Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 27

THE OFFICIAL GAY MAGAZINE OF THE GULF SOUTHâ„¢

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 27

TUESDAY, December 31, 2019

Happy New Year

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THE “OFFICIAL” DISH

by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, As we move from Christmas to New Year’s, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for another great year at Ambush Magazine. What makes us a success is you, our readers! As I look back on 2019, I think about all the wonderful things that made this year so special. We had the largest parade and crowd in the history of the Gay Easter Parade this past year. We also had the largest number of ballots cast in the Gay Appreciation Awards.

Southern Decadence had one of the largest crowds in recent memory. This is all due, in large part, to you, our readers along the Gulf South. So once again, thank you for reading Ambush and if you like what you read, share it with a friend!

HOLIDAY PARTIES GALORE The Holiday Season always brings more parties than you can count. This year was no different. Many of the bars and businesses in the French Quarter, Bywater, Marigny and all along the Gulf South opened their doors and hearts to their customers. So on behalf of the readers of Ambush, I want to tell them “Thank You!” The holidays are always a special time of year and it is so wonderful to see so many old friends at

many of the holiday parties I attended. In the middle of December, I had a stretch of over a week where I had a party each night and sometimes two or three. It can be exhausting, but seeing old friends makes it worth the effort.

So again, thank you to all the bars and businesses for helping our community celebrate the holidays together.

I also want to thank everyone who came to the Ambush holiday party. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to open my home and in some small way say “Thank you” to our advertisers and community partners. I want to thank everyone who came!

What makes any party a success is not the free food or alcohol, but the celebration of life and community that happens when we all come together.

Let us remember to keep the holiday spirit with us all through the new year.

The world can sometimes be a cold and lonely place for members of our community, so let’s be sure to be kind to everyone we meet. A small act of kindness can go a long way in helping to brighten someone’s day!

BETTY’S AT 700 BURGUNDY As I told you in the last issue of Ambush, I’ve decided to name the new bar at 700 Burgundy “Betty’s” after

Inside this Issue of Ambush Magazine Community Announcements

6

Arts & Culture

10

Health & Wellness

24

Hot Happenings Calendar

28

Business & LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory

40

Comics, Puzzles & Horoscopes

46

Sports

48

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

my mom. We are hoping to be open by the end of January and, certainly, as soon as possible. We have set up social media for the bar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can follow us for updates @BettysBarNola or at BettysBar.com. I look forward to opening Betty’s soon and spending more time in the French Quarter among so many friends.

HAPPY NEW YEAR On behalf of everyone on the Ambush team, we wish you all a very Happy New Year! As we move into 2020, we are excited to continue working to provide the most comprehensive coverage of LGBTQ life, music and culture. We are ready for Mardi Gras and Easter which will both be here soon!

We once again plan on having everything you need to know about all the Gay Mardi Gras Krewes and their balls in our Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide.

We also are excited to announce that we will soon be rolling out the updated websites for GayNewOrleans.com and GayMardiGras.com so be on the lookout for both. Again, Happy New Year!

AMBUSH MEDIA KITS FOR 2020 If you or anyone you know is interested in advertising in Ambush, please have them check out our media kit at AmbushPublishing.com/media-kit/ We have ad sizes and rates for both print and online ads. We look forward to adding more advertisers in 2020--members of our sales team are always available to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us at sales@ambushpublishing.com MARK YOUR CALENDARS As we move into 2020 here are some dates to remember Tuesday, February 25th - Mardi Gras Day and the King Cake Queen Bead Toss - GayMardiGras.com Sunday, April 12th @ 4:30 pm The Official Gay Easter Parade - GayEasterParade.com Saturday, July 18th - The Gay Appreciation Awards - GayAppreciationAwards.com Thursday, September 3 thru September 7, 2020 - Southern Decadence - SouthernDecadence.com

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

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PRINT 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

SENIOR EDITOR Brian Sands

OPERATIONS & EVENTS Chris Leonard CONTRIBUTORS Adam Radd, Andrew Watley, Brian Sands, Catherine Roland, Charles Pizzo, Dorian-gray Alexander, Frank Perez, Jim Meadows, Kevin Assam, Lynn Stevens, Rev. Bill Terry, Ryan Rockford, Scot Billeaudeau, Tony Leggio & Crescent City Sports PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Hopkins, Charles Pizzo, Doug Adams, Dwain Hertz, Glenn Melancon, Persona Shoulders, TJ Boudreaux, Tony Leggio

LOCAL ADVERTISING sales@ambushpublishing.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Ambush Magazine is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush Publishing. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 5pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: info@ambushpublishing.com. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual’s name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual’s sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc. appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of Ambush Magazine. ©1982-2019 AMBUSH PUBLISHING LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS & PHOTOS.

4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 5

NEWS & COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Spotlight on Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival Speakers In this series, we introduce you to some of the writers in the all-star lineup for #SAS20 this March in the heart of the French Quarter.

Robert W. Fieseler is the 2019 National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association “Journalist of the Year” and the author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation, winner of the Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime and Lambda Literary’s Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging Writers.

He graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia Journalism School and lives with his husband and dog in New Orleans.

Jewelle Gomez, playwright, novelist, and poet is the author of eight books including the first Black Lesbian vampyre novel, The Gilda Stories, which has been in print more than 25 years. The novel will soon be seen as a television mini-series directed by award-winning director, Cheryl Dunye.

Jewelle’s fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in over 100 anthologies from Home Girls to the Oxford World Treasury of Love Stories to Red Indian Road West. Her trilogy of plays about African American artists in the first half of the 20th century was com-

missioned by New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco where she is playwright-in-residence. The first in the series, Waiting for Giovanni, about writer/activist James Baldwin, premiered at NCTC and had its New York City premiere in 2018. Leaving the Blues, about singer/songwriter Alberta Hunter, premiered in 2017. The third play in the trilogy, Unpacking in P’Town, about a group of retired vaudeville performers, will premiere in 2021. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @VampyreVamp.

Edmund White is an American novelist, memoirist, and an essayist on literary and social topics. Much of his writing is on the theme of same-sex love. His books include The Joy of Gay Sex (1977) (written with Charles Silverstein), his trio of autobiographic novels, A Boy’s Own Story (1982), The Beautiful Room Is Empty (1988) and The Farewell Symphony (1997), and his biography of Jean Genet. His debut novel, Forgetting Elena (1973), set on an island, can be read as commenting on gay culture in a coded manner. The American/Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov called it “a marvelous book.”

His next novel, Nocturnes for the King of Naples (1978) was explicitly

Jewelle Gomez

Robert W Fieseler

gay-themed and drew on his own life.

From 1980 to 1981, White was a member of a gay writers’ group, The Violet Quill, which met briefly during that period and included Andrew Holleran and Felice Picano. Critically acclaimed memoirs published by White include: Our Paris: Sketches from Memory (1995); My Lives (2005); City Boy (2009); Inside a Pearl: My Years in

Paris (2014); and The Unpunished Vice: A Life of Reading (2018).

The annual Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival will take place in New Orleans March 27-29. For registration information: Sasfest.org Any AMBUSH readers can register with a 20% discount by using the code Ambush20 when registering.

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Apollo New Orleans ‘Resurrection Ball’ Set for Feb. 14 The Mystic Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans has returned to the city and will hold its “Resurrection Ball” Feb. 14, 2020, at the Hotel Monteleone.

The celebration of the return of an Apollo Krewe to the city where Apollo was founded 50 years ago promises to be an exciting event for all involved. It will be a formal dinner/dance in a bal masque format and will include the presentation of new Royalty for the Mystic Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans.

Tickets for the Apollo “Resurrection Ball” are available on Eventbrite. com (search for “Apollo Resurrection”).

Links for ticket sales also can be found on the Krewe’s website at MKANOLA. com or the events section of its Facebook pages at Facebook.com/ApolloNola.

General tickets are $100 and are available at a variety of member hosted or supporting friends’ tables for your selection (or allow the website to pick the best available for you). A limited number of VIP tickets to sit at special tables in the incoming Royalty’s sections also are available for $150.

The ticket price includes a full plated dinner, with menu choices of chicken, salmon or vegetarian, and a cash

bar will be provided. The evening of dinner and dancing will be conducted in a traditional bal masque style. Formal attire and a mask are required for entry. Masks will be provided by Royalty for their guests. Others may bring a mask of their choice or purchase one for pickup through the ticket website.

Royalty to be presented during the ball are Dr. Rick Cain, King Apollo New Orleans XVIII, and John Bertrand,

Queen Apollo XVIII. The Krewe of Apollo New Orleans was founded as one of New Orleans early gay Mardi Gras Krewes in 1970 and operated until the mid-1980s. In the meantime, it branched out and led to the formation of sister Krewes of Apollo in Lafayette, Birmingham and Baton Rouge that continue to operate and conduct elaborate balls to this day.

The return to the Hotel Montele-

one this year for Apollo New Orleans marks a significant milestone in this 50th years since its founding – particularly because Apollo New Orleans was the first gay Krewe to move out of the shadows and conduct a public ball in the prestigious hotel at a time when raids on gay balls and events still were commonplace.

2019 Southern Decadence Financial Report 48th Southern Decadence Sets New Records: Over 275,000 Participants, $380 Million Economic Impact, $12,700 for Charity The numbers are in for the 48th Annual Southern Decadence Celebration of LGBT+ Life, Music, and Culture that brought over 275,000 participants to New Orleans over Labor Day weekend 2019. With an economic impact around $380 million, this was one for the history books. The economic impact may be much more because the spending average per person is based on a conservative $1,500.

Businesses were contacted following the celebration to ascertain attendance and economic impact through revenues, admission tickets, and customer

counts.

Southern Decadence Grand Marshals Will Antill and Countess C. Alice raised $32,879.23 for the production of the Southern Decadence Parade and their official charity, Odyssey House.

Funds raised, $32,879.23, minus expenses, $19,685.87, left a net amount of $13,193.36. With $500.36 left in the checking account for next year, Odyssey House will receive a donation of $12,693.00, part of which will be dedicated to serving the needs of transgender residents.

NOTE: The 2019 Southern Decadence season saw a dramatic increase in police and sanitation fees. For example, in 2018, the cost for the police/security detail for the parade was

$3,073.00; that figure increased to $4,678.65 for the 2019 parade. Sanitation/clean-up cost for the 2018 parade was $595.00; in 2019 it skyrocketed to $2,377.20.

The end-of-summer weekend extravaganza is the 3rd largest in the city following Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest.

Since 1996, the celebration has had a $2 billion economic impact on New Orleans’ economy, with estimated crowds totaling over 2.5 million.

2019 Financial Report: $606.96 Beginning Balance $15,379.23 Total Fundraisers $17,500.00 Total Sponsorships $32,879.23 Sub-Total 2019 Expenses: $603.50 Gay Easter Parade

$181.46 Press Party $858.27 Biloxi Event $500.00 Parade D.J. $428.00 Golf Cart Rental $2,958.00 Parade Insurance $1,930.00 Former SDGM Luncheon $2,377.20 Sanitation/Trash Pickup $4,678.65 NOPD Security Detail $2,764.32 Parade Expenses $2,000.00 Parade Costumes $406.47 Bank Fees $19,685.87 Sub-Total $12,693 Grand Total for Charity. $500.36 left in bank for next year.

Rue Royale Revelers Set to Kick-Off Gay Carnival on January 6 Carnival season begins on January 6 and culminates on Mardi Gras, February 25. The Feast of the Epiphany—or Twelfth Night as it is more commonly called—is the first night of celebrations, parades, and parties leading up to Shrove Tuesday.

The Mystik Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers kicks off the season with its annual Twelfth Night Party. The highlight of the party is the Procession of Previous Grand Revelers and the announcement of the new Grand Reveler. This is followed by a meeting of

the courts of the Rue Royale Revelers and the outgoing and incoming King Cake Queens of the Krewe of Queenateenas. The Captains and Royalty of the other gay krewes are recognized at the party as well.

2020 marks the 62nd season of Gay Carnival. In 1958, a group of friends formed the Krewe of Yuga. Yuga dissolved after its 1962 Ball was raided by the police, but other gay krewes arose and by the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were close to twenty gay krewes (including Ishtar, the only les-

bian krewe). Throughout the last sixty years, Gay Carnival has afforded the gay community a creative outlet for its artistic talents. From ball invitations to costume designs, the Gay Krewes’ Bal Masques are a wonderland of distinctive gay expression.

The Rue Royale Revelers 2020 Party—also known as Frank’s Twelfth Night Party because the krewe grew out of an annual gathering at krewe founder Frank Perez’s home on Royal Street—will take place at the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Cul-

ture, 1010 Conti Street, on January 6 from 7:00 to 10:00pm. Advance tickets ($20) are available on Eventbrite or at 638 St. Ann Street. Tickets at the door are $25. The party will feature an open bar, complimentary food, go-go boys, and the sounds of legendary DJ Jimmy Armstrong. Dress Code is whatever you’re comfortable in.

Who will be crowned Grand Reveler VI? Find out on January 6.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

ARTS & CULTURE

Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

August: Osage County

The Year in Review

I wish I could say that the 2019 theater season in New Orleans was exciting and provocative and rip-roaring and outrageous and edge-of-yourseaty and challenging and all sorts of other superlatives.

But I can’t.

Sure, there were many good shows as well as bad ones, some fantastic productions (which I’ll get to) and some stinkers (which I won’t, at least not here), but something seemed to be missing.

I didn’t seem to be going to as many off-the-beaten-path venues as in previous years. There weren’t as many quirky productions. Where were the new production companies? Why weren’t the more established ones taking more chances?

That last question may not be fair.

Probably about the same amount of chances were taken in 2019 as any other year, but, for me, not a high enough percentage of them paid off. In other words, particularly in the area of regional premieres, while some viewers may have been satisfied, with few exceptions, I wish we had been able to see other recent, more compelling scripts than what we were presented.

(When will we get Fairview, Between Riverside and Crazy, Mary Jane, An Octoroon, etc., etc.?)

As for the classics, it’s almost embarrassing that, other than Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams, New Orleans had no Ibsen, Strindberg, Ionesco, Shaw, Genet, Wilde, Restoration comedy, Elizabethan revenge plays, Arthur Miller, Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill, Beckett, any of the Greeks, not to mention anything from non-Western (African, Asian, Latin American, etc.) writ-

Barbecue

ers. Really?? Not even Major Barbara which would be so appropriate these days (see Sackler funding and opioids controversy). How about a Duchess of Malfi reset in Chalmette?

On the positive side, we finally got a brand new theater facility located right in the middle of the CBD. The Beaubourg Theatre (614 Gravier St.) is a flexible black box venue with adjacent bar and munchie areas, and a lovely little courtyard in the rear. Its theater company kicked off programming there with Xavier Juárez’s engrossing production of Annie Baker’s bizarre and wonderful John featuring an ensemble of both veterans and newcomers (Troi Bechet, Joe Fredo, Janet Shea, Maile Zox) who worked together with intricate subtlety to reveal the soul of this haunting play.

Prior to John, new (yeah!) theater company No Dream Deferred occasioned my first visit to the Beaubourg, debuting with a worthy production of Tarell Alvin (Moonlight) McCraney’s In the Red and Brown Water; I’m already looking forward to their upcoming production of Robert O’Hara’s audacious BootyCandy in May. The theater at 2541 Bayou Road may no longer be brand new, but after years of searching for a home and then overseeing an extensive renovation, I’m happy to report that the drama at Southern Rep is now staying on stage where it belongs. With theater productions, musical performances, well-being workshops and even Zumba classes, the former St. Rose de Lima Church is now bustling again.

Aimée Hayes’ production of The Wolves kicked off the year with a probing look at a girls’ soccer team. Later in the season, Jason Kirkpatrick returned

Bianca Del Rio (with Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka), Varla Jean Merman, Dina Martina

to NOLA to direct the Pulitzer and Tony winner August: Osage County. By revealing its humanity, which had been largely missing on Broadway, he gave us a gripping production of an important drama. Hayes, Mandy Zirkenbach, and Lara Grice stood out in a terrific cast which was led by Ellen Barry making a sensational New Orleans debut as the mean-spirited matriarch of the Oklahoma clan.

Other than the Beauborg, the only new theater space I visited (and if there were others, please keep me posted in 2020), and No Dream Deferred, the only other new theater company I’m aware of (ditto), came together for RF Keefe’s Turn It Into Smoke, produced

by The Mighty Lincolns in the rectory of the Olivet Episcopal Church, the first show I’ve been to in Algiers in the 17 years I’ve been writing this column!

I enjoyed Mark Routhier’s environmental staging of this drama and hope we’ll see more of the Lincolns, more at Olivet Episcopal, and more in Algiers in general.

BODYART did present its lovely immersive dance piece Maison in a private residence on Fontainebleau Drive accompanied by a scrumptious 3-course meal and live musicians. If NOLA’s theater shortage continues, perhaps enterprising local producers should consider doing more “plays in homes”; a number of such shows have been done in NYC over the past few years, Wallace Shawn’s The Fever among them.

Speaking of real estate, the tragic Hard Rock Hotel collapse forced Wicked to close sooner than planned at the Saenger Theatre, and Dear Evan Hansen and We Will Rock You to relocate to the Mahalia Jackson The-

ater. Having seen Rock of Ages, unchallenging but fun, there earlier in the year, I’m sure things worked out fine for those shows. Prior to the disaster, the Saenger hosted touring productions of Come From Away (as good, if not better, than Broadway), the spectacular revival of Les Miz, and Hamilton, which I’m happy I saw but, no, it didn’t change my life. Fortunately, the Saenger recently reopened.

What did change my life (well, not quite, but almost) were three brilliant presentations whose runs happened to overlap in the spring.

The joint Voices in the Dark Repertory Theater/Ashé Cultural Arts Center production of A Raisin in the Sun demonstrated how immensely prescient playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s predictions of the future were.

Though one wishes that social injustices and racism would have disappeared by now, because they haven’t, Raisin remains startlingly fresh, as tho it was written just weeks ago.

Tommye Myrick directed to perfection a cast which included Ellington Benoit, Martin “Bats” Bradford, Jim Holmes, Ebony Duely Johnson, Tracy B. Mann, Christopher Robinson, and Constance Thompson. Heading up the Younger family as the matriarch Lena, Carol Sutton was simply extraordinary, delivering a nuanced and utterly unaffected performance that was, by turns, feisty, stern, & mothering, and full of resolute anger, determined pride, & unconditional love.

Matching Sutton, Michael C. Forest made an astonishing stage debut as Lena’s son. Exuding charisma, Forest captured Walter Lee’s hot-headed and bullying qualities, but also revealed his inner life with a soul-baring honesty.

8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Broadway@NOCCA

Guys & Dolls

The family portrayed by both black and white actors(!) in Barbecue may be the exact opposite of Raisin’s Youngers, but that’s one of the reasons making Robert O’Hara’s social satire so wickedly funny. Co-Directors Jon Greene & Torey Hayward got all the humor out of the script and guided the cast (Natasha Brown, Wayland Cooper, Naomi Daugherty, Zondra Howard, Tenaj Jackson, Chrissy Jacobs, Rebecca Leigh, Mahalia Abeo Tibbs, James Yeargain) to performances as sharp in their physicality as O’Hara’s verbal humor is.

Natalie Boyd, given the richest role in this Radical Buffoons production, brought mesmerizing depth to her character in a dual-natured perfor-

Matilda, the Musical

mance where stillness masked a Gordian Knot of countervailing forces. She’s never been better.

Since its launch in 2015, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans (TWTC) has never been better than with its Suddenly Last Summer starring Gwendolyne Foxworth as Violet Venable. Wearing a satiny short cape & matching dress like armor and wielding a walking stick, Foxworth employed a smooth charm to obscure Violet’s steely resolve and brought a musical quality to Williams’ words. Menacing and haughty with a subtle humor, Foxworth delivered an absolutely chilling and thrilling performance.

Sweet yet tough, as Violet’s illy

used niece, Elizabeth McCoy was a well-matched adversary for her imperious aunt. On Ken Thompson’s set that hinted at an encroaching jungle, Augustin J Correro strategically deployed his actors (including Jay Canova, Ann Dalrymple, Lin Gathright, Bianca Siplin–all excellent) like chess pieces and beautifully sustained the tension throughout to create an eerie landscape of the mind perfectly suited to Williams’ heightened language.

TWTC scored again with Williams’ seldom seen Period of Adjustment.

This putative comedy, at least by Williams’ standards, teeters between absurdism and genuine pathos as it anticipates Edward Albee’s wild familial battles.

Thompson again provided an ingenious indoor/outdoor set which Diane K. Baas lit with expressionistic boldness. Directors Lizzy Bruce & Ryan Bruce combined heightened realism and stylized movements to illuminate the text with the help of a fine cast featuring Tracey E. Collins, Mia Frost, & John Wettermark and starring John Lavin, Matt Story, and, in a stellar local debut, Sonia Rose Arredondo.

Arriving later in the spring, on a gorgeous evening NOMA’s Sculpture Garden was the ideal setting for The Henchman: A Shakespeare Story, playwright Michael Aaron Santos’ ingenious sequel to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Unabashedly delightful, Director Kristin Shoffner sprinkled vastly

Open House Wednesday, January 22 6:00pm - 8:00pm 636 St. Ann Street Exhibit includes a Timeline of Local LGBT+ History, Southern Decadence Memorabilia, "Just for the Record" video footage, old Gay Carnival photos, early Gay Appreciation Awards, and old issues of Impact, The Rooster, and Ambush from the 1980s.

Enter for a chance to win two free nights at Harrah's Hotel and a complimentary dinner for two at The Steakhouse.

Open House will feature complimentary wine and hors d'ouvres

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 9

A Raisin in the Sun

Silence! The Musical

imaginative fairy dust over the large, consummate cast (James Bartelle, Keith Claverie, Anna Toujas, and Alex Martinez Wallace standing out; Wallace also provided phenomenal fight choreography for this and Loyola’s Romeo & Juliet) with enchanting results for this NOLA Project production.

The NOLA Project also served up the world premiere of Adam Szymkowicz’s zany Stockholm Syndrome: Or, Remember the Time Jimmy’s All-American Beefsteak Place Was Taken Over by That Group of Radicals? Its wonderfully quirky humor fueled an absolutely wild and wacky plot, with some scary undercurrents, that well-reflected life in these crazy days.

A.J. Allegra’s first-rate, immersive staging swirled around and through the audience for this crowd-pleasing musical with tunes by Jack Craft and Skyler Stroup of Sweet Crude. Keith Claverie, marvelous as always, headed the topnotch ensemble which included Leslie Claverie, Rebecca Elizabeth Hollingsworth, Michael Krikorian, April Louise and Kathleen Moore.

Like The NOLA Project, the WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen provided entertainment both musical and non.

Despite its clunky title, Higgins: The Man, The Boat, The War enlightened audiences about Andrew Jackson Higgins (1886-1952) and his vital contribution to the war effort. Ron Gural’s script made what could’ve been just a

dry recitation of a Wikipedia entry into a fascinating play-with-music that kept viewers wondering “What happened next?”

Shane LeCocq provided smooth, unobtrusive direction while Robert Pavlovich astutely conveyed Higgins’ can-do spirit.

Another great American was the subject of the inaugural offering of the Stage Door’s new Songbook Series. One could argue with some of Banu Gibson’s choices for Cole Porter’s book but with 75 minutes of his songs, featuring brilliant lyrics and unforgettable melodies, this biomusical was delightful and de-lovely...and the Canteen’s accompanying food was delicious.

I think Porter would have applauded the Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane (SLT) for giving Matilda, the Musical its regional premiere; I know I did.

Director Michael McKelvey uncluttered Roald Dahl’s tale making the story of a bookish girl with a miserable home life easier to follow than the Broadway incarnation. Just as importantly, he found the perfect balance between Dahl’s over-the-top satire and hard-won sentimental realism, a tricky feat to get just right. Kelly Fouchi’s marvelously complex choreography well-conveyed the joys and frustrations of childhood.

Matt Reed was a tremendously evil Miss Trunchbull, Jessie Terrebonne Thompson & Ken Goode, Jr. oozed

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

Suddenly Last Summer

vulgarity as Matilda’s crass parents, and Stephanie Toups was just right as Matilda’s sweetly insecure savior, Miss Honey.

I’ve already written about how amazing Ellie Bono’s Matilda was. I returned to see Savannah Fouchi in the role (the two young actresses alternated) and she was similarly astounding. What I found fascinating was how different, yet equally valid, their interpretations were, Bono taking a more serious approach, anger simmering just below a calm surface, while Fouchi brought a lighter touch allowing us more easily to believe in her happily-ever-after denouement.

Also at Tulane, Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock’s bubbly and captivating She Loves Me finally got its SLT debut with McKelvey presenting it straightforwardly, allowing all its prickly warmth and effervescence to come thru. As with Jefferson Turner for Matilda, Musical Director C. Leonard Raybon led the SLT orchestra to a triumphant performance.

As the feuding would-be lovers Amalia and Georg, Dody Piper and Rich Arnold radiated a magnetic chemistry as they tentatively discovered each other’s true self; both sang superbly. Bob Edes Jr., Meredith Owens, and Bryce Slocumb as colleagues at the perfume shop where they clerk each added to the show’s beguiling bouquet.

McKelvey had yet another hit with

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Silence! The Musical, a musical parody of The Silence of the Lambs. Silly campy fun? You bet. Entertaining? Absolutely.

Hannah Rachal played Clarice with impeccable deadpan drollness.

As Hannibal the Cannibal, Kevin Murphy never overdid it, wisely offering a delectably straight approach with just enough of an edge to let audiences know he’s in on the joke. And Trey Ming’s go-for-broke characterization of the singing lunatic Buffalo Bill (sample number: I’d Fuck Me) was invaluable.

All three, along with the rest of the cast, were scrumptious.

Murphy seemed to excel at playing maniacal killers this year.

In A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, the 2014 Best Musical Tony winner given its regional premiere

by Le Petit Theatre, he portrayed a young Englishman who discovers he’s eighth in line to an earldom. You need only look to the show’s title to discern how he plans to conquer the castle that awaits him.

Murphy’s fine tenor, crisp comic timing, immaculate diction and sly charm, enabled his performance to far surpass that of his Tony-nominated peer. A cute and pleasant show, deftly directed by Christina Pellegrini, Guide was hard not to like, tho equally difficult to love.

Further afield out in Metairie, I didn’t expect to love the Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s (JPAS) The Sound of Music, but when done as well as it was, I found it to be a most heartwarming treat.

Opera singer Sarah Jane McMahon starred as Maria, her rich soprano voice adding an extra layer of beauty to Richard Rodgers’ glorious music. Rich Arnold may not have been the most Teutonic of Barons, but he brought a thorough emotional honesty to Captain von Trapp. Watching him and McMahon gingerly avoid and, then, give in to the Captain and Maria’s romantic attraction to each other, yeah, I’ll admit I got a lump in my throat.

At its home in Westwego, JPAS presented 100 Years of Women in Blues, Dorian Rush’s terrific overview

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The Henchman: A Shakespeare Story

of the women who were the founders and torchbearers of this uniquely American art form. Rush gave an abundant sampling of songs associated with those blueswomen, from Bessie Smith to Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday to Etta James. After a too long absence, it was most satisfying to have Rush back on stage.

Over at Rivertown in Kenner, I can’t quite explain it, but the first act of Me and My Girl simply plodded along while, as though some magic occurred during intermission, the second was truly outstanding. Gary Rucker starred as an ordinary chap who discovers he’s the long-lost “Earl of Hareford” along with Kelly Fouchi as his Cockney girlfriend; both went through a similar transformation. As a very proper Duchess who turns out to have a good heart, however, Chrissy Bowen gave a first-class performance throughout.

She may not be a duchess, but drag queen Dede Onassis had a breakout year in 2019. First, in May, she starred in Trey Ming’s one-act psychological musical murder mystery, The Night Fiona Flawless Went Mad; if it started off as mere camp, by the end, both the show and Onassis’ piercing performance had deepened into an acute portrait of a troubled soul.

Then in November (in addition to various other gigs around town), she presented Dede Onassis is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, a recreation of the Tony winner’s legendary cabaret show from the late 1970s. Btw, that’s singing live, not lip-synching. It was a ballsy concept/act that she pulled off with flair.

Flair was what Goat in the Road Productions brought to Aurora Nealand’s self-released album KindHumanKind in a staged concert version of it at the CAC. Director Chris Kaminstein created a series of tableaus that fluidly segued from one song into the next in ever-surprising ways. Joshua Courtney lit each number with his customary brilliance (see also August: Osage County and Baby Doll at Le Petit). Visually sumptuous, musically engaging, I just wish Nealand’s lyrics had been easier to understand.

You Can’t Take It With You

The only thing difficult to understand about Broadway@NOCCA was how, through some quirk of programming, 2/3 of its seventh season and 2/3 of its eighth wound up in 2019. That Audra McDonald would be jaw-droppingly magnificent came as no surprise; who knew that Beth Malone (Fun Home) and Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone) would be equally phenomenal?

Clearly, producer Marc Cortale did.

Any other Beths out there? Adorable Jeremy Jordan was nearly as good as the ladies; had he not been battling a cold, I’m sure he’d’ve been just as b(r) ethtaking.

Three other ladies who presented unique, original and altogether dumbfoundingly grand shows were Varla Jean Merman (Under a Big Top; alas, I was out of town for her Wishbone Show!); Dina Martina (Creme de la Dregs presented by Daniel Nardicio); and Bianca Del Rio (It’s Jester Joke which I caught at Carnegie Hall). Brava to each of them!

And at the risk of leaving somebody out, here are, in addition to those already mentioned, some other praiseworthy folks who trod the boards in 2019: Troi Bechet (Flowers for Halie, Southern Rep); Cereyna Jade Bougouneau (Romeo & Juliet); Enrico Cannella (The Rocky Horror, Show, South Pacific, both JPAS); Leslie Claverie (42nd Street, SLT); Amber Deselles (Once Upon a Mattress, Performing Arts Academy); Teryl Lynn Foxx (Trans Scripts -- Part 1: The Women, Voices in the Dark); Rahim Glaspy (Dreamgirls, JPAS; In the Red & Brown Water); Hannah Gordon, Miranda Kramer (Roleplay, Goat in the Road Productions); Jaci Rai Guidry, Janie McNulty, Amy Schneida (5 Women Wearing the Same Dress, Playmakers of Covington); Kathleen Halm (The Sound of Music, JPAS); Beth Harris, Suzanne Richoux, Rachel Swords (1776, Playmakers of Covington); Maria Victoria Hefte (Into the Woods, Rivertown); Leeann Hovis (Mamma Mia!, Rivertown); Sol Marina (Azul, Southern Rep); Arianna Michel (The Wizard of Oz, The Company: A St. Bernard

Community Theatre); Aviyon Myles (Hamlet, Tulane Shakespeare Festival); Josiah Rogers, Brittany Williams (Songbook Series: Cole Porter); Kali Russell (Cabaret, See ‘Em On Stage); Ashley Santos, James Yeargain (Measure for Measure, The NOLA Project); Lindsey Ware, Ron Yager (Funny Thing...Forum, 30 by Ninety Theatre); Jake Wynne-Wilson (The Rocky Horror Show).

I also have to acknowledge the university programs that are training the next generation of theater artists.

Some of their productions (and the actors in them) were among the finest I saw in 2019. Most noteworthy were: Keely and Du (UNO; Emily Bagwill, Clausia Suire); Machinal (Tulane; Zelda Kimble); and You Can’t Take It With You (Loyola; Zach Boylan, Shelbi Copain, Landon Simpson, Haley Nicole Taylor).

Right behind them were: Detroit ‘67 (Delgado); Life Sucks (Loyola; Esme Hill, Kathryn Miesse); The Old Man and the Old Moon (Tulane); and Othello (UNO; Justin William Davis, Patrick Hunter, Rachel Cathlynn Morris).

And if I began this year-in-review in a grumbly way, I’ll conclude with the greatest of admiration for those high schoolers trodding the boards and the teachers guiding them.

In February, I had the pleasure of going to Hahnville High School’s production of Steve Martin (yes, him)

and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star. Director Lucas Harms, an actor I’ve long admired, managed, in some important ways, to improve on the Broadway version of this challenging musical. Prominent in this distinguished production were Ayme Melancon, Kadin Gaubert, Taylor Jones, Justin Rogers, and Adam Vedros.

Closer to home, at NOCCA, Silas Cooper & Amy Holtcamp’s A Wrinkle in Time was a stirring call to freedom of thought and individuality. I’ll not soon forget the dazzling scene when Emma Fagin courageously battled the evil force inhabiting her younger brother Julian Simmons and his stupendous transformation back into a little boy.

And for the sheer joy of theater, nothing can top NOCCA’s Guys & Dolls. Broadway veteran Leslie Castay guided the Musical Theater Department students to a winning combination of cheeky Runyonesque exuberance layered with achingly real emotions, both comic and serious. Betcha someday you’ll see these names on Broadway marquees: Jayden Heller, Amelia Jacquat, Grace McLean, Kyle Roth, and Renell Taylor all of whom, along with their castmates, hit the jackpot.

As the curtain rises on the new season, call me crazy, but I’m gambling that 2020 will be a winner!

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

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THE HERE AND THE NOW On Gratitude in the New Decade Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com

Happy 2020!

It’s the beginning of a new year, a new decade, and perhaps the best of all days to come. A bit optimistic you might say, and that may be right, however I really don’t think so. Optimism is often the upshot of a sense of gratitude for life and the many nuances of it that propel us forward day by day, week by week.

I spent some time at a holiday gathering a couple of weeks ago, and several people were commenting that with the current political climate, and the fear that accompanies it for many, the negativity ‘inherent’ in life was illuminated during this holiday time.

I felt immediately saddened after hearing that. The only thing that feels illuminated is the future as we proceed through each day. One way to see that road to the future is through the lens of gratitude. There are so many quotes and sayings we have read and heard for years, that it’s difficult to isolate just a few favorites. Each holds a wisdom of its own, an essence of truth and a lesson of some sort.

The concept of gratitude, to feel

grateful and to express it, can assist in healing many losses and traumas.

Gratitude begins internally, with a sense of understanding that feeling thankful may entail a mixture of humility, grace and courage. It can also provide solace and calm, if we allow it. Here are a few of my favorite quotes about gratitude -perhaps you might find one that may have meaning for you.

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

Maya Angelou “Appreciation is a wonderful thing.

It makes what is excellent in others belong to us, as well.” Voltaire “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh “You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.” Kahill Gibran, The Prophet And, personally, when someone thanks me for helping them, for supporting them, it makes me feel stronger, more enthused about going back

in to offer support to another.

What do you feel grateful for?

When was the last time you said “Thank you” to someone?

I think Southern graciousness begs a “Thank you” comment for just about everything, and while that can be refreshing, it sometimes may not sound terribly authentic. But those socially polite expressions of thanks are important, especially to the receiver of those words.

Let’s go a bit deeper into the gratitude you feel, on an everyday basis.

If most of us thought about it, I think we might feel thankful for just BEING. I appreciate so many things in nature, which I think of as gratitude for the beauty around me, be that in the company of people, or in the singular beauty and inspiration of the sky, the sun, a river or a lake.

There seems to be an abundance of thankfulness during this holiday time for many. For others, the gratitude-quotient may dip, maybe hit rock bottom, because of feelings of loneliness or isolation. And when that happens, you may be surprised to know how powerful that simple “Thank you” uttered by a stranger will be. The acknowledgement that someone has done something nice for you, offered you something, noticed your efforts, can garner a strong sense of positivity and confidence. With that, thankfulness can be returned, beginning a sort of circle of gratitude that can be life-giving.

Interacting with friends, family and friend-family can at times stretch your patience or possibly your tolerance.

When there’s a conflict of some kind, and someone offers an apology or an explanation, that typically means that your relationship is important to them, and that they would like to make amends. That’s something to be thankful for. There is much gratitude and acknowledgement of feeling thankful that operates within a serious relationship, whether a platonic friendship or an intimate partnership. I wonder if we ask ourselves, and each other, just how meaningful someone feeling grateful to you, or grateful for you, would be.

Practicing gratitude is like practicing mindfulness meditation. There are many benefits when you practice gratitude daily. You give yourself the time you need to reflect on some of the more positive emotions in your life.

In doing so, you may feel much more alive. You may even sleep better, be able to better express your feelings, and you will be able to show more kindness to others.

Stress levels go down. Interacting with others becomes easier and more meaningful. We also then tend to foster relationships that are kind to our peace of mind, our happiness and our willingness to feel gratitude.

There’s an inherent goodness to acknowledging gratitude, especially when it is expressed TO you, not by you. Most often, gratitude comes for those who have helped and guided you throughout your life, and when it is turned around, and someone is grateful for you, it sometimes takes courage to allow that. Gratitude is a deep feeling that comes from your heart, and often for a history of good acts, not just a single event.

As we welcome the 2020’s, I hope the opportunity to live a more intentional life, to reach out to more people who can use your help with something, will emerge for you.

It would be so refreshing to be more active this year, to begin by doing one thing that’s different, or with different people, during a month’s time.

You could think about participating in something that includes helping others, or where there’s opportunity to teach or mentor someone. When that occurs, allow your feelings of gratitude for those in your life who influenced and helped you to emerge, and be expressed in some way. Then, look around, and find something you think is beautiful, or calming, or inspiring to you. And enjoy.

The very best to you as we all approach the new decade. I hope to see you at various gatherings, community groups, or walking around our most beautiful city.

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.

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COMMENTARY

Trump and a Hill to Die On Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com

One of the most significant Supreme Court decisions of 2019 was one that barely received notice in the LGBT+ community—Rucho v. Common. The case had to do with gerrymandering, the act of drawing legislative district maps in such a way that favors one political party. Not a sexy topic, for sure, but a consequential one, nonetheless. Profoundly consequential.

In Rucho, the Court essentially said partisan gerrymandering is perfectly fine and legal; more specifically, the conservative majority on the Court decided that federal courts do not have the authority to declare district maps unconstitutional.

The creation of super-partisan, one-party majority districts is responsible, more than anything else, for the stalemate in Washington. There was a time when the opposing parties actually discussed policy ideas and were willing to compromise. Rucho guarantees those times are gone— for at least a generation or two.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Republican Party’s support of Donald Trump, a man most of them despise personally but who would never dare criticize him publicly. Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake has recently said that if the impeachment

vote were done by secret ballot, at least 35 Republican senators would vote to remove Trump from office. But because most of their districts have been gerrymandered to bolster the Republican Party, their “support” of Trump is petrified.

Petrified and terrified is exactly what Republicans in Congress are.

Which is odd given that Trump represents everything they have spent generations opposing. Ideologically and personally, Trump fails every GOP litmus test. Twenty years ago, Congressional Republicans argued that lying was grounds for impeachment— and that lie was about a blow job.

When the truth about Richard Nixon emerged, it was Republicans who met with him and told him he needed to resign. It was none other than Barry Goldwater himself—Ronald Reagan’s Patron Saint—who delivered the message to Nixon. And Nixon, as flawed as he was, at least had the shame to resign. Donald Trump is not so handicapped.

And as horrifying as Trump is, as dangerous as his ideas are, as harmful as his policies are, and as repulsive as his bigotry is, he is not the biggest threat to our democracy. The threat to the republic is much bigger than this small man.

AMERICAN THINGS

2020 Is Here Lynn Stevens

The other day I mentioned to a friend of mine that while I knew “2020” was the next year chronologically, it had not crossed my mind what this means.

We’re getting near the third decade of the third millennium.

Twenty years since y2k, that old chestnut best left forgotten if it didn’t seem so quaint in retrospect.

If you don’t recall, in 1999, the media hyped up the fear that when the big computer clocks ticked over into the new millennium the machines wouldn’t understand it was 2000 instead they would think it was 1900. This was because up to that point only a two digit year had been used for computer data, or some such reason.

Obviously this would have had a serious effect on financial systems and, as we were told, maybe even the electric grid.

Chaos, we were led to believe, might break out. The evening news

would tell us about how people were ransacking grocery stores for water and canned goods. They were loading up for the apocalypse.

Who could tell?

A couple of people could. Very smart people, or smart enough, had fixed the glitch long before the new millennium.

That information wasn’t really passed on to all of us rabble. I remember watching the New Year’s celebration in New York on television at 11:59pm. I watched the ball drop and at a minute past midnight...the lights were still on...the TV was still on... chaos didn’t appear to be breaking out when I looked out the window.

Everything was the same. We were safe.

2001 – Not long after that we were all taken by surprise when an airliner crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. Then another hit the South Tower. What the

Writing in VOX, Zack Beauchamp has argued that Trump is merely the result of a much broader, more disturbing phenomenon: “the Republican Party’s drift toward being institutionally hostile to democracy.” In addition to gerrymandering, Beauchamp also cites the GOP’s efforts to purge voter rolls and enact voter ID laws, both of which are aimed at disenfranchising black and brown voters, to say nothing of their general disdain for basic democratic principles.

He goes on: “This GOP turn didn’t arise because the party is ideologically opposed to democracy in the way that, say, fascists and Islamists are. It’s that they care more about power than they do about basic democratic principles and are willing to run roughshod over the latter if it helps them win the former. This Republican attitude is more democracy-indifferent than anti-democratic, reflecting a party so caught up in partisan combat that it can’t recognize the authoritarian road it’s traveling down.”

There was a time when Republicans hated authoritarians almost as much as they love big business. In 2007, candidate Obama was eviscerated for saying he would be willing to talk with North Korea’s dictator. Reagan called the Soviet Union an “Evil

Empire.” And before that, Nixon’s anti-Communist credentials had people saying, “Only Nixon could go to China.”

Checks and balances. Limited government. The rule of law. Family values. Democracy. These were once the pillars of Republican ideology. Now they are the ghosts that give shape to a hollow, apostate party.

Writing for the minority in the Rucho decision, Justice Elena Kagan wrote “gerrymanders like the ones here may irreparably damage our system of government.” She was right.

But for the Republican base— corporate interests, fanatical Christians, and racist voters—none of that matters. The rich got their tax cuts, the Christians got their judges, and Trump’s voters cannot get enough of his racist rhetoric. School shootings.

Not to worry, gun profits are soaring.

Reproductive rights. No worries, the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. Kids in cages and families separated at the border? So what. ‘merica!

Many political observers have asked, “Is Donald Trump really the hill Republicans want to die on?” No, but in the absence of any semblance of moral courage and personal integrity, they have no choice. Gerrymandering made it so.

hell was happening? No one on television seemed to know.

A plane crashed into the Pentagon.

Any chance that this was some kind of accident passed like so many leaves in the wind. We were under attack.

Then the Towers fell.

3,000 people died and untold damage was done to those who helped search and clean up Ground Zero.

We’ve been fighting the wars related to Bush’s War on Terror since.

Who knows what effect this has had on the country’s psyche, the cultural zeitgeist. We flock to Super Hero, Large Monster, or Big Robot movies to see cities destroyed. The box office numbers for some of these films are the largest in history.

Nothing was the same. We sought safety.

2008 – The first black President is elected. Barack Obama became the 44th President. This momentous event allowed some to declare we now lived in a “post-race” society.

Obama, because of the state of Congress at the time, was unable to get much done. He wanted to close Guantanamo Bay but Congress would not appropriate the money to do so.

In addition to this, the so-called

Great Recession crippled his first term as he tried to trudge through this quagmire of American finances.

That said, he made a number of steps forward. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015. The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. He also signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. His administration filed paperwork which pushed for the legalization of gay marriage.

Before he left office, the Pentagon shot down the policy that barred transgender individuals from serving, openly, in the Armed Forces.

He served for two terms, he did okay in the end.

Nothing was the same. We felt safe.

2016 – A surprising election. In a surprise to most pollsters, Donald Trump was elected President. He pulled out of the Paris Agreement. He reversed the policy which allowed trans people to serve in the military.

Then he became the third President to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

Abuse of Power.

Have we been here before?

How did we get here?

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Will the Republic survive?

Somehow it feels like more of the same. When will we be safe again?

The other day I stopped into a corner store to get a drink. The man in front of me in line asked the guy behind the counter if we lived in a Monarchy or if it was still a Republic.

The guy behind the counter looked at him, puzzled.

“What?” he asked.

He repeated his question slower.

Honestly, I thought it was just more New Orleans wingnuttery.

“What, the store?”

“Did they impeach the motherf***er?”

I forgot it was the morning of the impeachment vote and it hadn’t come in just yet.

It’s a strange time and although I’ve pointed to a few of the ups and downs we’ve seen in the past twenty years, one must remember that history is not linear.

There is no real safety because there is no real baseline.

We’re just making it all up, spinning on this rock, going through space and hoping we don’t fall off. For every

moment I’ve brought up in this column, there are 1,000 others both positive and negative that aren’t mentioned here.

But although things can get real dark sometimes, there’s always hope.

Even during the y2k hysteria, there was always tomorrow.

Happy New Year, friends.

Good Luck.

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BOOK REVIEW

World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as Traveller Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as Traveller. David S. Wills. Beatdom Books, 2019. 169 pages.

“Om Shri Maitreya.” “Om Shri Maitreya.” “Om Shri Maitreya.” So chanted Allen Ginsberg at a demonstration to legalize marijuana in New York City in 1965. It wasn’t just weed that expanded Ginsberg’s worldview.

In World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as Traveller, David S. Wills, founder and managing editor of the popular Beat literary journal Beatdom, presents a new biography of Allen Ginsberg—one told through the prism of travel. Ginsberg’s life is recounted journey by journey, his development as a traveler meticulously recorded, and the

influence of travel on his poetry noted for the first time.

Ginsberg may not have become the leading prophet of the Beat Generation had he not travelled to 66 nations during his lifetime. Gustave Flaubert famously observed, “Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” Ginsberg benefitted from the perspective afforded by travel. He took that gift and transformed it into a “Howl” against materialism and superficiality that reverberates still today.

One of the most recognizable public figures of the 20th century, Ginsberg is one of the most important American poets of all time. Yet he was also a

seasoned traveler, capable of spending months or even years on the road, surviving on his wits. For Ginsberg, travel was more than a frivolous hobby; it was something that shaped him as a poet, an activist, and a person. Without visiting Mexico in 1954, there would have been no Howl. Without visiting France in 1958, there would have been no Kaddish. Without visiting India in 1963, the image of Allen Ginsberg as a bearded hippie sage chanting mantras with finger cymbals would simply not have existed.

Drawing upon primary sources such as Ginsberg’s letters and travel journals, Wills, author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the

‘Weird Cult’, which examines the role of Scientology in the life of the American literary giant, has produced more than just another Beat biography.

World Citizen is an insightful exploration of the role of “place” in creativity in general and poetic inspiration in particular. Ginsberg—the man and his poetry—was wonderfully complex. Wills deftly captures, examines, and illuminates one facet of Ginsberg’s “multitudes.”

Fans of the Beat Poets will love this book, as will fans of travel literature, to say nothing of hippies and free-spirits.

There are a lot of books out there about Ginsberg, but this one is fresh because it has something new to say. It stands alone as an excellent biography, but it is much more than that. It’s worth a read. And if you’re not familiar with the Beat Poets, World Citizen is an excellent introduction.

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

A Christmas Story - The Big Picture The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ Rector St Anna’s Episcopal Church fr.bill@stannanola.org Dear Friends -- We shall not talk of carnival lamps nor bb guns. Nor will we speak of Red Ryder wagons. Nei-

Our legacy is yours.

New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE) provides services and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults in the New orleans metro area.

We host regular social events for LGBT older adults and their allies, and we provide cultural competency trainings for healthcare and other service providers.

To learn more, visit www.noagenola.org, or call (504) 517-2345

ther shall we talk of Angels getting their wings and bells on Christmas Eve. We will, however, speak of the “Big Picture.”

Too often, we wrap ourselves in the non-essential elements of the Nativity.

How often do we hear a litany of information and conjecture that, at the end of the day, it does not matter? Some of what I mean goes like this: “Jesus was really born in the Spring; maybe even July.”

“It really wasn’t a barn it was a house and the ground floor was where livestock was kept.”

One of my favorites is, “It’s a pagan holiday and shouldn’t be observed. It is, after all, Saturnalia! So we should not endorse Pagan worship!”

Others are more factual or philosophical: The virgin birth could not have happened.

There was no historical record of a census by Augustus.

If Jesus was conceived by God how could they claim Joseph’s lineage?

How many wise men were there?

Perhaps more than three!

There really wasn’t a slaughter of innocent children by Herod because there is no record.

I used to engage in these exercises myself. I really got into those same nay-saying positions especially when I was a drinker. O lawdy was I a mess.

I’d argue about anything, particularly if it would get a response. But, and you aren’t going to want to hear

this, time and especially sobriety has caused a good and more favorable response to the Nativity. It has allowed me room to really consider what this story is all about.

In the pursuit of understanding I came to know that only two of the four Gospels really talk about the birth story, Luke and Matthew. Each tells a different version. There is always an attempt to conflate or combine the stories into one. Nope, that is a deadly habit.

Next, John talked about Jesus in the cosmic sense and he used that lovely language to place Jesus as above time and space and always existent. John sometimes gives me a headache because he is so deep and profound. So, what we are left with is a legacy of traditions, storytelling, and two Gospels written at different times by different communities to different cultural audiences. So, the stories are different.

Should that bother a Christian and should we put our shields and bucklers on and prepare to defend our beliefs against these critics? NOPE. The scriptures, both Christian and Jewish, are rife with metaphor and allusion. It is a deep and historic understanding that these are BIG stories and while they may contain some history these stories try to tell a truth. We people do much better with story than we do with theology. A friend of mine, for example, is a VERY visual learner who is in seminary. He uses films as his launching pad for learning. He fills in the blanks of those films with his un-

derstanding. All of his learning, however, starts with a movie. So, we learn much more and take in much more with story.

That brings us to “The Big Picture” so here is the message and spirit of the Nativity, at least to my understanding: A man and a woman were brought into a divine enterprise. This birth would prove to be unique among all births; so the claim would go.

What portrait is painted in this divine enterprise? That this baby was met with hostility, this baby and the family were surrounded by violence.

That this baby yet survived this violence.

Yes, violence is very much a part of the two Nativity stories. In Luke we receive a radical declaration by Mary in her Magnificat, “Exalted those of humble estate.” That declaration is an echo of the Song of Hannah, “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap” . Both speak of the lowly being raised up and the powerful being brought low. Radical stuff but it is the stuff of Christmas/ Advent.

In the texts we discover that the powerful try to laud power on what we see as an innocent baby. A deceitful and jealous ruler tries to end the life of this innocent and, in so doing, preserve his own power and stature. It doesn’t work.

A newborn is surrounded by violence and yet that innocent is also surrounded by awe and spiritual majesty. “The Big Picture” says that into

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this world enters hope, possibility, and love, the likes of which can only be measured in the mind of the Creator.

“The Big Picture” says that against all odds, against hatred, violence, and rejection this infant when grown will become a harbinger of the deepest and most profound love that the world can know. Howsoever one receives the message of Christmas, Jew, Muslim, Christian, Rastafarian, yes, Buddhist as well, the spiritual message, the Holy message, the Divine communication is this: there is a force in this world that is, at its center, love and dignity. It, for we Christians, starts with an infant narrative. This story is a blessing. It is real in the sense of what it feels like and

what it says of this world. It’s historicity can be challenged but not its intentionality. Love triumphs. We have dignity no matter our social standing. There is hope.

With all of that in mind, we at St. Anna’s and I wish to offer you blessings for this Season and for a New Year: Blessings and thanks to all of the bars, clubs, and individuals that have given so generously with toys and funds to ensure a great Christmas among the children who too often have too little.

Blessings to all of the performers who in drag bring laughter and joy, hope, and humor.

Blessings to men and women and

those in transition that have come out and are living authentically. We add our prayers of hope for those who are still wondering, deciding, and perhaps are in hiding. Hope is found in the Christmas narrative.

Blessings upon those who yearn for lovers lost that they may heal and once again know joy because you are beloved.

When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and the princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoners, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers, To make music in the heart.

--The Work of Christmas, a litany

by Howard Thurman (1899-1991)

can learn the history and stories of Irish adventurers, soldiers, mercenaries, priests, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and public servants who found their niche here in New Orleans, and how their spirit, accomplishments, and culture all still define New Orleans today.

The Irish Cultural Museum of New Orleans has as its mission to devote resources to educate and create public awareness among locals, tourists, and

others of the contributions Ireland, her people, and their culture have made to New Orleans since its colonial beginnings.

The museum features a beautiful courtyard and also serves as an event space. It is located at 933 Conti Street.

Don’t get caught up in the mess.

Know that a light and a fire was sparked in the first century that calls all of us to Hope and that something new and something old is afoot in the world: Divine Love. God bless us one and all.

Thank all of you for simply being you.

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT Irish Cultural Museum The old Hibernia Bank tower no longer looms over the CBD skyline, but it does provide revelers on Bourbon Street a familiar landmark.

From St. Patrick’s Church to the stately Gallier Hall to Tracey’s and the old Parasol’s Bar in the Irish Channel to Fahy’s Irish Pub and Erin Rose in the French Quarter, the influence of the Irish in New Orleans is everywhere.

The Irish first arrived in New Or-

leans at the end of the 18th century as they fled British persecution. They came in droves during the Great Potato Famine of the 1820s—1840s. Many of these immigrants worked as servants for wealthy families in the Garden District and many died building the New Basin Canal.

This fascinating history of the Irish in New Orleans is on display at the Irish Cultural Museum. There you

Gretna Depot Cafe & Spirits

Home of “The Train Wreck” (504) 362-8690 326 Huey P Long Ave Gretna, LA

r a e Y w e N y p p a H From Our Family to Yours

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 19

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana Year in Review Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com As 2019 draws to a close, the New Orleans-based LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana can look back on a year of solid accomplishments.

In addition to facilitating the donation of material to area libraries and museums across the state, the Archives Project also launched an Oral History Initiative and opened a new exhibit space.

As a statewide collective, the Archives Project works in collaboration with institutions across Louisiana to preserve materials that chronicle local LGBT+ history. These materials include personal papers (letters, diaries, photographs, etc.), organizational records (minutes from meetings, newsletters, brochures, etc.), audio and visual recordings (interviews, Carnival Balls, public protests, meetings, etc.), ephemera (fliers, programs, posters, business cards, etc.), and publications (Rooster, Impact, Zipper, etc.).

In the last year, the Archives Project enabled donations to a number of archival institutions, including: the Special Collections Division of the Tulane University Library, The Historic New Orleans Collection, the Amistad

Research Center, Louisiana State University, the Center for Louisiana Studies, and the Louisiana State Museum, among others.

The largest of these donations in both scope and size was the Valda Lewis Collection. From 1987 to 1993, Valda Lewis (and Loretta Mims until 1990) produced an LGBT+ television show Just for the Record, which aired on a cable open access channel and covered both local and national topics of interest to the gay and lesbian community. In addition, a monthly newsletter was published and mailed to over 2,000 community members and distributed at LGBT+ businesses to promote the program.

In 1993, Lewis also produced a live call-in show called Queer Street Live, hosted by Judith Wenger and Chip Lohner, which ran for thirteen weeks.

With funding from the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, the Amistad Research Center digitized the Just for the Record programs. The shows are available for viewing on the Archives Project website and Amistad’s Vimeo channel.

Lewis also recorded nearly 800

hours of footage of AIDS conferences, public protests, gay Carnival Balls, the Bourbon Street Awards, and other events—all of which she has donated to the Amistad Research Center with the assistance of the Archives Project.

The Archives Project has also launched a long overdue Oral History initiative. Working in conjunction with the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History at L.S.U., the Archives Project has trained several members on how to properly interview subjects and begun interviewing subjects. Thus far, the following people have been interviewed: Valda Lewis, Liz Simon, Stewart Butler, Kruz Sanchez, and Anthony Eshman. The Archives Project is also in the process of assembling a list of people to be interviewed. Transcriptions and audio recordings of the interviews will be available on the Archives Project website soon.

In 2019, the Archives Project also opened an administrative office and small exhibit space in the French Quarter at 636 St. Ann Street. The Project, which has existed for nearly eight years, has never had a headquarters or office. Growing pains in the last year

necessitated such a space. In addition to providing an office and work area for volunteers, the venue also features a small exhibit space. The highlight of the exhibit is a ten foot long Timeline of New Orleans LGBT+ History.

Also on display are early issues of gay and lesbian publications such as Ambush Magazine, Impact, and The Rooster. There are also photographs from gay Carnival Balls and Mardi Gras day as well as some Southern Decadence and Gay Appreciation Awards memorabilia. The new space is open from 11:00am to 6:00pm daily and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

On the subject of volunteers, it should be noted that the entire organization is run by volunteers. None of the Officers or Board Members receive a salary. The Archives Project is funded entirely through the generous donations of the public and its modest membership dues ($10 a year).

The remarkable success of the Archives Project is quite impressive given its humble origins. In 2012, Stewart Butler, Otis Fennell, and Mark Gonzales founded the Legacy Project with the goal of compiling oral histories.

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Completing one interview, the group realized that the time, logistics, and money involved were overwhelming and the Legacy Project slowly dissipated. The need and desire to preserve local gay history was still strong and from the ashes of the Legacy Project, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana rose.

In June 2013, a handful of dedicated and interested people began meet-

ing to discuss the necessary steps to preserve all parts of our local LGBT history and how this endeavor might be undertaken. One of the organization’s first actions was to survey local libraries and collections to determine what LGBT-related holdings already existed.

Questionnaires were sent to archivists at several local institutes and several onsite visits were made to local repositories.

In October of that same year, the Society of American Archivists held its national conference in New Orleans and a few members of the group’s LGBT Roundtable met with members of the LGBT+ Archive Project of Louisiana. Holding a community meeting in November, the group set out to gather input from the public. After numerous months of information gathering, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana

adopted its mission statement. ​In June 2014, the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana was officially born at a public meeting where bylaws were adopted and officers elected. Aiming to educate the public about the importance of historical preservation, the Archives Project also aims to share how individuals can safely entrust local archives with the care of the historical treasures they possess.

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

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INTERVIEWS FROM KEY WEST

NYC Artist Joseph Cavalieri Debuts “Stillness” and Josefiná Cavaliná Kevin Assam kevin-assam@hotmail.com Artist Joseph Cavalieri has exhibited his on-glass paintings internationally for the last 15 years. After racking up numerous teaching opportunities and residencies, including a 2012 stint at The Studios of Key West (TSKW), Joseph returns to Key West to debut his series of oil works on canvas along with a new identity, Josefiná Cavaliná.

“Stillness” runs throughout January.

In some cultures, particularly in the east, there is an entire industry built around selecting names for a child. Does that seem like a fair amount of focus to put on choosing a written and spoken identity for an incoming baby?

Josefiná: ‘When is it due? Is it a boy or a girl? Do you have any cravings? Is it kicking yet?’ I wonder if the pregnant mother feels as bored or annoyed as I am with these repeating questions from absolutely everyone she meets? There’s an unknown entity growing inside her body that she really doesn’t know anything about, especially the baby’s personality. Choosing the name of the baby is something that she does have control over. So, if she wants to spend months choosing a name, more power to her, but it seems like wasted time to me. It would be so pleasant if the child could choose their own name, say when they turn 16.

Does Joseph eventually morph into Josefiná or was Josefiná the underlying name the entire time?

Josefiná: Yes, Joseph Cavalieri is now Josefiná Cavaliná, created/born November 2019. She is the feminine soft side of me. Josefiná creates my oil paintings. The inaugural exhibition of my work is happening at TSKW. How did you wind up pursuing art direction for print publications?

Josefiná: I got a job in book publishing straight out of college with a BA from The School of Visual Arts. I was an art director, also the whole art department, in the first job I landed with a psychology book company named Guilford. They are still going strong!

I moved into advertising and then a friend asked me to freelance in the production department at Redbook magazine. I really liked the fast pace, group efforts, and deadlines of magazines. I moved into the more creative side, actually designing the layouts, which was much more challenging.

I worked freelancing for a huge number of different magazines for about seven years — three days at Harper’s Bazaar, a week at Marie Claire, two weeks at Self, you get the idea. My three longer full-time stints were about five years each at GQ, People, and Good Housekeeping.

Did the print publications you contributed towards react quickly enough to emerging artistic and cultural trends?

Josefiná: Since People magazine is a weekly, we covered trends in every issue, though most were not about trendy fine art, but more about the entertainment business. It had to appeal to “middle America” interests.

I was working on 9/11, and after half the office left — we were in Rockefeller Center and they thought it might be a target — I helped redesign the whole issue that night till 7AM the next morning. We did a new issue about the attacks. We had photographers in the office with dust from the site on their clothing. I much rather be working that night, than watching those attacks over and over on tv.

The fun part of this job at People was deciding on the “Sexiest Man Alive” and the “Best and Worst Dressed”, where we would seriously debate what dress was the worst of the year.

Tell me about your earliest pieces. What was the ideation process and how were they initially received?

Josefiná: When I first started painting on stained glass, I experimented and made works that look pretty primitive now. I was trying to master the techniques and decide on what images to use. The technique is complicated: cutting glass, painting and firing the glass in a kiln, then soldering the work together. It was a long time from the initial design to the final work. Once I got a hold of the techniques, I experimented with different themes that

you normally would not see in stained glass [including] comics, muscle men, fables, and two headed birds. Some works were only text. I entered the work into as many group exhibitions as possible. New York openings were lots of fun and my coworkers from work would come. One opening, a drunk lady walked into my glass. She wasn’t hurt and the glass survived. I helped escort her out of the gallery.

What would have been the protocol had the glass not survived her intoxicated stumble?

Josefiná: This was one of my first shows “After Hours,” (2002 at the Pomegranate Pictures/Red Circle Gallery, Chelsea, NY) where full-time artists who worked after hours could show their work. She would have had to pay for the damages. The work was hanging in the center of the gallery and it violently swung back and forth.

How did you first come to Key West and discover The Studios Residency program?

Josefiná: I heard about the residency through a local curator, Hal Bromm. He highly recommended applying. I had done seven residencies before I applied for the 2012 residency at TSKW. It was good timing, happening right after hurricane Sandy hit New York. My building in the East Village was flooded and had no electricity. At that time, I was buying a new kiln. I had it delivered and hooked up during my residency, then shipped it back to NYC when the residency ended. I remember when I arrived they showed me the Mango House. It was twice the size of my NYC apartment. I thought I would

have to share the space, but it was all for me. Good times!

And you’ll be returning this January for a new exhibition?

Josefiná: Yes. I applied for an exhibition in the Zabar Project Gallery and was accepted to show. My original project was my glass work, but at that point I had just started oil painting.

So, with the approval of TSKW, I will be showing my oil paintings. This is my inaugural show in this medium. I am super excited to show in Key West. Since my residency, I have been back four times to teach and have made many friends. The title of the show is “Stillness” and opens Thursday, January 2, 6–8pm, on view until January 25.

Will you swear off the use of chickens, roosters, six toed cats, and other heavily used Key West placemat icons from future works?

Josefiná: For sure, like images of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, there are certain themes I will be glad to swear off, including those “Key” icons you listed. I have three series to paint after my ceramic series, with a New York gallery ready to show them. They include themes of architecture, religious statues, and action figures, larger scale than my ceramic works. I am set for themes for the next three or four years.

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.

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Ambush AT AMBUSH MAGAZINE’S HOLIDAY PARTY AT THE HOME OF PUBLISHER TJ ACOSTA | PHOTOS BY TJ BOUDREAUX

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HEALTH & WELLNESS HEALTH & WELLNESS Start the New Year with a Brighter Smile Chenier Reynolds-Montz Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana CReynolds@accesshealthla.org If you’re like the millions of Americans who start off the new year with a resolution, you may want to include improving your smile. Did you know that your oral health can affect the rest of your physical body? It can also offer clues to other physical ailments. Let’s take a closer look.

Your mouth is filled with bacteria.

While most of the bacteria are harmless, some of them are not. Therefore, it is so important to protect your mouth, the gateway to your digestive and respiratory tracts. Daily brushing and flossing do a good job at keeping bacteria under control. However, if you don’t brush and floss twice a day, the bacteria in your mouth could reach dangerous levels leading to oral infections and even tooth decay.

Experts from the American Dental Association say that oral bacteria and inflammation associated with periodontitis or “gum disease” can play a role in the spread of disease throughout your body. In fact, diabetes and HIV/AIDS,

can lower your body’s resistance to infection, making oral health problems more severe. Bad oral hygiene may also contribute to the worsening of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, even Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s important to let your dentist know whenever you are taking medications for a chronic illness. Medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines, decongestants and pain killers, reduce saliva flow in your mouth. Saliva works to neutralize acids produced by bacteria in your mouth, helping to protect you from other bacteria which multiply and can cause to disease.

If your holidays include a glass of red wine or coffee, remember your favorite drinks could stain your pearly whites. Here’s an easy home remedy that can help reduce surface stains on your enamel. Dip your toothbrush bristles in a small amount of baking soda.

While baking soda doesn’t taste great, gently brushing your teeth using the baking soda can help wipe away some

Dental Dr. Caldwell

of the yellow surface stains left behind by the coffee or wine. Using baking soda alone to brush your teeth frequently is not recommended by most dentists since it can wear away tooth and gum tissue over time. Occasional use is okay.

Here are a few tips to ensure a great smile in 2020: Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush Use fluoride toothpaste Floss every day Use mouthwash to wash away food particles left behind after flossing Eat foods low in sugar Replace your toothbrush every three months and after you are sick Schedule dental checkups and cleanings every six months Avoid tobacco use Most Medicaid and commercial insurance plans cover two dental cleanings annually (assuming your dentist

accepts insurance). Be sure to take advantage of your insurance benefits each year. Preventive care helps to ensure that you will avoid expensive dental repair bills down the line. Access Health Louisiana’s newly renovated dental unit offers routine cleanings, fillings, sealants, restoratives, crowns and bridges. Patients don’t have to have insurance to get treatment. To find out more or make an appointment, call toll-free 1-866-530-6111 or log onto accesshealthla.org and click on “services”.

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

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

WELLNESS

Third Wheeling Through Life Dr. Andrew Watley Professional Counselor in the State of Louisiana It happens all the time. You’re sitting at home watching TV alone, praying that someone will call you and invite you to do something so that you don’t die of boredom.

Finally, the phone vibrates!

One of your close friends invites you to go grab a drink and a bite to eat with him/her. You race off of the couch to shower and make yourself presentable. You play back in your head the many nights that you two spent together having the time of your lives. You hope that tonight will be another night like the previous ones. You pull up dressed to the nines, only to find your friend...with his/her significant other.

Suddenly, your excitement turns to misery. You convince yourself that you can still try to have a good time. After all, it’s not that you don’t like him/her, you just don’t like that they’re ALWAYS around.

Despite the lack of joy the surprise guest brings, you still try to have a good time. You ignore that s/he only buys drinks for their partner, and you dance

alone in the corner while they dance so close together that you can no longer distinguish who is wearing what outfit.

You count every awkward minute that you are alone with the significant other as your friend is taking what seems like forever in the restroom. The night finally comes to an end as they walk hand in hand toward their Uber and you walk alone to yours to go back to return to the couch where your night began. If this situation sounds familiar to you, then you, my friend, are a third wheel.

I don’t know about you, but I have never had a good time as a third wheel.

Nothing brings out my insecurities like being placed on the back burner by my friends as they elevate someone else in my stead. I know that a lot of my issues stem from my own interpretation of things. I like attention and I hate the thought of having to compete for it.

If I’m being honest with myself, it bothers me that I’m not as significant in my friend’s life as their significant other. Of course, we want our friends to be happy in relationships, but sometimes,

the extent of their happiness can, in turn, make us sad. We can start to feel replaced or neglected by our friends.

Most times, we stay quiet about how we feel out of fear of them thinking that we are jealous, when sometimes, we actually are. How do we effectively convey our feelings to our friends without ruining our friendship?

As with all relationships, communication is one of the most important things. If we want the relationship that we have with our friend not to go sour, we have to effectively communicate how special the relationship is to them.

Let your friend know that you would like to spend more time with them alone.

Offer to do some of the things that the two of you used to do before the new relationship began. Remind your friend how much you enjoy the times when the two of you are together.

Another helpful hint is to remember the power of the word, “no”. If your friend extends an invitation to you to hangout with them and their partner, you can respectfully decline if you feel uncomfortable. Tell your friend that you would like to schedule a time when the two of you could get together alone. If the friendship is truly important, your friend will make time for you in their life.

This one may be hard, but it can lead to a healthy future. Get to know the significant other. It can be beneficial to every wheel on this tricycle.

When I started dating my current boy-

A NEW COLUMN

HIV 2019 - Good, Bad, & Ugly Dorian-gray Alexander proofpoz@gmail.com As we close another year, let’s reflect on a few things in 2019. Promises were made and some important ideas emerged along with funding, which is always exciting and impactful.

The GOOD U=U (Undetectable equals Untransmittable) means that when HIV is no longer detectable in our bodies we CANNOT transmit it to an intimate (sexual) partner. Achieving an undetectable viral load or viral suppression with medication is celebratory. It’s not only the new mantra from years of scientific research but also the most important message to empower people living with HIV and inform those who do not. This campaign from www.preventionaccess.org started in 2016 and gained traction statewide this year when the Louisiana Department of Health officially signed on to a consensus statement. So, keep up the momentum and tell others “U=U, Y’all”.

In a State of the Union speech, the current administration brought us a commitment to eliminating HIV transmission by 2030 by reducing new infec-

tions. It was a good start to help keep the epidemic at the forefront of the minds of most Americans. It was also a nice kickstarter of funding for planning and some solutions that address HIV on local and state levels. What little the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America offers in substance, the influx of new dollars could form a solid base to develop new policy and initiatives.

Miguel, nicknamed the Lisbon Patient, made international headlines last year as the oldest known person living with the virus. In 2019, Miguel turned 100, after being diagnosed in 2004.

Sadly, Miguel passed away recently but inspires us that PLWH can live and thrive for many years with proper and effective treatment. Estimates show that almost 50% of people living with HIV are over the age of 50 or will soon reach that age. Thankfully, HIV is a chronic manageable condition and we’re living proof. Take some time to think about that.

The BAD Many still see HIV as a “gay disease”. It is not. HIV has affected wom-

en since the early days of AIDS. They were dying in this epidemic. They unknowingly gave birth to children with HIV. They were caretakers of many in the beginning. Lastly, they are the forgotten ones in many spaces for HIV. We need more resources that focus on the needs of women and the will to talk honestly with women about their risks. Women are left out of research for treatment and prevention.

This is probably news as you read this. This May, the Louisiana Department of Health required labs to report all test results for HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis, including negative and non-reactive results. This reporting is name-based meaning that anytime one gets screened for any of those three diseases, the state collects the name of the person tested whether the result is positive [already required] or negative [new] from the lab that per-

forms the test. So, I hope you’re being informed of this in your annual health care check ups, which I hope you’re doing too.

friend, I could feel the tension between myself and one of his friends. It was the classic, “if you hurt him, I’ll kill you” conversation.

Yet I knew how important it would be to my boyfriend if I made an effort to be closer with his best friend, and so I did. It started with friend requests on social media followed by liking and commenting on posts and pictures. Before long, he and I developed a separate friendship outside of my boyfriend.

Now it is nothing to assume that he will be there when we are going to events.

I also am not afraid to express to my boyfriend when I want alone time, and I encourage his friend to do the same when he doesn’t want me there.

Being a third wheel can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be the end of a relationship. Be honest with yourself and with your friend, and the relationship can withstand the trials of time. If you are destined to be the third wheel, at least be the one in the front that is leading the other two.

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.

The UGLY HIV stigma continues to be a challenge in efforts to curb misconceptions about the realities of this disease.

Some still fear it as the worst thing possible. People living with HIV have internalized over thirty years of being persecuted, prosecuted, and ostracized by family and others. Even with new tools we have to treat and prevent it, stigma and bias remain strong.

In Louisiana, exposure to HIV is a crime, including failure to disclose one’s HIV status to a sexual partner, as a felony. Louisiana Revised Statutes [R. S. 14.43.5] needs to be repealed or modernized to reflect current science.

Such statutes, as in thirty plus other states, do nothing to promote public health and may actually deter testing for those who do not know they are living with HIV. In closing, cheers to your 2020 vision of HIV becoming clearer. Have a great new year with mega hugz! Elections matter.

Dorian-gray Alexander is an opinionated person living with HIV and activist who hosts a regular talk show, the Proof Positive Show, on 102.3 FM WHIV-LP. Send topics of interests on HIV proofpoz@gmail.com

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 25

Happy Hour 5am Monday - 9pm Friday $3.75 Well & Domestic Beer Kafe Karaoke Wednesday 9pm - Midnight with Teri A’Qui - $5 Fireball $12 Bottomless Mimosas The Cafe Balcony Thursday - Sunday 1pm - 4pm Flashback Friday 9pm - 2am with DJ Stirfry

s i e Lov e h t in Air

Trash Disco Sunday 4pm - 10pm

2018 Winner

Open 24/7

HOT HAPPENINGS UNDER THE GAYDAR New Orleans Hot Happenings Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Christmas has passed and as we say goodbye to 2019 and usher in 2020, we start to prepare for the Carnival season in New Orleans. 12th Night is upon us and we have so much to celebrate. So get ready because things are about to get real busy! Here are just a few of the things to keep your days (and nights) occupied. (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.

Primal Nights: Bacchanal 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: Lafitte Greenway; 6:15 p.m. Join Stonewall Sports New Orleans and NOAGE starting at 6:30 p.m..

Meet for the walk/run at Bayou Beer Garden. 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.

Queer Meditation: Mid City Zen; 3248 Castiglione St.; 6:15 p.m. A queer and trans centered meditation group meeting regularly on Monday evenings. Practice includes sitting and walking meditation, as well as sensory and body based awareness exercises.

Open to all LGBTIQ+ people, and all folks interested in holding and sharing an intentionally queer-centering mindful space. Free/by donation.

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.;

28 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · 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 · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 29

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 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!

Queens Against RuManity: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 7:30 - 9 p.m. Welcome to Queens Against Rumanity, a new game night at Kajuns Pub with Laveau Contraire and some of her fabulous friends for a RuPaul’s Drag Race themed game of Cards Against Humanity! If you’ve never played, it’s a fill-in-the-blank game where each player tries to come up with answers using cards with iconic drag race quotes on them. Join them for Queens Against Rumanity featuring live drag performances, fun prizes and drink specials.

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 p.m. See the Men of Oz like you have never seen them before. The show stars Atomyc Adonis, Bobby B, Franky, Phathoms Deep and other special guests. Hosted

by Trixie Minx.

Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras: Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant; 1001 Esplanade Ave.; 8 p.m. Tacos, Tequila, and Tiaras is one of New Orleans’ only family friendly drag shows! Join hostess Vanessa Carr Kennedy every Tuesday, have a taco or two, and learn a little bit about the art of drag.

Trivia Night: MRB; 515 St. Philip St.; Starts at 8 p.m. Every Tuesday at 8 you can join us for Who Wants A Dollar? Trivia! Free to Play. Plenty of Prizes. Tons of Fun. Teams of 1-6 welcome. Enjoy some killer drinks, amazing food from Woodies @ MRB, and out of this world trivia.

Weekly Pool Tournament: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 8 - 11 p.m. Tuesday Night Pool Tournament! 8 p.m. with $5 buy-in, winner takes all. $3 Abita Brewing Company during the tournament! Hosted by Wayne Nettles. Afterward, stick around for Strip To Your Jockstrap Pool.

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.

WEDNESDAY

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

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

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

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

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

Show Tunes Night: The Bourbon Pub; 801 St Ann St.; 8 p.m.- Midnight Video Game Night: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 8:30 p.m. midnight; The bar is doing Video Game Night starting at 9 p.m. Come and compete for prizes and Grab some Drinks.

Kafe Karaoke: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – midnight. $25.00 Bar tab and Free Shots & Givea-ways with Happy Hour All Day. Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans;

800 Bourbon St.; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean.

THURSDAY

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

Honey Bee Trivia: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 7 p.m. Thursday is Honey Bee Trivia at 7 p.m. Four rounds with jello shots to the winner of each round and a Bar Tab to top person/team of the night.

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. Join us every Thursday for Rupaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 Viewing Party at Kajun’s Pub! Laveau Contraire has invited some of her best squirrel friends to come give insightful commentary, sickening drag numbers, and a healthy dose of SHADE. 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.

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

30 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · 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 · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 31

ALL THAT DRAG Weekly Drag Shows in New Orleans

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

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

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

FRIDAY FRID

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. Reservations are recommended.

Drag Brunch - 11AM & 1PM - Trinity Swing by Trinity in the French Quarter for a Saturday morning show starring the Ladies of Trinity.

Divas R Us - 10PM - Golden Lantern Hosted by Monica Synclaire Kennedy Illusions - 10:00PM - The Bourbon Pub The Queens of Illuisons offer up superstar female impersonation Showtime on Rampart - 10PM - GrandPre's 1st, 3rd & 5th Saturday,.Hosted by Moanalot Fountaine & Sable Starr

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.

Diva Drag Brunch at the Fillmore - 11:30 AM Weekly drag brunch featuring some of New Orleans best drag queens and fun themed shows.

The Reba Douglas 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

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 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 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

32 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · 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 · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 33

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 TUESDAY 12/31/19

Crossing & Countess C. Alice’s Countdown to 2020!; Crossing; 439 Dauphine St; 9PM until; The unflappable Southern Decadence Grand Marshall XLV emcees a countdown with a Roaring 20’s twist—including drink giveaways, raffles, and special offers to gear up for the New Year.

Free champagne toasts at Noon & Midnight! Raffles to benefit Ochsner Hospital for Children (free with drink purchase and for sale)! Come dressed as a Flapper and get a free well drink! $1 Champagne jello shots! Free swag!

V.I.P. Bottle Service (order in advance) includes reserved seating, party favors, and special V.I.P. raffles for top prizes - including a free well drink every week in 2020 and a $100 bar tab!

Ring in the Glam on New Year’s Eve!; Bamboulas; 516 Frenchmen St.; 10:30 p.m. Glamarama, New Orleans’ premier early seventies tribute band featuring lead singer David Otillio, rocks the house to celebrate 2020 with hits from David Bowie, Alice Cooper, T-Rex, Roxy Music, and more. No cover. More info: facebook.com/glamaramanola/ Giant New Year’s Eve Extravaganza 2020!; The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St; 9PM - 3AM; Join the boys for our Giant New Year’s Eve Extravagan-

za 2020! Featuring more than 25 of our Corner Pocket Boys #DancinOnTheBar. Party favors and free champagne splits at midnight. The action continues until the “wee wee” hours... open 24 hours during New Year’s & Sugar Bowl.

THURSDAY 1/2/20

Holiday Hangover: Hi Ho Lounge; 2239 St. Claude Ave.; 8 p.m. Come enjoy a night of rad music & cold drinks.

Doors @ 8, $5 Cover. Performances

by Tiny Dinosaur, Gris Gris Grin, Lily in the Weeds and Valentine Baby.

Honor Thy Mother - Vinsantos Falling To Pieces: Three Keys in the Ace Hotel; 600 Carondelet St.; 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. Forget your New Year’s Resolutions with Vinsantos “Falling To Pieces” the first Honor Thy Mother of the year.

Vinsantos will bring a special blend of storytelling and song to the Three Keys at Ace Hotel. Expect dark looks, darker stories and even the darkest lyrics.

Vinsantos promises to debut some new material for this intimate evening.

Doors at 8:30, show at 9, $10 at the door.

FRIDAY 1/3/20

Now That’s Not Drag Vol. 7: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. In an underground laboratory, scientists have crafted technology that will reverse the effects of drag, a pill that will steer a person’s impulses away from death drops and tongue pops. On January 3, a cast of test subjects is going to test the effects of this new drug. No telling how the changes will manifest. Test Group includes Auda Beaux Di, Danny Girl, Gayle King Kong (Host), Hannibelle Spector, Kween Kwan, Ladee Lucerne, Lash Wednesday, Ross Ransom, Saint S and Tarah Cards. Doors: 10pm, Show: 11pm. Cover: $10

SATURDAY 1/4/20

Crescent City Leathermen Beer and Gear Night: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 9 p.m. - midnight.

Draft Beer - $5 buy in, and $1 for refills; Jell-o Shots - $1 ea. or 6 for $5. This month’s theme is full leather gear.

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.

Dark Electric: The Goat; 1301 St. Bernard Ave.; 10 p.m; - 4 a.m. DJ EVIL RUDY & DJ NOTHING perform.

No cover We Hear You Have Goblins - Episode 2: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m.

Everyone’s favorite D&D-based fantasy improv show returns! Join the adventurers out of Tittsburgh as they take on another perilous quest, fraught at every turn with peril, seduction, danger, more peril, and Sometimes Candy!

This episode features: Glenn Andrew, AshleyRose Bailey, and Tyler Cross as the plucky adventurers! Matt Reed, and Olivia Ros as All the Other People!

Lynx Murphy as the Dungeon Master and Audience Wrangler! Mint Bryan as the Meta-Bard!

SUNDAY 1/5/20

Psychedelic Striptease Sunday: Hi Ho Lounge: 2239 St. Claude Ave.; 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. $10 cover; Tipping highly encouraged. Immerse yourself in a surreal evening filled with untold delights, vibrant colors, wild sensations and outrageous acts!

Hosted by GoGo McGregor. Starring: Darling Darla James, Eddie Lockwood, Juno, Jeez Loueez, Dakota Crow and Vivacious Miss Audacious.

MONDAY 1/6/20

Joan of Arc Parade: French Quarter; 7 - 8:30 p.m. Join the 12th annual Joan of Arc Parade on Joan of Arc’s birthday January 6! This medieval-themed walking parade tells the story of Joan of Arc’s short but brilliant life from childhood to Sainthood. This year’s parade celebrates Saint Joan’s canonization centennial with a troupe of youth angels and a mini-religious procession at the end of the parade.

Route map on the website www.JoanOfArcParade.org.

Mystik Krewe de la Rue of Royal Revelers 12th Night Party: Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture; 1010 Conti St.; 7 - 10 p.m. The doors open at 7:00pm. Procession of previous Grand Revelers and Revelation of the new Grand Reveler begins at 7:30pm—ish, to be followed by the Meeting of the Courts of the Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers and the Krewe of Queenateenas. $20 gets you admission to the party (includes dinner and an open bar), as well as a yearlong membership in the Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers. Admission also includes a custom-made, numbered, commemorative pin. Admission pins are available at 638 St. Ann Street.

Admission at the door is $25. And new this year—you can purchase tickets on-line on Eventbrite (visit RueRoyaleRevelers.com). You can bring your Eventbrite receipt to 638 St. Ann to get your pin ahead of time (recommended) or you can pick it up at the door.

Allons au Carnival - A 12th Night Fete: Southern Rep Theatre; 2541 Bayou Rd.; 7:30 - 11 p.m. Southern Rep Theatre and Krewe du Coeur invite you to celebrate the epiphany and usher in Mardi Gras 2020 at a Twelfth Night Party. Entrance is free. Families are welcome. The party will feature jazz music by Matt Lemmler and Olivier Bou, free tastings of king cake, red beans and rice and a cash bar. At 9:15pm after the Krewe de Jeanne D’Arc parade, there will be a complimentary champagne toast to celebrate

34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · 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 · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 35

Queen Margarita Bergen and Krewe de Jeanne D’Arc. More information about Krewe du Coeur can be found at http://www.kreweducoeur.org/

TUESDAY 1/7/20

Stephen Forster - 4 Decades of Iconography: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Gallery; 1201 N. Rampart St.; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Photographer “Steven Forster: 4 Decades of New Orleans Iconography” is held over until January 24 at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Gallery.

The exhibition, open to the public, demonstrates his cultural connection with the city of New Orleans & the entertainment industry.

Last Resort - A Steampunk Cabaret: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 9:30 p.m.

- 12:30 a.m. Welcome to the world of Steampunk! Steampunk can often be described as Victorian Science Fiction.

Join our cast of performers in exploring this different and strange world. Featuring: Mint Fuel, Saint S., Betty Essem, Eureka Starfish, Blake Black and Champagne Munroe along with your steamy hosts: Nicki Nicolai and Adelai Lynch. Door: 9:30 PM, Show: 10:30 PM. Cover: $5 (FREE IF YOU COME IN GEAR)

WEDNESDAY 1/8/20

Crescent City Leathermen Meet-

ing: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 7 p.m. Open to the public, Board Meeting - 7 p.m.; General Membership Meeting - 730 p.m.

SATURDAY 1/11

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Artisan Cafe; 2514 St. Claude Ave.; 11 a.m. Vanessa Carr presents Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch at Artisan Cafe featuring an amazing menu and awesome entertainment! Come celebrate with the phenomenal talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy and Friends! For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com.

Champagne and Cocktails - A Casino Night Fundraiser: Anna’s Place NOLA; 1519 Esplanade Ave.; 1:30 - 5 p.m. Anna’s Place NOLA’s semi-annual Champagne and Chocolates fundraiser! Come out to the Dodwell House and join us for an afternoon of champagne, chocolate and revelry- all for a good cause!! Proceeds from the event will go to support Anna’s Place music, art and education enrichment as well as our homeless outreach programs. Tickets are only $15 (if you purchase now) and include: 2 glasses of champagne (or bottled water), all-you-care-to-eat chocolate desserts, endless entertainment and camaraderie, local musical entertainment. To purchase tickets or become a sponsor please visit: https:// stannanola.ejoinme.org/cc2019admission or call 504-947-2121.

Liz Callaway with Bryan Batt and Seth Rudetsky: NOCCA; 2800 Chartres St.; 8 - 10 p.m. Emmy winner and Tony Award-nominee Liz Callaway (Miss Saigon, Disney’s Anastasia, Cats, and Baby) joins Sirius XM Radio Star Seth Rudetsky with special guest Bryan Batt to benefit The NOCCA Institute. Like most Broadway@NOCCA events, the evening will be a seamless mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories prompted by Rudetsky’s probing, funny, and revealing questions. And of course, Liz will sing some of the biggest hits from her musical theatre repertoire. It’s a spontaneous evening of hilarity and show-stopping songs not to be missed. For tickets, go to www. brownpapertickets.com.

SUNDAY 1/12

Drag Diva Sunday Brunch: - Queen of Thrones Edition The Fillmore; 6 Canal St.; 10:30 a.m. Anyone under the age of 21 is welcome to attend, but they must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. For tickets, go to http://www.fillmorenola.com/. Large groups, please call 504.872.3303 or email FillmoreNOLABoxOffice@livenation.com for accommodations.

WEDNESDAY 1/15

Misti Gaither’s Spotlight Project: Carnaval Lounge; 2227 St. Claude Ave.; 8:45 - 10:30 p.m. Each month Misti will be inviting a different guest to share the stage, collaborate and perform in this intimate setting. This month’s guests will be Marshall Harris and Adam Rohr. Doors open at 8pm ..

Showtime 9:00, $5.00 @ door.

THURSDAY 1/16

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!

FRIDAY 1/17

Pageant and Party: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. From the creator of Mr. Nude York comes an all-nude, all-lewd, all-dude beauty pageant in New Orleans. Daniel Nardicio, the man responsible for bringing John Waters, Alan Cumming, Dina Martina, Sandra Bernhard, Bette Bathhouse & Beyond, and others to New Orleans announces his most titillating event in NOLA yet: The deep-South’s only all-male nude beauty pageant.

Contestants get a chance to show off their wares in a swimsuit competition, a strip-off, a hilarious Q and A portion, and the last part, the big reveal. The winner takes home $300 and the chance to reign as Mr. Nude Orleans. Tickets may be purchased at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4423567.

SATURDAY 1/18/20

Krewe of Stars Show Ball 4: Jefferson Performing Arts Center; 6400 Airline Dr.; 7 p.m. Come out to the Krewe of Stars’ Show Ball 4 themed Media Circus. This year’s royalty is Margaret Orr and Eric Paulsen. Tickets are online at www.kreweofstars. com.

Roar into Roe with NOAF: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8 - 10 p.m. Join the New Orleans Abortion Fund for Roar Into Roe, our annual comedy show celebrating “Roe v. Wade,” the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, upholding a woman’s right to self-determination, agency and bodily autonomy. Suggested donation of $10 - $20. Hosted by comics Benjamin Hoffman and Paul Oswell, and featuring local comics! All proceeds benefit the New Orleans Abortion Fund. We’ve been working to ensure fair and equitable healthcare for people seeking abortion care since 2012.

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.

The 2nd MR NUDE ORLEANS

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

36 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

TUESDAY

Gay Bar BINGO 9:30 & 11PM

THURSDAY

MONDAY

Service Industry Night

TUESDAY Karaoke

p.m. No Cover. Ladies drink half off

Ladies Night w/ Piano 6pm

THURSDAY

Movie Night with Chris 8pm

Drag Bingo & Show

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

PENSACOLA THE ROUNDUP

Amateur Drag Night 11PM

WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

THURSDAY

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

SATURDAY

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

Midnight Drag Show

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

Karaoke

SEC Football

SUNDAY

Along the Gulf South BATON ROUGE MON-FRI

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

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

SATURDAY

MONDAY

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

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

LAFAYETTE BOLT BAR & PATIO

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

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

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;

560 E Heinberg St

TUESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

Drag Bingo with Monica Heart; 6 p.m.

- 8 p.m. Win cash and prizes

Funday with Karaoke

WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

GALVESTON 23RD ST. STATION

1706 23rd Street Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

MONDAY

Texas Hold ‘Em 7pm

TUESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

Live Entertainment 6pm

SATURDAY

Live Entertainment 9pm

SUNDAY

Sing Along Sundays w/ Piano 4pm7pm

RUMORS

3102 Seawall Blvd.

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

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.

Tube-ular Tuesday with Jim 8pm

SUNDAY

114 McKinley St

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY

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

SATURDAY

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

LAKE CHARLES CRYSTAL’S DOWNTOWN 720 Ryan Street

TUESDAY

Anything But Techno Tuesdays; 10

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 37

Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com Merry Everything to all!

No matter what you celebrate, the Crescent City is definitely one of the most festive places to spend Christmas (or whatever celebration you choose). The two weeks leading up to Christmas was like a marathon, but worth every bit of the late nights and early mornings. This has been quite a year of highs and lows, but having this opportunity to enjoy another holiday season is magical. From feasts to gay Christmas parties to Leg Lamps, it was quite an experience so let’s begin our journey.

My two weeks of celebration began when I attended the Feast of Seven Fishes at Josephine Estelle restaurant in the Ace Hotel. This is the fourth annual dinner put on by this decorated eatery and was quite the dining experience. I am ashamed to say I knew nothing about this tradition, and since Italian is my heritage, I hang my head down in shame. So let’s first have a little history lesson.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is part of the Italian-American Christmas Eve celebration, although it is not called that in Italy. The meal typically consists of seven different sea-

food dishes. The tradition comes from Southern Italy, where it is known simply as The Vigil. This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. It was introduced in the United States by Southern Italian immigrants in New York City’s Little Italy in the late 1800s. The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day.

At Josephine Estelle, seven courses of amazing seafood fare were prepared for the guests and paired with incredible wines by Ace chefs from around the country. We dined on everything from blue crab, shrimp and lobster to exotic fare such as geoduck (pronounced “gooey duck”) and scallops. If you don’t know what a geoduck is, it’s a unique-looking clam (seriously look it up) that may look scary to eat (and may remind you of some porn stars), but is incredibly delicious. Even the dessert had a nod to seafood with fish flakes being incorporated into the smoked apple and fennel strudel. The entire night was over-the-top from the cuisine to the service. I now have a

new (old) tradition to add to my holiday season.

On Thursday, I attended two holiday parties. The first was for the three major hospitality entities in the city-The Hotel/Motel Association, New Orleans & Company, and the Louisiana Restaurant Association--and was held at the brand new Higgins Hotel. The second was the 700 Club’s holiday party. This was the venue’s closing week before a short hiatus. The 700 Club will be opening in a few months at their new home on Rampart Street.

In the meantime, get ready for Betty’s which is the new bar owned by Ambush’s own Tomy Acosta which will open where 700 was located. I cannot wait to see both places open soon!

If I Could Turn Back Time, I would go back to Cher’s Here We Go Again concert on Friday at the Smoothie King Center. The day was filled with celebration before the concert though.

I started my partying at noon at Arnaud’s Restaurant’s 12 Days of Christmas luncheon. Not normally open for lunch, Arnaud’s makes an exception for the Friday before Christmas. Both main dining rooms are filled with revelers at tables decorated representing the song The 12 Days of Christmas. Our table hosted by Valerie Landry was “Six Geese A-Laying”.

She had hats and fascinators for her guests all with a Grey Goose Vodka theme. The culmination of the lunch is when we sing the song and each table rises to sing their chorus. We may have altered Six Geese A-Laying a few times, to six geese getting laid or

six geese a-drinking in honor of Grey Goose. Either way it was an enjoyable way to ease into the holiday weekend.

After lunch, I met up with my friend Beaux Church and we donned our gay apparel for the Cher concert. My wig was a curly version of a Gypsy, Tramp or Thief while his was Half Breed all the way. To beat traffic, we hopped on Blue Bikes (my first time on one of those) and maneuvered our way to the Center. These bikes are fast, efficient, and a quick way to get around. Although, I believe if I saw two hot messes in cheap wigs pedaling my way, I would move quickly, too.

The concert itself was pretty amazing. At 73, Cher is the ultimate performer and she put on quite a show.

Nile Rodgers of Chic opened up for her and got the audience warmed up with some great disco hits. Cher followed with an incredible performance that included many costume changes. She sang her classics, some of her new ABBA songs, and many of my favorites! It’s shocking how many #1 songs she’s racked up in her extensive career which from the looks of it, is far from over.

After, we bar-hopped till the wee hours of the morning, starting at Vintage Rock Club on Poydras (straight pick-up spot) and then closing down the bars in Saint Hotel, Crossing and 700 Club. I mean I thought bars in New Orleans did not close, but obviously some do, very disappointing to me, but ultimately what I needed since I was definitely over-served by this point.

38 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

I continued with a great house party on Saturday when my friend Michelle Dunnick hosted a cookie swap. Basically, each guest brings a few dozen cookies to be placed on the dessert table and, at the end of the night, guests are given cute boxes and ribbons to bring a little of everyone’s sweet treats home with them.

Since most of the people at the party are in the hospitality community, they know how to bake, so the choices were pretty amazing. I made my Big Gay Italian Seed Cookies which were not even close to being as good as the other options but still very tasty. It was a creative idea for a holiday party.

Afterwards, we went to LUNA Fête in Lafayette Square and the surrounding streets. LUNA Fête (which stands for Light Up NOLA Arts) blends New Orleans’ historic architecture with contemporary light and video mapping technology, sound installation and motion graphics. The display at Gallier Hall was simply mesmerizing. In addition to the light show, there were local artists selling last-minute gift ideas as well as interactive light displays. A very fun holiday evening out.

I ended week one on Sunday with a Krewe of Armeinius holiday party at the Gobble Sanctuary and Preserve, the home of Lawrence Gobble and William Sparks. It was a casual evening of music, libations, and holiday fare with singer Arsene DeLay, an absolutely spectacular musical storyteller. Arsene is a local artist with a unique soulful voice who combines her jazz background with her “heart of rock’n’roll”. She belted out a beautiful version of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors as well as many other hits mixed in with her own music. Lawrence and William’s home was exquisitely decorated for the holidays. From Halloween to Christmas, these gentlemen know how to host a shindig! It was a nice way to finish off my weekend.

The next week passed like a blur, starting on Tuesday with The Crossing NOLA’s holiday gathering. The steampunk-themed venue hosted a beautiful soiree with food and $1 cock-

tails as they collected toys for children in need. The spread was delicious and the ideal pre-show party before going to A Christmas Story at the Saenger Theatre. I am beyond excited to have this iconic theater open again. It had been shuttered since the Hard Rock Hotel disaster which still looms as a monstrosity in the background. Seriously, when will the City do something to remove this blight from Canal Street?

But I digress. Christmas Story is a musical version of the 1983 movie based on Jean Shepherd’s semi-fictional 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. Although the show was quite a bit longer than the movie, it was still enjoyable holiday escapism.

Wednesday was just as busy starting with the NOAGE (New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders) Ugly Sweater Holiday Potluck at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church. A great crowd enjoyed the large food spread in celebration of our community. Guests brought out the ugliest sweaters, although I actually love the more gaudy ones. Why doesn’t that surprise anyone?

I appreciate this organization because it’s open to all no matter what your age. It’s refreshing to see a group that promotes inclusivity in our community. While other groups tout themselves as being inclusive, I find that very few of them truly are. NOAGE has an incredible mission and a strong Board in addition to hosting many community events from their monthly potlucks and weekly walking group to quarterly movie nights and the annual gala. If you do not know about this organization, go to www.noagenola.org and check them out. You will not regret it.

I proceeded from this party to Oz New Orleans’ holiday soiree. Every year this popular LGBT bar hosts a great gathering for which guests are asked to bring a toy for a child who might not otherwise get anything for the holidays. By the end of the evening, there were lots of goodies under Oz’ tree. The food spread was delectable especially the potato pancakes

and it was great to catch up with old and new friends while enjoying free flowing libations. Capping off the night was the always exceptional annual holiday-themed drag show hosted by the one and only Persona Shoulders and starring the ladies (and men) of Oz. Twas truly the season for more events than I could shake a stick at. On Thursday, my company had its annual holiday lunch gathering at the Foundation Room in the House of Blues.

We had a joyous afternoon filled with champagne, cocktails, delicious food and a raucous dirty Santa game-lovely to have the Foundation Room, adorned with brightly colored furniture and unique New Orleans art, to ourselves. Their new chef created an incredible menu that included crabmeat lasagna and lamb meatballs that were to die for. And I love a good game of cutthroat Dirty Santa where there are no rules and a present can be stolen as many times as you like. Ah, nothing says the “Spirit of the holidays” like taking something from someone else.

That evening, Ambush Magazine hosted its holiday gathering at the stately home of Tomy and Toby Acosta.

I love their home, especially the drag queen portrait of me in the living room.

Tomy created an inviting atmosphere for the magazine’s many advertisers, writers and supporters. The home was decorated perfectly and guests enjoyed nibbles and libations. We toasted past owners Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain who created this important part of Gulf South GLBT+ culture. Also on hand was our new King Cake Queen Felicia Phillips because as we all know Mardi Gras is right around the corner. For a city called the Big Easy, there’s hardly ever any down time which is why I love this place.

Friday, I hosted my own Ho Ho Holiday Party. I love this event which allows me to open up my small and humble abode to my friends. I know my place is small but it is packed with years of happiness, art, memories and love which I am excited to share every year. Also, it gives me an opportunity to get tanked and not have to leave my

house.

This year, Countess C Alice played hostess while Blake was the perfect Naughty Santa complete with leather strap for spanking all those bad boys and girls (if they were lucky). Also, our naughty elf bartender Sean served copious amounts of cocktails with the specialty being a Holiday Blow Job which incorporated Peanut Butter and Jelly whiskey, eggnog with whiskey and topped with Santa pouring whipped cream in your mouth at the end. As in life, this blow job was very messy.

I would like to thank everyone who attended, your friendship means the world to me. This year, I personally know 29 people, some very close, who passed away. That’s why having these gatherings are so special for me. It is my way/gift of telling people how important they are in my life. Alas, the eggnog concoction did me in so I was a star on Friday night, but a hangover black hole on Saturday, never leaving my couch. Oh, the glamour of it all.

On Sunday, I rose from the dead to go to the Crossing for the Saints game, which is an awesome place to watch sports. They have numerous televisions and free shots whenever the Saints score. So high-scoring games make people very happy. Then after we beat the Titans, some friends and I went to Oz for the Lords of Leather and Crescent City Leathermen’s holiday party. The two organizations joined forces to celebrate the holidays with happy hour cocktails and food. A perfect way to end my two weeks of merriment and ease into the holiday proper.

Until next issue, to quote my favorite holiday song sung by one of my most-loved actresses “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Make the Yuletide gay, From now on your troubles will be miles away.” I wish all this and more to everyone! Make Merry Marys!

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

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 39

BUSINESS FINANCIAL & BUSINESS

Subscription Creep – What Signing Up Means for Your Budget Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com For decades, people have subscribed to newspapers, magazines and cable services. Today, that subscription-based payment model is being used across a wide range of consumer products and services.

Monthly subscriptions for entertainment streaming services allow consumers to watch movies and TV shows anytime, anywhere. Music apps offer new songs and the ability to listen continuously without ads. Consumers pay ongoing fees to receive services, such as exclusive travel perks, having outfits curated, or fitness and health coaching. Start-ups and retailers are using the subscription plans to sell regularly purchased products including razors, toothbrushes and baby products. This trend means subscriptions are becoming a far more common expense for consumers today.

A growing part of your budget Subscriptions can offer tremendous convenience, and when the cost is limited to a small ongoing fee, the financial commitment hardly seems no-

ticeable. But it’s important to remember that whether the monthly charge is $0.99 for an app or hundreds of dollars for membership to a golf club, the amounts can add up. If you are enrolled in multiple subscriptions, the following three questions can help you assess their impact on your spending: Question #1 – How much am I paying in total for subscription fees every year?

Chances are that most of your subscriptions are charged to your credit or debit cards. However, some may be attached to other types of bills, such as your utility bill. Review your statements and add up your monthly subscription costs. If any services you receive are paid on an annual basis, factor them into your calculation. You want to know how much of your disposable income is devoted to subscriptions or memberships every year.

Question #2 – Am I getting my money’s worth out of my subscriptions or memberships?

This is the central question. While

many subscriptions won’t break the bank, making sure you’re getting the value you expect is a key step to ensuring your money is going toward the items and goals that are most important to you.

It’s common for companies to entice consumers with promotions, offering a free month or other perks to gain new subscribers. If you want to give something a try, set a calendar reminder before the date you will next be charged for the service. When the date comes, take a minute to consider if the subscription is worth it while you still have time to cancel.

As for your existing subscriptions, it pays to review them from time-totime to determine if you are truly getting your money’s worth. If, for example, you only watch one-to-two movies a month on your entertainment service, it might not be worth the expense.

Question #3 – How easy is it to cancel my subscription?

In the case of month-to-month subscription plans, you can typically cancel them online with little difficulty as long as you do so before the date of

your next bill. Some companies make the process more difficult, however.

You may have to call a toll-free number and request a cancellation with a customer service representative. Quite often, they’ll try to talk you into staying on board with a special promotion.

If you’ve determined the service isn’t worth it, you may have to fend off their persistent offers. The ease with which you can cancel a plan is worth considering before you sign up.

Because most subscriptions run at a cost of just a few dollars a month or a modest fee for a year, it is easy to sign up for one after another. Be mindful of your total expense on subscriptions & memberships and make sure you are getting a real benefit from each of them – and that your overall spending aligns with your longer-term financial goals.

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.

Beyond Burger Beyond Clover

G N I V R E S NOW

Beyond Clover Burger 40 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SOCIAL SALES Tweet Tweet into Twenty Twenty Charles Pizzo pizzocharles@gmail.com

Most everyone who follows politics has heard about the tweets of a certain resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

They are the product of a social media service known as Twitter, which allows anyone to reach a global audience of their followers plus the general public.

What distinguishes Twitter from Facebook is that most tweets (short messages limited to 240 characters) are generally public (they can be private, “protected”, and limited to your inner circle, but that’s not the common usage). When you tweet publicly, you are sending a message that anyone in the world can see.

In this regard, the communication is known as one-to-many (as opposed to one-to-one, which is usually the case with text messages). In several respects, Twitter was revolutionary at its inception because it broke the printing press dynamic. Previously, messages were limited to whomever you could reach via paper.

In the age of Twitter, an individual’s reach is unlimited. Twitter is fundamentally a text-based platform.

Whereas Instagram is primarily visual and requires a photo with every post, Twitter does not. You simply type in your message—often cramming ideas into the 240-character limit with abbreviations, shorthand, and questionable grammar—and send it out to the Twittersphere.

Depending on the content and the

number of people following you, messages can fall on deaf ears or reach millions. It’s not uncommon for the media to report on the tweets of public figures. As with most things in life, building an audience of followers for your point of view is key.

The Basics Twitter is multi-platform; it’s accessible on smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers. For simple tweeting, the Twitter app itself is best. Advanced users tend to prefer multi-column apps that allow them to scan a multitude of topics and users at once, but we’ll leave that aside for those with more experience.

If your message strikes the fancy (or ire!) of someone, they will likely reply. Because Twitter is not limited to your friends, those messages can come from anyone anywhere in the world. Depending on how you set up your profile (with a real name and photo or a pseudonym and random picture), other users may or may not be able to personally identify you. Be mindful of that.

I actually have two Twitter handles (accounts). One is for professional use, and the other is for whatever (typically arguing with viewers of American Idol back in its heyday). Businesses generally use their brand logo, etc. and stick to marketing language (it’s best not to become a lightning rod for po-

litical discussions because your brand can risk alienating half of your potential customers).

If people like your messages, they will follow you. That means they can read your messages on a regular basis. Likewise, if you see tweets from someone or a business which are of interest to you, you can follow them.

These concepts of followers and those you are following are central to Twitter.

Hashtags Enable Search As mentioned in the column about Instagram, hashtags (which originated from a Twitter nerd), are words preceded by the # sign that enable users to find posts about a certain topic or subject. Only created in 2007, they have been widely adopted by a plethora of social media services.

Say, for example, I want to follow or engage with fellow Saints fans. I would search for hashtags such as #saints, or even #saintsvsatlanta, to pinpoint those discussions. I used to wonder where the list of hashtags was recorded, but in reality, people make them up. It’s a grassroots thing. Some are only used once, and others catch on like wildfire. Brand hashtags tend to be predictable: #tabasco, as do those used by media: #rupaulsdragrace.

Nowadays, hashtags are common to see on live television programs to promote back-channel conversations and ideas for the show in real time. The

uses are endless and only limited by one’s imagination.

Business Use As always, focus on the benefits and not the features of whatever you’re trying to sell. Nobody on Twitter cares that you have a skillet available for $14.99, or that it has .3 millimeters of non-stick coating. But, tell them that their eggs won’t stick and that clean-up will be effortless, and you might grab their attention.

Here’s a sample tweet that makes use of these ideas: Want a hot #breakfast but can’t stand scrubbing pans? The 6-inch #XYZ skillet has a non-stick surface to which eggs won’t stick, and its special surface means you use less fat. #CleanupIsEasy. The handle stays #cool and it’s the right size for two #eggs. INFO: (shortened link) We’re officially two decades past the new millennium, so there’s no time like the present to get started. Tweet tweet into twenty twenty.

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

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Lords of Leather AT LORDS OF LEATHER HOLIDAY PARTY AT OZ | PHOTOS BY TONY LEGGIO

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 41

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

42 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

HAIR SALONS

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

HARDWARE

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

HEALTHCARE

Odyssey House, 1125 North Tonti Street, ohlinc.org Access Health Louisiana, 3300 South Broad Street, 234 Loyola Ave. Ste 300B, accesshealthla.org UMC - HIV Outpatient Program, 2000 Canal Street, 4th Floor, 4C Clinic, (504) 702-4344, umcno.org/ infectiousdisease CrescentCare, 1631 Elysian FIelds Ave, (504) 821-2601, crescentcare. org

MUSEUMS

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

Rougaroux,

Stonewall Sports, facebook.com/ groups/stonewallneworleans Krewe of Petronius, PO Box 1102, kreweofpetronius.net The Mystic Krewe of Amon-Ra, PO Box 57783, kreweofamonra.com Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans, P. O. Box 770973, www.mkaneworleans. com Krewe of Armenius, 433 N. Broad St,

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

The Chamber is a network of LGBT and ally business owners, corporate partners, and community leaders that support business development and equality.

Mystic Krewe of Lords of Leater, 1000 Bourbon Street #B415, lordsofleather.org Renegade Bears of Louisiana, PO Box 3083, renegadebearsoflouisiana@ gmail.com Crescent City Leathermen, 941 Elysian Fields Ave, crescentcityleathermen.org NOAGE, noagenola.org The Krewe of King kreweofkingarthur.com

Mission To promote an inclusive business environment by connecting LGBT-owned/operated and allied businesses in the Gulf South.

Arthur,

LGBT Community Center, 2727 S Broad Ave, (504) 333-5412 Gulf South Chamber of Commerce, (504) 754-5279, gulfsouthchamber. com Friday Night Before Mardi Gras, fridaynightbeforemardigras.com Krewe of Queenateenas/ King Cake Queen Royalty Club, gaymardigras. com

Vision A society where individuals and businesses have equal rights, equal representation, and equal opportunities.

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

PHARMACY

Mumfrey’s Pharmacy, 1021 W. Judge Perez Dr., (504) 279-6312, mumfreyspharmacy.com Avita Pharmacy, 2601 Tulane Ave Ste 445, (504) 822-8013

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

Values Respect Diversity Inclusivity

Equality Knowledge Community

Craig Fremin Photography, By Appointment Only, craigfremin.com Graham/ Studio One, By Appointment Only, grahamstudioone.com Parker Studios, By Appointment Only, halle.parker15@outlook.com

REAL ESTATE

Steve Richards Properties Latter & Blum, 712 Orleans Ave, (504) 258-

gslgbtchamber.org

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 43

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory 1800 Michael Styles Realtor,Engel & Volkers, (504) 777-1773, nolastyles. com, Michael specializes in helping first-time homebuyers and real estate investors find the perfect New Orleans properties.

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

Louisa Street, (504) 945-0742, thecountryclubnreorleans.com Cru, 535 Franklin Ave, (504) 446-0040, crunola.com

The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, (504) 577-2237, bombayclubneworleans. com

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

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

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

(504) 948-0077, santafenola.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,

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 Washing Well Laundryteria, 841 Bourbon St, (504) 523-9955 Bear Hebert Yoga and Life Coach, bearteachesyoga.com 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

44 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory JR’s, 808 Pacific Street, (713) 5212519, jrsbarandgrill.com

Acadiana Pride, acadianapride.org

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

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

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

Date

TBA,

HEALTHCARE

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

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

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

Krewe of Apollo de Baton Rouge, apollobatonrouge.com

Ripcord, 715 Fairview St, (713) 5212792, theripcord.com

Krewe of Apollo kreweofapollo.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 BARS & CLUBS

Splash, 2183 Highland Rd, Baton Rouge, (225) 242-949, splashbr.com

ORGANIZATIONS 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 BAR 3911, 3911 Northview Drive, Jackson, (601) 586-1468, Open: Thurs & Fri 8PM–2AM, Sat 8PM–4AM Our Place, 2115 7th Ave Birmingham, (205) 715-0077

S,

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

CAMPING

CIRCUIT / EVENT

CIRCUIT / EVENT

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

Birminham,

RELIGION

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

MCC,

GULF COAST BARS & CLUBS

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

HEALTHCARE

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

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

Gabriel’s Downtown, 55 South Joachmin Street, Mobile, (251) 4324900

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

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

HIV CARE AND SERVICES

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

ORGANIZATIONS

The Roundup 560 East Heinberg Street, Pensacola, (850) 433-8482

Order of Osiris, PO Box 1991, Mobile, AL, orderofosiris.com

Cabaret, 101 S Jefferson Street E, Pensacola, (850) 607-2020

Order of Dinoysus D’Iberville, MS, https://www.facebook.com/Order-OfDionysus

Rumors Biloxi, 3540 Bienville Blvd, Biloxi, (228) 875-4131 Just Us Lounge, 906 Division Street, Biloxi, (228) 374-1007 Sipps Bar Gulfport, 2218 25th Ave, Gulfport, (228) 206-7717, sippsgulfport.com

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

Chapel Bar, 620 27th Street S, Brirmingham, (205) 703-9778, chapelbarinfo@gmail.com

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

Baton Rouge Pride, June 15, brpride. org

Krewe of Apollo mkabirmingham.com

Quest Bar, 416 24th Street S, Birmingham, (205) 251-4313, info@ quest-club.com

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

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

CIRCUIT / EVENT

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

Al’s on 7th Street, 2627 7th Ave S, Birmingham, (205) 422-4218

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

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

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

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

Email Ambush sales@ambushpublishing.com

Oxford Pride, April 28-May 5, Oxford MS, oxfordmspride.rocks Central Alabama Pride, June 1-10, 2019, Birmingham, AL, facebook. com/centralalabamaprideinc Druid City Pride, October 2019, Tuscaloosa, AL, druidcitypride.org

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 45

COMICS, PUZZLES & HOROSCOPES CROSSWORD & WORD SEARCH ACROSS

1

2) The _____ is one of 2 New Orleans’ friendliest bars, located on Rampart St. 4) The _____ Lounge offers a traditional Dive 8 Bar atmosphere for those looking to wind 9 10 down after a night in the quarter 7) Upstairs at Good Friends Bar, is the Queen’s _______ Pub. 9) The _____ is Gay Dive Bar complete with 16 17 males dancing on the 18 bar each night Coyote-Ugly style. You are sure to have a lively time at this bar.

11) Very cozy gay bar located Uptown.

20 12) Neighborhood bar with lots of beer choic21 es.

18) Located in the Marigny, The _____ Bar is known for its great, inexpensive drinks and a must-try happy hour.

19) This steampunk bar was once the famous Double Play Bar. 20) _______ Bar, located in the Marigny, has bar games, fast service and great cocktails.

21) Napoleon’s Itch is known for signature drinks and its annual Bourbon Street ____.

DOWN

1) Down-home watering hole with karaoke, a jukebox, elevated bar bites, drinks & late hours.

3) This bar was established in 1966 and has a cozy atmosphere and is home to Southern Decadence.

5) This two story bar is one of New Orleans most famous dance clubs.

6) Big Daddy’s is a great dive bar in the Marigny with great drinks and great conversation.

8) New Orleans’ newest gay bar, opening in Jan-

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uary, that has delicious late night bites.

10) French Quarter’s leather/Levi bar.

13) The _____ Bar caters to the leather crowd but is welcoming to everyone. Open 24/7.

14) This Marigny bar also includes a bed and breakfast and is home to many fundraisers, bluegrass music, and drag shows.

15) The Bourbon Pub & Parade is New Orleans’ largest gay and lesbian bar.

16) ________ is the official starting point of the Gay Easter Parade.

17) Cafe Lafitte in Exile is the ____ gay bar in the United States.

Ideals for a crossword? Email us at info@ambushpublishing.com!

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PUZZLE WORD BANK PIMMS CUP HURRICANE PURPLE DRINK BLOODY MARY CHERRY BOMB MIND ERASER HAND GRENADE ABSINTHE SAZERAC GIN FIZZ BRANDY CRUSTA ABITA BEER MINT JULEP DAIQUIRI SEPARATOR

Want More Puzzles?

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

46 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · 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 Once upon a time, humans engaged with the possibilities of the future through omens, prophecies, and oracles. The art of astrology evolved out of these practices and now emphasizes your moment of birth, that is the celestial DNA of your personality.

This combination of your birth chart and the usage of that document to divine the past, present, and future is here for your taking. Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. These horoscopes are for your entertainment, so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars!

But wait—you might not want to listen to these omens in the form of your horoscopes too closely.

That is exactly what the famous Aztec king Moctezuma did, and it contributed to the collapse of an entire civilization. At the time unusual planetary phenomena was occurring, and this coincided with rare, unfortunate events such as the burning of sacred temples.

These were fearfully interpreted as ominous signs.

Out of self-interest the court astrologers tried to deny this, and it got them imprisoned. Depending on the proclivities of those astrologers, they may have liked this. These negative prognostications were also coupled with a previously prophesized messiah coming to fruition in the arrival of the deadly Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés. This created a toxic cognitive dissonance in the head of Moctezuma and the culture at large. On one hand, it was the end times.

On the other hand, they were being saved. Sound familiar? Cortés was instead less concerned with divinatory messages from the Gods than the privileged reality and the ruthless means required to destroy his enemy totally.

The same planetary configurations that occurred 500 years ago are similar to the ones happening right at the beginning of the new year. One might look to the past and believe it will replicate catastrophically.

But unlike repeatable phenomena such as electricity and flying planes, the future is largely unwritten and undetermined. Moctezuma relied so heavily on the stars that he became enslaved to them. The heavens were no match for the guns and germs of Cortés.

Nevertheless, the planets incline even if they don’t compel, so it is said. So what is the message that led the Aztecs to crumble but from which we may reasonably learn? Two words—GET REAL.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19 Your social life will light up in 2020. However, this will take some juggling with your career. I generally recommend keeping a healthy distance between work and friends as technology demands much interconnection that leads to the privileging of career. In your case, however, the co-mingling is to your benefit. You also have a powerful chance to act on your non-movable finances such as retirement funds.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

You have a great career year this year. However, I would not recommend doing a ton of travel. You have good fortune enjoying yourself at home and in your local community. A relationship or partnership gets very intense, but through this you transform and make progress.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20 You make great strides financially as long as you protect your own money. You may experience losses, though, through joint finances or investments. You can handle this as long as you stay flexible. You’ll look back and realize those hard changes happened for the better.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22 Continuing on from last year, you make gains personally, especially on a physical level. By mid-year the focus turns to your spirituality. What are the things you need to let go of in your life? When you let them go, you become free.

LEO

July 23 - August 22 You’ll be happy to hear that by betting on yourself, you have good fortune this year. When the times are good, however, it is recommended you steer a more conservative course, especially in the area of health.

Having daily discipline will help you acquire long term abundance. You’re also going to need this mindset for the career surprises that are in store for you.

VIRGO

friction. Then, use those insights to go for the impossible.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 - December 21 You experience some losses financially this year, but you’re able to handle this as long as you approach your immediate, movable finances with the year ahead in mind. You actually triumph by the end of the year. A structured, nimble, conservative approach here is good. On the flip side, your investments do well through the first half of the year.

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 19 You have a good year financially and succeed in a relationship. Even with this good fortune, however, your thinking may be a bit unfocused and this could lead to some misfortune. As I wrote in the opening paragraphs, the theme of the year is GET REAL. This specifically applies to you, but some of this absentminded, dreamy thinking will give you great insights into the true nature of reality.

AQUARIUS

January 20 - February 18 This year you are the lover. This is wonderful as you are one of the most heady, intellectual, scientific signs of the zodiac. You’ll be surprised that you experience love and romance on the home front. The irony is that even though you are one of the most surprising, freedom-loving signs of the zodiac, you have trouble accepting disruption when you can’t control it.

PISCES

August 23 - September 22 Your creative endeavors are emphasized this year. Adopting a long term, conservative approach helps you field the massive changes that occur in how you express yourself. Hard, destructive change helps creativity even if it is difficult. On a lighter note, your health is good this year even if you do have a bit of a sweet tooth.

February 19 - March 20 You’re due for some changes in your social networks this year. The strong bonds will hold and the fair weather friends will crumble away. Don’t fight this as it’s necessary to have those around who can help support your goals and wishes. You really make gains in romance, however, regardless of what happens with your friends.

LIBRA

Astrology was originally understood as omens, prophecies, and oracles. Whenever you go to a psychic, tarot reader, or astrologer like me, you’re engaging with the possibilities of the future. Modern astrology, however, is also the alignment of the heavens at your moment of birth that serves as the 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.

SCORPIO

I’m Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans.

Contact me for readings, parties, events, corporate trainings, and more at dan@innermakeup.net or by calling 504-313-8706. Visit http://www.innermakeup. net

September 23 - October 22 As you are the sign of balance and relationships, the Goddess Juno asks that you adjust your partnerships with coworkers and set appropriate boundaries.

These are demagogues who are deceptive. One coworker in particular is swaying the emotions of the team and you’re going to need to protect yourself.

Think about your own long term security as a guiding principle.

October 23 - November 21 You are extraordinarily powerful this year. You may even be intoxicated with your potency. However, this may lead to fights with coworkers. This is a chance to look at the main points that are holding the team back. When those battles ensue, step back and look at the underlying causes of what is causing the

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 47

SPORTS Omission of Brees from NFL anniversary top 100 borders on absurdity Ken Trahan, Crescent City Sports You have heard it all.

It is all about the system, he is a statistic compiler.

It is because he has played so many games indoors in perfect conditions in New Orleans and played in weather friendly San Diego previously.

He does not have a big arm.

He is not big.

He cannot win on the road in the playoffs.

He has only won one Super Bowl.

He is a victim of his own consistency.

He simply goes about his business in the most professional fashion imaginable and commands the respect of his teammates, coaches and opponents.

Brees does not draw attention to himself, nor does he seek it.

He is not a gunslinger, taking huge chances, trying to fit a dart into a dime.

He is not a wild scrambler, making big throws on the dead run.

Speaking of running, he does not run for big yards and never will.

Drew Brees was not included in the Top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history

for the first 100 years released Friday.

Call me a “homer,” if you wish. In my mind’s eye, it has not been difficult to separate the bias of watching No. 9 play for our hometown team from comparing him to other greats who have played the game.

In his NFL and Saints career, Brees has hit a home run, if not a grand slam. He is unquestionably one of the Top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history, in my humble estimation.

Let us debunk every one of these positions of criticism levied against Brees by those who are not admirers, if not haters of him.

Brees has compiled statistics.

Those statistics are undeniable. He holds more records than any quarterback in NFL history and he is far from finished.

In fact, Brees is still playing at an incredibly high level, a top five level in the league at the age of 40.

He has played in San Diego and New Orleans. If you want to hold that against him, feel free to do so.

The NFL is the NFL. Teams and players are extremely gifted. Schemes

are concocted to affect opposing quarterbacks daily, weekly, monthly, annually. Brees continues to get the better of those schemes and teams.

Brees has never had a big arm, like that matters.

Tom Brady has never had a big arm. Joe Montana never had a big arm and those are the two best that ever played. Peyton Manning had a good but not great arm and he is right near the top of the discussion.

He is not big. Do you want to hold that against him? Every player on the 10 quarterbacks picked ahead of him on the 100-year team are taller than Brees. Players have always been discriminated against for their height. Explain his omission, otherwise.

The “winning on the road” equation is nearly laughable.

The Saints lost at San Francisco in 2012 when Brees was fabulous against the best defense in the league.

The Saints could not a get one stop in the fourth quarter and lost 36-32.

New Orleans lost at Minnesota when a defensive back made one of the biggest gaffes ever. Brees played extremely well, driving his team to what should have been a game-winning field goal.

In 2011, the Saints lost in Seattle despite Brees and the offense putting up 36 points.

In the 2006 season, the Saints lost at Chicago in the NFC championship teams to a better team in difficult conditions as the first year of Sean Payton maxed out its potential.

In the 2013 season, the Saints lost at Seattle to a better team.

You really want to blame or hold it against Brees for that road record?

Seriously?

Brees has won just one Super Bowl.

By the way, he was 32-of-39 in that Super Bowl and earned MVP honors.

By the way, he should have had his team in the Super Bowl a year ago but we all know what happened which was beyond his control. By the way, I sincerely believe the Saints would have beaten New England in Atlanta.

Dan Marino is on the Top 10 list.

He never won a Super Bowl and Brees has simply had a better career in terms of longevity and productivity.

Of course, Marino was admired for his lightning quick release and rocket arm.

He was tall, too!

Then, there is Terry Bradshaw.

He won four Super Bowls and he is not on the list.

Of course, Bradshaw’s statistics are not all that impressive but there is

no denying the success his teams had.

Of course, he was surrounded by Hall of Fame players.

John Elway and Manning definietely belong on the list but both won second Super Bowls with supporting casts that carried them after they played a large role in carrying their teams in their first Super Bowl victories.

Sammy Baugh quarterbacked two teams to NFL titles in an era with far fewer teams and he did not play as long as Brees.

Otto Graham belongs on the list.

He won seven overall championships at the highest level, including three in the NFL. Johnny Unitas was the best quarterback in the league over a period time and he played 18 seasons. In his last three seasons, he only played in five winning games as his health suffered and his skill eroded gradually, if not dramatically. Still, Unitas belongs on the list, having been voted best in the NFL in four different seasons.

Brett Favre did it for 20 seasons and won 186 games. He won a Super Bowl and was exceptional. His gambling style made him a richer version of Joe Namath. Favre belongs on the list.

With all due respect to Roger Staubach, he only played 11 seasons in the NFL due to his Naval commitment, which commands the ultimate respect.

Staubach is a great person and was an excellent player. Staubach won a Super Bowl and was an MVP. Still, Brees has better numbers, a longer career and similar honors with the exception of Staubach winning league MVP honors once.

In my estimation, the only quarterbacks who deserve to be ahead of Brees, at this stage, are Brady, Montana and Manning. You can make an argument for Graham, Unitas and Favre, along with Brees.

It is admirable that Brees does not stick his chest out all the time, if at all.

He always gives teammates credit for his success. Opponents respect him, as do his own coaches and opposing coaches. He does not toot his own horn.

Brees manipulates defenses with his eyes and with intelligent audibles.

He is a great timing thrower who has great rapport with his receivers through diligent, hard work. He does not need the “big” arm.

Brees will climb in the pocket or roll out, when necessary, to avoid pressure.

Who gets sacked less than Brees? He has a great clock in his head, has enjoyed good protection, goes through his progressions as quickly as anyone

48 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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Friday August 09

Minnesota Vikings

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W 19-17

Sunday August 18

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3:00 PM

W 28-13

Saturday August 24

at New York Jets

6:30 PM

L 16-13

Thursday August 29

Miami Dolphins

7:00 PM

Regular Season

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Mary’s

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W 30-28

Monday September 09

Houston Texans

6:10 PM

L 27-09

Sunday September 15

at Los Angeles Rams

3:25 PM

W 33-27

Sunday September 22

at Seattle Seahawks

3:25 PM

W 12-10

Sunday September 29

Dallas Cowboys

7:20 PM

W 31-24

Sunday October 06

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

12:00 PM

W 13-06

Sunday October 13

at Jacksonville Jaguars

12:00 PM

W 36-25

Sunday October 20

at Chicago Bears

3:25 PM

W 31-09

Sunday October 27

Arizona Cardinals

12:00 PM

Sunday November 03

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Sunday November 10

Atlanta Falcons

12:00 PM

W 34-17

Sunday November 17

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12:00 PM

Sunday November 24

Carolina Panters

12:00 PM

Thursday

at Atlanta Falcons

7:20 PM

L 48-46

Sunday December 08

San Francisco 49ers

12:00 PM

W 34-07

Monday December 16

Indianapolis Colts

7:15 PM

W 38-28

Sunday December 22

at Tennessee Titans

12:00 PM

Sunday December 29

at Carolina Panters

12:00 PM

W 34-31

W 26-18 November 28

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who has ever played the game and gets the ball out in timely fashion with uncanny accuracy.

Brees is not Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson. They were and are brilliant athletes, dynamic players who became superb quarterbacks.

While Jackson, Mahomes and Wilson are the rage, would you take their career body of work over Brees?

Simply put, Drew Brees is clearly one of the top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history. His career and numbers, which he continues to build on, speak volumes on that fact. He doesn’t need the pat on the back of those involved in the

process. Brees is fourth all-time in wins by a quarterback in league history and will build on that resume.

He will simply go about the business of putting his team on his back and hoping they ride him to Miami in February, leaving no doubt as to his status as one of the all-time greats, which fans in south Louisiana already

knew.

Then, the Top 10 quarterback list for 100 years of NFL history will look absurd without the presence of Brees.

This article was originally published

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

LSU rolls over Oklahoma in Peach Bowl to reach national championship game Ken Trahan, Crescent City Sports It was a day of mixed emotions for LSU. On one hand, it was a national semifinal appearance in Atlanta before a partisan Tiger crowd with a chance to reach the national championship game.

On the other hand, a member of the LSU family lost a loved one in a shocking development earlier in the day, a crippling, devastating blow to a good family and the loss of life of a talented, very fine person, in the youth of a very promising career and in the youth of marriage as well.

Still, LSU was able to focus and put a clear focus on the difference in the top of the SEC and the top of the Big 12.

Of course, we really did not need any more evidence, did we?

All we heard in the last few days

was how Oklahoma was being disrespected by the point spread and by pundits predicting a convincing LSU win. All we hears was how much better the Oklahoma defense was under a new defensive coordinator.

Then, we heard about how three suspensions were a ready-made excuse.

After watching what we watched in Atlanta, does anyone really think Oklahoma would have had any shot with the three players?

Of course not.

LSU played incredible, flawless football for a half, putting on perhaps the best offensive show in modern college football history, considering the stage and the opposition. It was something to marvel at, mind-bobbling to watch.

If you are an LSU fan, it was cake

and ice cream with whipped cream, caramel sauce, hot fudge and a cherry on top. It was that sweet.

Here are my Quick Takes on LSU’s 63-28 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Oklahoma. **LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and the entire LSU family was coaching and playing with a heavy heart following the terrible, tragic news of the death of television reporter Carley McCord in a plane crash Saturday morning in Lafayette. **McCord, who worked at WDSU and Cox Sports Television, as well as serving as an in-game host for New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans games, perished along with four others. She was the wife of Steve Ensminger Jr. and was liked, respected, beloved by many. **LSU won the toss and deferred, giving Oklahoma the ball first. **K’Lavon Chaisson sacked Hurts on the first play from scrimmage. The Sooners ran three plays to on the opening series and lost six yards. **A shanked punt of just 25 yards

by Reeves Mundschau gave LSU the ball at the Oklahoma 43-yard line. **Chris Curry got the start at running back but Clyde Edwards-Helaire came in on the first series of the game. **LSU capitalized on the great field position, going 43 yards in three plays with Joe Burrow connecting with Justin Jefferson on a 19-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 with 12:03 to play in the opening quarter. **Burrow was 3-of-3 for 43 yards on the drive, making all the right reads and perfect throws. **Guard Damien Lewis was carted off early in the first quarter on the second series of the game. Adrian Magee moved from left guard to right guard while Ed Ingram took over at left guard. **Oklahoma tied the game on its next possession, driving 69 yards in five plays with Kennedy Brooks scoring on a 3-yard run. The score was set up by a 51-yard completion to CeeDee Lamb by Jalen Hurts. Lamb lined up in the slot and that got him away from Derek Stingley Jr. and got him matched up man-to-man with Jacoby Stevens.

Lamb won the matchup clearly. **It was the seventh catch of the season of 50 yards or more for Lamb. **Terrace Marshall was injured

midway through the first quarter. He was checked to make sure there was no concussion and returned to the game quickly. **When he did, Marshall made his mark immediately, catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to cap a nine play, 75-yard drive to make it 14-7 with 4:24 to play in the opening quarter. **On the drive, Clyde-Edwards Helaire got his first carry, ran over a tackler and went 14 yards to the 8-yard line to set up the score. It was a great sight and provided an emotional lift to his teammates. **LSU got a real break on the next series when Stingley committed pass interference, dragging down Jadon Haselwood. There was no call and Oklahoma had to punt. **Oklahoma star linebacker Kenneth Murray left the game injured late in the first quarter. He was able to return early in the second quarter. **Burrow then showed why he won the Heisman Trophy, extending a play.

As he was about to go out of bounds, he heaved one up and it dropped perfectly into the arms of Marshall for 24 yards on a third-and-3 play. **LSU extended the lead to 21-7 with 1:16 to play in the opening quarter as Burrow drove the Tigers 86 yards in six plays, finishing the drive with a 35yard touchdown pass to Jefferson. **The touchdown catch came just one play after Jefferson dropped one that would have been a big gain, illustrating the kind of confidence Burrow has in his receivers. **LSU ended the first quarter with 211 yards and 21 points. Burrow was 11-of-14 for 166 yards and three touchdowns with two drops. Jefferson had five catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. **Oklahoma had given up just 42 points in the first quarter in its previous 13 games.

Read More Online Here: https:// crescentcitysports.com/lsu-rolls-overoklahoma-in-peach-bowl-to-reach-national-championship-game/ This article was originally published

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

50 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · Dec 31, 2019 – Jan 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com