeavors, he’s worked as an educator, a realtor, a musician, and a publisher (for a number of years, he was the owner and editor-in-chief of the now defunct local LGBT-themed magazines, Impact and Eclipse). He also has a Master’s degree in theology from Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from UNO. I recently met with him to discuss the publication of his first novel, Angel on My Corner.

JM: Thanks for meeting with me, Kyle. How long have you been writing?

KS: I started even before I bought Impact. Before that, it was mostly for my own benefit. I’d done an article on travel and real estate for a magazine, and when I went into academia, I wrote some scholarly articles. But I’d been really wanting to write fiction since I graduated from college. In my senior year, I had the fortune of having Walker Percy as my professor, and I saved a letter that he wrote to me, encouraging me to continue writing. I look at it every now and then to make me feel better (laughs). But yeah, this is my first pub-

lished book.

JM: How did Angel on My Corner come to be?

KS: The initial idea came to me over two years ago. It’s about love and friendship, and our disconnection from the world. It’s also about questioning our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil. Finally, it’s about the relationship between the sacred and the profane, the secular and the divine.

JM: I don’t want to give too much away, but the book explores themes of love and betrayal, and loss and redemption, from what is ultimately a Christian Existentialist perspective. Do you feel comfortable talking about your own spiritual journey?

KS: Absolutely. Growing up, I was very Catholic. We went to church two or three times a week. I didn’t meet my first non-Catholic until I was in fourth grade! At 17, I decided to go into the seminary. I loved it, and would not give up that experience for the world. Those were formative years for me, and I came out to some people while I was there. Then I went to grad school in Belgium for a while. It was very liberal

there, and I began to question things.

You realize how little you know, and how much of what you’d believed was wrong. I started to question my faith. I ended up finishing at Notre Dame, but as a lay person.

JM: How did you resolve any spiritual conflict you might have had about your sexuality?

KS: I had a core group of supportive friends who were also gay and Catholic. I continued to work as a church musician. But about ten years ago, I was fed up with what the pope was saying about homosexuality, that it was “intrinsically disordered.” I just quit. Now I consider myself an agnostic. I still believe in a higher power, but I can’t go much beyond that. I believe that there is an order of things, and that we have a responsibility to creation and to each other. But I haven’t had any church affiliation in years. Most of my spirituality now is meditation. My peace comes from getting quiet with myself, centering, and meditating on who I am in the universe, and where we are in the universe.

JM: It sounds closer to the spiritual side of agnosticism to me.

KS: Yeah, even now, one of my mantras is something from the Psalms.

And the reason why I don’t feel at odds with that is because it doesn’t matter what vehicle you take to understanding and enlightenment, just that you’re headed there.

JM: You mentioned Walker Percy, but who are some of your other influences as a writer? And what do you enjoy reading?

KS: I’ve read everything that Steinbeck has written. I like the works of Dostoevsky, especially with their existential bent and themes of good and evil. Also Camus’s The Plague and The Stranger. Those are some writers that I’ve really enjoyed. Now, it’s varied. I’m in a book club, and we’re reading The Last Madam by Chris Wiltz, which has a local flavor to it.

We also read Less by Andrew Sean Greer, and As Meat Loves Salt, by Maria McCann. I really enjoyed those.

And sometimes I just read what I can find on Kindle, or things I find from the New York Times Book Review. I don’t usually like genre fiction, but I did enjoy Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series. I don’t read much nonfiction, but I like history. And I’m a big fan of reading The New Yorker; there’s always good short fiction in there.

JM: Tell me about your time in the publishing business.

KS: I knew nothing about it, and then a dear friend of mine, Stephen Forster, a photographer for Impact, approached me and told me that the previous owner, Roy Letson, was looking to sell. When I bought it, I was very young - 30 years old - so I just had that sense that I could do anything. They were still using the typesetting method at the time, so I spent a substantial

amount of money moving us into the desktop publishing era. I learned about publishing as I went along. Jon Newlin was the editor-in-chief under Roy Letson, and he stayed on with me. He really did everything! Within a matter of four years, we had quadrupled circulation, quadrupled sales. But I also had a full-time staff, so it was much more expensive than it had been. When Jon and I had a falling out, we went our separate ways, and I became editor-in-chief.

Those were different times. I’ll tell you this one story, and if Rip and Marsha were here, they’d probably tell you the same thing. When I first bought Impact, I went to the place where they had been getting Ambush printed, and I went to pick up the boards. You had to bring the boards – these big pieces of paper - to the printing press. This woman there came back holding the pages away from her like they stank, and handed them to me. That was the last time we used those printers. After that, we only got printed at places that respected us. I started shopping around, and...Does Ambush still get printed at a place in Kosciusko, Mississippi?

JM: I think so.

KS: Rip and Marsha found out my secret (laughs)! I started shopping around, and found out about this place in Kosciusko that charged less than half of what I’d been paying, which was a significant amount of money. So that really helped me devote more money to content.

JM: What writing projects are you working on now?

KS: I have several at the moment.

I finished a book called My Friends, My Chosen Family, and I’m halfway through another novel. I’ve also got a memoir about my grandmother, with the working title, Adventures with Mamaw. She was just a riot, and it’s stories about her. I’m hoping to get that published next year.

JM: Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you’d like to have included in print?

KS: There are some people that I offended in the past, being a publisher and editor. Not purposefully. There were a few articles I was asked to write that had to do with the way the city was handling Ryan White funding at the time. And someone ended up having to resign from her job. The person was a stalwart member of our community, and I don’t think our community would have most of the things we’ve gotten done if it weren’t for her. I think of it often. So that’s one thing. Also, after I sold Impact and Eclipse, I heard that some bad things were written about me, so I felt like I just needed to take a break from the community for a while.

So now I feel like, in a way, I need to apologize for just disappearing the way I did.

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

NEW TO NEW ORLEANS

forming a ceremony. Incensed at the notion of any urchin’s lips scuffing his leather loafers, the Barker attempted to shovel the Waif aside, or at least off the main drag onto Bienville Street, but the Dirty Uncle begged a moment’s reRobert W Fieseler wordbobby@gmail.com prieve.

“Give this a chance,” the Dirty UnOn the corner of Bourbon and Bidiscuss in the realm of filthy business… cle whispered, and the Barker nodded enville sat Nobody’s Favorite Restauuntil some ailing urchin, some lost soul back. rant, an Italian joint resting so firmly on in limbo, approached the Barker’s work “Can I give you my grandpa’s birthits laurels that it had veritably hunched station. day gift?” the Waif beseeched. “Beover its pasta gut to give its menu a Instantly, their defenses went up. cause today is his birthday, and I made blowjob. The best you could say about But something about this Waif, shuffling him a present.” this establishment was that it was retowards them, made these jaded New What the hell, the Dirty Uncle liably decent, but that’s the case with Orleanians pause. The boy looked like thought.

“Sure,” he spoke curtly but most Italian cuisine. In foodservice old wine poured into a new wineskin, openly in response. terms, it’s as challenging to fuck up a like the dregs of some West Coast forStill on his knees, the Waif dug into passable red sauce recipe as it is to tune run afoul. He didn’t emit the usual his breast pocket and produced a crumfuck up a cup of coffee. panhandler scent of mule dung, but he pled ball of paper.

He handed it over to Yet, to speak in the establishment’s did smell like he’d bathed several nights the Dirty Uncle like a precious treasure. defense, Nobody’s Favorite Restauin Bayou St. John. His disheveled helThe Dirty Uncle unfurled the paper and rant had been situated on the busiest met of hair had been parted down the gave it the quickest of glances, carecorner of the most hopping strip in ormiddle with sweat. His clothes neither ful to never remove his eyes too long der to attract brunching bimbos, flocks fit nor matched, and he looked like from the urchin. of bros, and the occasional German or he’d stolen them It seemed to be Australian seeking the “authentic New straight from a “Dude, are you ok?” asked the a drawing made Orleans experience.” sex party clothesDirty Uncle, confused to even with colored penDespite never meriting Michelin check. recognition, let alone a star, Nobody’s Lastly, he hear himself asking the ques- cils. “This is beauFavorite Restaurant could reliably turn bore a look in his tion, knowing what can happen tiful and touching,” assessed the Dirty over tables three times per meal. The eyes that said he’d in the Quarter, knowing the Uncle. “I will give sauces came steaming, the bread seen God’s face knife that hides behind every this to your grandheaped, and the dishes emerged fast on a mushroom and well-portioned. Besides, Nobody’s cap and talked to sob story when ape-shit comes pa when I see him at the bar.”

Favorite Restaurant had the Barker Exit. Indeed, the Waif knocking.

The Dirty Untraordinaire—a dapper dandy in coat seemed so pitiably cle folded up the and tie who peddled its wares on the lost that the Dirty paper carefully and stowed it on his street in all weather, a cherubic charUncle couldn’t speak any of his usual person.

“Oh, thank you, sir, thank you,” acter who looked like he’d earned his rebukes, which he kept spring-loaded shouted the Waif, now weeping.

“HallePhD in red wine and butter. for the downtrodden: “Don’t ask me for lujah, hallelujah I say, thank you!”

The Barker Extraordinaire, with shit,” “Get the fuck out of here,” “Go At this point, the Barker Extraordihis promises of culinary ecstasy and make friends elsewhere.” The Waif naire grew impatient with the interacmouth-watering bites for a sensible made him think of Ignatius J. Reilly’s tion, which had grown so loud that it price, was famous for redirecting the assessment of the homeless as saints simultaneously attracted a crowd and flow of Bourbon Street through the of our age: “The simple fact that they negated his ability to gain the crowd’s doors of Nobody’s Favorite Restauhave been resounding failures in our attention and funnel those bodies into rant, for which he received an hourly century does give them a certain spiriNobody’s Favorite Restaurant. wage plus a dollar a head. The Barktual quality.”

“Look, son,” said the Barker, “you’d er Extraordinaire was so debonair, so Words of admonition caught in better come in here and spend some skilled in his trade, that many mistook the Dirty Uncle’s throat and became money, or move along for good.” The him for a sommelier or a maître d’ and replaced with compassion. The BarkWaif looked over and blinked. Taking asked for reservations or a wine pairer and the Dirty Uncle simply stared in the Barker’s well-groomed visage, ing, which he sometimes obliged for in amazement as the Waif fell to his seemingly for the first time after kissing additional cash in hand. At the end of knees before the doors of Nobody’s his shoes, the Waif lit up with a divine a night, he could easily clear a grand.

Favorite Restaurant, put his head in his glow.

On this particular day, however, hands and cried aloud. the city’s streets baked and cracked “Dude, are you ok?” asked the Dirty in a heat wave, and traffic remained Uncle, confused to even hear himself sparse. So the Barker Extraordinaire asking the question, knowing what can removed his coat to reveal his tradehappen in the Quarter, knowing the mark red suspenders, and he struck up knife that hides behind every sob story a conversation with the Dirty Uncle of when ape-shit comes knocking. the French Quarter, a C-list local ce“Dude, are you ok?” the Dirty Unlebrity and nonfiction author, who was cle repeated, removing his straw hat. just passing by on his way to (guess “Are you my grandpa?” asked the where?) the gay bar.

Waif. “Man, you look just like my grandBoth happened to be blackjack pa.” players and drinkers and brothelers— “No, I’m not your grandpa,” anat the time, single men with a shared swered the Dirty Uncle, bemused. “But affection for life’s offbeat pleasures I may see him later at the bar.” (this was years before the Dirty Uncle The Waif then began rolling his met the Prince of the Derelicts, his “Dihead on his shoulders and chanting amond Dauphine,” the Queer Aladdin an incomprehensible prayer. Dipping of the Crescent City). The Dirty Uncle down, he alternately kissed the Barker and the Barker, therefore, had much to and the Dirty Uncle’s shoes, as if per-

Deep Diver

Leaping to his feet, the Waif thrust a hand into his pants (momentarily, the Barker and the Dirty Uncle thought the worst), and he produced a sizable wad of bills, through which his thin fingers circumnavigated so deftly that their dance became too quick for the naked eye to see. This Waif, it turns out, was no stranger to life’s little currencies; this was the Earl of Somewhere, a successor to something, a princeling in pauper’s clothing. He tipped the Dirty Uncle twenty bucks. He tipped the Barker Extraordinaire another twenty. And he proceeded to stroll into Nobody’s Favorite Restaurant and order himself the finest bottle of vintage and every other entrée on the menu.

Shaking his head, mostly to shake away the situation, the Dirty Uncle of the French Quarter tipped his hat to the Barker Extraordinaire, and sauntered away with his newfound twenty towards the nearest gay bar. He certainly needed a drink. In the middle of his walk down Bourbon Street, the Dirty Uncle unfolded the paper to take another look at the Waif’s creation. He froze in his tracks.

What are the sharks in your life?

The Dirty Uncle, a former professor now bereft of students, a man with unnamed phases in his own existence, suddenly remembered speaking to a class.

Though the image had been rendered with minimal skill, just a step up from stick figures, its artistic intent was clear. The beast was gnawing away at a piece of humanity, and the man reeled in hopeless torture. Yes, this picture depicted a bull shark consuming a scuba diver from the bottom up—a man whose stumps were flailing in the act of being shredded between rows of teeth, a man whose lifeblood was seeping out in a viscous red cloud attracting the fishies and who would never now escape.

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.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 23

INTERVIEWS FROM KEY WEST Your Guide to Fantasy Fest 2019: The First Half Kevin Assam kevin-assam@hotmail.com Key West’s signature and most popular festival bursts onto the scene with its fortieth year of creative masterpieces and whimsical debauchery.

This year’s theme, In Tune But Off Key, ushers in a season full of musical jaunts and genre-bending displays.

Taking place within the first half of the week-long celebration, here are five events you won’t want to miss.

Lost Boy Creations’ Goombay Bash 225 Petronia St. Oct. 18th & 19th | 3PM The second annual Goombay Bash presented by local artist, Matt Atkinson, capitalizes on a year of continued awareness for this growing brand and art studio. Last year’s festivities were a sleeper hit! Nestled in the heart of a cozy Bahama Village courtyard, no one knew what to expect. The casual, mostly local-attended event morphed into a panorama of live art, soulful musical performances, and beer straight out of the tub. It is perhaps the most intimate event of the festival that facilitates meeting so many island personalities in a casual setting. This time around, the double day offerings will

include national musical samplings of Key West’s Chris Toler, Seattle’s Sol and Miami’s Xperimento. Keep your eye on Lost Boy. It’s gaining traction.

What to look for: Limited edition merchandise featuring the adorable top hat wearing surfboard aficionado mascot.

Zombie Bike Ride Fort East Martello Oct. 20th | 6PM Night walkers. Zombie disco divas. Political figures who survive the brain eating hordes because they have no brains. A terrifying albeit hilarious spectrum of your favorite characters and historical figures is on full display in their zombified form. Bicycles, trikes, kinetic creations, and even Amish carriages propel hundreds of masqueraders down US1 and into downtown Key West. It feels like a massive Halloween block party in the lead up as most of the island’s locals descend on the historical Fort East Mortello for entertainment and drinks.

What to look for: Elaborate kinetic sculptures peddled by zombie teams.

A Green Parrot Beatles Tribute 601 Whitehead St. | The Green Parrot Oct. 21st | 5.30PM 9PM 11PM This legendary bar hosts performers Chris Thomas, Tony Baltimore, Oren Polak, and Hiram Garzaro as they re-create a Fab Four Show with THE BEATLE BAND, All You Need is Love. You don’t have to be a Beatles aficionado – I’m certainly not – to appreciate that this musical bash will likely evolve into a sixties fashion show complete with delightfully terrible Lennon-McCartney lookalikes. Given Key West’s eternal sunshine and musical excellence, it’s quite likely that a summer of love will be revived this night of the festival.

What to look for: Musician Tony Baltimore. A local gem who will regale you with fascinating tales and help you close the bar down.

Kinky Carnival 301 Whitehead St. | First Flight Oct. 21st | 8PM Leather. Masks. Boots. Furry tails.

Any and all fetish attire are welcome at one of Fantasy Fest’s last remaining truly kinky events. Organized in consultation with the Florida Keys’ most active munch group, subs, doms, and everyone in-between gather for an electrifying exploration of First Flight’s multilayered complex. You can expect this one to be filled up early on. Last year was so widely attended that there was a “one in-one out” policy for the better part of an hour. Also, be sure to respect everyone’s privacy at this

event. Not all of us are ready for our nosy colleagues to see us collared and walking on all fours.

What to look for: Electrostimulation. Surprisingly, good business contacts. Brand new subs to do your bidding.

TuTu Tuesday 423 Caroline St. | General Horseplay Oct. 22nd | 7PM No tutu, no entry! The fabulous dress code works to level the playing field by ensuring that everyone leans into the spirit of absurdity. The 11th annual event is back with the theme of Magic! Sprawled across four complexes – including a gentleman’s club and outdoor courtyard – the evening promises parties within a party. Each interconnected venue provides a different DJ, crowd, and explosion of tulle.

Last year, all three attempts to retire for the night were squashed by my desire to return to the complex and discover something new. It was easily one of the city’s most exhilarating events. Will they be able to top last year?

What to look for: Celebrities and popular local personalities. Stripper poles.

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

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 25

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY Courtney Sharp: Unsung Trans Hero Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Like so many trans people, Courtney Sharp’s journey to self-realization was a long one. Growing up, she knew she was different but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. All she knew for sure was that she had better keep that difference secret. Her family was religious, and this was North Louisiana, after all. When her “difference” began to manifest, her family, which was Roman Catholic, steered her into traditional gender roles.

Sharp was born in New Orleans but had moved away as a child when her father took a job near Vidalia, Louisiana. While attending college at Louisiana Tech in Ruston (near the Arkansas border), she attended a talk on campus given by Christine Jorgensen—the first widely recognized trans woman in the U.S. (she transitioned in the early 1950s). Most of the attendees came out of curiosity but it was more than that for Sharp. Sharp was looking for answers, a reference point, hope.

Sharp had dealt with her internal struggle by turning to academics as a coping mechanism. Incredibly bright, in 1976 she earned two degrees in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

She then landed a job with a chemical company in Lake Charles, where she worked for seven years before being hired by the Ethel Corporation.

When she anonymously asked the Human Resources Department what the company policy on being transsexual was, she received no response.

She then asked a lawyer to assist her in obtaining information but still no response was forthcoming. Sharp kept working because she really enjoyed her job, but after a few years the struggle had become too intense to deny.

When Sharp personally approached the HR Department, she was told that she would be fired if she began transitioning. The excuse the company gave her was that it would create a “hostile work environment.”

She then began seeing a psychiatrist at a Gender Clinic in Galveston in 1985. She kept working but gradually became depressed to the point of being hospitalized in 1992. Sharp eventually sued her employer in Federal Court, but her case was dismissed. She was eventually terminated from Ethel for long-term disability. Unemployed and on disability, she then began spending

countless hours researching and educating herself on trans legal issues.

She regularly attended transgender conferences in Houston.

In 1993, Sharp moved to New Orleans. She had lost her career as well as her family, who rejected her when she began transitioning. She was lost, lonely, broke, and depressed. She considered suicide. But a nagging thought kept her from ending it all. She had learned of a statistic that haunted her. In her own words, Sharp recalls “40% of the kids in my community are killing themselves and I know exactly why. What am I going to do about it?”

The answer was to get involved with PFLAG and the community. She volunteered at the LGBT Community Center, which was then located on N. Rampart Street, and also worked with LAGPAC (Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus).

She became close friends with Stewart Butler, who had been a charter member of LAGPAC since 1980 and was now heavily involved in PFLAG. Butler had been instrumental in the passage of the 1991 non-discrimination ordinance in New Orleans and was the veteran of numerous political campaigns. Both Butler and Sharp recognized the need for transgender rights, protections, and inclusion. At that time, the idea of gay and lesbian rights was so radical that trans rights was “beyond the pale,” which is to say inconceivable to most people, even those within the LGBT+ community. Sharp and Butler were ahead of their time.

One of the flaws of the 1991 non-discrimination ordinance was that it did not include protections for transgender persons. Sharp and Butler led a quiet campaign to correct that injustice by including transgender language in the 1995 Home Rule Charter.

Because the charter was so grand in scope, no one was really paying attention to Sharp and Butler’s efforts and they were ultimately successful in slipping in the phrase “gender identification.” People were so focused on the big picture they didn’t notice the details.

At the time, Sharp was serving as the first transgender person on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee (MAC) and the following year joined the Board of Directors of LAGPAC. In 1998, Sharp and LAGPAC turned their attention to the state legislature. MAC and LAGPAC worked together to file a non-discrimination bill that included transgender protections. Simultaneously, the Forum for Equality, another political action group based in New Orleans, had a similar bill filed that did not

include transgender language.

The two bills confused the New Orleans delegation to the state House of Representatives. The delegation was generally sympathetic to LGBT+ causes but the two bills revealed a frustrating lack of communication and coordination. The delegation called a meeting of both LAGPAC and Forum for Equality officials and chastised them for “not having their shit together.”

During the meeting, Tony Clesi, an attorney for the Forum, angrily asked, “Why in the hell are we talking about including transsexual people when we need to protect gays and lesbians?”

He did not know that Sharp, who was in the room, was transgender. Sharp was shocked at the remark and left the room to calm down and collect her thoughts. Upon returning to the meeting, she referenced Clesi’s question and said, “This is why . . .” and then, after coming out as trans, excoriated the Forum for Equality for its hypocrisy.

The aforementioned episode foreshadowed the national controversy in 2007 when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Barney Frank removed transgender language from ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act).

In 2000, when a Louisiana Winn-Dixie grocery store fired Peter Oiler for cross-dressing when he wasn’t working, Sharp helped organize a protest campaign. While a lawsuit was working its way through the federal court system, Sharp said, “The transgender community had demanded that Winn-Dixie institute a non-discrimination policy for gender identity & expression and sexual orientation. We also asked them to institute sensitivity training. Those demands have not been withdrawn and were not dependent upon the legal case.”

In addition to battling politicians and corporations, Sharp also waged a subtler campaign within the LGBT+ community to foster greater understanding and inclusion of transgender people. When she joined PFLAG, she asked why the group did not include transgender young people in its mission. The question caught the attention of the local chapter’s leadership (Sandra Pailet, Julie Thompson, and Randy Trahan), and they took Sharp to dinner to discuss the matter further.

They were receptive.

Sharp had put transgender youth on the local PFLAG chapter’s radar but there was still much to do, namely convincing the local PFLAG’s Board of Directors that the trans issue was something the national organization needed to address. Her strongest ally was,

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

again, Stewart Butler. Together they gradually persuaded the local chapter to lead the fight for transgender inclusion in the national PFLAG Mission Statement.

The New Orleans chapter of

PFLAG formally proposed that the national organization vote to include the word transgender in its mission statement. The resolution would be voted on by the national board at the national conference in San Francisco in 1998.

ARTIST SPOT LIGHT

Kyle Payne: An Artist to Look Out For Chris Leonard chris@ambushpublishing.com In a place like New Orleans, music is how we celebrate and mourn. It is nearly impossible to come up with a complete list of all the musicians that call New Orleans home. Many influential artists have roots here, including Big Freedia and Lil Wayne, and going back to Fats Domino and Jelly Roll Morton.

New Orleans is also home to many talented rising stars. I had the pleasure of talking with Kyle Payne, a local gay rapper. Kyle grew up in Marrero where he graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School, then went to UNO for film. While at UNO, Kyle realized that he liked to rap and needed to go back to school for music. He went to Loyola, interned for Big Freedia, and is changing the image of gay rappers.

When did you first get started in music and have you always been drawn to rap?

No, I was always drawn to Britney Spears. I grew up on Hillary Duff and Britney. Around 3rd grade, that wasn’t cool anymore so I stopped listening to Britney. There really wasn’t any other artist that I was drawn to, until Black Eyed Peas came out with My Humps.

For some reason, I knew that song was it; I would listen to it every day and recite it word for word. I was fascinated

with how fast they talked and I could still understand what they were saying.

Nicki Minaj came out my sophomore/junior year of high school. My friends and I would listen to her and, honestly, I thought she was batshit crazy. We would make fun of the songs by doing these crazy moves to go along with them and one day, we saw her video and was like, she is doing the same things as us. She is literally doing the same thing we are doing in the car, but she is making money off of it. That’s when I knew I could do it too.

Do you write your own songs?

Yes, I started out writing joke songs for my friends by using Nicki Minaj beats. I got more passionate about writing and started writing songs that were serious and not just a joke using Nicki’s beats. My first song was Run It Back. I wrote that one while I was at Loyola and performed it at Tipitina’s for a group of students.

What gives you inspiration for your music?

Nicki, Britney, Black Eyed Peas, Lizzo and Meg Thee Stallion are all inspirations. Like Lizzo and Meg Thee Stallion, I want my music to connect with the listeners. When you listen to my music, I speak about myself a lot, but I do hope that you can relate the

The board required written arguments both for and against the resolution before they voted. Sharp wrote the argument for trans inclusion. The resolution passed and PFLAG became the first national LGBT+ organization to include

trans people in its mission statement.

In 2000, Courtney Sharp became the first transgender member of the national PFLAG Board of Directors.

songs to yourself. You can be gay and you can do anything you want to do.

You have the opportunity to make people feel great about themselves so use your skills to make others feel good.

You have a regular show The Pantry? Tell me more about that show.

The Pantry is a show that I started where you can walk in and get a variety of entertainers. It started as a bi-monthly show at the Art Garage, and beginning in November, it will be at Oz New Orleans. The show features myself, and some wonderful drag queens. I hope in the future to be able to showcase more up and coming LGBT artists as well as using it for some charity purposes.

What’s next for KP? There is a lot happening right now.

I have a new album releasing in December and will be starting my Pantry show at Oz in November. I am also excited to be performing at the New Orleans Pride Coronation Show on October 19 at Oz New Orleans. This is their 10th Anniversary so I will be performing some fun new music for it.

Stay up to date on all the cool things

happening at iamkpmusic.com What is your bucket list place to do a show?

Madison Square Garden. It is the cliche place for artist to say they want to perform, but you know you made it when you can perform there.

If you could perform with anyone in the world, who would it be?

I don’t have a particular person currently; there are so many amazing performers that I would love to work with.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the music scene?

What I would tell myself 5 years ago is to be patient. Continue working on your craft and don’t get impatient.

You are not going to start off perfect.

Keep working at it and you are guaranteed to get better. Don’t lose focus and be open to opinions, negative or positive.

Be sure to follow KP on social media to find out his latest. Facebook: @ officialpantry Instagram: @iamkpmusic or iamkpmusic.com

BOOK REVIEW LGBTQ Fiction and Poetry from Appalachia Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com LGBTQ Fiction and Poetry from Appalachia. Eds. Jeff Mann and Julia Watts. West Virginia UP. 288 pp.

This collection, the first of its kind, gathers original and previously published fiction and poetry from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer authors from Appalachia. Like much Appalachian literature, these works are pervaded with an attachment to family and the mountain landscape, yet balancing queer and Appalachian identities is an undertaking fraught with conflict. This collection confronts the problematic and complex intersections of place, family, sexuality, gender, and religion with which LGBTQ Appalachians often grapple.

With works by established writers such as Dorothy Allison, Silas House, Ann Pancake, Fenton Johnson, and Nickole Brown and emerging writers such as Savannah Sipple, Rahul Mehta, Mesha Maren, and Jonathan Corcoran, this collection celebrates a literary canon made up of writers who give voice to what it means to be Appalachian and LGBTQ. Jeff Mann grew up in Covington, Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia, receiving degrees in English and forestry from West Virginia University. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many publications, including The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, Appalachian Heritage, Best Gay Poetry, Best

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Gay Erotica, and Best Gay Stories. He has published three award-winning poetry chapbooks, Bliss, Mountain Fireflies, and Flint Shards from Sussex; five full-length books of poetry, Bones Washed with Wine, On the Tongue, Ash: Poems from Norse Mythology, A Romantic Mann, and Rebels; six novels, Insatiable, Country, Cub, Fog: A Novel of Desire and Reprisal, which won the Pauline Reage Novel Award, Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War,

which won a Rainbow Award, and Salvation: A Novel of the Civil War, which won a Lambda Literary Award and the Pauline Reage Novel Award. In May 2013, he was inducted into the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival Hall of Fame. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

A native of southeastern Kentucky, Julia Watts is the author of the Lambda Literary Award-winning Finding H.F. and many other works including lesbi-

an romance, lesbian erotica and young teen paranormal. Watts is a two-time recipient of grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and recently completed an M.F.A. in Writing from Spalding University. She lives, writes and teaches in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Lambda Literary Awards: Secret City, Finalist, LGBT Young Adult, Finding H.F., Winner in LGBT Young Adult, The Kind of Girl I Am, Finalist in Lesbian Erotica, Once Upon a Dyke, Fi-

nalist in Lesbian Erotica. GCLS Goldie Awards: Hypnotizing Chickens, Finalist, Lesbian Dramatic/General Fiction, Secret City, Winner, Lesbian Young Adult, Women. Period., Finalist, Lesbian Anthology, The Kind of Girl I Am, Finalist, Lesbian Dramatic Fiction, Bell, Book and Dyke and Tall in the Saddle, Finalist, Lesbian Science-Fiction/Horror/Paranormal.

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

A world in constant motion requires constant attention The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ Rector St Anna’s Episcopal Church fr.bill@stannanola.org Headlines: Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Legalize Workplace Discrimination Against Gay Employees (TIME.COM August 25, 2019) It is a dicey time in the U.S.A for faith folk and for Gay folk. Our society is in a great transition and none of us are sure of where its arc will bend. Recently Dr. King’s words have been reprinted and have been stuck in my mind, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” I pray almost daily that such is true. These times are testing that view. I suppose such has been tested from as long as we have clawed our way out of caves. Much of what we call “The Old Testament” is made up of Prophets that spent time speaking truth to power seeking that moral arc that bends towards justice.

Regarding this issue of Title VII .

“Constitutional Originalism” holds that we should adhere to the original ideas and concepts of the writers of the Constitution. In that same vein, there’s a like and kind perspective that says that laws like Title VII should be valued as it was written, when it was written, and remain in that 1960’s context. Such was a response by conservatives to my TIME.COM post on Facebook. That the Justice Department is simply trying to insure that the word “sex” is not broadened and only refers to cis-gender.

I was asked if I thought that this will have any major impact on anything. Yes, it may well on the LGBTQ+ community as a gateway interpretation that restricts rather than liberalizes Constitutional and Federal protections.

Depending on the issue, you may want a more liberal and less literal interpretation of the law such as the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment in 2008 with District of Columbia v. Heller. Or you may want a more restrictive fundamental interpretation. The law can be swung many ways. But the moral arguments can’t really be swung in so many ways. The question is who is the moral authority? Is it the court? Is it religion? Is it the compass of humanism which may

swing howsoever the culture decides?

Who is the moral authority of right and wrong?

Within each world religion a careful study will ultimately lead to a moral center. In general, that moral center is the same or similar in each iteration.

For Christians it is worked out in the several forms of what we call love, reconciliation and sacrifice. The same, at its core, is true of the three Abrahamic religions. Humans have value; humans must value humans; such is divine expression. Much of the other clutter in our faiths are simply modifiers to these core ideas of moral value.

We, as a society must seek to add this type of thinking, behaving, and believing in its most fundamental way back into our spiritual center. Humans have value. If this is a fundamental core value or moral truth then what party you belong to, how you interpret the law, or how you understand economics should always be filtered through that central moral arbitrator, “Humans have value; humans value humans.” I am sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dr. King and the other great prophets, imams, rabbis, sages, shamans and theologians would generally agree.

An effort to restrict the dignity of any human being abridges this moral core.

That said, we are in that moral arc and it does bend, though slowly, in directions that do celebrate diversity and inclusion. So here is another headline that I want to mention: ‘Long past time,’ Anglican priest says of permission to perform samesex marriage, CDC News Newfoundland and Labrador 9-30-2019 As some may know (and most don’t care), the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is a part, has struggled over the past few decades with full inclusion. First it was

women at the altar, then it was Gay priests, then it was Gay marriage. The denomination globally is still to some degree bickering. The Anglican Church in Canada had a national vote on full inclusion for marriage. It failed. But it did provide for individual Dioceses (subdivisions) to allow same-sex marriage and for individual churches to apply to their Bishops to do them.

That arc of moral rightness can find its seeds in the oddest of places.

I am going back about 20 years to a time when the ordaining of openly gay persons in relationships was the hot button in the Episcopal Church. Yes we fought like cats and dogs over it. Often it was ugly, really, really ugly. I was just entering seminary. The one that I chose, not knowing much about church politics, turned out to be one of the most conservative Anglo Catholic seminaries in the U.S. The faculty was generally orthodox but the students, most much younger than I, were very conservative and generally at the very least misogynistic and homophobic as were their cultish Bishop leaders. [Note: those Bishops have now departed our company and set up their own little club.]

But there I was.

My Seminary Dean was not a jovial man. He was austere to many of us.

Having been in the Navy, he reminded me of a boot camp chief. He pushed us. I did not get to know him well. But I did not go to seminary to pal around with the dean but to be formed and to learn, and I did. The curriculum was tough and foundational. But the culture was sometimes toxic in its student population and its hard right leanings.

In short, a mixed bag especially if you drank the student body kool-aid.

Now let’s go forward two decades.

I look up my neighbor from Seminary, a Canadian who returned home to Newfoundland. I also look up that austere dean. The dean now lives in upstate

Humans have value; humans must value humans; such is divine expression.

New York and has a small church and a couple of great dogs. He wanders around the universe in his kayak with his dog(s). His FB posts are absolutely filled with liberal ideas and ideologies that remind me of the old Anglo Catholic Socialist movements at the turn of the 20th century. WHO KNEW?! He’s not a Trump fan. Likewise, the Canadian is now the outspoken prophet that has lined up his church to be the first to begin doing same-sex weddings in Newfoundland. The arc when finding its center in all of us will indeed swing.

The Rev. Jonathan Rowe, my Canadian friend, said, “”It’s not just time to act — it is long past time. Now is the time for us to start making up for our failures in the past, and we’re excited about being able to move forward.”

He went on to say that it was a matter of principle before pastoral considerations. That is finding the arc of morality. That’s putting good faith and theology before simply being a nice pastor.

In short, “humans have value; humans value humans.”

A conservative priest that I know who has steadfastly opposed samesex marriage has now reversed his position. I like this priest, though we agreed not to speak of this issue; he has been supportive of mission in so many other ways. His solidarity with the poor is deep. But his arc was moved by a close family member who came out.

The center of his arc of moral compass said, “Do you love the child or the doctrine?” His moral arc decided rightly that he chose love of person. So, while he has had a major shift in his life, his moral arc found its true center when it was made personal.

I say all of this to observe that the most unlikely of times, places, and persons can find this center that I am writing about. No one should be completely written off, though some are a bit harder to hold out hope for. Some may never find that arc of moral center.

But some unlikely candidates will, because they will see that “humans have value; humans value humans” and that is the center of true faith.

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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.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS HEALTH & WELLNESS The Importance of Good Support When Coming Out Chenier Reynolds-Montz Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana CReynolds@accesshealthla.org “Do it when you’re ready and have a strong support system in place,” recommends Vanice Zenon to anyone considering coming out to family, friends, or co-workers. “A strong support system can be invaluable to anyone considering disclosing their sexual orientation for the first time to others.” Zenon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Access Health Louisiana’s St. Tammany Community Health Center in Slidell. Her more than two decades of counseling experience has helped countless men and women break important news to their inner circle.

Disclosing your gender identity or sexual preference can be stressful for many reasons. You may feel that the news will make your loved ones disown you. You may feel that your co-workers will not accept you anymore. You may feel that your friends will abandon

you. While all these scenarios could end up being true, they could also end up going in the complete opposite direction. Your family may accept the news with open arms and wonder why you would ever doubt their unconditional love for you. Your co-workers may embrace the news and love you for being open and honest with them.

Your friends may end up being closer to you than ever because they realize what you said to them took great courage – a very admirable quality.

Often when speaking out about something very important like your sexual identity, people build up anxiety over the “what ifs”. The more we focus on something instead of getting it off our chest, the more tension, anxiety and stress builds up in our bodies.

This stress can cause pain in the form of depression, muscle tension and body aches or even mood changes.

Mental health plays just as important role as physical health. In fact, the two go hand in hand. Talking to a trained professional can help.

Having a therapist in your corner, can really be an invaluable tool when preparing to come out to friends and family. According to Zenon, therapy plays a big role in strengthening a person’s support system. The therapist can help the person considering coming out in three big ways. “First, planning is important,” says Zenon. “The therapist can role play and help you develop how you want to take the conversation with your family. Secondly, the therapist can help you build your confidence level when you’re ready to make the announcement. Finally, he or she can also teach you some coping mechanisms to rely on in case your loved ones don’t take the news well.”

Oftentimes, coming out is difficult because the person has to overcome prejudices and discrimination they’ve experienced earlier in life. A therapist can help you develop coping mechanisms to overcome those negative feelings and create ways for you to self-care and manage stress.

“When you have a plan, it helps

you feel more prepared, have less anxiety and feel more positive about the ‘coming out’ process.” Zenon says another key is coming out on your own terms and own timeframe. “If now isn’t the best time, don’t beat yourself up about it because that is part of the process. Be able to not feel pressured to do something because society wants you to do it. Do it when YOU are ready and able to do it.”

October 11th is National Coming Out Day. It was founded in 1988 by psychologist Richard Eichberg and gay rights activist Jean O’Leary to raise awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and its civil rights movement. October 11th was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the second major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (1987).

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

Coming Clean about Coming Out Dr. Andrew Watley Professional Counselor in the State of Louisiana www.drandrewwatley.com “Mom! Dad! I have something to tell you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me!” How wonderful would a conversation like that be! What if we lived in a world where there was no such thing as “different”? October is one of my favorite months. It’s my birthday month. I have a twin so I figured since I don’t have my own day, I get to celebrate the entire month. It’s also Halloween, the holiday where it’s completely ok to not be yourself and eat as much junk as you want. More importantly, it’s National Coming Out Month, a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community can reflect and share our

stories of how we were, in a sense, reborn to the world.

I have to admit, as a young gay man, I’ve always had an issue with the idea of “coming out”. I have two brothers who both identify as straight.

As mentioned earlier, one of them is my twin. We have shared many things throughout life including almost 32 birthdays, some graduations, and so many articles of clothing that I have borrowed that he is never getting back.

But one thing that we have never shared is a common sexuality. It’s one of the many things that made us different from each other. It made me

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different not only from him, but from my older brother, and the majority of men in the world.

I hated being different. It brought up feelings of insecurity, often questioning, “What is wrong with me?” So I pretended to be straight. I dated girls and made myself enjoy things that I thought would make me look “straight”.

I wasn’t happy. I was living a lie. Pressure to come out gave me such anxiety. I felt like I had to come out even if I didn’t want to. In my mind, it was some sort of rite of passage. The fear that I developed contributed to the unhappiness that I was accustomed to. Fear of not being loved or accepted, fear of being pushed away or judged, fear of becoming a label. To be honest, a lot of those fears still exist as an out man.

I came out to both of my parents as an adult. My twin had already secretly

told my mom about my sexuality. I decided to come clean on a family trip to Disney World a few years ago. Nothing like having margaritas in Epcot to give you the extra courage to talk to your mom about your gay love life!

She admitted that it was hard to hear but she was overall accepting.

She said, “as a parent, we have certain expectations for our children. I will just have to change mine”.

As rough as it may seem, she said it from a place of sincerity. It’s still kind of the elephant in the room.

My dad found out around May of this year when he read it on my counseling website. He said, “I was waiting for you to tell me”. Then he expressed how upset he was that I had waited so long. The fear definitely contributed to my prolonged coming out but ultimately, I waited because I wasn’t

ready. I hadn’t accepted the fact that I was different, and that there was nothing wrong with it. If there was only one color in the world, there would be no rainbow!

To my friends who may not have come out yet. Take your time. Try to ignore the pressure that you may feel from society or other members of the community. This is your life. Come out when you are ready if you choose to.

Seek mental health help to deal with any anxiety, depression, or fear that you may have. Coming out isn’t always easy for everyone. Utilize counselors like myself and others who specialize in LGBTQ+ needs. For my “out” brothers and sisters, let us reflect on our journeys that got us to where we are.

Let’s be honest with those who walk in our footsteps. Talk to them about both the successes and struggles of coming

out. Finally, to all of my straight brothers and sisters reading this article, we need you to continue to be the positive support that you have been as advocates. Coming out isn’t a transformation, but rather it’s a transition. Continue to love us, protect us, and lead the way for future generations so that one day the fear and anxiety that is associated with coming out is only something of the past.

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.

HEALTH & WELLNESS PrEP 2.0: Daily vs. On-Demand Dosing Christopher Garnett, MD/MPH (Primary Care, Ochsner Health System) DrG.HIVWarrior@gmail.com HIV PrEP has the potential to revolutionize HIV prevention in the U.S. and worldwide. For many, the daily pill can offer up to 99% protection from acquiring HIV. So why are so few people taking it? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.2 million would benefit from PrEP in the US, but as of 2016 only 77,000 reported PrEP use. As an HIV prevention specialist, I’ve heard from many patients who think daily PrEP is not right for them. The reasons vary, but a core issue is the lack of choices when it comes to how someone takes PrEP. A common refrain I hear is that “I don’t have sex that often, so do I really need to take a daily pill? That just seems like a waste!” So, is PrEP worth it if you’re having sex less than once weekly?

Ever heard of “on-demand” PrEP? Because it may be the solution you’ve been waiting for.

Since 2015 the option of on-demand PrEP has been rising as an alternative for HIV Prevention. The concept first came about after the landmark study called IPERGAY. In that study, a routine called “2-1-1” dosing was tried for PrEP among cisgender gay men. It went like this: take 2 pills 2-24 hrs before sex, 1 pill 24 hrs later, and 1 pill 24 hrs after the prior dose. For people who didn’t have at least 2 “sex free days” following the initial double dose, they continued taking a daily tablet until no further sexual activity had occurred.

2-1-1 PrEP, How Effective Is It? The original IPERGAY trial showed that 2-1-1 PrEP reduced the risk of HIV acquisition by 86% compared to the placebo group. The level of protection was so great that the researchers were

compelled to end the placebo group early because to continue withholding 2-1-1 PrEP from that group would be unethical. 2 people acquired HIV who were in the study compared to 16 in the placebo group and there is some controversy as to whether these two patients were taking PrEP correctly or may have already been exposed to HIV prior to starting 2-1-1 PrEP. An extension of IPERGAY following cisgender gay men over more time showed HIV risk reduction closer to 97%.

Why Is the Science So Confusing?

If the 2-1-1 procedure was the same for both studies, why the different estimates of HIV protection? Well, the next phase in the study no longer had a placebo group and in a sense it’s like comparing apples and oranges. A placebo-controlled trial is done when it’s not certain whether a certain medication will work or not. Once it’s known to work very well, that’s when placebo groups go away. When that happens, how the statistics are done will change.

This happens in research all the time.

You try researching the same medication in the same way but there’s always something different that you cannot control.

More 2-1-1 PrEP studies were done to see if these high levels of protection would be seen in more real-world settings where 2-1-1 PrEP was part of routine medical visits and not part of structured research. That brings us to the Prevenir Study in 2018 out of Paris, France. By this time, the European AIDS Clinical Society had already approved 2-1-1 PrEP for use among cisgender gay men. This study

followed 1,435 cisgender men at high risk for acquiring HIV with about half doing daily PrEP and the other 2-11 PrEP. After a full year of follow up, there were zero HIV infections in both groups. Again, supporting the conclusion that 2-1-1 PrEP is an excellent alternative to daily dosing.

Who Should Use 2-1-1 PrEP? People who have less frequent sex (less than weekly) and who can wait 2-24 hrs before having sex would be good candidates. They have to withhold sex long enough for the first dose to take effect. If sex tends to be very spontaneous to the point that the PrEP pills are nowhere to be found when needed, daily PrEP is probably the better choice. Taking fewer pills can also mean lowering the chances of experiencing bone or kidney side effects which can occur in a small group of people taking Truvada long term for PrEP. However, 2-1-1 would not be a good way to avoid “startup” side effects such as nausea, headache, or disrupted sleep. These uncommon side effects tend to go away with regular use of Truvada and come back anytime the medicine is stopped and then restarted.

2-1-1 for Transgender Patients?

Although not recommended yet, hopefully it will be soon. Remember, these HIV protection estimates came from studies that limited the focus to cisgender gay men where rectal exposure was the main risk of HIV exposure. This means that for transgender men and women (and even heterosexual men, women, and people who inject drugs) 2-1-1 has not been evaluated enough to know whether it could

work just as well for other routes of HIV exposure.

Who Endorses 2-1-1 PrEP in the US? Although the CDC has not yet endorsed 2-1-1 PrEP, many think they will do so soon because many other leading organizations in HIV prevention and public health have already endorsed it. The list of major endorsements includes the International Antiviral Society – USA Division, the Departments of Public Health for New York City and San Francisco, and the list continues to grow.

Ask Your PrEP Provider It’s possible if your PrEP provider is less experienced in providing HIV prevention services, they may not know about 2-1-1 PrEP. In the internet era, physicians have gotten used to getting articles from savvy patients.

Bring the NYC Public Health article on 2-1-1 PrEP for doctors to your visit and advocate for the services you need.

Don’t have a HIV PrEP provider?

Visit Ochsner.org/PrEP. Rapid PrEP starts are available with Dr. Garnett Friday afternoons at the Tchoupitoulas Health Center. You can also visit our site or call our PrEP Hotline for an appointment 855-241-9347. I welcome questions, feedback, and requests for future topics at DrG.HIVWarrior@ gmail.com.

Christopher Garnett, MD/MPH is a native of Lima, Peru and is fluent Spanish speaker. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Academy of HIV Medicine.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 33

HOT HAPPENINGS UNDER THE GAYDAR New Orleans Hot Happenings Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com It’s my favorite time of the year Fall! Call me a basic bitch, but I love me some pumpkin spice. I also love the entire month of October, the best month of the year and not just because it’s my birthday month, although that helps. But there are so many fun things to do in NOLA. Here are just a few of the things to keep your days (and nights) busy. (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) Happy Hour: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; bargain prices starting with draft beer or Schnapps for only $1.50—plus six more specials. Weekdays: Noon - 7 p.m., Weekends: 10 a.m, - 6 p.m. | Boys dancin’ on the bar nightly 9 p.m. till close.

WEEKDAYS

Happy Hour: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Happy Hour: The Phoenix Bar; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

MONDAY Martini Mondays: Crossing; 439 Dauphine St.; (all day) Tito’s and Deep Eddy martinis will be $3.

Service Industry Night: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. $2.50 domestic beers; $3 well cocktails; $3.50 imported beer; $5.50 Tito’s; $6 Jameson.

Happy Hour All Night: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; Open to close.

Well, domestic, and wine.

Mexican Monday: The 700 Club; 700 Burgundy St.; Open to close. $3 Coronas, $3 Cuervo Shots, 2 for 1 Margaritas Primal Nights: Bacchannal Wine; 600 Poland Ave.; 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. $20 donation. Guest Chefs grill a personalized menu and the plate donations go to the charity of their choosing.

NOAGE & Stonewall Sports Walk/ Run Club: Audubon Park; 6:15 p.m.

Join Stonewall Sports New Orleans and NOAGE starting at 6:30 p.m..

Meet for the walk/run at Audubon Park by the Magazine Street entrance park-

ing 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 questions, call Jim at (504) 228-6778.

Karaoke Monday: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 7 - 9 p.m. Enjoy happy hour prices all night long. Hosted by Denny with VJ Dollabill.

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.

Night of S.I.N.: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; from 9 p.m. till close. Get your S.I.N. (Service Industry

34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 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 · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 35

Night) card from Ashlee to unlock Happy Hour prices every Monday night. | Boys dancin’ on the bar 9 p.m. till close.

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 $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, amaz-

ing 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

Wet Wednesday: Crossing; 439 Dauphine St.; (all day). 2-for-1 anything and everything (at regular price).

Or, make it a double!

Hump Day: Rawhide 2010; 740 Burgundy St.; 4 - 9 p.m. 2 for $4 wells, draft, and domestic beers.

Wine Night: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 5 p.m. close. $15 bottles of wine.

WednesGays at LPK Uptown: Louisiana Pizza Kitchen; 615 South Carrollton Ave.; 5 p.m. Join us every Wednesday to celebrate diversity. See old friends or make some new ones and find out what’s happening in the Nola community. All this while enjoying 1/2 price drinks from the bar. Invite your friends.

Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m..

Honey Bee Trivia: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays are Trivia with Honey Bee at 7 p.m. with free jello shots and Bar Tabs.

Show Tunes Night: The Bourbon Pub; 801 St Ann St.; 8 p.m.- Midnight 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.

Drag Race UK Viewing Party: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 7 p.m. Mama Ru’s in search of the UK’s very first drag race superstar. Prepare for the ride of your life! Join us every Thursday for Rupaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 Viewing Party at Kajun’s Pub! Laveau Contraire has nvited some of her best squirrel friends to come give insightful commentary, sickening drag numbers, and a healthy dose of SHADE. Don’t get left at the starting line! See you every Thursday at Kajuns Pub for Rupaul’s Drag Race viewing on all 5 TV screens at 7pm!

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.; from 9 p.m. till close.

The Hits of the 80’s and 90’s. $3 well vodka drinks and $4 Long Island iced teas. | Boys dancin’ on the bar 9 p.m. till close.

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 Dance Contest: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 10 p.m. Amateurs and pros compete to win cash prizes ($100 winner, $200 if on the first attempt). Open call; guys register with ID (21+) by 9 p.m. | Boys dancin’ on the bar 9 p.m. till close.

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

36 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 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 · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 37

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

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.

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 Sinful Sunday: Crossing; 439 Dauphine St.; 5 - 8 p.m. Drink & Drown, $15 well drinks or top shelf & bottled beer $25 - includes free burger cookout.

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!: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 6 p.m. Play for free to win prizes or bar tabs. Late night: The Barry Bareass Booty Contest, $50 cash prize. | Boys dancin’ on the bar 9 p.m. till close.

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 THRU SUNDAY 10/20

Wicked: Saenger Theatre; 1111 Canal St.; Tickets start at $49. To purchase tickets, visit BroadwayInNewOrleans.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone (800) 982-2787 or at the Saenger Theatre Box Office. Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz from a different angle.

TUESDAY 10/8

An Evening with Poseidon Davenport: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.: 10:30 p.m. Oz New Orleans and Persana Shoulders presents Poseidon for the WIN! Join Oz as they host a benefit show to help send Poseidon, to the Mr Gay USofA Pageant. Hosted by: Persana Shoulders Oz & Eros S Guillen. Starring: A bevy of local entertainers! 50/50 raffle to be held.

Show time at 10:30 PM after Bourbon Boylesque!

Last Resort - An Urban Legend Cabaret: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10:30 p.m.

- midnight. It’s time to remember the Scary Stories that you tell in the dark.

Come to Last Resort: An Urban Legends Cabaret and celebrate the mysterious and macabre! Feature the talents of: Lefty Lucy, Luna Rei, Jay Storm and Gamut Boys. Hosted by: Nicki Nicolai.

Doors Open At: 9:30 p.m. Show Starts At: 10:30 p.m. Cover: $5.

WEDNESDAY 10/9

The Dark Art Market: The Goat; 1301 St. Bernard Ave.; 7 p.m. - 1 a.m.

The Halloween edition of this event features Missing and Mystery Girl, as

38 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 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 · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 39

well as food pop-up, tarot card readings, art, clothing, potions and lotions.

No cover.

Crescent City Leathermen General Meeting: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields’s Ave.; 7:30 - 9 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the club please stop by. This event is open to the public.

FRIDAY 10/11

Wigs 101 with Caye: NOLA Craft Culture; 127 S. Solomon St.; 5:30 7:30 p.m. Just in time for Halloween, this demonstration will teach you all the basics you need to be comfortable with wigs! This class will focus on Halloween wigs, but will cover fundamentals that you can take and apply to selecting, building and wearing wigs all year round. Class instructor Caye Mitchell will cover the following topics: (1) Know Your Wig (2) Easy Ways to Build a Wig (3) Getting Creative (4) How to Put a Wig On and (5) Aftercare. As always, NOCC is BYOB. Part of the workshop fee benefits the Greater New Orleans Riding Center is 2 hrs long, $40.

Dykes Do Deadlifts: Vitality by Kristin; 4304 Firestone Rd.; 6:30 p.m.

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.

The Graduates: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; starts at 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! Doors at 10 p.m. Show at 11 p.m. $10 cover.

Lords of Leather National Coming Out DayBeer Bust: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Join the Lords and remember to be a good “boy” or “sir”. $5 buy-in; $1 refills.

SATURDAY 10/12

Coffee Talk: Crescent Care; 1631 Elysian Fields Ave.; 10 - 11:30 a.m.

NOAGE’s special guest this month will be Camille Hazeur. Camille has vast experience as an advocate in many venues, and will share about her life experience growing up in Alabama and beyond, all the way to the White House, serving as the Director of Civil Rights at the US Department of Transportation.

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Artisan 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. For tickets go to www.eventbrite.com.

Drag Queen Car Wash: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 12 - 4 p.m.

The Krewe of the Mystic Inane, your favorite Krewe du Vieux Subkrewe is back with another Drag Queen car wash! They have a whole new list of exciting ways to service you! The Inane clown posse always offers service with a smile. Have a car? Come get it washed! Don’t have a car? Bring your bike! Your pedicab! Your very normal adult tricycle! We’ll wash you if you tip us! Basic Bitch washes start at $10 with an array of very special services you’ll want to add on.

Cocktoberfest: Krewe of Armeinius Den; 433 N. Broad St.; 7 - 10 p.m. Bring your money and support the fabulous Krewe of Armeinius! They will bring the beer if you bring the boys.

For tickets, go to www.armeinius.ticketleap.com. There will be food, beer and entertainment.

Villains Ball: The Goat; 1301 St. Bernard Ave.; 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. THE VILLIANS BALL is a truly evil dance party hosted by faeriegothmother, PUMPKINHEAD and Olivette. These three are back and are prepared to deliver a frightening evening of true evil, dark dance and masquerade. Peel away that boring human disguise and come dressed as your favorite film/ game/storybook villain, such as Cruella DeVille, Bowser, Agent Smith, HAL 9000, Annie Wilkes, or that weak ass villain John Snow for only $5. Keep your human suit on for $10.

Sexy - A Drag Tribute to Sexy Costumes: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. Halloween season is finally upon us and it’s about time we embraced the true spirit of Halloween, making literally everything sexy. Five queens are rising to this challenge and competing to see who can take the least sexy starting concept and turn it into the sexiest possible number. After a highly scientific audience poll, one queen will walk away with the coveted title of first annual Sexiest Queen. Starring: Gayle King Kong, Nebula Omega, Versula Bottom, Annie Bacterial and produced and hosted by Quinn Laroux. $10 cover. Audience costumes STRONGLY encouraged. Doors at 10 p.m. Show at 11 p.m.

TUESDAY 10/15

National Night Out Against Crime: Crossing NOLA; 439 Dauphine St.; 5 - 9 p.m. Join officers from NOPD 8th District and invited local officials for a Block Party in the 400 block of Dauphine Street on the 2019 National Night Out Against Crime. Network with locals who want to strengthen neighborhood support & increase crime prevention awareness. Non-alcoholic beverages & food available (while supplies last).

There will be musical entertainment and a special door prize.

WEDNESDAY 10/16

NOAGE Potluck Spooktacular: St. Anna’s Episcopal Church; 1313 Esplanade Ave.; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.Costuming encouraged! Join NOAGE for a ghoulishly good meal at St. Anna’s. If you are able, please bring a dish (main dishes, meats, sides, soups, salads or vegan/vegetarian dishes, desserts, and beverages). Please also consider bringing non-perishable food items for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. Prizes for the best costumes! The potluck is in the back of the Parish House (the building to the right of the church itself, located at the corner of Esplanade Ave. and Marais St.) PLEASE ENTER FROM THE BACK DOOR; the front door remains locked at all times. There is limited parking and an accessible ramp on the Marais Street side of the building.

Please call Jim at (504) 228-6778 if you have any trouble.

THURSDAY 10/17

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! It’s gonna be a retrolicious rewind. No cover!

SATURDAY 10/19

Dragcula Brunch: Nole Restaurant; 2001 St. Charles Ave.; 10 a.m.

- 1:30 p.m. Come out to Nolé for their first ever Drag Brunch! $50 ALL INCLUSIVE - Bottomless Mimosas, Sangrias and House Margaritas on the rocks as well as Brunch Buffet full of delicious selections - FREE Valet Parking. Prepare yourself to dance and sing along with fabulous NOLA Drag Queens. Email rapken@alcopeland.com to get tickets or go to www. eventbrite.com. Schedule: 10:00am - Door Opens; 10:15 - Brunch Buffet starts; 11:30 - Performance Begins; 1:30 - Performance Ends. Purchase tickets together to ensure that you’ll be seated together.

Drag Brunch Featuring Ru Paul’s Drag Race Star Dusty Ray Bottoms; Borgne; 1601 Loyola Ave.; 1 a.m. - 1 p.m. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite. com. Host Laveau Contraire, Britney Delorean, Slenderalla and Dusty Ray Bottoms from RuPaul’s Drag Race will entertain you. Chef Brody will serve up a special brunch menu featuring Louisiana favorite’s shrimp and grits, bottomless mimosas and more. $75 per person inclusive of meal, bottomless mimosas, gratuity and tax. All you need to bring is your sparkle and spunk and some $1s.

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

GrrlSpot Bruja: D’Lish; 209 Deca-

40 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 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 · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 41

tur St.; 9 p.m. Party With Your Grrls In The Quarter After New Orleans Giant Halloween Parade, Krewe of Boo. They’ll be getting weird at D’Lish. Costumes are encouraged, but definitely not required. BRUJA is a masquerade, but if you don’t have a mask, we’ll get you covered.

Krewe of Boo Halloween Parade: Starts in the Faubourg Marigny; 6:30 p.m. New Orleans’ Official Halloween Parade starts in the Marigny, rolls through the French Quarter and ends in the Warehouse District for the Monster Mash costume party. For more information, go to www.kreweofboo.com.

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.

New Orleans Pride Coronation 2020: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 8 - 10 p.m. The New Orleans Pride Organization is turning 10! Join them at Oz New Orleans on October 19th as they crown the 2020 royalty.

Performances by: Giselle Trivianni, Blaine Bextor, Vanessa Carr Kennedy, Solitaire, Mercedes Ellis Loreal, Starr Alexander, Monica Synclaire Kennedy

and more!! Hosted by 2010 Miss Pride, Tami Tarmac. $5 donation at the door.

Night of the Witch: The Art Garage; 2231 St. Claude Ave.; 9 p.m - 1 a.m. The Krewe of Goddesses invites you to a night of mystery and masquerade at our annual Night of the Witch fundraiser. This year, they pay tribute to the transformative spirit of Air. Featuring the phenomenal LadyBeast, DJ sets by Vivi An Bonaire, bewitching performance artists, tarot and crystal ball readings, and a silent auction with proceeds benefitting the New Orleans Abortion Fund. For tickets, go to www. eventbrite.com.

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.

The corps cast consists of the artistic genius of The Lady Lucerne, Tarah Cards, Bella Blue, and more. 11pm doors. Midnight show. $15 cover at the door.

but please keep in mind that this is a DRAG SHOW. We ask that you use your best judgement when bringing children. Anyone under the age of 21 is welcome to attend, but they must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.

NO REFUNDS UNLESS THE EVENT IS CANCELLED/POSTPONED. For tickets, go to http://www.fillmorenola. com/. It is always best for your group to purchase tickets together to ensure that you’ll be seated together. Large groups, please call 504.872.3303 or email FillmoreNOLABoxOffice@livenation.com for accommodations.

days, you’re worried about passing a math test. Others, you’re compelled to do The Dark Lord’s bidding. At least that’s the case for Sabrina Spellman.

She’s got a lot on her plate, but can she handle being a showgirl as well?

Let the residents of Greendale cast a different kind of spell on you! Featuring the talents of: Danny Girl, Jake Yster, Juno Juno, Laveau Contraire, Amber Alert and more. Doors: 10 p.m.

Show: 10:30 p.m. $10 COVER

MONDAY 10/21

SUNDAY 10/20

The Showgirl Adventures of Sabrina: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. m- 1 a.m.

Life’s hard for a teenage girl. Some

Dede Onassis is Patti Lupone at Les Mouches: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. both days. Drag Queen Chanteuse, Dede Onassis, recreates the iconic cabaret act - Patti LuPone at Les Mouches.

Catch this exciting show in its World Premier before the show goes on the road! In 1979, Evita was the hit of Broadway. For 27 weeks, its 30-year-old star, Patti LuPone had another project in the works. After the Saturday night show, she would don a white tuxedo and run across town to the nightclub Les Mouches. There,

Drag Diva Brunch - The Hocus Pocus Edition: The Fillmore; 6 Canal St.; 10:30 a.m. This event is all ages,

Drag Queen Bingo: Mimi’s in the Marigny; 2601 Royal St.; 7:30 p.m.

Vanessa Carr presents Drag Queen Bingo at Mimi’s in the Marigny! Join in for some fun and excitement with bingo and prizes and, to top it all off, some outrageous Drag!

TUESDAY 10/22

FRIDAY 10/25 – SATURDAY 10/26

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at The Phoenix AT THE PHOENIX BAR | PHOTOS BY PAULY CAJUN

42 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 43

she would work a 70-minute cabaret act starting around 12:30 am, featuring Broadway belting, original compositions, and covers of Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Dusty Springfield, and more.

Fans of the show included Andy Warhol and Stephen Sondheim, and Les Mouches’ showroom was consistently packed. Directed by Kate Kuen. For tickets, go to www.neworleans.boldtypetickets.com.

FRIDAY 10/25

Halloween Drag Brunch: Broussard’s Restaurant; 819 Conti St.; First seating 11 a.m. On Friday we are featuring: Miss Moanalot Fontaine, Miss Gia Giavanni, & Miss Coca Mesa (MC).

These ladies will be strutting their stuff and giving the crowd the spooky treatment while our guests sip on bottomless mimosas ($14!) and dine on our Prix Fixe brunch menu ($49++) - view the menu here: http://bit.ly/2motTPu. SHOW #1 - 11:00AM (Reservations 10:30am, 10:45am, 11:00am). SHOW #2 - 1:30PM (Reservations - 1:00pm, 1:15pm, 1:30pm). Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 504.581.3866 or on OpenTable: http:// bit.ly/2XS6ebj Halloween New Orleans The Lazarus Ball: The Board of Trade; 316 Magazine St.; 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. Kickoff HNO36 weekend with The Lazarus Ball. The black tie-preferred gala features open bar, food, entertainment and an amazing silent auction. More information on all our events, tickets and more: http://halloweenneworleans. com. Open Bar • Ages 21+ Big Easy Sister Halloween Beer Bust: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 9 p.m. - midnight. Come out for the Beer Bust with the BIG EASY SISTERS. $5 buy in with $1 refills + Jello Shots. Costume contest with prizes.

SATURDAY 10/26

Halloween New Orleans presents Hallowdays The Main Event: The Fillmore; 6 Canal St.; 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. It’s HNO’s 36th Anniversary and we are so excited to be at the Fillmore New Orleans. This brand new venue is the perfect location for us to bring you “Hallowdays”. The main event will feature an open bar and the music of DJ Ben Bakson and International DJ/Producer DJ Grind. Costumes are required.

Guests parade their costumes on stage

as they arrive for the crowd and judges hosted by Persana Shoulders. More information on all our events, tickets and more: http://halloweenneworleans. com.

Hit It Haunted House: 7th Ward (Location disclosed after ticket purchase); 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. HIT IT returns Halloween Weekend for one spooky night of whore-ors. Clothes check will be at the door. Advanced tickets available at hit-it.ticketleap.com/hit-it-haunted-house/

SUNDAY 10/27

Drag Diva Sunday Brunch: - Disney Villains Edition The Fillmore; 6 Canal St.; 10:30 a.m. This event is all ages, but please keep in mind that this is a DRAG SHOW. NO REFUNDS UNLESS THE EVENT IS CANCELLED/ POSTPONED. For tickets, go to http:// www.fillmorenola.com/. It is always best for your group to purchase tickets together to ensure that you’ll be seated together. Large groups, please call 504.872.3303 or email FillmoreNOLABoxOffice@livenation.com for accommodations.

Halloween New Orleans Pier Dance: Crescent Park Mandeville Wharf; 2300 N. Peters St.; 1 - 6 p.m.

Sunday’s tea dance begins at 1 p.m. at Crescent Park on the side of the park that backs up to the French Quarter.

The event is in a covered area and will take place rain or shine! For tickets, go to www.togetherwenola.com.

Trans Theology on Tap: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave; 7 - 9 p.m.

Theology on Tap events have been a national trend for quite some time now—a group of not-your-averagechurch-folks get together to talk about theology and faith over drinks. Whether you’re an active member of a church, a “cradle Christian” who’s fallen out of the church habit, or someone who’s been wounded by toxic fundamentalism and seeks to heal those scars, there’s community to be found at Trans Theology on Tap. This event is not sponsored by any specific church, and you will not be asked to make any kind of commitment or donation. The door that leads outside is to the left of the bar, past the gaming machines. Hostess: Janae Havard-Hammett

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

44 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 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

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

PENSACOLA THE ROUNDUP 560 E Heinberg St

TUESDAY

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

FRIDAY

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

SATURDAY

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

LAKE CHARLES CRYSTAL’S DOWNTOWN 720 Ryan Street

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY Drag Bingo & Show

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY

WEDNESDAY

RUMORS

Ladies Night w/ Piano 6pm

3102 Seawall Blvd.

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.

Drag Bingo with Monica Heart; 6 p.m.

- 8 p.m. Win cash and prizes

GALVESTON 23RD ST. STATION 1706 23rd Street

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

MONDAY

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 · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 45

Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com

Courtney Fields Birthday at Nole

NOAGE walk at Audubon Park

My favorite time of the year is upon us. Fall is here y’all, which in New Orleans means pretty much nothing, but I like the feeling it brings.

As we enter my favorite month of the year, October, let’s look back at the end of September. There were lots of cool things happening. Although my work schedule kept me pretty busy most of the two weeks, I still managed to eke out just a teeny bit of fun.

I started by attending a watch party at my friend Matt Dow’s French Quarter manse on Wednesday night to watch the newest season of American Horror Story. I love this show and this year’s season has the best theme and vibe ever, and just in time for Halloween. AHS 1984 is a throwback to all your favorite slasher movies of yesteryear like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp and Halloween with Ryan Murphy’s own special twisted take on them. The first two episodes were amazing and I am so excited about the rest of the season.

I haven’t done a watch party for anything since Bianca del Rio was on Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and I forgot how much fun it is hanging out with friends and watching a great (and scary) show.

There are four of us every Wednesday now planted in front of the TV with the lights out adding to the atmosphere. It also helps that Matt’s house is supposedly haunted. If you have not started watching this season, catch up--it’s a bloody good time!

The following day, I attended the unveiling of the brand new Pavilion For Tomorrow, located on the crowning floor of the historic Ives Building in the Warehouse District. Inspired by legendary philanthropist Patrick F. Taylor, the beautifully renovated space, with its rooftop overlooking the downtown skyline, offers the ideal setting for any private parties. All events are

exclusively catered by James Beard award-winning chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, who were our hosts for the evening. For more information on the Pavilion go to www.calcasieurooms.com.

The remainder of the weekend, I laid pretty low with the exception of an impromptu pool party at former Southern Decadence Grand Marshal Adikus Sulpizi’s house on Sunday. I have to say no one throws a pop-up barbecue swim soiree like Adikus and his husband David.

The following week, I went to two productions, the first being Measure for Measure at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The NOLA Project production of Shakespeare’s dramedy is brilliant albeit long. I mean three hours, come on now William, you really should’ve had a copy editor look at your stuff. My hats go off to anyone who mounts a Shakespearean play, just learning those lines alone can be daunting. Hell, I was having trouble keeping up, I can just imagine how hard the actors worked. Also, the beauty of seeing a classic production in the Great Hall of NOMA adds to the splendor of the show.

On Wednesday, I had the honor to be one of the speakers at the Tourism University sponsored by New Orleans and Company. The event was held at Calcasieu and was for members of the hospitality community. The topic was Pride 365 which basically helps the hospitality community understand and welcome the LGBT+ traveler throughout the year not just during gay holidays. Along with myself, the other presenters included Malaysia Walker, George Melichar, Frank Perez, LaToya Papillion-Herr, Dustin Woehrmann, Beau Moss and Steven Cortese.

Tourism University is presented by the New Orleans LGBT Hospitality Al-

Phoenix Bar Saturday night

Phoenix Bar Saturday night

liance (NOLHA), a volunteer group focused on increasing LGBTQ visitation and creating the most welcoming destination in the world. This talk was intended to help attendees be super-inclusive for all visitors, and spoke about Pride year round as well as the Welcoming Sticker program. The Sticker program is for all businesses to display to show their Pride and their welcoming status to the LGBT traveler.

Thursday was the National Association of Caterers and Events (NACE) annual fundraiser at the Audubon Tea Room. Welcome to the Jungle was the theme of the fabulous evening of food and wine. It started with a reception in the garden of the Tea Room, and then guests moved inside to be seated for a five-course dinner paired with wine. Each course was prepared by a different chef from Messina’s at the Terminal, Nole, Broussard’s, Audubon Institute and Hilton Riverside. There was also a fabulous silent auction and music. The Lieutenant Governor was on hand as well. All proceeds from the night went towards a scholarship for a student at NOCHI (New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute).

The weekend was another whirlwind starting on Saturday with the Chevron Walk to End HIV at Woldenberg Park. I always love participating in this event for a multitude of reasons, but the main ones are to raise funds and remember those who are no longer with us because of this horrible disease. This year instead of walking, I was one of the people in the dunking booth, a perfect opportunity for anyone to get their frustrations out on me. It was all in great fun and the few times I did get dunked felt great on that especially humid day. Having the event along the river was not only beautiful, but afforded attendees a cooling breeze. A good

time was had by all and it raised lots of funds for CrescentCare.

That evening, I attended the Blue Rose Ball at the Hyatt to benefit St. Michael’s School. St. Michael’s is a leader in education where students with special needs are able to grow and reach their full potential, academically, socially, and physically. Technology-rich programs are designed to educate students age six through adulthood with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is an amazing cause and if you know anyone with a special needs child, you can understand why. The evening was themed Everybody is a Star and included a seated dinner, live & silent auctions, and dancing. It truly was a magical night and seeing some of the students who were in attendance made it all the more special.

On Sunday, I attended my second theatrical production August: Osage County at Southern Rep Theatre.

The dramedy written by Tracey Letts debuted on Broadway in 2007 and was made into a movie in 2013 starring Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep who were nominated for Oscars. This is a play about family dysfunction at its best (and worse). I mean Thanksgiving at this household must have been hell.

The actors were superb especially Ellen Barry as Violet and Aimee Hayes as Barbara. Everything clicked with this show from the perfectly designed set to the lighting. Congrats to Southern Rep for another superior production.

That wraps up another article, until next time, keep those air conditioners running and enjoy Fall in New Orleans.

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

46 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with the GS LGBTQ Chamber AT GULF SOUTH LGBTQ CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENT | PHOTOS BY CS EVENTS

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BUSINESS FINANCIAL & BUSINESS Insights on the Newest Trends for Your Money Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com Technology has inspired new ways for investors to manage their finances – often with added convenience and efficiency. Yet anything new comes with a degree of risk. Here is an introduction to four new money trends, including what each one is designed to do and some considerations before you decide whether to incorporate them into your life.

Transfer money electronically Online services, mobile apps and social media sites allow you to transfer money to another person or small business electronically, eliminating the need for cash, checks or even credit card transactions. Transfers can occur almost instantly and, in some cases, without a charge. Many sites and apps also enable you to move money overseas, from one currency to another, with only a modest cost. Make sure you fully understand the terms, fees and security protections before you sign up for any of these services.

Pay for purchases with your phone Those who don’t go anywhere

without a smartphone may appreciate the ability to make routine purchases using an app, eliminating the need to pull out your credit card at checkout.

Smartphone carriers, banks, credit card companies and retailers, among other businesses, offer mobile pay apps. Your favorite coffee chain or clothing store may connect purchases to their loyalty programs, which allows you to stay on top of rewards. Apps make it easy to spend money with just a tap or two, so it’s important to remain mindful of your budget.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are unregulated digital currencies that are “mined” through sophisticated algorithmic programs using powerful computers. This form of payment has emerged as a way to move money quickly, because banks and intermediaries are not needed. Instead, a system referred to as blockchain is used to calculate value and execute the transactions. (see more on blockchain below). While the currency can be used as a form of

payment, mostly online and exchanged through other bitcoin holders, there are few goods that consumers can buy using digital currencies. Many in the financial industry, including the SEC, have expressed concerns about cryptocurrencies – namely that the they’re not insured by the FDIC, are vulnerable to hacking, and can fluctuate drastically in a matter of minutes.

Understanding blockchain Blockchain is an electronic ledger that can transfer large amounts of complex data efficiently. What makes blockchain appealing is its enhanced security compared to other digital databases or ways of sharing data. An individual block (e.g. a transaction or record) in the chain cannot be altered unless all the blocks before it are also changed.

This technology enables peer-to-peer transactions and the ability for collaboration among multiple parties relatively quickly and inexpensively. Daily headlines often talk about blockchain in connection with bitcoin. However, today it’s more prevalent in the transpor-

tation, logistics and health care industries. And, the technology is expected to play a bigger role in the global economy in the years to come.

Whether or not you adopt these trends is up to you. Keep in mind that as these trends evolve and others emerge, it’s important to remain focused on reaching your financial goals.

Consider incorporating technology that enhances your ability to accomplish your goals – and is aligned with the level of risk you’re willing to accept.

follow the page to get things rolling.

For non-marketers, Facebook’s system of sizes for photos can seem Byzantine. The profile picture (usually a logo), cover photo, posts (which some people call ads), and events are all different. If you put a photo into a spot without optimizing it for the size of that location, it will end up cropped.

Don’t get frustrated—search online for a web-based photo editor.

Precision matters. Search online for Facebook photo size guides, cheat sheets, or templates. They are all available, usually for free. It’s helpful to add the current year to your search terms to avoid outdated info.

Posting Tips Facebook is a casual medium. Use conversational style. Most people prefer to be informed rather than sold. Let them know about your products and services, their uses and benefits, without sounding like a flyer one might find in the Sunday paper (or worse, a latenight infomercial).

Keep your posts short, about 4-6 lines. The majority of users only scan,

not read. Get to the point fast. And by all means, NEVER USE ALL CAPS (online, that’s considered SHOUTING).

Post often. Facebook is a medium that needs to be constantly fed. Post daily, or at minimum, about two to three times per week. Unlike advertising, social posts don’t reappear. Find creative and inventive ways to talk about business in small chunks.

Include a photo as often as possible, formatted into a square beforehand (again, so it doesn’t get automatically cropped). LGBT+ audiences tend to be visual, so take (or have someone take) the best possible photos of your product. Don’t be afraid to photo edit to make them more sales worthy.

Avoid using the words “I” or “we.”

It’s not about you—social media is about the reader. Rewrite your sentences to use the word “you” as much as possible (it takes discipline). Example: instead of “we are offering a special this week,” write “you can save 20% all week on <product or service>.”

Another marketing basic: include a call to action. Ask the reader to do

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 Facebook 101 for Business Charles Pizzo pizzocharles@gmail.com

With over a billion users, Facebook is a great place to start marketing your business via social media. Instagram and Twitter are viable alternatives— and ultimately, you will want to use all three—but Facebook’s near total market penetration and easy-to-use tools make it the best first option.

Business owners will sometimes question the use of social media because their business already has a web site. While both are on the internet, the similarity stops there. Noted communication and technology writer Shel Holtz says a web site is the reference web, whereas social media is the collaborative web.

Web sites typically only communicate in one direction, from business to consumer (or to other businesses).

The information is primarily static—lists of products, people, photos, policies, press releases, hours, etc. Social media, on the other hand, allows for twoway communication. Potential customers can talk back, ask questions, and engage in conversations. Content is dynamic and constantly changing.

Getting Started One of the more common mistakes that occurs is to start a personal page on Facebook for business purposes.

Facebook offers many options for individual, group, and business pages, etc.

On business pages, things operate differently. The public likes the page to start following it (no approval necessary). Posts automatically have their privacy set to public to reach the widest audience. And, unlike personal pages, there is no limit on the number of friends a business page can have.

If you goofed and started a page for business as a personal page, simply refer to Facebook’s help pages for instructions on how to convert it.

Start here: https://www.facebook. com/pages/creation/ Once the page is created, it’s important to dig into the settings to name it. In this day and age, it’s surprising to run across pages whose link is a string of numbers, but it does still happen. Facebook may restrict naming the page until it has 25 followers. Don’t be shy—invite your family and friends to

48 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

something, such as “Join us for this sale,” or “Come see the latest fashions.” “Call us today for an appointment,” is another example.

If your posts are appealing, expect to generate some discussion. Before responding, put on your customer service hat (think concierge in a fine hotel). Answer as courteously as possible (even if you think the question is stupid). Thank the reader for their interest. Be extremely tactful. Remember, other potential customers are reading your responses and making purchase decisions. Don’t turn them off with an unprofessional attitude. Respond to every question because a lack of follow-up reinforces the belief that you don’t care.

If you follow these basic guidelines, people will follow the page. Be patient, it takes time. Stay consistent, considerate, and communicate professionally to build a following on Facebook.

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).

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 49

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 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

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 Oz New Orleans, 800 Bourbon St, (504) 593-9491, ozneworleans.com Phoenix Bar, 941 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 945-9264, phoenixbarnola.com Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St, (504) 525-8106, rawhide2010.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phillips Bar, 733 phillipsbar.com Lafitte’s

Blacksmith

Cherokee

St,

Shop,

941

Big Daddy’s, 2513 Royal street, (504) 948-6288 Big Easy Daiquiris, Several locations throughout the French Quarter Good Friends Bar, 740 Dauphine Street, (504) 566-7191, goodfriendsbar.com Napoleon’s Itch, 734 Bourbon St, (504) 237-4144 Tropical Isle, 721 Bourbon St, (504) 529-4109, tropicalisle.com Allways Lounge and Cabaret, 2240 St. Claude Ave

BOOKSTORES

Faubourg Marigny Art and Books, 600 Frenchmen St

CIRCUIT / EVENT

Gay Easter Parade, Easter Sunday, gayeasterparade.com Gay Mardi Gras, gaymardigras.com

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

GROCERIES

Matassa’s Market, 1001 Dauphine St, (504) 412-8700, https://www. matassas.com Quartermaster Deli, 1100 Bourbon St, www.quartermasterdeli.net Robert’s Fresh Market, 2222 St. Claude Ave, (504) 207-0162, robertfreshmarket.com

GUIDES

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

50 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

Krewe of Mwindo, PO Box 51031, (504) 913-5791

Official Pride Guide, neworleanspridefestival.com

Krewe of Stars, 1010 Conti St, kreweofstars.com

Official Southern Decadence Guide, southerndecadence.com

Krewe of Narcissus, PO Box 3832, (504) 228-9441

HAIR SALONS

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

Head Quarters Hair Salon, 906 Bourbon St, (504) 522-2666

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

FiFi Mahony’s, 934 Royal St, (504) 525-4343, fifimahonys.com

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

HARDWARE

Crescent City Leathermen, 941 Elysian Fields Ave, crescentcityleathermen.org NOAGE, noagenola.org The Krewe of King kreweofkingarthur.com

Arthur,

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

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

HEALTHCARE

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

Access Health Louisiana, 3300 South Broad Street, 234 Loyola Ave. Ste 300B, accesshealthla.org

Friday Night Before Mardi Gras, fridaynightbeforemardigras.com

Odyssey House, 1125 North Tonti Street, ohlinc.org

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

Krewe of Queenateenas/ King Cake Queen Royalty Club, gaymardigras. com P-Flag New Orleans, (504) 617-5987, alberto.oliver@cox.com

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

Mystic Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans, mkaneworleans.com

MUSEUMS

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

NOLA Softball League, nolasoftball. org

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

Mardi Gras Museum, 813 Bienville St, (504) 523-5433 Louisiana Trans Advocates, (877) 565-8860, latransadvocates.org

Crescent City rougarouxrugby.org

Rougaroux,

PHARMACY

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stonewall Sports, facebook.com/ groups/stonewallneworleans

Craig Fremin Photography, By Appointment Only, craigfremin.com

Krewe of Petronius, PO Box 1102, kreweofpetronius.net

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

The Mystic Krewe of Amon-Ra, PO Box 57783, kreweofamonra.com

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

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

REAL ESTATE

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

Styles

Realtor,Engel

&

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 51

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

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

RESTAURANTS

Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres Street, (504) 598-5005, kingfishneworleans.com

Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard,

Lousiana Pizza Kitchen, 615 S. Carrollton Ave, (504) 237-0050, louisianapizzakitchenuptown.com

801 Royal, 801 Royal Street, (504) 581-0801, 801royal.com 819 Rue Conti, (504) 581-3866, broussards.com

Cafe Sbisa, 1011 Decatur Street, (504) 522-5565, cafesbisanola.com Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop , 2309 N. Causeway Blvd, (504) 835-2022, gumbostop.com Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St, (504) 598-1010, www.clovergrill.com Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa Street, (504) 945-0742, thecountryclubnreorleans.com

Mona Lisa, 1212 Royal St, (504) 5226746, monalisaneworleans.com, NOLA Poboys, 908 Bourbon, (504) 655-3312, nolapoboys.com Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans Ave, (504) 5231930, Orleansgrapevine.com Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal Street, royalhouserestaurant.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

SERVICES

Formal Connection, 299 Belle Terre Blvd, 985.652-1195

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

Rich’s, 2401 San Jacinto Street, www. facebook.com/richshouston JR’s, 808 Pacific Street, (713) 5212519, jrsbarandgrill.com

52 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory Eagle Houston, 611 Hyde Park Blvd, (713) 523-2473, houstoneagle.com

Rouge, (225) 242-949, splashbr.com

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

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

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

Splash, 2183 Highland Rd, Baton

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

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

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

CAMPING

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

Rumors Biloxi, 3540 Bienville Blvd, Biloxi, (228) 875-4131 Just Us Lounge, 906 Division Street, Biloxi, (228) 374-1007

CIRCUIT / EVENT

Sipps Bar Gulfport, 2218 25th Ave, Gulfport, (228) 206-7717, sippsgulfport.com

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

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

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

ORGANIZATIONS

The Spectrum Center, 210 S 25th Ave, Hattiesburg, (601) 909-5338 Krewe of Apollo mkabirmingham.com

Birminham,

CIRCUIT / EVENT

Sexacola, May 23, Pensacola, FL, sexacolabeach.com Memorial Weekend Pensacola, Pensacola, FL, johnnychisholm.com Pensacola Pride, June 15-16, facebook.com/pensacolapride

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 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

Northview 378-9003,

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

S,

Al’s on 7th Street, 2627 7th Ave S, Birmingham, (205) 422-4218 Quest Bar, 416 24th Street S, Birmingham, (205) 251-4313, info@ quest-club.com Chapel Bar, 620 27th Street S, Brirmingham, (205) 703-9778, chapelbarinfo@gmail.com

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

Email Ambush sales@ambushpublishing.com

Club 322, 322 N Lawrence Street, Montgomery, club322.business.site Icon, 516 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 53

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Down 1) A person who considers themselves a friend to the LGBTQ Community.

2) Term for sexual and gender minorities that are not heterosexual or cisgender.

3) People who feel they identify as all genders.

6) The lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or absent interest in sexual activity.

7) Term used by some indigenous North Americans who are seen as having both make and female spirits within them.

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Across 4) A female who experiences love or sexual attraction to other females.

5) A term used to describe someone who is homosexual.

7) An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from what they were assigned at birth.

8) Attraction toward people of any ex or gender identity.

9) A romantic attraction towards both males and females.

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

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

PUZZLE WORD BANK PANSEXUAL GAY AGENDER QUEER TWOSPIRIT INTERSEX ALLY QUESTIONING PANGENDER BISEXUAL LESBIAN ASEXUAL TRANSSEXUAL BIGENDER TRANSGENDER

Want More Puzzles?

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

54 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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. Astrology was originally understood as omens, prophecies, and oracles. Whenever you go to a psychic, tarot reader, or an astrologer like me, 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!

The first week of October was amongst the best of the year. You socialized, made material gains, and lost yourself in the first moments of autumn.

But beyond this are intense, troubling emotions. This picks up this week, as these deep, subconscious passions mirror the darkness that lays ahead.

This darkness is called the burned path. Though the first week of October is generally balanced and beautiful, it quickly turns garish as we head into Halloween and the winter months.

Libra, the balancing scales, also gets tied up with the claws of the scorpion.

What does this mean for you? While you’ve enjoyed yourself, you must not let your guard down. While you’ve flown high with others, this is precisely the moment you might fall. This applies to business, sex, and joint finances.

Some of you have already had a bit of this going on. Listen to your feelings, as your gut is telling you that though things have gone well, there is the possibility that things could quickly go awry.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19 You’re having great fortune with relationships, and you’re feeling relieved not to be so focused on yourself.

But you have an unshakable sense that even though things are going well with your partners, there is potential for conflict. Allow yourself to process these aggressive emotions, and it will change your perception of the situation, clarifying things for yourself and

others.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20 Things are going great for your health—so great that you might be wanting to indulge in sweets. A little hit of sugar, carbs, and wine isn’t bad, but it can quickly spiral out of control. A devilish, suggestive friend might entice you into falling off the wagon. Make sure that the mental work you’ve done recently to balance your health doesn’t go down the tubes.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20 You couldn’t be doing better in the love department. However, this is making some coworkers jealous. The success in love is contrasted with a fight you might be drawn into at work. Why isn’t everybody happy with me? you ask. That is exactly the question that gets you in trouble. Ignore the feelings of others. You can’t control them, and by trying to control them, you drive yourself crazy.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22 Things are going very well for you on the home front. You’ve been getting everything in order for the past couple of weeks. Be selective, though, who you bring into the house. You’re advised not to bring home the one to whom you are intensely attracted. Go for the person who has a more reasonable, balanced demeanor and you won’t miss what you thought you so desired.

LEO

July 23 - August 22 Things are going great with your siblings. However, you are getting overshadowed by one of them. This is ok for you, as being the center of attention is one of your hallmarks. Let that sibling take center stage, and you will then be the star by being the prince.

LIBRA

September 23 - October 22 You did great the first week of October and were in your element. But you keep thinking that something is a bit off with your money. This is your money that has come to you through another person. You might even be jealous of this person. This is a lesson for you to let those feelings go. You actually benefit from this situation, so what’s there to complain about?

SCORPIO

October 23 - November 21 Your mental state is intensely deep, more so than all the other signs.

This lasts through the first week of December. You might project these feelings onto a partner. This is difficult, but if you allow each other to have your own reactions, there is a great potential for growth. Unattended subconscious drives quickly turn into discontent.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 - December 21 I’ve been writing about you having a good year. You feel great, but you’re having some crazy, dark dreams.

Reading into these dreams and facing your demons might be difficult, but the fear is unfounded. These dreams will give you some insight into what has been going on as it relates to the hidden emotions everyone feels. Your coworkers have been going through this too. Keep these feelings to yourself and beware of those around you who won’t be as conscious as you are.

stock of the motivations of those in your social circle. By decluttering those who no longer serve you, you find the true camaraderie you’re looking for.

AQUARIUS

January 20 - February 18 You’ve been feeling the urge for a change in your career. This is a chain reaction from disruption that has been happening on the home front. This is not the time to make a change but rather unearth how you feel about the situation. There’s a lot of emphasis in the wider culture about “following your gut” but for you, your emotions cloud your reason. Wait and see, and when you feel better, you’ll make the right choice.

PISCES

February 19 - March 20 You’ve been frustrated with a partner but ultimately this works out for you as you’ve made adjustments and subsequent gains with your joint finances. You have strong beliefs about how things should have gone down between the two of you, but the proof is in the pudding. Whether it’s your money or your partner’s, you ultimately benefit. Go with the flow like you always do, and you’ll win in this situation.

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.

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 19 Things have gotten intense with your friends after a period of merriment. Jealousy and backstabbing might arise. This is a good time to take

VIRGO

August 23 - September 22 You’re bank account is doing great. However, you’re still feeling the need to balance your checkbook. This will manifest more in the next couple of months. Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s is fine, but overanalyzing your finances will do more harm than good.

Remember the old saying about water not being able to boil if you watch it.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 55

SPORTS Energy and enthusiasm abounds at Pelicans open practice David Grubb, Crescent City Sports “Electricity” is a word often utilized when discussing the atmosphere in a venue for a big game, not one typically associated with an open practice for a franchise that has made it to the postseason twice in the last decade.

But the wattage generated in the Smoothie King Center Saturday evening, as the 2019-20 New Orleans Pelicans were presented to the public for the first time, may have been enough to replace oil and natural gas as Louisiana’s top supplier of energy.

“The whole atmosphere, the energy in the building, the number of fans we had,” said head coach Alvin Gentry.

“The fact that there were people sitting in the upper deck is really a surprise.

The enthusiasm in the building was really good.”

Without question, the biggest draw for the crowd of more than 10,000 fans was Zion Williamson, who has taken New Orleans and the rest of the basketball world by storm.

Fans were lined up for more than 90 minutes outside of the arena waiting for their chance to see Williamson and the rest of the remade Pelicans roster.

The atmosphere was more akin to Midnight Madness on a college campus than an NBA practice.

There were plenty of fast breaks, dunks, open threes, and pretty layups, and very little defense.

It was exactly what fans came to see.

For Gentry and his staff, it was a break from a good week of practice. He has been very pleased with the progress the team has made thus far.

“Obviously, we’ve got a ways to go,” Gentry said. “We’ve got five guys who returned, and we’ve got 15 other people that hadn’t done anything, as far as the systems we’re running. Just the fact that we’ve done a lot of good things that we can show on film is really impressive.”

The Pelicans will try to answer the questions about rotations and minutes over the small sample of four preseason games. Right now, they’re still focused on developing their feel for each other on the court.

Veteran Jrue Holiday has played a big part in making that happen as he settles into the role of franchise player.

“He’s been great and we’re going to need him to be great in that role in terms of being vocal and having a presence in terms of leadership,” said general manager Trajan Langdon.

Holiday, along with JJ Redick, Derrick Favors, E’Twaun Moore, and Jahlil Okafor are all known quantities in the NBA. However, they are all assuming new roles and responsibilities this season. Certainty about anything regarding the team as a whole isn’t readily available.

The one thing Gentry is sure of is that everyone on the roster will be asked to do a little bit of everything.

“Our goal is to be a positionless basketball team, you know, as far as guys being ones, twos, threes, and fours,” he added. “Just be able to play in the open court and have several guys be facilitators.”

That includes players like Brandon Ingram who was called on to initiate the offense for the Los Angeles Lakers at times, as well as Williamson, who looks as devastating in the open court as he did in college. Williamson picked up a great assist in a bit of a role re-

versal as he found Lonzo Ball for an alley-oop.

Though Williamson missed a few dunks, and he and his fellow rookies (with the notable exception of Nickeil Alexander-Walker) were exposed as terrible singers, it was a night the future of the franchise won’t forget.

“The lights were really bright out there, compared to the practice center.

I think we’re going to have a lot of great memories here.”

The lights will get brighter and the stakes will be far higher in just over two weeks, when the Pelicans face the defending champion Toronto Raptors.

But on Saturday night the Pelicans reconnected with a fan base and a city that had been begging for that for so long.

Embrace New Orleans and it will embrace you back. The Pelicans might finally be ready to accept the full scope of what that truly means.

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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56 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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LSU’s defense matches dominant offense in 42-6 win over Utah State David Grubb, Crescent City Sports BATON ROUGE – The undercard of LSU’s 2019 football schedule ended with the Tigers’ wire to wire 42-6 victory over the Utah State Aggies in Death Valley.

Utah State just became the latest victim of an LSU team that may be on the verge of adding the one ingredient it needs to stake a claim on being the best in the nation; balance.

While the Aggies weren’t an SEC-caliber opponent, they were arguably the second-best team the Tigers have faced this season.

The points of emphasis that head coach Ed Orgeron stressed all week in practice showed up on the Tiger Stadium turf Saturday.

LSU dominated in all phases, outgaining the Aggies 601-159 on offense, their second game with 600 yards or more of total offense this season. The Tigers held on to the ball for more than 41 minutes, while running 90 plays.

Defensively, the Tigers frustrated Utah State’s highly-touted quarterback Jordan Love all game long. He passed for just yards and was intercepted 3 times before being pulled late in the fourth quarter.

He got no help from his running game, with LSU allowing the Aggies a season-low 19 yards on 22 carries.

LSU also got two sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Utah State’s total output was its lowest since they had 116 against Utah back in 2008. The Tigers also ended the Aggies’ 40-game double-digit scoring streak.

It was the kind of team performance that the Tigers needed to have and fans needed to see before the Florida Gators come to visit next weekend.

Joe Burrow continued his record-breaking pace by completing 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 344 yards and 5 touchdowns. He set a new LSU record with his fourth consecutive game with at least 300 yards through the air, and extended his school-record

LSU-USU by Terrill Weil

streak of games with 20 completions of more to eight. Burrow rushed for 42 more yards with another score.

Justin Jefferson was the primary target, picking up 9 receptions for 155 yards and a pair of scores; giving him 7 touchdowns for the season.

The Tigers’ running game had its best performance of the season, amassing highs in yards (248) and attempts (51). It was LSU’s first game with 200 yards rushing since their marathon contest against Texas A&M last season.

Four different players had at least

H N S A R C A E RA T X E

40 yards on the ground, led by Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s 72 on 14 carries.

Freshmen John Emery Jr. and Tyrion Price-Davis combined for another 98 yards, as they saw their most extensive action to this point.

Though the Tigers weren’t moving up and down the field at their usual breakneck pace, they scored at least 40 points in their eighth straight contest.

During the streak LSU is averaging better than 54 points per game.

This season, the Tigers have scored an SEC-record 271 points in their five

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games this season.

Burrow could break the LSU single-season touchdown record within the next two weeks, but if LSU can run the ball the way they did this afternoon for the rest of the season, the Tigers become even more dangerous. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the SEC. Dave Aranda got what he wanted out his defense. They were aggressive and disciplined, even with key components either ailing or missing. LSU got off the field on third down, limiting the Aggies to one conversion in 12 tries.

LSU even committed a season-low five penalties, nearly eliminating the mental mistakes that have been so frustrating at times.

With a favorable schedule the rest of the way, if the Tigers can replicate this type of performance, it’s hard to picture a scenario where they don’t make the College Football Playoff.

It’s all right there in front of the Bayou Bengals. Today was a big step forward, and it is clear that LSU has no intention of taking any back.

This article was originally published

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

58 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · October 8 - 21, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com