Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 10

THE OFFICIAL GAY MAGAZINE OF THE GULF SOUTH™

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 10

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

Mother’s Day & Bayou Boogaloo

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Divas R Us starring Monica Synclaire-Kennedy

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Find your own this mothers day.

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THE “OFFICIAL” DISH

by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, As we start to move from Spring towards Summer I want to once again take this opportunity to thank everyone who made the 20th Annual Gay Easter Parade a huge success. Since the parade, I’ve gotten numerous calls and text about how the crowds for this year’s parade were the largest in the 20 year history of the event. Several groups of riders told me they ran out of throws for the first time ever.

I especially want to thank everyone who performed at the numerous fundraisers leading up to Easter weekend. There are entirely too many to name individually but we are thankful for their time and talents. Everyone at Ambush and the Gay Easter Parade Advisory Board are so excited for next year’s parade. Once again, a heartfelt “Thank You” to everyone who made it such a wonderful event.

JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH GET INVOLVED! During the month of June many

communities throughout the country celebrate Pride and the Gulf South is no different. If you are looking for a way to get involved in your community, joining or volunteering for you local Pride organization is a great way to start. It’s a fabulous way to give back to your community while making new friends. Most Pride organizations have events set up on Facebook so that’s an excellent place to start looking for more information.

Pride in New Orleans is the weekend of June 7th. Baton Rouge Pride is on Saturday, June 15th. The Central Alabama Pride Parade is on Saturday, June 8th in Birmingham. During the month of June the Pride celebration in Pensacola Florida has 11 different events scheduled for the community to enjoy. Houston will celebrate with a Pride festival and parade on Saturday, June 22nd. Be on the lookout for more information about upcoming Pride celebrations throughout the Gulf South in the next several issues of Ambush.

Happy Pride!

Inside this Issue of Ambush Community Announcements

6

A Community within Communities: Resurrection

7

Snap Paparazzi NOAGE

9

Snap Paparazzi PFLAG

9

Musings by Catherine: My Notes on Lying

10

Relationships 101: Mothers. Mass. Matchmaking Mayhem!

11

Snap Paparazzi Narcissus

12

Snap Paparazzi Out & About with Pauly Cajun

13

Community Voice: SMART Recovery: An Evidence-Based Self-Help Program

14

Moments in Gay New Orleans History: Southern Forum Magazine

15

Book Review: The King of Bones and Ashes

16

Movie Review: Avengers: Endgame

16

Health & Wellness: Measles Impacting Vacation Travel Plans

17

Snap Paparazzi Gay Easter Parade

18-19

Trodding the Boards

20-21

Museum Spotlight: Beauregard-Keyes House

22

Financial & Business: You’ve inherited an IRA. Now what?

23

Celebrate Mom on May 12

24

Snap Paparazzi Gay Easter Parade

25

Party Down

26

New to New Orleans: Streetcar in the Stacks

27

New Orleans Hot Happenings Along the Gulf South Hot Happenings LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory WordSearch

28-36 37 38-39 40 42-43

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

CONGRATULATIONS ROBERT W. FIESELER New Orleans author Robert W. Fieseler was recently awarded the 2019 Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of American in the category of Best Fact Crime for his book Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation.

The book chronicles the story of the Up Stairs Lounge arson attack that resulted in the death of 32 members of the New Orleans gay community in 1973.

Fieseler recently began writing a colum for Ambush Magazine and we are so excited to have him as part of the Ambush family. Congratulations Mr. Fieseler, well deserved!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Chin Up Tits Out: A Fundraiser for The Trevor Project # 2 will take place on Saturday, June 1st from 7 to 10 pm at Oz. The event is being presented by Miss Apollo de New Orleans 2019 Lana O’Day & Miss New Orleans Pride 2019 Giselle Trivianni. The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth.

The New Orleans Pride Parade presented by Walgreens and Access Health will take place on Saturday, June 8th and starts at 7:30 pm. This parade is the largest LGBTQ Parade on the Gulf Coast and has over 60 groups and 24 Mardi Gras style floats.

For more information check out NewOrleansPrideFestival.com.

The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana will hold its Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, June 12th from 7 to 9 pm at Hotel Peter & Paul located at 2317 Burgundy Street in New Orleans. The keynote speaker at the meeting will be Wayne Phillips, Curator of the Carnival Collection at the Louisiana State Museum. He will speak on the new exhibit on the history of Gay Carnival he is curating at the Presbytere called “Grand Illusions”.

The event will be catered by Martin’s Wine Cellar and Bacchanal will provide the wine. The event is free and open to the public. Membership to the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is only $10.

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@ambushpublishing.com CIRCULATION

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

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

4 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

LGBT+ Archives Project Annual Meeting Set for June 12 The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is pleased to announce that its annual membership meeting will be held on June 12 at the Hotel Peter and Paul from 7:00 to 9:00pm.

The St. Peter and St. Paul Church in the Marigny has recently undergone an extensive renovation and now serves as a hotel, restaurant, bar, and event venue. The meeting will take place in the beautifully restored sanctuary of the venerable old church.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Wayne Phillips, Curator of the Carnival Collection as well as Costumes and Textiles at the Louisiana State Museum. Phillips will speak about a new

exhibit on the history of Gay Carnival he is curating at the Presbytere called “Grand Illusions.” In addition to Phillips’ lecture, Officers of the Archives Project will give updates on the Project’s successes in the last year. The event will be catered by Martin’s Wine Cellar and wine will be provided by Bacchanal.

“Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleans” will open at the Presbytere on June 6 and run through December 2020. The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana recently awarded a $5,000.00 grant to the Louisiana State Museum to help produce the exhibit. The exhibit will be the first ever to deal with Gay Carnival.

The exhibition’s title is inspired by the theme of the 1976 Armeinius ball, “An Evening of Grand Illusions.

This pioneering in-depth look at the intriguing history and extraordinary visual artistry of the celebration will showcase the artists and their work with a wide range of artifacts and will include costumes and videos from the famous tableau balls of many of the krewes. Over 100 items will be presented, many of which have never before been exhibited.

Phillips, who has worked over three years preparing the exhibit, will give attendees at the meeting an inside, behind-the-scenes look at the

exhibit. Phillips is also a member of the LGBT+ Archives Project Board of Directors.

The mission of the LGBT+ Archives Project is to promote and encourage the protection and preservation of materials that chronicle the culture and history of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community in Louisiana.

The event is free and open to the public. For those who wish to join the Archives Project, the annual membership is $10.

The second annual Louisiana Trans Advocates State Convention will be held on May 25 in Baton Rouge at the Metropolitan Community Church.

The agenda for the one-day convention is yet to be announced but organizers say the meeting will feature food and drinks, a clothing swap, support meetings, and workshops.

Anyone in Louisiana who identifies as trans and/or nonbinary (and our significant others, parents, family, and close friends) and wants to learn more about

the fight for trans liberation in our state is welcome to attend the convention.

LTA is not a dues-paying organization, and anyone who wants to be a member is a member.

People who would like to attend but cannot afford to cover transportation to Baton Rouge, may email LTA Board president Dylan Waguespack at dylan@lamercury.com to arrange a transportation stipend. Registration is now open on Eventbrite.

Current sponsors include Asana

Creative Strategy and JMM Strategy Group. Individuals or groups who wish to sponsor the convention may do so at https://latransadvocates.networkforgood.com/projects/72200-2nd-annual-lta-statewide-convention-2019 According to the LTA Facebook page, “We’re more than just a transgender rights organization. We’re a grassroots force of nature, deeply rooted in the communities we serve. Our leadership is cultivated from our social support groups, which are some trans

people’s only opportunity each month to be themselves. We’re an organization for trans people, by trans people, and we believe that every single trans person in our state can contribute to the movement for trans liberation.”

Since its founding in 2011, LTA has been a consistent resource for transgender and gender nonconforming Louisianans, whether they needed referrals for providers, support, or an advocate to help them with their school or employer.

LA Trans Advocates State Convention Set for May 25

LGBT+ LIBERATION STUDY GROUP

Join us to read and discuss "Lavender and Red" by Leslie Feinberg Wednesdays at 6:30 until May 15, 2019 Artspace Bell Campus Community Room 2111 Dumaine St., 2nd floor We're learning about the history of our struggles against capitalism, racism, and the state! We'll study colonialism and its effects on LGBT+ people worldwide, movements like Stonewall and ACT UP, and socialist ways forward to smash patriarchy, white supremacy, homophobia, and transphobia.

Free transportation available!

Contact Dylan at dborne99@gmail.com RSVP that email for this week's readings

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Anti-Semitism and Prayer Against Violence The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ fr.bill@stannanola.org

The Chabad of Poway Synagogue is yet another sad example of increasing violence and in particular anti-Semitism. According to Vox news, “Newly released data from the Anti-Defamation League(ADL) shows that 2017 and 2018 saw two of the highest numbers of anti-Semitic incidents in nearly 40 years of ADL data...”.

“Haters are gonna hate”, so the phrase goes. But these actions have deep roots. I was raised in the 1950’s when television often told the stories of Hitler’s genocides. Newsreels were the platform over narration.

Later, in an apocalyptic masterpiece Gregory Peck ferreted out lingering and deeply hidden anti-Semitism in The Boys from Brazil. A decade or so later we were introduced to a man named Schindler and his list reminding us again of the evil of Hitler. Deeply embedded social histories of hatred abound. This is something that this Community within Communities surely understands. The Gospel of John sets the stage for centuries of anti-Semitism, but mostly out of ignorance rather than scholarship.

It is rightly said that “we” don’t want your prayers we want action against violence, particularly gun violence, that results in these mass shootings.

Not only as expressions of anti-Semitism, but racism (Mother Emmanuel Church), homophobia (Pulse), and the list goes on. Yet, prayer is and can be the first step to transformation. If you think it, you pray it, you may start to believe it, and act on it. First, the spirit is ordered, then the intellect, then the passion and we expand our hope and horizons to change.

Following is an abbreviated version of a litany in the aftermath of gun violence. But indeed it might be in the aftermath of any violence (like the recently burned Historically Black Churches in Louisiana): A Litany in the Aftermath of Gun Violence, by the Rt. Rev. S. T. Lane, Episcopal Bp. of Maine

Giver of Life and Love, you created all people as one family and called us to live together in peace. Surround us with your love as we face again the tragedy of gun violence [or any violence].

For the children and adults who were killed, (the brave ones who died protecting others), the many who were wounded and hospitalized, the traumatized, grieving survivors, and those known to you alone, Loving God Make us instruments of your peace.

God of Compassion, we give you thanks for first responders: police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and all those whose duties bring them to the streets, the schools, the malls and the homes where the carnage of gun violence takes place every day. Give them courage and sound judgment in the heat of the moment and grant them compassion for the victims.

For our brothers and sisters who risk their lives and serenity as they rush to our aid, Loving God Make us instruments of your peace.

Merciful God, bind up the wounds of all who suffer from gun violence [or any violence], those maimed and disfigured, those left alone and grieving, and those who struggle to get through one more day. Bless them with your presence and help them find hope.

For all whose lives are forever changed and broken by the scourge of [gun] violence, Loving God Make us instruments of your peace.

God Who Remembers, may we not forget those who have died, more than 30,000 in the past year, in the gun violence that we have allowed to become routine. Receive them into your heart and comfort us with your promise of eternal love and care.

For all who have died, those who die today, and those who will die tomorrow, Loving God Make us instruments of your

peace.

God of Tender Mercy, be with those who are overwhelmed, enraged, frustrated and demoralized by the plague of [gun] violence. Give them a sense of your presence and plant in them the seed of hope.

For those whose hope for life in this world is shattered and broken, Loving God Make us instruments of your peace.

God of Justice, help us, your church, find our voice. Turn us from the worship of power. Give us courage to confront our false gods and to protest the needless deaths caused by [gun] violence. Help us rise above our dread that nothing can be done and grant us the conviction to advocate for change.

For your dream of a world where children are safe and all of us live together without fear, Loving God Make us instruments of your peace.

All this we pray in the name of the One who offered his life so that we might live, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Prayer does many things. It can, but need not be, a platform for avoid-

ance of action. It can be and is a way of looking outside of ourselves to the otherness. It can and is a way for a community to collectively express its sorrow and anguish, joy and hope, pain and outrage. Prayer, according to Rabbi Jill Jacobs, “frees us from our intellectualizing and rationalizing” it becomes visceral.

When I have done a Celebration of Life (Funeral Memorial) there is that moment when the group prays and it has intrinsic power. It expresses something of the collective hope, belief, and quest that stands outside of our individuality. Yet, prayer can be that individual exercise that is very private and seeks and looks at that which lays beyond ourselves. Each week, at St. Anna’s, we pray for the victims of violence and the perpetrators. We have been doing this since 2007. I can say at least this: that for that singular moment in time and space we are not hardened, nor shut-down but rather engaged with the pain and sorrow of a collective loss that is manifested just one murder or yet again another mass shooting.

!

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For Reservations: 504.568.0717 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

New Orleans Pride Grand Marshals Announced June 7-9, 2019 Big Freedia, known as the Queen of Bounce, is a New Orleans-based rapper and ambassador of Bounce music. A vibrant twist on hip-hop, Bounce music is characterized by call-and-response lyrics over rapid-fire beats and booty-shaking.

After running the New Orleans club scene for over two decades, Big Freedia is now

PRESENTED BY

bringing the Bounce movement to a world-wide stage with her hit reality show, Big Freedia Bounces Back on Fuse. The weekly docu-series, now in its sixth season, follows the life of a gay choirboy turned Bounce rapper and remains the highest rated original series on the network. Big Freedia takes the stage at PrideFest at 4pm on June 8.

Mondo Guerra is a designer and social influencer whose innovative style and bold prints have caught the fashion world’s imagination, while his truth and courage captured the hearts of fans around the world when he first revealed his HIV+ status on “Project Runway” (Season 8). He later went on to win the debut season of “Project Runway All Stars” and became an audience favorite as mentor on Lifetime’s spinoff series, “Under The Gunn”. His latest role is as host on “RUNWAY REMAKE” on BluPrint.

Mondo’s visual aesthetics often carry a social message that overlaps his art with his advocacy. The Denver born artist was commissioned to create a World AIDS Day design that was revealed as a preview to Art Basel, Miami. In 2013, Guerra became a national spokesperson for Dining Out For Life, an annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser hosted in 60 cities across America. Mondo is currently focused on the development of multimedia content and continues to create modern designs that blend his fashion and social consciousness.

Photographer: Kevin Alexander

PRESENTED BY

Dr. MarkAlain Déry, DO, MPH, FACOI, is an infectious disease physician at Access Health Louisiana, where he also serves as Chief Innovation Officer. Dr. Déry attended medical school at the University of New England, completed his residency and infectious diseases fellowship at Case Western Reserve University and Tulane University School of Medicine respectively.

Having successfully started two Ryan White Part A HIV clinics, Dr. Déry also is the director for the Ryan White Part F Access Health AIDS Educational Training Center. Recognizing that all voices were not equally represented in local media, Dr. Déry WHIV-LP, a community radio station dedicated to human rights and social justice. WHIV also stands for founded 102.3FM WHI We Honor Independent Voices, and Dr. Déry’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community is demonstrated by daily shows hosted by local voices representing the LGBTQ+ community.

Dr. Déry is enthusiastic about HIV prevention and testing. As an infectious diseases expert, he works passionately toward eliminating health inequities, including reversing the social determinants of health. Dr. Déry strongly believes that racial and economic justice is necessary in combating the HIV epidemic in Louisiana and are responsible for why a small minority of eligible African American and LatinX individuals are on PrEP. “If I can whittle down the barrier to controlling HIV to one word, it’s ‘poverty’” says Dr. Dery.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as the Grand Marshal for the New Orleans 2019 Pride Parade, especially considering this is the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. During the parade, I will carrying the spirit of those brave individuals who paved the way for the fight for LGBTQ+ rights both worldwide and in United States.”

For a complete listing of New Orleans Pride events:

NewOrleansPrideFestival.com

@NewOrleansPrideFestival

8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI NOAGE AT NOAGE POTLUCK AT ST ANNA’S 4/30/19 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM MEADOWS

SNAP PAPARAZZI PFLAG AT PFLAG’S SCHOLARSHIP CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE ROLAND

Gay Men’s Chorus

Richard Sacher of American Aquatic Gardens; Wayne Christenberry, President, PFlag New Orleans; Jack Sullivan, Attorney at Law www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 9

MUSINGS BY CATHERINE My Notes on Lying Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com

Adrienne Rich, noted author, feminist, and lesbian, was a poet, an activist and an unapologetic champion of expressing truth, of being honest.

Rich focused her writings, whether it was her multiple award-winning poetry, essays, or her non-fiction, on women fairly exclusively; however, through her brilliance, her words are universal and inclusive to all.

As a graduate student and budding feminist, I had the supreme honor of attending a workshop that featured Rich reading poetry and prose in New England in 1975. By that time, Rich had already won many awards, and she made a tremendous impact on a room filled with young women eager for any wisdom on life and relationships through a woman’s eyes, especially those of us hungry for anything pertinent to us as lesbians in a cold and unaccepting society at the time.

Published in 1979, Rich’s On Lies, Secrets and Silence: Selected Prose 1966-1978, included many valuable passages that have shaped current thinking about honesty and truth in relationships, and in life. Many are pertinent and strength-giving right now, will always be, and I’ve listed a few here.

Let’s see if there are any that have meaning for you in some part of your current life.

“In lying to others we end up lying to ourselves. We deny the importance of an event, or a person, and thus deprive ourselves of a part of our lives. Or we use one piece of the past or present to screen out another. Thus we lose faith even in our own lives.”

“An honourable human relationship—that is, one in which two people have the right to use the word “love”— is a process, delicate, violent, often terrifying to both persons involved, a process of refining the truths they can tell each other.”

Being honest: “It is important to do this because it breaks down human self-delusion and isolation.”

Being honest: “It is important to do this because in so doing we do justice to our own complexity”.

Being honest: “It is important to do this because we can count on so few people to go that hard way with us.”

In our quest to be liked, loved, perhaps even revered, some people feel that to be honest, to speak truth to those who may not want to hear it, will somehow turn negative and they will

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be disliked. We go to great lengths at times, not necessarily intending to tell a lie, but to shroud the truth and forgo honest conversation.

Examples include agreeing to things you really don’t want to do, just because you feel that you are expected to. And you may be, indeed, expected to.

As adults, I question why this occurs. Isn’t being an adult, growing up, being your own person exactly why honesty should prevail? And so often, the same folks who feel down or depressed, feel out of control or just controlled by someone or many someone’s, suffer from the great fear of being disliked. And very often, loneliness and isolation occur, perhaps because an inauthentic response reflects inauthentic feeling, or confusion about what one really does feel.

If we hide those feelings and opinions long and often enough, what really is there to give to any level of relationship. We are all “in relationships” of some sort, with every person we spend any time with, including those beyond family and friends. We are in relationships with so many, to include co-workers, teachers, students, your hairdresser, volunteer colleagues, your local bartenders, and so many more.

The level of relationships in your life is really not at all as important as the realization that if you honestly discover, then bravely acknowledge your true feelings, how you regard yourself as far as strength of conviction and growing empathy for others is the key.

Often when fear overtakes the need to be truthful, lying ensues by the use of inauthentic apology. Yes, “white lies” as society calls them because they seem insignificant, not really wrong, and, to some, they are required to soften a more honest response. Interesting they are ‘white’ but that’s a future article. I think a lie is a lie, whether to yourself or someone else.

To compound this spiral of inauthenticity, we apologize. Have you ever noticed how often we apologize? Apologies go along with the “white lies.”

How many times have we all said, “I’m sorry, but can we go to a different restaurant” when your co-worker just assumes you’ll go to the neighborhood place right near your office; or “I’m sorry, I just don’t see it that way” during a heated discussion about something new and distasteful on the political scene.

Sometimes I think we use the phrase “I’m sorry, but….” Or “forgive me, but…” as prefacing a personal opinion we fear is negative or combative or perhaps will be perceived as de-

meaning to others. And that’s lying.

In reality, perhaps those prefacing half-phrases are used as a convenience or a guard to introduce a negative response, a decline of an invitation, or as an entrance to a tirade about a topic with which we disagree.

And not offending anyone, or making them angry or for them to dislike us, can become the entire point.

Oh, we go to great lengths at times, to be “liked” and that often involves a type of dishonesty with oneself. You may be thinking that we were taught to be nice, sweet even, never offend, never really openly disagree. In many families, it is taught that you don’t actually have the right to openly disagree.

How would that ever really work if one is honest and true to a sacred belief, a long-standing commitment to a greater good through volunteering or making a donation – what happens when someone is advocating for an issue to which you are passionately opposed and you have influence. To be nice, accepting, non-offensive, therefore not disagree, you would be forced to accept what you cannot in reality live with, or allow something you deem destructive to go forward, because to speak up, to say it is not a good thing, will certainly cause feelings of anger, resentment or, perhaps the greatest fear, to be disliked.

Followed by a lie, prefaced by an apology, we may lose ourselves and lose others, or the essence of honesty and self-esteem.

Next time there’s an opportunity to speak your true voice in a big (read “scary”) situation such as a family discussion while debating a decision on care for parents or spouse, or a more frequent conversation about how you and your friend will spend the day, or travel on a vacation, speak your true voice. First, of course, you have to KNOW what you truly feel, what you want, and then, just share it. A tone used when delivering what may be an unpopular opinion can be important and you can temper that; what you can’t temper is the authenticity, the honesty of your words that express an opinion.

It’s your opinion, and truth, VERITAS, will always win. As Adrienne Rich shared, “In lying to others we end up lying to ourselves… Thus we lose faith even in our own lives.” Capture your truth, use your voice.

10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

INTERVIEWS FROM KEY WEST

Relationships 101: Mothers. Mass. Matchmaking Mayhem!

Kevin Assam kevin-assam@hotmail.com This is exactly the nonsensical advice your mother warned you about.

Following even one tenth of it is sure to lead to calamity and hilarity. So let’s push on!

Mother found some troll on an online dating site who I am fairly certain is gay. Mother used to sleep with a lot of the Broadway stars back in the day and inherited their prime theater seats. I think the troll is using her for that. How do I foil his plan?

Easy. Have her stop attending the theater shows with him for a while and instead enjoy the fine sights of one of the most heterosexual activities: NASCAR Racing. If he sticks around after a season’s worth of shows he either really likes cars or revealed the limitations of your gaydar.

I’m thinking of hiring a matchmaker. Yes, it’s that bad. Am I wasting money? How can they know me better than I know myself?

Things do not have to be bad for you to want a matchmaker. We outsource our tax filings, apartment searches, and even the cleanliness of our homes. You’re not wasting money.

However, your last point is important.

No one else will ever know you better than yourself unless you’re that transparent. The matchmaker must be made fully aware of your desires, peeves, and expectations. Think of them as a campaign manager for your electoral quest for love. They must know their candidate. You absolutely need to ask questions about their methods and past successes. Is there an internal database of private suitors who opt in to this program? Will your matchmaker just be trolling the usual suspect apps, which you can do yourself? Are they established community members that know where to go and who’s stable enough to be relationship oriented? Similar to choosing any consultant, you don’t have to be friends or even identify with who you ultimately hire. They just need to know their shit and always keep you in the loop.

I have been seeing my boyfriend for one month. I want to bring him to my die-hard Roman Catholic mother’s Sunday mass. Should I? Unlike Sunday lunch, church is another ball game where the only things on the menu are wafers, wine, and judgement. If your boyfriend is down to go and not a hostage, that shows ded-

ication on his part. Unless your mother is as chilled as mine, expect to be scrutinized in the house of the Lord. You might get stared and scowled at by the more conservative members. Use your mother as a human shield. And enjoy eating Christ — that is what the holy sacrament is all about.

Caught my girlfriend engaging in self pleasuring while watching various videos of Cersei from Game of Thrones. Why would she choose that specific character?

Cersei is essentially an incestuous murderous sociopath. I would immediately hire a private investigator to look into your hetero girlfriend’s interactions with her siblings and why she’s gone butch and latched on to the idea of a new tool shed. Cersei is also a cougar, so you better age up fast if you want any action.

I’ve been told a man should never enter a pool via the stairs. Why? Real men are supposed to saunter over to the pool’s edge, Cosmopolitan in hand, dip their pinky toe into the water to test the temperature, then dramatically shriek, and throw their beverage into the pool upon spotting a floating condom at the Memorial Day

splash down event. Entering a pool any other way than via the stairs forces you to consider everyone watching you and decide if you give two flying fooks about their assessment of your body.

There.

My boyfriend thought it would be hilarious to send my mother a bouquet of edible arrangements — all phallic in design! My mother received these intricately carved cucumbers, bananas, and figs at her Women’s Club and was mortified.

How do I smooth things over?

Explain to your mother that since your boyfriend is incapable of expressing appropriate acts of adoration with flowers, he will be doing so with a lovely dinner of her choice, where, surprise, his own mother will be waiting to rivet you all with tales of your boyfriend’s botched self-circumcision initiation at his college fraternity.

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.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 11

SNAP PAPARAZZI Narcissus AT NARCISSUS’ KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY AT MAG’S | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DWAIN & TRENT

12 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Pauly Cajun KEVIN LIMBERG’S 59TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AT CUTTER’S | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLENN PAUL MELANCON

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Pauly Cajun ERIC JOHNSON’S ANNUAL TOILETRY DRIVE BBQ FOR BELLE REVE AND LAZARUS HOUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLENN PAUL MELANCON

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 13

COMMUNITY VOICE

SMART Recovery: An Evidence-Based Self-Help Program Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org Since LGBT people are over-represented among those who struggle with addiction and compulsive behaviors, it’s a safe bet to assume that a sizeable number of those who are reading this article have either struggled with these problems or have friends who do. While 12-Step groups are ubiquitous (there are dozens of meetings every day in the New Orleans metro area alone), they are not always a good fit for every person. In this article, I will introduce you to a newer program that’s been growing across the country for the past 25 years called SMART Recovery. Several SMART groups have started recently in New Orleans and in other cities where Ambush is distributed.

Substance Abuse and Other Compulsive Behaviors in the LGBT Community LGBT people are more likely than their straight and cisgender peers to struggle with alcohol and substance use disorders, eating disorders, and with gambling, sex, and nicotine addictions. There is no one clear-cut reason for these disparities, but specialists have theorized that internalized stigma, lack of access to adequate health care, the gay bar scene, targeted ads from alcohol and nicotine companies are among the factors that increase the likelihood of substance abuse and other compulsive behaviors among LGBT people.

The 12-Step Model 12-Step recovery programs like Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA), Gamblers Anonymous (GA), and Overeaters Anonymous (OA) are by far the most common self-help

groups for people who struggle with these issues. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the first 12-Step program, and all 12-Step programs are essentially based on its tenets. The problem for many people who try these programs is that the language used there tends to be religious in nature. Participants are encouraged to admit that they are powerless to control their problem, and to recognize that a higher power (i.e., “God”) can help them recover. In the “Big Book” (Alcoholics Anonymous), the word “God” is mentioned on most pages, and it is customary for AA group members to pray aloud together (often holding hands in a circle) during the meetings.

This can drive away people in the LGBT community who have experienced religious trauma or who hold other beliefs, leaving them feeling like recovery is a hopeless prospect for them.

If you are looking for an LGBT-friendly 12-Step meeting, and the language of AA is not problematic for you, I recommend that you check out the Lambda Center, an LGBT friendly clubhouse which hosts AA, NA, and other 12-Step meetings. Unfortunately, their website is currently down, but you can likely pick up a meeting schedule on site at 628 Elysian Fields Ave. But if you are looking for a secular alternative, SMART Recovery may be a good fit for you.

SMART Recovery Self Management and Recovery Training (SMART) uses evidence-based tools and principles to help people overcome com-

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pulsive and self-destructive behaviors.

SMART uses a “four-point program” that consists of 1) Building and maintaining motivation, 2) Coping with urges, 3) Managing thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and 4) Living a balanced life. The evidence-based interventions used in this program are primarily based on rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that has been shown to be effective in the treatment and management of alcohol abuse, drug addiction, eating disorders, and other compulsive behaviors.

SMART meetings are free, although attendees can make small donations to help cover the group’s rent expenses. I should also note that many people who attend SMART meetings also attend 12-Step meetings, and vice versa.

SMART does not discourage anyone from using any tools or programs that they find useful for their recovery.

Structure of SMART Recovery Meetings Most SMART meetings follow this basic structure: A welcome statement and brief explanation of SMART, participant “check-ins” (basically, updating the group on your progress), and a solution-focused group discussion led by a moderator. The moderator may focus on one or more of the tools from SMART’s four-point program: Building and Maintaining Motivation Once a person has set foot inside any kind of support group, it’s a good sign that they have some degree of motivation to change, even if they are only contemplating recovery.

SMART uses tools like the Hierarchy of

Values (determining what is most important to you, and the kind of life you most want to lead) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (looking at the pros and cons of change vs. continuing the maladaptive behaviors) to help new participants build and maintain their motivation for change.

Coping with Urges For people who are just beginning their recovery journey, resisting urges to engage in their compulsive behaviors can seem incredibly difficult. SMART teaches participants to challenge irrational beliefs about their urges (e.g., “my urges are unbearable and will only stop when I give in to them”), identify their triggers (e.g., stressful situations, ads for alcohol or food, the smell of cigarette smoke, being in places where they’ve used drugs or around people who still do them). To get through these urges, SMART participants are encouraged to keep a written log of them. Inevitably, they will see that most urges pass after a few minutes, and over time the intensity and frequency of the urges diminish. In the meantime, SMART recommends that participants use strategies like avoiding triggers, distraction, coping statements, recalling negative consequences, picturing the future, and reaching out for social support.

Managing Thoughts, Feelings, and Emotions In this module, participants learn about the “ABC” Technique, a CBT-based strategy that helps people identify “activating events” that lead to urges, challenge irrational beliefs that lead to them engaging in the problem behaviors, and reframe their thinking in a more positive, rational way. The ABC Technique can also be used to cope with the difficult emotions that can threaten continued sobriety. Participants also learn other useful tools like the five steps of problem-solving and how to identify signs of imminent relapse: Living a Balanced Life SMART emphasizes that participants can create more life balance by understanding and respecting the various areas of their lives (including work, family, career, and health), and by finding strategies to change areas of their lives where they may be feeling stuck. Participants are encouraged to rediscover or find new “vitally absorbing creative interests (VACI).” VACI can include hobbies, volunteer work, continuing education, improving health through diet and exercise, finding supportive and fulfilling social groups, and developing new career paths that the person in recovery might explore.

For those who struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, SMART recommends

14 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

complete abstinence. Studies have shown that the number-one factor for continued success in sobriety is a commitment to completely avoiding drugs and alcohol. However, participants are not required to label themselves as “alcoholics” or “addicts.” In fact, SMART meetings do not use these kinds of labels, which can be stigmatizing and make some people feel discouraged or even hopeless.

Finding a SMART Meeting Near You There are currently three SMART meetings open to the public in New Orleans, and there are plans to begin more in the very near future. Below is information about SMART meetings

in cities where this magazine is available. (For more information on these, and SMART meetings in other locations, visit www.smartrecovery.org/local-meetings) New Orleans Mondays, 6:30PM, at the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation (4505 S. Claiborne Ave.) Wednesdays, 6:00PM, at Lake Wellness Center (3620 Chestnut St.) Saturdays, 4:00PM, at Imagine Recovery (728 Nashville Ave.) Baton Rouge Tuesdays, 5:30PM, at Unitarian

Church of Baton Rouge (8470 Goodwood Blvd.)

Biloxi Saturdays, 7:00PM, at 400 Veterans Ave. Gulfport Saturdays, 10:00AM, at 15094 County Barn Rd. Houston Thursdays, 7:00PM, at 401 Branard St. Lake Charles Wednesdays, 4:30PM, at 3501

Patrick St. Monroe Tuesdays, 11:00AM & 1:00PM, at 511 Bres Ave. I’d love to hear from you. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for other services, events, or initiatives that you’d like NOAGE to provide for the community? You can always reach me at info@noagenola.org. I also urge you to consider making an investment in your future by supporting NOAGE. www.noagenola.org/support

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY Southern Forum Magazine

Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Before the internet, in a time when queerness was still taboo, lesbian and gay (the term LGBTQIAA had not yet even been invented) news and information was primarily disseminated via word of mouth and through a few newspapers, magazines, and organizational newsletters. Most of these have gone the way of the dodo bird.

Ambush, of course, survives, but in the last half century, there were a handful of queer publications based in New Orleans: Sunflower, The Rooster, The Whiz, This Week Guide, Impact, and, in the mid-1990s, a magazine called Southern Forum. Old copies of these periodicals are priceless historical artifacts and in my capacity as President of the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, I am always on the lookout for them.

I was, therefore, thrilled when I recently came across a 1994 issue of Southern Forum. It was the one publication I had heard of but never seen.

The cover art, done by fabled artist George Dureau, captured my attention and made me eager to devour the contents.

Southern Forum was published by the R&R Publishing Group in New Orleans and had a circulation footprint from Houston to Little Rock to Fort Walton Beach. Edited by Kathleen K. Roth, Southern Forum had a staff that included Debbie A. Robichaux, Jim Drew, Leonard Earl Johnson, John L. Hulsey, Joan Ladnier, Lisa Remwolt, Craig A. Bialy, and Nina (Nikki) McMurray.

Not unexpectedly, the old magazine yielded a wealth of historical insights. In addition to national and international news, the magazine offered the following information that is not only interesting to people who lived through the 1990s and remember the people, places, and events listed in the magazine, but will also be useful to future researchers decades from now.

From the May 6, 1994 issue we

learn: • Southern Forum began in 1993 • Pride Fest ’94 was held in Washington Square Park • Newly elected Mayor appointed Judy Montz Director of Health Policy and Executive Assistant for AIDS Financing • Celebration, the annual Louisiana State Lesbian and Gay Conference, was held at Le Meridien on Canal Street • The Human Rights Campaign hosted its second annual fundraising gala • The N.O. Lesbian Avengers and the N.O. Alliance of Pride hosted Womyn’s Fest at Charlene’s Bar • Well drinks at the 4 Seasons were 75 cents during Happy Hour • The Hide-A-Way in Baton Rouge celebrated its 6th Anniversary • Ellen DeGeneres performed at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile • The 10th annual AIDS Candlelight Memorial was held at Woldenberg Park • The Lesbian and Gay Community Center hosted lesbian poetry readings • The 700 Club at Burgundy and St. Peter Streets was a grill called the The Sterling Club • Gulfport boasted a women’s beer bar called The Mongoose.

This kind of information may seem interesting, but not that significant to some. Nothing could be further from the truth. Details found in old periodicals, even the advertisements—things like names, dates, and addresses— are precisely what future researchers will be looking for. Microdetails matter; conversely, there is also great value in the “big picture” these publications provide. A quick overview of an issue of one of these old magazines gives the reader a general idea of what the rainbow milieu was like at the time of publication.

The real jackpot is having a com-

plete set of a publication’s run. To that end, archives are always looking for these “old bar rags.” In Louisiana, several archival repositories have made a concentrated effort to preserve these historical treasures. Among these are the Louisiana Research Collection, Amistad Research Center, Newcomb College Institute Archives, the New Orleans Public Library, L.S.U. Special Collections, and the Center for Louisiana Studies. Examples of the publications these institutions preserve include: The Zipper, Impact, Ambush,

The Rooster, The Whiz, This Week Guide, Sunflower, Distaff, Queen’s Quarterly, and BLK. The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is proud to have facilitated the donation of some of these materials and is always looking for more. If you have a box of old publications, or anything else that chronicles our history, please contact me so that we can discuss finding that material a permanent home where it will be properly preserved and accessible for future researchers.

WARREN J. WEISS NEW ORLEANS REALTOR C. (504) 82-6105 O. (504) 949-5400 WARREN@WARRENWEISSREALTOR.COM @WARRENWEISSREALESTATE

REALTOR ON DUTY HELPING YOU FIND YOUR NEW ORLEANS HOME OR RENTAL!

PROPERTY SALES, LEASING, & MANAGEMENT

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 15

BOOK REVIEW

The King of Bones and Ashes Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com

The King of Bones and Ashes. J.D. Horn. 47th North, 2018. 345 pages.

family to retain the power they covet.

While the other witches watch their reality unravel, in this story by bestselling novelist Horn, who, with his spouse Rich, splits his time between San Francisco and Palm Springs, young Alice For fans of Southern Gothic horror, Marin is using magic’s waning days The King of Bones and Ashes will to delve into the mystery of numerous provide a marvelous read. Essentially disappearances in a complex, family the occult circles drama, the story The novel, set in conof New Orleans. also involves a temporary New Orleans, Alice disappeared feud between two too—caged families—the Maopens with Hurricane Ka- once, in an asylum by rins, of the Chanrelatives. ticleer Coven of trina, but some of the char- blood Recently freed, witches, and the acters date back to the she fears her famSimeon-Perraults, ily may be more city’s founding. of Voodoo lininvolved with the eage. growing crisis than she ever dared The novel, set in contemporary imagine.

New Orleans, opens with Hurricane Yet the more she seeks the truth Katrina, but some of the characters about her family’s troubled history, the date back to the city’s founding. The more she realizes her already-fragile cast of characters impresses. psyche may be at risk. Discovering the In author J. D. Horn’s telling, magic cause of the vanishings, though, could is seeping out of the world, leaving the be the only way to escape her mothwitches who’ve relied on it for countless er’s reach while determining the future centuries increasingly hopeless. While of all witches. some see an inevitable end of their era, Horn’s tale is dark and captivating, others are courting madness—willing all the way to its beguiling ending. to sacrifice former allies, friends, and

MOVIE REVIEW

Avengers: Endgame

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com So I joined the ranks of the millions (if not billions) of people who went to see Avengers: Endgame for the opening weekend. Is it worth all the hype? From the bottom of my comic book loving, super hero-lusting, nerdy heart - Yes! This three hour epic put all other Superhero movies on notice and set the bar very high for all that follow.

So you hear that Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman? You guys need to bring it!

This film is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, and is the final film in the series and sequel to 2012’s The Avengers, 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Can you believe there has been 22 of them?

Avengers: Endgame is directed

by Anthony and Joe Russo, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson,

Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, and Josh Brolin. In the film, the surviving members of the Avengers and their allies work to reverse the damage caused by Thanos in Infinity War. This movie grabbed my attention from the opening and never let go till the closing credits. I loved everything about this movie, from the action-packed fight sequences to the tender moments between the characters.

The writing is quick, witty and sassy.

Robert Downey Jr. is back to his snappy Iron Man self albeit a little beaten up at the beginning of the movie.

Everyone plays to the camera expertly with Chris Hemsworth commanding most of the hilarious lines followed closely by Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Although I have to give it to Chris Evans, he does have America’s Ass. I just wish he would have shown it more.

The ladies had their moments; the final scene in the epic end battle when all the women come to together as one to fight Thanos is inspiring.

Is Avengers: Endgame perfect?

No there are a few plot holes (maybe more than a few), but they are easily overlooked. There are some tender moments as well as some downright tear-to-your-eye scenes. No spoilers but not everyone makes it through the battle.

This may be the last Avengers

movie in this series, but this movie sets up so many other possibilities. I am loving a Guardians of the Galaxy new movie with Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord teaming up with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. Now that is one sexy bromance!

I loved everything about this movie and in my opinion, Avengers: Endgame is America’s movie!

16 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Measles Impacting Vacation Travel Plans Chenier Reynolds-Montz Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana CReynolds@accesshealthla.org An estimated 41.5 million Americans are expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Even more will travel this summer. If your vacation plans include heading to a city or country where there’s a measles outbreak, you better take precaution. “Measles is a highly infectious virus,” says MarkAlain Déry, D.O., M.P.H. with Access Health Louisiana at the Pythian. “It’s transmitted through the air, so you literally breathe the virus into your body.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed individual cases of measles in 22 states. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the United States since 1994; measles was declared eliminated in 2000. “This is unprecedented, uncharted territory,” says Dr. Déry.

The CDC is linking many of these cases in the U.S. to travelers who brought measles back from other countries such as Israel, Ukraine, Japan, Brazil and the Philippines. These countries are experiencing large outbreaks which should cause concern for U.S. travelers.

The measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where an infected person coughed or sneezed.

Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, the CDC says that 90-percent of the people they are close to and around frequently who are not immune, will also become infected.

“If you’re unsure whether you are immune to measles or if you’ve been vaccinated in the past, it’s perfectly safe to get another dose of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine,” recommends Dr. Déry. For adults who have received an MMR vaccine in the past and want to see if their immune system is still protected against exposure to the measles, a simple blood test at your doctor’s office can give you the answer.

“I recently had a patient who would soon be traveling to a country with a measles outbreak. I checked the antibody level to see how much immunity to fight off the measles they had, and it was really low. I re-vaccinated as a precaution.” The CDC recommends teens and adults who have never been vaccinated for measles to get two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, ru-

bella) vaccine separated by at least 28 days.

Symptoms of measles start out as high fever, cough, runny nose and red watery eyes. Then two or three days later, the person will develop tiny white spots known as Koplik spots inside their mouth. Three to five days after exposure, the person will develop a skin rash. The rash usually starts at the hairline and spreads downward to the neck, arms, legs and feet. Infected people can spread measles from four days before symptoms surface until four days after the rash appears.

Dr. Déry says, “the measles vaccine is very effective, but it is important to remember that like any vaccine, it takes time to work.” After receiving the MMR vaccine, your body needs time to produce protective antibodies in response to the vaccine. People are usually fully protected after about two or three weeks of completing both doses.

Déry recommends “if you’re traveling internationally, you should plan to be fully vaccinated at least four weeks before you depart. If your trip is less than two weeks away and you’re not protected against measles, you should still see your physician to get at least one dose of MMR vaccine.”

The CDC is keeping a watchful eye on the measles outbreak in the U.S. to determine whether Americans who have had the MMR vaccine should be vaccinated again. So far, no recommendation has been made to the general public. Dr. Déry says, “we’re always concerned when there is an outbreak of this sort due to lack of vaccination.” If you’re not vaccinated, protect yourself and your loved ones and get vaccinated. For animal lovers, it’s important to know that your furry friend can’t spread measles or contract the dangerous virus.

Symptoms of measles start out as high fever, cough, runny nose and red watery eyes.

Dr. Déry in an exam room

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

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Gay Easter Parade PURPLE PARTY FUNDRAISER AT CROSSING | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBUSH MAGAZINE

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Gay Easter Parade PURPLE PARTY FUNDRAISER AT CROSSING | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBUSH MAGAZINE

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Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

Maison at Chez Diogo & Michael, future performances TBA

When a press release arrives offering “an evening roaming a private New Orleans residence, tasting dance-inspired dishes and experiencing immersive performances found in the home’s unique nooks and crannies”, I can’t resist. I’m a sucker for such shows especially when they involve food and the opportunity to mosey around someone’s actual home.

BODYART’s Maison certainly delivered what it promised.

Greeted outdoors by a violinist (Grace Booth) in a tree and personal guides who ask you probing questions about yourself (one of the few parts of the evening I could’ve done without), this “amuse-bouche” section was followed by the first course, in which the audience of just 12 people was broken into smaller groups that rotated through three appetizers/intimate dance pieces. Dinner was then followed by two separate performances that accompanied desserts in different parts of Diogo De Lima, a choreographer in his own

right, & Michael Hahn’s home in NOLA’s Marlyville-Fontainebleau neighborhood.

After an intermission of sorts, a larger audience enjoyed the dances in a more fluid, foodless presentation.

I was fortunate to attend on a beautiful spring evening which enhanced the already charming atmosphere of the residence’s patio/pool area.

Chef Cristina Mocodenu’s menu included such appetizers as Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleon, Liver Mousse Profiteroles, and Rock Shrimp Cones, and a main course of Steamed White Fish with Fresh Herbs in Parchment Paper Envelopes. Everything was absolutely delicious.

The choreography, with individual sections by Monica Payne, Leslie Scott, Darci Jens Fulcher and Michaela Cannon, ranged from pleasantly agreeable to more thoroughly gripping.

While all the performances, accompanied by live musicians on violin and/or piano, were highly accomplished, a pas de deux to the music of Satie, danced

by Sohalia & Andrew Doss, paired with a mango parfait dessert and set in a living room/sitting area, provided the

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Violinist Grace Booth welcomes people to Maison on Fontainebleau Drive most dramatically involving portion of Maison.

Throughout the evening, there were some lovely moments (Derek Jones’ passage along the top of a brick wall adjacent to the pool, part of a larger piece, stood out), both for all to see and more intimate, occasionally improvised ones for audiences of just two or three in those promised “nooks and crannies.” Taken as a whole, however, the five segments never fully congealed into one entire piece. Perhaps it’s unfair to ask a creative work to be something it doesn’t necessarily set out to be, but Maison seems to have so much potential to be even more than it already is.

Given that the home essentially becomes a character unto itself in the overall piece, we miss some sort of thread that would connect all the individual performances. For example we see Polanco Jones, Jr. run screaming through a window into the patio; what we don’t get is any larger sense as to why this occurs.

Still, on a weather-perfect evening in a fabulous home on Fontainebleau Drive with yummy food and plentiful wine, it’s hard to complain. And, in fairness to Maison’s creators, the crowd for the somewhat less structured second half didn’t seem too concerned with such narratives, but simply relished what was on display.

Maison may not be as filling as

one could hope, but it still provided all sorts of tasty fare. If this sounds like the type of evening you would appreciate, then by all means keep your eyes open for future BODYART offerings.

KindHumanKind at the Contemporary Arts Center

Critically acclaimed New Orleans musician Aurora Nealand recently teamed up with Goat in the Road Productions (GRP) to create a staged concert based on her self released album, KindHumanKind, Director Chris Kaminstein created a series of visually gorgeous tableaus that fluidly segued from one song into the next in ever-surprising ways. Joshua Courtney lit each number with his customary brilliance. Jebney Lewis’ set took full advantage of the CAC’s warehouse space with the utmost of resourcefulness as one locale dissolved into another with cinematic gracefulness.

Nealand’s compositions were musically engrossing, yet their arrangements used an often too similar, somewhat overdone, almost droning approach; the last two numbers stood out for their pleasing simplicity.

Despite the best efforts of the cast (free feral, Tiffany Lamson, Alexis Marceaux, and Nealand), however, it was difficult to understand all, or even

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

most, of Nealand’s lyrics. If you came to the show not familiar with the KindHumanKind album, as I did, it could be a somewhat frustrating experience, the result being that the show was more like a series of discrete “live” videos (yeah, Kaminstein & Co.’s staging was that cool) rather than a whole (similar to Maison).

Still, the wildly imaginative approach and superb staging made KindHumanKind well worth seeing.

Let’s hope there’ll be such future collaborations, perhaps next time with subtitles.

Curtains Up

It’s New Year’s Eve and Carlos, the lone survivor of a catastrophic border crossing, discovers Piper, fleeing her cushy, consumption-fueled life by camping in a dumpster. He is an undocumented Mexican in the United States. She has abandoned everything to embark on a transformational journey. Will Carlos help Piper escape the American Dream he nearly died for?

To find out, head to the Fortress of Lushington (2215 Burgundy St.) where Kimberly Kaye and Edward Carter Simon will be starring in Dos Coyotes by Arja Opprecht from May 10 through 25 with previews May 8 and 9 at 8:00pm each evening. There’ll be a post-show discussion following the May 18 performance.

“Uncle” Wayne Daigrepont appears at Andrea’s (3100 19th Street) in Metry Friday, May 10, and Thursday, May 23, from 8:00 till 11:00pm where he’ll be tinkling the ivories. If you come, he promises you’ll “catch some catastrophic surprizes.”

Trey Ming wants to introduce you to Fiona Flawless, a “breathtaking drag queen, talented chanteuse, and...admitted murderess.”

In Ming’s new dark comedy drag musical The Night Fiona Flawless Went Mad, after turning herself in for a double homicide, Fiona and her psychiatrist dive through convoluted memories in search of that pivotal moment when her Flawless mind disconnected from sanity--the night she went mad.

The show will explore issues of Queer identity, loneliness, and the reclamation of self-love.

The Night Fiona Flawless Went Mad plays May 17-20 at 9:00pm at The Twilight Room (in back of the AllWays Lounge, 2240 Saint Claude Ave.) and stars Dede Onassis, Dane Baxter, Remy Dee and Ming himself.

On May 24 (8:00pm) and 25 (2:00pm) at The Orpheum Theater (129 Roosevelt Way), New Orleans Ballet Theatre (NOBT) will bring to life a new production of the timeless fulllength ballet Cinderella.

Premiering with NOBT in the leading roles of Cinderella and Prince are Gabriela Mesa and Fabian Morales, principal dancers with Dimensions

The cast of KindHumanKind Dance Theatre of Miami. NOBT dancer Felicia McPhee returns to the stage in the role of the Fairy Godmother, and a select group of talented local children will join the professional dancers of NOBT for the production.

The folks at Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS) promise that comedy will hit a high note in the new musical How to Kill a Diva, a farcical romp that exposes the hilarious secrets backstage at a theatre as a maestro of a financially failing opera house battles a diabolical diva and a homicidal cast to mount a company-saving production. Is it any wonder that everything is likely to go wrong?

How to Kill a Diva features music

by Glyn Bailey, who won acclaim for his musical Scandalous! presented by JPAS in 2009. The book for Diva is

by Bailey in collaboration with Wesley Payne and Ricki Holmes. The show opens on Friday, May 24, at the Westwego Performing Arts Theatre (177 Sala Avenue). Performances will be on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30pm and on Sundays at 2:00pm. The final performance will be Sunday, June 9.

The Broadway musical Come From Away, the true story of the small Canadian town that welcomed the world in the aftermath of 9/11, will make its New Orleans debut at the Saenger Theatre Tuesday, May 28, through Sunday, June 2.

The Tony-winning show tells how a small town in Newfoundland welcomed 7,000 stranded passengers after the horrific events in New York City changed the world and flight plans.

Cultures clashed and nerves ran high,

but uneasiness turned into trust and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Wish that would happen more often these days.

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

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED, CCS COVERS AREA SPORTS ON THE HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE & PRO LEVELS WITH A KEEN EYE TOWARD PROVIDING THE NEWS & ANALYSIS YOU WANT. crescentcitysports.com facebook.com/ccsdaily @ccsdaily @ccsprep

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 Untitled-5 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 21 1 6/1/18 1:01 PM

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT

Beauregard-Keyes House Opposite the old Ursuline Convent on Chartres Street in the French Quarter stands the Beauregard-Keyes House, former home of the late author Frances Parkinson Keyes. Keyes established the Keyes Foundation, which now owns The House, to ensure its preservation as well as the garden which she had restored. Since the construction of the House in 1826, many different residents have contributed to the stories that make up the fabric of this unique historical site.

Architect Francois Correjolles built this Greek-Revival house for a wealthy auctioneer by the name of Joseph Le Carpentier. Both architect and owner had immigrated to New Orleans from St. Domingue after the slave uprising on that island in the 1790s.

Le Carpentier’s daughter, Louise Therese Felicite Thelcide Le Carpentier married Michel Alonzo Morphy, a prominent attorney and, from 18391846, a judge on the Louisiana Supreme Court. Their son, Paul Morphy, would grow up to become a world chess champion.

In 1833 Le Carpentier sold the house to John Ami Merle who later became the Swiss Consul to New Orle-

ans. His wife, Anais Merle designed the House’s first parterre garden. When Mrs. Merle passed away in 1847, she was buried in the Girod Street Cemetery. In 1957, that same cemetery was famously destroyed to make way for the construction of the Superdome. By a stroke of good fortune, the inscribed slab from Mrs. Merle’s tomb was salvaged and given to Mrs. Keyes who mounted it on the wall of the restored Beauregard-Keyes House garden where it can still be seen today.

Josephine Laveau Trudeau, the widow of Bernard Noel (Manuel) Andry, purchased the House from the creditors of John A. Merle in 1841.

When Madame Andry acquired it, the property also included the corner area where Mrs. Merle had begun to develop the parterre garden, which Madame Andry and her daughter continued to maintain and improve. Following her death, Madame Andry’s daughter and her husband inherited the house and continued to live there until the end of the Civil War. Enslaved people of African descent lived at the Beauregard-Keyes House from the time it was built until 1864, when the Louisiana state consti-

tution abolished slavery following the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

They lived in the second story of the quarters behind the house (which still stands today) and worked in the kitchen and courtyard below. Because enslaved people were rarely taught to read or write, far too little is known about their personal thoughts and experiences while living here.

Despite the home’s namesake, General P.G.T. Beauregard never actually owned 1113 Chartres; however upon his return from the Civil War in late 1865 he, along with his two sons, rented the entire house from Dominique Lanata. His second wife, Caroline Deslonde, passed away while he was away at war and her family mansion on Esplanade Avenue, which the two had shared prior to the war, was sold at auction by her heirs.

In 1904 the Lanata heirs sold the house to Corrado Giacona. The Giacona family were successful wine and liquor merchants from Sicily, and operated a wholesale liquor business in the House as Giacona & Co. The Giacona’s made the local newspaper when a murder occurred on the site. The Giaconas’ success was threatened by threats of violence from a band of local extortionists. Sensationalized reporting referred to them as the ‘Black Hand’, an early iteration of what is known today as the Mafia.

After receiving several letters demanding money, Pietro Giacona invited four of the men who had threatened him over for dinner. The men reportedly drank a generous amount of wine and would not leave despite being asked to do so, according to neighbor testimony. At two o’clock in the morning the situation escalated; Pietro and Corrado wound up shooting the men on the back gallery. Three of them were killed on the spot; the fourth fled the scene

and was later found by police and taken to the hospital.

Pietro and Corrado were initially charged, but the case was dismissed on grounds of self-defense in 1910, with many well-known Italians voicing their support for the Giaconas’ actions.

The family continued to live in and run their business out of the house until they sold it in 1925 and relocated to Esplanade Avenue.

The House, by then suffering from severe disrepair, was saved from destruction when it was purchased in 1926 by the well-known New Orleans architect General Allison Owen. Owen, for example, replaced the badly rotted wood columns on the front portico with the present ones of concrete.

Gen. Owen’s purchase of the house also allowed for the organization of what came to be called “Beauregard House, Inc.”, its hoped-for purpose being to preserve and restore the house as a memorial to Gen. Beauregard; these plans were not successful, however, and for several years, the house was partly occupied by Warrington House, a shelter for homeless men, and by Alcoholics Anonymous. Only a few repairs were made during this period, but enough to keep the house from falling to complete ruin.

Acclaimed novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes then purchased the home in 1945. With the help of Architect Sam Wilson, Mrs. Keyes undertook the restoration of the House; the Keyes Foundation has maintained the House as a museum since her death in 1970.

Guided tours of the Beauregard-Keyes House are available every day except Sunday. The home is open from 10:00am to 3:00pm. The tours are 45 minutes and offered every hour on the hour.

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22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS You’ve inherited an IRA. Now what?

Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com Receiving a sizable inheritance can make a significant difference in a person’s financial life. If you find yourself in the position of inheriting an individual retirement account (IRA), it may have added value in the form of tax advantages. The tax rules and considerations of IRAs vary based on whether you are a spouse or non-spouse beneficiary, and if it’s a traditional or Roth IRA. While there are complexities to the rules you should explore, here are some basic guidelines to follow: When a spouse inherits an IRA If your husband or wife passes and leaves their traditional IRA, you have several options for how to manage the inheritance: Take ownership of the account.

If you become the owner, you may contribute money on a tax-deferred basis to the account annually and adjust the investments to ensure the IRA aligns with your risk tolerance and financial goals. When you own the account, you are required to take a minimum distribution starting at age 70-1/2. Withdrawals prior to age 59-1/2 will incur a 10 percent tax penalty unless an exception applies.

Roll the money into your IRA or a qualified employer plan. If you move the inherited money into another retirement account, the earnings will continue to grow on a tax-deferred basis. Once you do so, you will be able to make changes to the investment selections to align with your time horizon and goals. Additional fees may apply to roll over the money, so review the decision with a financial advisor. If you need to withdraw money and have yet to reach age 59-1/2, you will pay income taxes on withdrawals, in addition to a 10 percent tax penalty (unless an exception applies). Once you reach age 59-1/2, you will no longer incur the tax penalty.

Remain the beneficiary. Choosing to remain the beneficiary may allow you to tap IRA assets prior to age 59-1/2 without incurring a tax penalty, but you will be subject to required minimum distributions each year. After turning 59-1/2, you will have the option to claim the account as your own or roll the money into your own IRA or another qualified plan as described in options one and two above.

If you inherit a Roth IRA, you may be able to take advantage of tax-free

withdrawals. Required distribution rules at age 70-1/2 do not apply to Roth IRAs. When a non-spouse inherits an IRA You will have less flexibility if you inherit an IRA from somebody who is not your spouse. However, you will have the ability to stretch the IRA to generate income over several decades through how you manage distributions from the investments. The key is to ensure compliance with tax laws.

After the account owner’s death, you must rename the account, listed with the original owner’s name and date of death, followed by, “for the benefit of (name of beneficiary).” This will allow you to calculate required distributions based on your own life expectancy. No early withdrawal penalty is due, but if you inherit a traditional IRA, you must take distributions annually (calculated from a formula provided by the IRS) and pay the applicable taxes. Note that even with inherited Roth IRAs, a nonspouse beneficiary is required to take annual distributions.

Make the most of the opportunity

The primary benefit of inheriting an IRA (compared to most other types of assets) is that the money works in a tax-advantaged account. While you may choose to tap into assets today, leaving the money untouched may allow you to benefit from tax-deferred growth of your investment earnings for years to come.

Depending on the age at which you inherit the IRA, it may grow into an important source of retirement income later in life. Consult a financial advisor and tax professional to make sure you take the proper steps to avoid any mistakes and unnecessary taxes.

Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA®, is a Financial Advisor with Waterfront Wealth Management, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He specializes in addressing the unique needs of the diverse LGBTQ community, fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies, and has been in practice for 11 years.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 23

CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY

Celebrate Mom on May 12 The day that was first celebrated in 1908 by Anna Jarvis, is now an international holiday where we honor our mother of the family.

If you are looking for ways to celbrate mom, check out one of these fun filled events taking place in New Orleans.

Mother’s Day Celebration at The Audubon Zoo 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Performances from Irma Thomas & the Professionals and Cha Wa, food, specula animal presentations, kid-friendly activities, and more. Free admission for mom.

Mother’s Day Brunch at the Audubon Tea Room 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM Included are complimentary “Momosa”, live entertainment, and a decadent buffet. Advance tickets only audubonnatureinstitute.org Audubon Clubhouse Mother’s Day Brunch 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Enjoy a creative brunch menu and cocktails in a historic Acadian style Clubhouse under century old oak trees. Call (504) 212-5227 to make a reservation.

Brunch at the Roosevelt Have brunch in the most elegant ballroom in New Orleans. Live music and a buffet of traditional New Orleans Favorites Call for reservations (504)335-3129 5th Annual Mother’s day Flower Pop Up & Brunch 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Clouet Garden Flowers from 7 different local flower farms, brunch, music, botanical cocktails and more.

Contemporary Arts Center If your mom is an art lover, a free trip to the museum doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Admission to the Contemporary Art Center is free for Louisiana residents on Sundays.

Gospel Brunch at The House of Blues 10:00 AM Ticket price includes the buffet, live gospel show, tax, tip, and non-alcoholic beverages. Call for reservations (504) 310-4990 Cajun Brunch & Dance Tigermen Den 11:00AM - 3:00 PM Dance Lessons, homemade bites from Bywater Bakery and more. Suggested donation at the door, but kids and dogs get in free.

Mother’s Day Buffet at Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street 10:00AM - 3:00PM Buffet, live Jazz music, and build your own ice cream bar, plus arts & crafts for the kids.

Mother’s Day Bubbly Brunch 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Brunch cruise includes buffet and bottomless sparkling wine and mimosas.

Mother’s day Brunch at the NOPSI Hotel 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Includes brunch, bloody mary’s and mimosas Mother’s Day Brunch at Couvant New Orleans 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM www.couvant.com

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Gay Easter Parade 18TH ANNUAL STAR STUDDED EXTRAVAGANZA AT OZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBUSH MAGAZINE

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 25

ALL THAT DRAG Weekly Drag Shows in New Orleans

MONDAY

Mondays Are A Drag - 8PM - Southern Rep Theater A weekly spectacle hosted by Reba Douglas, Latonia Dupree Black, and Malaysia P.J. Walker.

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

Misc4Misc - 9PM - Oz New Orleans A weird and wonderful show presented by Apostrophe & Slenderella 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 impersonations

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 - 10:30PM - The Bourbon Pub The Queens of Illuisons offer up superstar female impersonations

SUNDAY

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

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@pambushpublishing.com

Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com There is a saying that “days go slow and years fly by.” Those are no truer words than in the Crescent City.

Can you believe we are already in May? WTF, where did my year go?

The other saying is “Time flies when you are having fun,” another true statement in this city. These two weeks were all about Easter celebrations, music, food, flamingos and of course a little Endgame!

Easter week was filled with excitement for me starting on Monday when I joined the New Orleans Advocates for LGBT Elders (NOAGE) weekly walking group. The group that has grown in popularity meets every Monday at 6:15 p.m. at Audubon Park to walk around the track. It is a healthy way to meet people and you get about two miles worth of Fitbit steps in. This week had a lot pf people exercising curiously knowing that there would be an abundance of Easter candy consumed. And the park is a gorgeous place to walk with lots of beautiful sights like trees, ponds, flowers, ducks and hot college guys running shirtless.

Now that’s worth looping the track a few times for.

Easter weekend was filled with events all leading up to the finale which is the Easter Parade. On Friday, I hosted the 10th Annual Bunnies in the Big Easy. This elegant cocktail reception was held at The Sheraton New Orleans and sponsored by One Marriott.

One Marriott was started in 2010.

This Associate Network was cultivated to serve as a voice for LGBTQ associates and their allies, as well as to create a supportive network for a community that had no formal representation before within the company.Marriott is consistently recognized by the Human Rights Campaign as a 100 percent scorer on the Corporate Equality Index and one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.”

The evening was fabulous and consisted of delicious food by the Sheraton, inspired themed desserts

by Food for Friends, music, dancing, an open bar, a live auction, raffles and sexy bunny boys. Highlighting the event were drag performances by the four top representatives of our gay holidays in NOLA - Countess C. Alice for Southern Decadence; Rikki Redd for Pride; Monica Sinclaire Kennedy for Mardi Gras/King Cake Queen, and Regina Adams (our current Easter Grand Marshal) for Easter. Each of these ladies had the audiences on their feet dancing with some fabulous numbers.

Highlighting the event was a beautiful speech by Jesse Hernandez, the

first male Sensation. I had an opportunity to meet Jesse and he is simply lovely. He was gracious, professional and took time to meet and speak with all the guests. What a wonderful representative for the LGBT community and one paving roads since it seems now we have two more male cheerleaders joining him for the upcoming season.

Also stopping by to say hello and pose for some pictures was gay porn star Silver Steele. Now we really did put the Good back into Friday this year.

Last year the L”egg”acy Awards were created for those individuals who have worked tirelessly to make this event a huge success. This year Gary Toulouse (or Tittie) was honored for 17 years of tireless service. He was a former Grand Marshal, past Board member and one of the hardest working fundraisers for the cause.

These days very few things surprise me, but I have to say my fellow board members of the Gay Easter Parade and the sponsor of the event Ambush Magazine did just that. I was given the other award and it caught me completely off guard. A tear or two may have even flowed from these tired eyes. Thank you to everyone who allowed and trusted me with the honor to represent the Gay Easter Parade. And a huge thank you to all who attended the event and made it a wildly successful fete. I love hosting Bunnies, it is truly one of the highlights of my year.

The following day was the Marigny Bunny Hop. Starting at Mags 940 and ending at The Phoenix, this outlandish bar crawl visited several watering holes in this hip neighborhood. We had an overabundance of unique bonnets this year making judging difficult. At each stop, a bonnet is awarded a prize based on different categories such as butchest, sissiest, sassiest, or tallest bonnet. I sponsor one of the awards called “Life of the Hop” and this year Beaux and Barrett Delong Church won it for their creativity and dedication to the event every year. I even won one of the bonnets - “The Butchest Bonnet” for my Carrot Mohawk--can you imagine me butch?! This event is always a good time and a great way to get you into the Easter Spirit, One could feel the spirit of Rip and Marsha Naquin Delain in the air Easter morning. We had amazingly gorgeous weather (actually for the entire weekend). Easter was finally here and I hosted my annual brunch at Casa Leggio (my house) in the afternoon with lots of champagne, open bar, food and good friends. I had a crowded house as guests got ready for the big parade.

I started this brunch ten years ago

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

when I was honored as Easter Grand Marshal and it has been a tradition ever since. It’s an opportunity for me to show my friends and family how much they mean to me. As we all know this life is short; as I write this, someone I know in his fifties died unexpectedly a few days ago of a heart attack. We do not know how much time we have on this Earth, so I find that having this gathering regularly allows me to gather around the people who mean so much to me.

The parade itself was amazing.

There had to have been record-breaking crowds this year. Normally there are areas during the route that do not have many people, but not this year.

Every spot along the parade was filled with cheering people celebrating the holiday. It was so nice to see all the families and members of the LGBT community standing together as one.

If that is the theme or takeaway from this entire weekend it is that we are all ONE. So please remember to love and treat people accordingly, because we are all connected.

The following week was all about the music and food. I started on Thursday by going to dinner for the first time at Jack Rose on St. Charles Avenue.

Jack Rose is the newest concept from QED Hospitality in New Orleans’ historic Pontchartrain Hotel. The culinary crown of the hotel, alongside Hot Tin, Bayou Bar and the Silver Whistle Cafe, Jack Rose brings an eclectic and fun dining experience to the Gar-

den District. In keeping with the building’s homage to the Pontchartrain’s connection with Tennessee Williams, the name is inspired by his play The Rose Tattoo. The restaurant features menu items that are a mix of New Orleans’ Italian, French and Spanish dishes. The menu is beautiful as are their cocktails and a wine list that skews towards bubbles.

We started the night with my favorite part of the menu, a chambong. It is exactly what you think it is--champagne you drink out of a specifically designed bong. Good stuff. The entire menu was delicious from appetizer (beef tartare) to dessert (the famous mile high pie). If you have not been yet, it definitely needs to be on your radar for an authentic fine-dining experience in NOLA. Next, it was all about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. My friends and I started our adventure by stopping at the home of the lovely Valerie Landry and her Flamingo A Go Go party. One of the two houses located on the actual Fairgrounds, she hosts a party every day of Jazzfest for friends to have a few cocktails and food before going into the festival. It is so much fun some people don’t even go into the festival. The party is all about flamingos, so pink is the palette color. I even enjoyed a flaming which is a shot out of an upside down lawn flamingo with holes cut out of its underside and beak.

I sense a theme beginning with me this weekend. Strange.

NEW TO NEW ORLEANS

Streetcar in the Stacks

Robert W Fiesler wordbobby@gmail.com Uprooting to New Orleans with my be bothered there as I took a middle husband has exposed us to a series seat and read in the only way there is of ecstatic, poetic and quite personal to read: alone. revelations. It’s a city, I found, where I don’t remember how I’d get to queer folk who’ve experienced sad Nichols other than being driven in the childhoods often “come round right” minivan by my mother on lucky weekand become their best selves in ways nights and some weekends. As far as I that seem predestined. can recall, no librarian took a personal I grew up in a Chicago suburb interest in me. But, then again, neither steeped in Christian fundamentalist did most teachers. Nope, no book-sagthinking. For a closeted gay child like es nurtured the odd duckling, though I myself trying to evade detection, librardid love what they loved: the smell of ies were oases of the imagination— ink and paper. endless aisles where creativity could Being raised of the middle class, walk alone and listen for the echoes indoctrinated in a middle-class ethos, of voices hid in books. Like a beautiyou’re told that the most important thing ful, empty church of the mind. The only is to be admired in public; the opportukind of church I appreciated. nity to be alone, however, in a bookish At Nichols Library in Naperville, Ildaydream on a decorative streetcar – linois in the 1990s there was a boxy old even a self I’d been taught to dislike streetcar they’d taken off tracks and – was a relief. Sitting there, I could go hauled indoors. They called it a “Chilplaces no one would notice. I would dren’s Reading Station.” The seats take rides no one could see. I flew in a were wide, wooden and bedecked in great glass elevator to Terebithia, saw burlap pillows. It was an old thing in an where the wild things were. I’d think of upper class suburb that preferred new a real place where real streetcars rang. things - new cars, stainless steel apPouring myself into pages, I could pliances, etc. - and I usually would not feel my brain sprouting new ideas, just

Once inside Jazzfest, I do my annual things. Shop in the Contemporary Art area and buy a piece from this fabulous local artist Cathy Rose whose works I’ve collected. Then, enjoy some crawfish bread and cracklings before making my way to the Miller tent to enjoy the music on the Acura Stage.

This year the headliner was pop sweetheart Katy Perry. Now I have seen Katy in concert and she is fabulous and although I thought her songs with the Soul Rebels were good and her outfits were on point, I found her just mediocre. Maybe it was the horrible sound, because the sound was great for everyone else, so not sure what happened to her, but it was not on point.

Katy Perry aside, I have now fallen in love with Hurray for the Riff Raff.

The band is from New Orleans and was formed by Alynda Segarra, a singer-songwriter from the Bronx in New York, after she moved to New Orleans in 2007. The band has several albums with Small Town Heroes (2014) and The Navigator (2017) being the most recent.

It was another great opening weekend and splendid weather. After Saturday’s Fest we went to Bill Trapp and Rob Sanford’s post-Jazzfest soiree.

They had lots of food to keep people happy until the traffic died down. Their home is gorgeous with an open floor plan perfect for hosting events and a very nice courtyard. It was the perfect way to spend some time with friends,

before calling it a day.

Sunday was all about the Avengers. My friends and I were among those people giving Marvel billions (I mean seriously billions) of dollars for their opening weekend. This movie broke all kinds of box office records--crazy. That is why every actor under the sun was in this movie because they wanted to get paid. I am almost sure that the next Marvel will have Miss Meryl Streep starring in it.

Oscar contender films very rarely pay the bills. Fook their craft, my behind mama needs a yacht. Anyway, you can read my review of the movie elsewhere in this issue.

Later that evening, I attended Misti and Katherine Gaither’s Flashback Through the Decades fundraiser for NOAGE. What a fun event! It had some of the city’s top performers doing numbers starting with current ones and then going back every decade all the way to the 50’s. The city is lucky to have so many talented people willing to give their time and money to help great causes. Thanks and acknowledgement should go out to these fine people. As always Misti and Kat put on a wonderful show for the guests and raised some money for this noteworthy cause.

Until next column, keep the party flame burning bright.

as my peers sprouted athletic abilities and outgrew their shoe sizes. I was a kid said to live in his own head, and no adult bothered to inquire about that inner universe—because mine was a community where living inside your head was also considered a weakness.

It was a place that valued “smartness,” or using your brain to win admiration and command authority, rather than “intelligence,” or a mind that glimmers as a beautiful thing, independently.

I had not been my fate to meet a “friend of the mind” back then, at least not a mentor who would have mercy for me in a library. Still, I had books. Some may bristle at my recollection of librarians brushing me aside, but adults in mentorship positions, especially scholars behind desks, tend to assign favorites by betting on the horses they think will go the farthest and make them proudest. In a world where one thing builds on another, one reading level on another, one test on the next, we do make human wagers. But what of us who go unnoticed because we do not – or, in my case, knew not how to – display the gifts that would attract those who would advocate for us?

They’ve long since removed the old streetcar from Nichols, as I discovered recently on a visit home. It was hauled away in a remodeling job without even an article in the local newspaper. When

I inquired about it, the librarian on staff looked at me strangely. “A streetcar in here?” she said with disbelief. A part of me wonders if it ever really existed.

It’s only here and now, miles away from growing up lonely and afraid, that I truly appreciate how that boy from Naperville could grow to be a gay writer in New Orleans, a city where streetcars still ring. Curiously, I write books in the Historic New Orleans Collection research library and ride the St. Charles streetcar for inspiration, which I find daily. I think the St. Charles streetcar might be my favorite place in the world.

I bump into countless “friends of the mind” on a regular walk down Royal Street. Minds glimmer here as beautiful things, often unapplied towards “success ventures” or the acquisition of worldly trappings. Is the past just a foreshadowing mechanism in this magnetic place? It’s a twist of fate fit for a good children’s story. And I get the sense I’m not the only one who feels this way.

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

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

He lives with his husband and dog in New Orleans.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 27

UNDER THE GAYDAR

New Orleans Hot Happenings

Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com April showers may bring May flowers but it also brings lots of parties and events, As we start our journey towards summer; enjoy the fabulous weather and all the excitement. Pride and Southern Decadence are just around the corner, so get ready because the year is heating up. Here are a few hot happenings to fill up your calendar. (If you have a fundraiser, party, show or event coming up and would like to be listed in the calendar, please email me at ledgemgp@gmail.com).

WEEKLY EVENTS EVERYDAY

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

Happy Hour: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal Street.; 7 days a week from 8 a.m - 8 p.m.

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.

777 Happy Hour: Kajun’s Pub; 2556 St. Claude Avenue; 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Kajun’s Karaoke: Kajun’s Pub; 2556 St. Claude Avenue; Karaoke from 5 p.m. until.

MONDAY

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

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

S.I.N. Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; Starting at 9 p.m.

Come drink with Ashlee. Get your SIN card and receive $2.50 canned beer.

Pool Tournament: Rawhide 2010; 740 Burgundy St.; 9:45 p.m. $2 PBR and $50 gift certificate for Rawhide Lazy Susan Karaoke: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Join bartender Mark and a revolving cast of drag queen hostesses for LAZY SUSAN KARAOKE with Music

by DJ Lucius Riley. Mondays are a

drag, so make them fabulous and sing the night away.

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

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

Meet for the walk/run at Audubon Park by the Magazine Street entrance parking lot. This will be a weekly event for walkers and the Stonewall Run Club will join every 3 weeks. This group is for ALL fitness levels, and you can go at your own pace. Whether that’s running, jogging, leisurely walking, or using a wheelchair or walker, this group is for you. If you are worried that you’ll be left behind, don’t worry; someone will walk with you. If you are the fastest person there, we’ll see you at the finish line. If you need assistance or have questions, call Jim at (504) 228-6778.

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.

Underwear Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; starting at 9 p.m. The Eagle now is

open EVERY Monday night. Happy Hour prices if you’re in your underwear.

Doors open at 9 p.m. and NO COVER. S.I.N.: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 1 a.m - 4 a.m. 2 for 1 drinks.

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

Well, Domestic, and Wine.

TUESDAY

Tequila Tuesdays: Crossing; 439 Dauphine St.; (all day) Tequila drinks $5.

Kocktail Karaoke: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., Join us at Good Friends Bar for Kocktail Karaoke. The winner gets a $25.00 bar tab. $5 Fireball.

Country Dance Lessons: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 8 p.m.

Tuesdays are Country Dance lessons with the Big Easy Stompers from 8 - 11 p.m.

Bourbon Boylesque: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 8:00 p.m. See the Men of Oz like you have never seen them before. The show stars Atomyc Adonis, Bobby B, Franky, Phathoms

28 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About with Tony Leggio AT TONY’S PERSONAL PARTY ON EASTER SUNDAY

AT BILL AND ROB’S AFTER JAZZ FEST PARTY | PHOTOS COURTESY OF TONY LEGGIO

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 29

Deep and other special guests. Hosted

by Trixie Minx.

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

Tunes Tuesday: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. Free Jukebox credits with a $4 drink purchase.

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

Happy Hour All day and Night: 700 Club; 700 Burgundy; 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Every week on Tuesday from 9:00 PM to 2:00 AM the next day.

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

Burlesque Bingo with Lefty Lucy: The AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Loose Hellfire presents their free weekly grown-up game show where everyone’s a winner! There is NO COVER for this sexy and silly game. Just buy a drink from the bar & Tsarina Hellfire will give you a Bingo Card! Each round winner gets a

BUCKET of prizes including exclusive prints & a grand finale prize from Abita Brewing Company! Just for showing up you get to enjoy the free BURLESQUE side of this unique game! Between every round, Lefty Lucy performs an improvised striptease to a song the crowd selects, removing only one item per round—Don’t miss your chance to win the finale prize, and to see the tassels twirl!

Trivia: Cutter’s; 706 Franklin Avenue; 7:30 p.m. Join your host, bartender and local music legend Johnny Sketch, at 7:30. 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!

WEDNESDAY

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

Kafe Karaoke: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – midnight. $25.00 Bar tab and Free Shots & Givea-ways with Happy Hour All Day. Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 10:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana

Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean.

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

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

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

Video Game Night: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 8:30 p.m. midnight; The bar is doing Video Game Night starting at 9 p.m. Come and compete for prizes and Grab some Drinks.

Movies in the Courtyard: Flamingo A-Go-Go; 869 Magazine Street; Double-feature movie nights. Showtimes 7pm and 9:30pm Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

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

Girl | Crush: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. Girl | Crush is brings you a weekly event for girls who like girls, and their friends! This flavor

of CRUSH entitled DTF is exclusive to New Orleans’ #1 Dance Club, Oz and happens every Thursday night.

The Jeff D Comedy Cabaret: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 10 p.m. The Comedy Cabaret stars Jeff D. featuring Gia Giavanni. Enjoy hilarious comedians, amazing talent and the Ladies of Oz. Strip Off: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; Midnight. Persana Shoulders hosts the Strip Off every Thursday night. Sign up begins at 11 p.m. and the show features a spotlight performance by Miss Gay Louisiana America 2013 Mercedes Ellis Loreal. Winners receive 1st PLACE - $100 Cash • 2nd PLACE - $50 Bar tab Prime Time Trivia: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; starts at 9 p.m. Come out and enjoy trivia with great prizes with your host Honey Bee. Retro Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; starts at 10 p.m. Enjoy drink special from 10 p.m. to midnight and the best hits from the 80’s and 90’s.

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

Ru Paul’s Drag Race Viewing Party with Laveau Contraire: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Avenue; 8 p.m.

Are you ready for Season 11? Rupaul’s got a fresh crop of queens competing for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and we’re going to be watching each episode at 2019’s Best Karaoke

30 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

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

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

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 31

Bar Kajuns Pub! There will be giving lots of FREE swag with the purchase of one of our DRINK SPECIALS.

FRIDAY

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

Play Girlz: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. Drag show featuring Gia GiaVanni and special guests.

New Meat Amateur Dance Contest: Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 6:30 p.m. Anyone can enter - $100 cash prize.

Fireball Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; Open to close. $4 Fireball Shots.

Take It Off Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway; 5 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Includes $2.50 domestic beers and $3 well drinks from 5 - 9 p.m.; $15 drink and drown from 9 - 11 p.m. all well cocktails; and Underwear Party with free well. Cocktails for those who strip down to their underwear from midnight to 12:30 a.m.

Misc4Misc: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 9 p.m. Enjoy this wonderfully weird drag show hosted every week by Apostrophe. Cover is $5.

Late Night Happy Hour: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Avenue; 10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. Come by and get to know Executive Chef Marlon Alexander and

sushi and vegan Chef Kelseay Dukae during their late night happy hours.

They look forward to serving you some delicious drink specials and amazing food from our kitchen. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

Beat The Clock; 700 Club; 700 Burgundy; 5 - 9 p.m. Well Drinks: 5 PM - 6 PM $1.50, 6 PM - 7 PM $2.00, 7 PM - 8 PM $2.50, 8 PM - 9 PM $3.00 Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

SATURDAY

Music of Vanessa Carr Kennedy; Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Enjoy songstress Vanessa as she sings some of the tops hits of yesterday and today.

Divas R Us; Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 - 11:30 p.m. This wonderful drag show directed by Monica Sinclaire Kennedy includes a special guests stars.

Piano Bar with Trey Ming; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 4 – 7 p.m. Sing along with your favorite songs with talented piano player Trey Ming.

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

Late Night Happy Hour: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Avenue; 10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. Come by and get to know Executive Chef Marlon Alexander and sushi and vegan Chef Kelseay Dukae during their late night happy hours.

They look forward to serving you some delicious drink specials and amazing food from our kitchen. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Queer Meditation: Mid City Zen; 3248 Castiglione Street; 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.

SUNDAY

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.

The Original Trash Disco: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 410 p.m. Includes the original napkin toss and the best music videos to sing along with.

You Better Sing Karaoke: GrandPre’s; 834 North Rampart St.; 7 p.m.

Join DJ Dereesha as he plays Kara-

oke.

The Half Assed-Straight Boys: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 3 - 5 p.m.

Jubilee: Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 5 p.m. This Sunday Funday show stars Reba Douglas and special guests.

Zingo: Corner Pocket; 640 St. Louis St.; 6:30 p.m. Play Bingo followed by the Barry BareAss Dancer of the Week Contest.

Oz Show Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9:30 p.m. This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; ChiChi Rodriquez and Dominique DeLorean.

Drink Drown and Drag: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 6 - 9 p.m.

Sunday Funday upstairs at The Parade. $15 Drink and Drown from 6 – 9 p.m. with a star studded drag show starting at 8 p.m.

Sunday Worship: Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans (MCCNO); 5401 S. Claiborne Ave; 10:00 a.m. New Orleans first LGBTQ church welcomes you to join us for our Sunday worship service where they celebrate God’s Love for everyone.

Drag Dingo: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 6 - 8 p.m. Catch ChiChi Rodriquez, Persana Shoulders for Drag Bingo! 11 games of Bingo, 11 chances to win prizes! All the fun starts at 6 pm till 8 pm in their upstairs bar

32 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

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

OPENING HOURS

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

ADDRESS 800 Bourbon Street New Orleans, LA Phone: (504) 593-9491 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 33

with your favorite bottom, Jake, slinging drinks for you all night long.

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Street; 11 a.m.

For tickets, go to www.crunola.com.

Vanessa Carr Presents Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch featuring an amazing menu from Chef Marlon Alexander and awesome entertainment! Come celebrate with the phenomenal talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy and Friends!

Divas at the Dive: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave; 5 p.m. Vanessa Carr LIve. 6:30 p.m. Drag Karaoke. 8 p.m. Audience Karaoke Drink and Drown: 700 Club; 700 Burgundy Street; 5 - 8 p.m. Unlimited well drinks, Bud Light and Miller Lite draft $10 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.

Sunday Swing: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 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.

SPECIAL EVENTS WEDNESDAY 5/8

The Transiberian Nightmare Meme Queens: Siberia Lounge; 2227 St. Claude Avenue; 8:30 p.m. - midnight. Come jump on the Transiberian Nightmare. Featuring FATSY CLINE, NICKI NICOLAI, SEDUSAH, and SELENE! And as always, hosted by ST!NK and Carina von Tuna.

Crescent City Leathermen Monthly General Membership Meeting: The New Orleans Eagle, upstairs at The Phoenix,;941 Elysian Fields Avenue; 7:30 -9 p.m. Meeting Open to the Public and all are welcome to attend.

THURSDAY 5/9

Femme Night - Music, Comedy, Burlesque & Pop-up Market; The Allways Lounge; 2240 bSt. Claude Avenue; 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. Join your Host Tsarina Magalena Hellfire for an evening celebrating all things Femme! $7 at the Door; Doors @ 7p.m. / Show @ 9p.m.

Honor Thy Mother - A Divine Tribute: Ace Hotel; 600 Carondelet Street; 9 p.m. - midnight. HONOR THY MOTHER PRESENTS a tribute to the TRASH QUEEN herself - Divine. Honor Thy Mother is back at 3 Keys at Ace Hotel and we are ready to bring you comedy, tons of make-up and so much more. The cast includes host Franky Canga with Tarah Cards, Puddin’ Tain, CeCe V DeMenthe, Mary Boy Mary C. Peck, Dede Onassis and Trey Bien.

FRIDAY 5/10

Project Lazarus Annual Guardian Angel Award Gala 2019: Ace Hotel New Orleans; 600 Carondelet; 6:30 9:30 p.m. Please join Project Lazarus as they honor and celebrate our newest Guardian Angels: Laura Fine and the group of Michael McIntosh, Robert Lucky, Jason Allen and Khanh Ho. We will also celebrate our co-founder, Fr. Paul Desrosiers. Featuring a cocktail hour, 3-course dinner, award ceremony, and high-end silent & live auction.

Black tie optional. For tickets, go to www.projectlazarus.net.

The Graduates: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 10 p.m. A monthly show featuring students and graduates of The New Orleans School of Burlesque!! Each show will feature current and past students who are ready to show you what they’ve got! Doors at 10 p.m.. Show at 11 p.m..; $10 cover.

Pride Prom NOLA: Hyatt Regency Hotel; 601 Loyola Avenue; 8 p.m.

- midnight. LGBTQ+ youths between 16 and 20 are invited free to attend.

Guest performance by Big Freedia, sounds by DJ Brice Nice and fabulous food. RSVP to attend at pridepromnola2019.eventbrite.com.

Lords of Leather Mr. Louisiana Leather IML Send Off Beer Bust: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields; 9 p.m.

ERIC BANVILLE Mr. Louisiana Leather 2019 is heading to The International Mr. Leather Contest in Chicago, Illinois Memorial Day Weekend. Tips will be accepted of course, and, all donations will go to Eric! $5 buy-in with $1 refills for beer and sodas! there’ll be nibbles and shots, etc., all to support Eric on his trip.

SATURDAY 5/11

Dykes Do Deadlifts: Vitality by Kristin; 4304 Firestone Road; 11 a.m.

We’re partnering with the creators of Dykes Do again to bring you Dykes Do Deadlifts! A space for queer women to get our pump on in a judgement-free zone. This event’s proceeds will benefit BreakOUT! Don’t let the words “deadlift” freak you out. Dykes Do Deadlifts, and all programming at Vitality, is first-timer friendly.

2nd Annual Halfway to Halloween New Orleans Bar Crawl; 2 - 5 p.m. For the route and more information, go to https://togetherwenola.com/halloween/ events/2nd-annual-halfway-to-hnobar-crawl. Are you missing Halloween? Here is your chance to wear that costume from the back of your closet for an afternoon of fun. Come celebrate Halloween a little early this year with our 2nd Annual Halfway to HNO Bar Crawl. We’ll make our way through the French Quarter hitting all the favorite spots along the way.. At our last stop we will raffle off a HOST pass. Costumes are not mandatory but highly

encouraged. We’re having a costume contest and will announce the winners at the end of the crawl. The fee is $20 until May 10th and $25 on the day of the event. Everyone will receive a special Halfway to HNO cup that will allow you to get all the drink specials along the route. Everyone 21+ is welcome to join.

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Artisan Cafe; 2514 St. Claude Avenue; 11 a.m. Vanessa Carr Presents Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch at Artisan Cafe featuring an amazing menu and awesome entertainment! Come celebrate with the phenomenal talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy and Friends! Make your reservation at www.eventbrite. com.

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

Cruising Into Summer: 221 Oakmont Drive; 3 - 7 p.m. Krewe of Stars is hosting its annual Sail into Summer pool party at Co-Captain Carl Mack’s home. Members attend free. Members, please RSVP at Eventbrite and non-members it’s a great time to become a member or get a ticket and come to the party. Tickets $20 for non-members or buy a membership and come for free.

Southern Decadence 2019 Press and Sponsorship Party: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 6 - 9 p.m.

Find out the official theme, colors, song, charities, and sponsors. Grand Marshals William Antill & Countess C Alice will be announcing their entourages and unveiling the 2019 Southern Decadence Poster. $10 door donation; $50 VIP table of 4. (contact William or Countess on Facebook for table reservations).

Glitter and Be Gay: Ernst Cafe; 600 S. Peters Street; 7 - 9 p.m. Come out to the krewe of Armeinius’ annual fundraiser that offers, food, open champagne bar and silent auction. For tickets go to armeinius.ticketleap.com.

Lana O’ Day’s Birthday Bash presented by the Ladies of VavaVoom: The Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Lana O’Day is turning another year older so come celebrate at The Four Seasons Bar in Metairie! The show stars Taze-ya Ballz, Alexa Milano, Vida Carlton, Zaquisha Spice, and the birthday gal herself... Lana O’Day. NO COVER.

34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

CROSSING

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

HAPPY HOUR DAILY 7 AM – 9 PM OPENING HOURS 7 AM – 1:30 AM ADDRESS 439 Dauphine Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 523-4517 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 35

TUESDAY 5/14

Boys Wanna Be Her: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 8 10 p.m. The massive hit Boys Wanna Be Her is BACK BITCH. They are featuring an incredible cast of all non-male performers including some recent draguates of the New Orleans Drag Workshop and more drag kings than you can shake a dick at! Hosted by: Squirt Reynolds and featuring: Tarah Cards; Titibaby; Nathan Lane Bryant; Lash Wednesday; Justin Betweener; Holden Doves and Maryboy. Doors at 7 PM; Show at 8 PM; Cover $10.

THURSDAY 5/16

FlamBOYant: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 8 10 p.m. FlamBOYant, the hottest show in town, is headed back to The Allways Lounge. Come see flamBOYs Danny Girl, Expecta Patrone and other special guests as they show off their sexy flamBOYant talents. Hosted by the outrageously weird and sexy Atomyc Adonis.

FRIDAY 5/17 – MONDAY 5/20

The Night Fiona Flawless Went Mad; The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; THE NIGHT FIONA FLAWLESS WENT MAD is a Dark

Comedy Drag Musical by Trey Ming.

Meet Fiona Flawless. Breathtaking drag queen. Talented chanteuse. Admitted murderess. After turning herself in for a double homicide, Fiona and her psychiatrist dive through convoluted memories in search of that pivotal moment when her Flawless mind disconnected from sanity…the night she went mad. May 17, 18, 19, and 20 - 9:00 PM. General Admission $20.VIP Table-for-Two with Bottle Service $100.

For tickets, go to www.slottedspoonproductions.com.

FRIDAY 5/17

Mixer with ALGBTIC: 701 Loyola Avenue; 1 - 2:30 p.m. The Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC) of Louisiana welcomes counselors & counselor educators to join us for a casual networking event!

We’ll have some items for discussion as well as some snacks and coffee to perk up your afternoon. Free 2 hour parking. This event is inclusive of all developmental stages of experience; we encourage counselors and counselor educators who are experts in the LGBTQ+ counseling field as well as counseling professionals who seek to learn more and develop competencies in this area of practice. To attend, RSVP by sending: Name and place of work to connect2algbtic@gmail.com.

SATURDAY 5/18

A Leather Exchange Event: The Friendly Bar; 2301 Charters Street; 12 - 4 p.m. The Mystic Krewe of The Lords of Leather, in association with the Crescent City Leathermen and NOLA PaH, present A “Leather Exchange” Sales Event. Used Gear for Sale or Consignment (for reduced prices).

Items may include Leather, Neoprene, Latex, Rubber, Silicone Gear. Bar vests, harnesses, shorts, pants, wrist and arm cuffs, cock rings, tit clamps, pump cylinders, floggers, paddles, silicone masks, hats, codpieces, etc.

Want to donate items? A percentage goes to the Lords and your Krewe. Or Consign items. A percentage goes to you, your Krewe, and the Lords. Send an email to RickWorth222@gmail.com with “Leather Exchange” in the subject line.

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

Johnny Passion’s Circus of the Stars: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon Street; 7 - 9 p.m. Last Breath Productions presents Johnny Passion ‘ s Circus of the Stars 3 for Belle Reve. Join Johnny and friends as they us present an exciting evening of entertainment for their 3rd annual fund raiser for Belle Reve. Doors open at 6pm; $10.00 cover; VIP table that will seat 4 for $100.00.

Dirty Dime Peepshow: The Allways Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Avenue; 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. The Dirty Dime Peepshow is the most outlandish burlesque show in all of New Orleans.

The corps cast consists of The Lady Lucerne, Vinsantos, and Bunny Love.

The Dirty Dime provides a platform for performers from New Orleans and beyond offering raw, dirty, and boundary-busting burlesque. Featuring:Ben Wisdom, Bella Blue, Tarah Cards and more! 11pm doors. Midnight show.. $15 cover at the door.

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.

SUNDAY 5/19

Crawfish Boil for B.E.A.R.: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart Street; 12 - 4 p.m. What a great way to spend Sunday afternoon hanging out on the patio with friends and eating crawfish for a good cause. Join Crawfish Lisa (ChefLove Iyee) and support Big Easy Animal Rescue. Cover is $10.00. Drink Specials and Marco will be playing our favorite music from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Queer in the park: City Park; Starts at 1 p.m. Come on out to a pot luck style picnic!! Bring all your queers!

Park near City Putt and you will see where all the fun is.

Krewe of Pygmalion Float Rush Party: The Crossing; 2 - 4 pm. Come meet members of the McCord float in the Pygmalion parade. We are a co-Ed LGBT welcoming Krewe work our 21 St Annual parade on February, 15, 2020 on the uptown route after Sparta.

MONDAY 5/20

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

Join us for some fun and excitement with bingo and prizes and, to top it all off, some outrageous drag.

THURSDAY 5/23 – SUNDAY 5/26

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

THURSDAY 5/23

Ben Smith Fete: Felicity Church; 1220 Felicity Street; 6 - 9 p.m. Join the ACLU of Louisiana for their Ben Smith Fête! This will be an evening of fantastic of food, drinks and entertainment as we celebrate those who are leading liberty forward in our state. Mrs. Sybil Morial, a community activist, will be honored with the 42nd Ben Smith Award, named for one of our founders and given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of civil liberties in Louisiana. The Ben Smith Fête features a Patron Party with specialty drinks and food, followed by an award ceremony and more merriment at Felicity Church.

For tickets, go to action.aclu.org.

SATURDAY 5/25

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

Join the BIG EASY SISTERS for their bi-monthly Bingo. B There will be drink specials, bingo and fabulous prizes with all proceeds going to local charities.

SUNDAY 5/26

Drag Brunch with the Ladies of VaVaVoom: The Pythian Market; 234 Loyola Avenue; 12 - 2 p.m. Join the ladies of VaVaVoom for their monthly Drag Brunch at Pythian Market. This performance will feature Taze-Ya Ballz, Gia GiaVanni & Lana O’Day. Coca Mesa will be hosting this fun show and it will also feature DJ Senator KEN. No reservations required.

36 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Along the Gulf South BATON ROUGE MONDAY

THE ROUNDUP 560 E Heinberg St

TUESDAY

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

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

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

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

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

FRIDAY

Drag Bingo with Monica Heart; 6 p.m.

- 8 p.m. Win cash and prizes

GALVESTON

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY

LAFAYETTE

Mobile Hot Happenings WEEKLY AT FLIP SIDE

WEEKLY AT B-BOB’S

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

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

Gay Bar BINGO 9:30 & 11PM

MONDAY

THURSDAY

Service Industry Night

Amateur Drag Night 11PM

TUESDAY

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

Karaoke

WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

THURSDAY

1706 23rd Street

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Tube-ular Tuesday with Jim 8pm

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

Funday with Karaoke

23RD ST. STATION

Texas Hold ‘Em 7pm

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

UNDER THE GAYDAR

Karaoke

SATURDAY SEC Football

Midnight Drag Show

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

WEDNESDAY

BOLT BAR & PATIO 114 McKinley St

Ladies Night w/ Piano 6pm

THURSDAY

Movie Night with Chris 8pm

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

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.

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY Drag Bingo & Show

SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY Karaoke 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

THURSDAY

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

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

PENSACOLA www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 37

LGBT Owned & Friendly Business Directory

bars

Ambush Magazine is growing!

Join Our Team!

Freelance & Contributing Writers Photographers Distribution Ad Sales

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

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

CORNER POCKET, 940 St. Louis, 568.9829, CornerPocket.NET COUNTRY CLUB, 634 Louisa St., TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM, 945.0742 CUTTER’S, 706 Franklin, 948.4200 CROSSING (formerly THE DOUBLE PLAY), 439 Dauphine, 523.4517 THE FRIENDLY BAR, 2301 Chartres, 943.8929 GOLDEN LANTERN, 1239 Royal, 529.2860, Facebook.COM/GoldenLanternBar Good Friends Bar, 740 Dauphine St, 566.7191, GoodFriendsBar.COM. Designed for a casual night out or a quiet evening with that special someone, we offer a wide selection of liquor, beer, and the world renowned Separator.

GRANDPRE’S, 834 N. Rampart St., 267.3615, Facebook.com/grandpres KAJUN’S PUB, 2256 St. Claude Ave., 947.3735, KajunPub.COM MAG’S 940, 940 Elysian Fields Ave., 948.1888 NAPOLEON’S ITCH, 734 Bourbon St., 237-4144 OZ NEW ORLEANS, 800 Bourbon, 593.9491, OzNewOrleans. COM THE PAGE, 542 N. Rampart St., 875.4976 PHOENIX/EAGLE, 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264, www.phoenixbarnola.com Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St., 525.8106, Rawhide2010.COM. Leather, Dark Rooms, & Bears All Around. You can feel the throb of excitement and smell it in the air. This isn’t just a bar. This is an experience!

TROPICAL ISLE: Home of the Hand Grenade, 721 Bourbon St., 529.4109, TropicalIsle.COM VALIANT THEATRE AND LOUNGE, 6621 St. Claude Ave., Arabi, LA, 504.900.1743 Slidell, LA [985] BILLY’S, 2600 Hwy. 190 West, 847.1921

Biloxi, MS [228] CLUB VEAUX, 834 Howard Ave., 207.3271

bookstores

New Orleans, LA [504] FAB - Faubourg Marigny Art & Books, 600 Frenchmen St., 947.3700

circuit/events

Easter Sunday, April 11, 2018, 19th Official Gay Easter Parade, New Orleans, sponsored by Ambush, GayEasterParade. com

costumes

New Orleans, LA [504] QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633

galleries

New Orleans, LA [504] CASSELL-BERGEN GALLERY, 1305 Decatur St., cassellbergengallery.com, 504.524.0671

guides

AMBUSH Mag, 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137; 504.522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; marsha@ripandmarsha.com

groceries/delis

New Orleans, LA [504] QUARTERMASTER DELI, THE NELLIE DELI, 1100 Bourbon, 529.1416

hair salons

New Orleans, LA [504] Two Guys Cutting Hair, 2372 St. Claude Ave., Suite 125, appointments: Adikus 215.519.5030, Trent 504.239.2397

hardware

New Orleans, LA [504] MARY’S FRENCH QUARTER HARDWARE, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465. More than just a hardware store, Mary’s Ace French Quarter Hardware also features an extensive selection of kitchen and bath items upstairs.

accommodations

New Orleans [504] AARON INGRAM HAUS, 1012 Elysian Fields, New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE: 504.949.3110, www.ingramhaus.com/xqey, e-mail us at ingramhaus@yahoo.com.

Condos with queen-size beds, private entrances; located only six blocks from Bourbon Street and walking distance to most New Orleans attractions. Several favorite bars are within one block. [0118] BLUES60 GUEST HOUSE, 1008 Elysian Fields Ave. New Orleans, LA 70117, Phone: 1.504.324.4311, www.blues60guesthouse.com, info@blues60guesthouse.com. The Blue60 Guest House with 5 suites provides a peaceful retreat in the center of the Faubourg Marigny, just blocks from the French Quarter and Frenchman St. [1115] BURGUNDY BED AND BREAKFAST, 2513 Burgundy St., New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE/FAX: 504.942.1463, Toll Free (Continental US only): 1.800.970.2153, www.theburgundy.com, E-mail us at theburgundy@cox.net. Gay owned and operated in newly renovated 1890’s double. Four guest rooms with private baths, guests’ parlor and “half-kitchen”, courtyard and half-open tubhouse with spa (hot tub/ whirlpool). Clothing optional in sunbathing and hot tub area. Walking distance to French Quarter. Immediate vicinity of gay and lesbian bars/venues. [0815] The french quarter guest houses, 1005

38 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

St. Peter, New Orleans, LA 70116, Phone: 1.800.367.5858, FrenchQuarterGuestHouses.com, email: Info@frenchquarterguesthouses.com. Four meticulously restored boutique inns located in the heart of the French Quarter’s most popular LGBT neighborhood. Each building’s individual character and charm provides an unforgettable authentic French Quarter experience!

media

New Orleans, LA [504] AMBUSH Mag, Official Gay Easter Parade Guide, Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide, Official Gay New Orleans Guide, Official Gulf South Guide, Official Pride Guide, Official Southern Decadence Guide, P.O. Box 2587, LaPlace, LA 70069, 522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; email: info@ambushpublishing.com

organizations

FOOD FOR FRIENDS, 504.821.2601 ext. 254 FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE MARDI GRAS (FNBMG), 504.319.8261, www.fridaynightbeforemardigras.com GAY APPRECIATION AWARDS, 828A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049; AmbushMag.COM/GAA GAY EASTER PARADE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, info@ gayeasterparade.com, GayEasterParade.

COM GAY MARDI GRAS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM GAY NEW ORLEANS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayNewOrleans.COM HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance Region Two, Inc.), 4550 North Blvd. Ste. 250, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, 225.927.1269, www. haartinc.org, offers a complete continuum of care to people living with HIV/AIDS including housing, primary care, medications, case management, and an array of supportive services. In addition HAART provides HIV prevention education and FREE testing to the Baton Rouge area.

HALLOWEEN IN NEW ORLEANS, INC., PO Box 52171, 70152-2171; HalloweenNewOrleans.COM KREWE OF AMON-RA, PO Box 7033, Metairie, LA 70010, KreweOfAmonRa. COM KREWE OF ARMEINIUS, 433 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119, www. armeinius.org KREWE OF MWINDO, PO Box 51031, 70156; 913.5791, KreweOfMwindo.ORG, krewe@kreweofmwindo.org KREWE OF NARCISSUS, PO Box 3832, New Orleans, LA 70177. Contact: 504.228.9441 KREWE OF PETRONIUS, PO Box 1102, Kenner, LA. 70063-1102, www. kreweofpetroius.net KREWE OF QUEENATEENAS / KING CAKE QUEEN ROYALTY CLUB, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM/KCQ LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana,

1308 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504.475.7911, www.lgbtarchivesla.org MYSTIC KREWE OF LORDS OF LEATHER, 1000 Bourbon St #B415, New Orleans, LA 70116, www.lordsofleather.org MYSTIC KREWE OF SATYRICON, 2443 Halsey Ave., New Orleans, LA 70114, 504.906.7990 Todd J. Blauvelt / Secretary, krewe.of.satyricon@gmail.com, MysticKreweOfSatyricon.COM NO/AIDS TASK FORCE, 2601 Tulane Ave., Suite 500, 70119; 504.821.2601; NOAIDSTaskForce.COM NEW ORLEANS PRIDE, info@neworleanspridefestival.com; 504.321.6006; NewOrleansPrideFestival.COM; NOLAPride.

ORG; New Orleans Pride fully embraces the message of “One CommUNITY” as we celebrate our history and promote the future prosperity of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region. We use public awareness and education about the LGBT+ community as a way to combat “phobias” and discrimination. Our programs, seminars and events leading up to, and during Pride weekend, are meant to include individuals from all walks of life.

RENEGADE BEARS OF LOUISIANA, PO Box 3083, New Orleans, LA 70177; renegadebearsoflouisiana@gmail.com SOUTHERN DECADENCE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, SouthernDecadence.COM ST. ANNA’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1313 Esplanade Avenue New Orleans, LA 70116 504.947.2121, stannanola.org Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans (MCCNO), 5401 S. Claiborne Ave — Pastor Alisan Rowland: New Orleans first LGBTQ church welcomes you to join us for our weekly Sunday worship services at 10:00 AM, where we celebrate God’s Love for everyone.

CRESCENT CITY LEATHERMEN, c/o The Phoenix Bar Complex, 941 Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70117, ccl@crescentcityleathermen.com, www. crescentcityleathermen.org.

pharmacy

Mumfrey’s Pharmacy, 1021 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 70043, 504.279.6312, www.MumfreysPharmacy.COM. Supporting & serving the LGBT Community for over 20 years. Local pharmacy offering personalized family-like service, automatic refills & free metro wide confidential pickup & delivery. Also offering shipping for out-side our delivery area.

When you call us you speak to a person, not a machine. See our ad.

photography

New Orleans, LA [504] GRAHAM/STUDIO ONE NEW ORLEANS, by appointment, grahamstudioone. com

restaurants

op.com New Orleans, LA [504] The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, 577.2237, www.bombayclubneworleans. com Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard, 819 Rue Conti, 581.3866, http://broussards.com Cafe Sbisa, 1011 Decatur St., 522.5565, www.cafesbisanola.com Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude Ave., 265.0045, www.TheCheezyCajun.com Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., 598.1010, www.CloverGrill.com. Since 1939, our quirky, cozy, unique diner has been home to the best breakfasts & burgers on Bourbon Street–maybe even the whole French Quarter!

Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., www.TheCountryClubNewOrleans. com, 945.0742 Gene’s Po-Boys & Daquiris, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 943.3861, www.genespoboys.com Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 947.8341, www.Facebook.com/ILYSBistro Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres St. 598.5005, www.KinfishNewOrleans.com Louisiana Pizza Kitchen Uptown, 615 S Carrollton Ave, 866-5900, www.louisianapizzakitchenuptown.com Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., 522.6746 Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans, 523.1930, www.OrleansGrapevine.com Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. , 529.1416, www.QuartermasterDeli.net Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal St., 528.2601, www.RoyalHouseRestau-

rant.com

real estate

New Orleans, LA [504] Engel & Völkers New Orleans, Michael Styles, Realtor — Michael specializes in helping first-time homebuyers and real estate investors find the perfect New Orleans properties. 504.777.1773, NolaStyles.com Latter & Blum, Steven Richards Realtor, 504.258.1800, SteveRichardsProperties.com

retail/shopping

New Orleans, LA [504] BOURBON PRIDE, 909 Bourbon, 566.1570 COK (Clothing or Kinkl), 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264 MARY’S FRENCH QUARTER KITCHEN & BATH, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465 QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633 XXXSHOP, 1835 N. Rampart St., 504.232.3063

services

New Orleans, LA [504] Formal Connection, 299 Belle Terre Blvd. LaPlace, LA, 985.652.1195

theatres

New Orleans, LA [504] CAFE ISTANBUL, 2372 St. Claude Ave., #140, 504.974.0786, CafeIstanbulNOLA.COM

tours

New Orleans, LA [504] Gay New Orleans Walking Tour, Crescent City Tour Booking Agency, (LGBT Business of the Year) 638 St. Ann St., 568.0717. follow Gay New Orleans Walking Tour @ Facebook.COM

LGBT+ Archives Project OF LOUISIANA

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

FINAL - Ambush ad - 5 x 2.9375.indd 1

GENE’S PO BOYS & ILY’S BISTRO

Metairie, LA [504] Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., 835.2022, GumboSt-

1040 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE. NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117

GENE’S: 504-943-3861 ILY’S: 504-947-8341

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

Email Ambush sales@ambushpublishing.com

11/16/18 7:25 PM

CORNER OF ST. CLAUDE AVE & ELYSIAN FIELDS

NOW ON

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · May 7 Untitled-6 – 20, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com 39 1 6/1/18 12:49· PM

WORD SEARCH

Gay Easter Parade Grand Marshals since 2000

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

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

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.

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40 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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Saints draft well despite limited picks Al Dupoy, Crescent City Sports The New Orleans Saints saw the player they targeted and traded up to get him. Twice, in fact.

To take Texas A&M center Eric McCoy, moving up boldly in round two this year cost next year’s second round selection but to my surprise the Saints obtained a fourth round pick in this draft. I think that move was key to their 2019 draft efforts.

McCoy is a probable starter at the center position. He ran the fastest 40 yard time by an offensive lineman at the combine (4.89) and did 29 reps on the bench. He’s a great leader and fine athlete.

Fluid and agile for a big man, McCoy generates movement at the point of attack. He can get to the second level. Quick off the snap, the three-year college starter fires out and plays with good leverage. McCoy does well going against linebackers in space. He paved the way for A&M running back Trayveon Williams, the SEC’s leading rusher this past season. McCoy was also named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts in the seven overtime epic against LSU. Getting the fourth round pick from Miami in the McCoy deal allowed New Orleans to draft a much needed safety who is more than that, in fact. Florida

junior Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will be expected to compete for snaps right away.

With only three safeties on the roster – Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams and Chris Banjo – ahead of him, Johnson should see playing time and also be a contributor on special teams. He really came on in the 2018 season with nine tackles for loss and 2 interceptions. He has speed and quickness with pass coverage skills to play the slot and in space. Gardner Johnson will also come up in run support. Versatile enough to get a look as a nickel cornerback, he was named MVP of the most recent Peach Bowl against Michigan.

With their sixth round choice, the Saints went for another safety, Saquan Hampton from Rutgers. He should be a solid special teams player at first, having shown those skills in college.

Hampton has pass coverage skills he was asked to use often even though he is seen as a strong safety, which is why he can also play in the box against the run.

An experienced fifth year senior, Hampton came up with three interceptions in his senior season. He missed time as a junior with a shoulder injury but came back to play a full senior season in 2018. Hampton also helped him-

self by running a solid 4.48 time at the NFL Combine.

Alize Mack out of Notre Dame was the top rated tight end prospect n the country coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He really did not live up to that rating in South Bend, but like LSU, the Irish did not throw much to the tight end. As a junior in 2018, Mack had 36 catches with three for touchdowns. He missed time as a sophomore due to an academic suspension and sat out Notre Dame’s Citrus Bowl win against LSU. I think Mack will be a better pro then college player. He has fine size and speed (4.68). A better receiver than in-line blocker at this time, he can cause mismatches at the pro level.

Smooth and fluid with strong hands, Mack can run past linebackers and stretch the field. A solid selection in round seven, Mack may be a fine fit in the Saints offense.

With their second selection in the seventh round, the Saints finished their draft with Kaden Elliss, a linebacker (and more) from Idaho. He is the son of former Pro-Bowl player Luther Elliss, who serves on Odaho’s coaching staff currently.

The younger Elliss shows promise as an edge stand-up pass rusher from his linebacker position. He is not as effective as a run defender, however.

He will have to play special teams at first and as a situational pass rusher but he could see the field as well as a coverage linebacker thanks to his good hands (he also played some on offense in college) and overal range.

Eliss managed seven sacks as a senior.

With the addition of signing some undrafted free agents including some I had rated fairly high, the Saints have added a lot of depth to their roster while being aggressive during the draft.

Saints stick to draft philosophy: If you covet a player, go get them Les East, Crescent City Sports Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (#23) during Florida’s game against South Carolina on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. (UAA Communications photo by Matt Stamey).

METAIRIE – The New Orleans Saints liked Erik McCoy so they traded up in the second round of the NFL Draft to get him Friday.

They liked Florida safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson so they traded up in the fourth round to get him early Saturday.

“If you like a player, go get him,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Saturday afternoon at the conclusion of the three-day draft. “It’s calculated and when you have the opportunity to go get a player you covet, you go get them. That’s our philosophy and it has been a successful formula for us.”

The Saints didn’t make any more trades before adding Rutgers safety Saquan Hampton in the sixth round or both Notre Dame tight end Alize’ Mack and Idaho linebacker Kaden Elliss in the seventh round.

Loomis said the Saints, who entered the draft with just one pick in the first 167 selections, wound up with three players – McCoy, Gardner-Johnson and Hampton – ranked among their top 70.

They dipped into next year’s assets to send their second-round pick to Miami in the deal that brought in McCoy. But, coach Sean Payton said,

they’re hopeful that it’ll wind of being a “later second” because of another deep playoff run next season.

New Orleans has traded up 16 times in the past 13 drafts – including nine deals involving picks in future years.

This was the third consecutive year that the Saints traded a future pick in the top two rounds to move up in the draft. They traded a No. 1 to grab defensive end Marcus Davenport last year and a No. 2 to get running back Alvin Kamara two years ago.

Payton said the Saints had McCoy ranked as a very high second rounder and thought he might even be selected in the first round. When he didn’t go in the first round Thursday night, “He was the target coming in (Friday morning),” Payton said. “We felt strongly that he wouldn’t make it to 62.”

The Dolphins included a fourthround pick this year in the deal, which was a crucial asset that the Saints sent in the deal that brought in Gardner-Williams.

Gardner-Williams, Hampton and Elliss will all have a chance to show their value on special teams, which they all did quite a bit in college.

“I think at the end of the day the quickest route for any of these guys is to contribute on special teams,” Loomis said. “Until they get here we have a vision for these players and yet how quickly they fulfill the vision depends a large part on them.”

The two safeties can play near the line of scrimmage against the run as

42 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · May 7 – 20, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

well as defend the pass on the back end. Elliss is a pass rushing specialist who will be asked to learn multiple positions.

Mack helps bolster a position that

was weakened by the retirement of Benjamin Watson, then strengthened by the signing of veteran free agent Jared Cook.

New Orleans began negotiating

with undrafted free agents as soon as the draft ended.

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

This article was originally published

Recruiting: LSU continues to work on 2020 top 100 national talent Rene Nadeau, Crescent City Sports There has been significant buzz both locally and on a national scale about the success LSU football has had recruiting coast-to-coast. Ed Orgeron has vowed to take all measures to locate and secure the very best players. Tiger fan should be pleased at how his program is keeping his word.

If you are keeping score (and who isn’t?), the Purple and Gold have five top 40 rated players in 2020 class as commitments: #15 CB Elias Ricks from Santa Ana, Calif.; #19 WR Rakim Jarrett from Washington D.C., #32 ILB Antoine Sampah from Woodbridge, Va., #35 WR Jermaine Burton out of Calabassas, Calif. and #40 WR Kayshon Boutte from New Iberia, La. Would you believe me if I told you that, despite already being ranked No. 1 in the 2020 recruiting class, LSU has a whopping 10 top 100 players in the country still on the radar? the highest rated player in the nation for ’20, Houston area running back

Zachary Evans, is a 5-foot-11, 200 pounder with 4.5 speed. His current top choices are LSU, Alabama, Texas, Georgia and Texas A&M. A consensus top five overall recruit, Sav’ell Smalls (6-3, 230) from Buren, Washington, has visited home-state UW and likes Oregon and Washington State as well. However, he has maintained that he has interest in playing college football in the south. Smalls is looking at LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida State, Miami, Florida, Clemson and Texas.

The top ranked offensive tackle in the 2020 class is Cincinnati’s Paris Johnson (6-7 1/2, 295). More than any position, LSU would love to secure premium offensive tackle talent to bolster the roster. Johnson is currently committed to Ohio State but he visited LSU in late March. He has also dropped in on Georgia more than once and given a look to Alabama as well. Tennessee, Clemson and Michigan State have also

been mentioned as possible landing spots for Johnson is he commits elsewhere.

The vibes coming out of Johnson’s camp are that he could be coming back to LSU again. Buckeye onlookers feel like he will stay put but the school that causes the biggest threat maybe LSU. The Tigers’ staff has done a great job throughout the process.

The No. 44 rated prospect, running back Daniyel Ngata (5-9, 180), hails from Folsom, California. His top five consists of LSU, Michigan, Alabama, Clemson and Washington.

University High of Baton Rouge defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (6-4, 290), rated No. 65 overall in the class, is a one-time pledge to LSU who may still stay in his hometown.

No. 66 rated Lathan Ransom (6-2, 200), a safety out of Tucson, Arizona, is being hotly pursued by LSU’s Bill Busch. LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas, USC and UCLA

comprise his top options.

Defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson (6-2, 330), the No. 76 overall prospect from Lucedale, Miss. has interest in LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama and Florida State.

At No. 85 overall, outside linebacker Demouy Kennedy (6-2, 204), from Theodore, Alabama favors LSU slightly over Auburn, Florida State and Mississippi State at this point.

Chattanooga, Tenn. defensive end Jay Hardy (6-5, 265), No. 86 overall, visited LSU in late March along with Paris Johnson. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma and LSU are battling it out No. 92 rated Darin Turner (6’3 1/2, 205), wideout from Memphis, is getting a ton of offers, but it seems the most attention is coming from LSU and Alabama.

There are many battled on the trail yet to be won but it appears the best might be yet to come for LSU.

Saints officially announce signing of five undrafted rookie free agents New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Thursday that the club has signed undrafted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Butler, linebacker Chase Hansen, guard Mike Herndon defensive end Corbin Kaufusi and defensive back Darius Williams to three-year contracts.

Emmanuel Butler – Wide Receiver, Northern Arizona (6-4, 220): Butler lettered at Northern Arizona from 200418, appearing in 45 games and posting 187 receptions for 3,217 yards (17.2 avg.) and 33 touchdowns. After missing all but two games in 2017 (shoulder), the Phoenix native returned to action in 2018 to show the form of his 2015-16 campaigns as a redshirt senior, posting 35 grabs for 676 yards (19.3 avg.) with seven touchdowns, including an 84-yard grab in nine contests. Butler is the Lumberjacks’ all-time leader in receiving yardage and touchdown receptions.

Chase Hansen – Linebacker, Utah (6-2, 230): Hansen moved to linebacker as a senior after playing safety his first three college seasons and was selected first-team All-Pac-12 and a consensus second-team All-American, starting 13 games, finishing second on the team with 114 tackles, leading the conference with 22 stops for loss and adding two interceptions, one returned

Justin Macione, Crescent City Sports for a touchdown and four passes detackles, three interceptions, 11 passes blocked field goal attempt 68 yards to fensed. The Highland, Utah native defensed, nine tackles for loss, three the end zone. In his four-year career, appeared in 43 career games with 35 sacks, one forced fumble and a fumWilliams’ 17 career picks tie for second starts for the Utes posting college cable recovery, earning D2Football.com all-time in school history, with five rereer totals of 272 tackles, 33.5 tackles All-American first-team Defense. He turned for a touchdown. for loss, six picks and 16 passes dealso took a lateral from a recovered fensed.

Mike Herndon – Guard, Pittsburgh (6-4, 310): Herndon was a four-year letterman for the Panthers, finishing his career playing in 44 games, primarily on the offensive line, but playing at nose tackles as a redshirt sophomore in 2016. In 2018, the Greenville, Va. native started all 14 games at right guard and was a third-team All-ACC selection.

Corbin Kaufusi – Defensive end, Brigham Young (6-9, 278): Kaufusi played in 37 career games with 28 starts at defensive end for BYU, posting totals of 154 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed. In 2018, he enjoyed a breakout campaign, posting 56 tackles, 9.5 stops for loss, 8.5 sacks and two passes defensed. Kaufusi also sales@ambushpublishing.com played three years for the BYU basketball team.

Darius Williams – Defensive back, Colorado State-Pueblo (6-0, 193): The Gilbert, Ariz. native played four seasons at Colorado State-Pueblo. He played in all 13 games with 12 starts at cornerback in 2018 and collected 51

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