Ambush Magazine Volume 37 Issue 23

THE OFFICIAL GAY MAGAZINE OF THE GULF SOUTHâ„¢

A Biweekly Publication Celebrating LGBTQ Life, Music & Culture Since 1982 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 23

TUESDAY, November 5, 2019

Halloween Highlights

www.AMBUSHMAG.com

THE “OFFICIAL” DISH

by TJ ACOSTA, PUBLISHER

Dear Ambush Nation, Thanks to everyone who made it such a successful Halloween weekend in New Orleans. Halloween New Orleans (HNO) did an amazing job with their weekend line-up of events. The venues were great as the Board of Trade hosted the Friday night black tie event, and The Filmore hosted the Main Event Saturday. The HNO events ended with a Sunday tea at Crescent Park along the Mississippi River. Everyone I spoke to had a great time at all the HNO events.

There were also many parties and costume contests at the bars in the French Quarter, Marigny and Bywater over the weekend and on Halloween night. Thanks to all the bartenders, barbacks, entertainers, managers, security staff and DJ’s who made it such a fun weekend. And now, in typical New Orleans fashion it’s on to the next event and holiday weekend!

NEW GAY BAR @ 700 BURGUNDY As some of you know by now, I’ll be taking over the lease at 700 Burgundy (currently, the 700 Club) on January 1, 2020. The current bar is closing on December 15 and we plan to have the new bar up and running as soon

as possible after the 1st of the year.

Also, the kitchen known as Faubourg Bistro will remain in the new bar. I’ve wanted to own a bar for many years and when the opportunity to take over the lease at 700 Burgundy became available, I jumped at the chance. I think it’s important to keep the space in the LGBTQ community and look forward to seeing you there soon. There is a more detailed announcement in this issue of Ambush.

NOAGE GALA NOAGE IN THE ENCHANTED WOODS NOAGE will hold their 5th annual Gala “NOAGE in the Enchanted Wood” on Friday, November 22nd from 7 to 10 pm in the Cajun Ballroom at the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit. The event will feature live entertainment, an open bar, delicious food, a silent auction and the presentation of the 2019 NOAGE Trailblazer Awards to Dr. Jody Gates and Marilyn McConnell. Suggested attire for the event is fairy tale fabulous. All proceeds from the event will benefit NOAGE and tickets can be purchased at NoageNola.org. NOAGE provides services and social events for elders within our community including a monthly potluck dinner and a weekly

Inside this Issue of Ambush Magazine Community Announcements

6

Arts & Culture

10

Health & Wellness

28

Hot Happenings Calendar

36

Business & LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory

52

Comics, Puzzles & Horoscopes

58

Sports

60

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

walking group. They also have other social functions throughout the year including movie nights, ice cream parties and coffee talks. This is a terrific event to support a tremendously worthy cause and you may even make some new friends. Hope to see you there!

WINTER WONDERLAND VIII Winter Wonderland VIII, a benefit for PFLAG of New Orleans and St. Anna’s Episcopal Church of New Orleans, will be held at Capulet on Sunday, December 1, from 5 to 8 pm. Please join Winter Queen and King III, Andrea Halstead and Jeffrey Palmquist in helping to raise money for these wonderful causes. The event features a silent auction and several drag performances for your entertainment. For tickets contact Misti Ates at mistimichelleates@gmail.com.

ART AGAINST AIDS THE RED RIBBON GALA The Red Ribbon Gala will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 8 pm to 11 pm at Club XLIV on Champions Square. This is a wonderful event and a great way to support those living in our community with HIV and AIDS. This has become CrescentCare/NO AIDS Task Force’s signature fundraising extravaganza. The evening will offer food, an open bar, and well over 200 auction items to bid on. Auction items include art, trips, jewelry and more. There will also be a holiday boutique where you can pick up some last minute Christmas gifts. I’ve gone to this event the last several years and it has become a highlight of the holiday season! This is a ticketed event and the easiest way to purchase tickets is to search Art Against Aids - The Red Ribbon Gala on Facebook. Parking is free for the first 200 guests.

Chasten Buttigieg in NOLA Meet Mayor Pete’s husband Chasten on Sunday, November 17th with special guest Mandy Moore. Chasten focuses on education and performing arts–both how it was transformative in his life and how he advocates for educators and students on the road.

For tickets, RSVP Here: www.p4a. us/CB-NEWORLEANS & Tickets for Young Professionals and Retirees starting at $25.

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 SENIOR EDITOR Brian Sands DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & EVENTS Chris Leonard CONTRIBUTORS Adam Radd, Brian Sands, Catherine Roland, Charles Pizzo, Frank Perez, Jim Meadows, Kevin Assam, Rev. Bill Terry, Robert Fiesler, Ryan Rockford, Scot Billeaudeau, Tony Leggio & Crescent City Sports PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Hopkins, Charles Pizzo, Doug Adams, Dwain Hertz, Glenn Melancon, Persona Shoulders, TJ Boudreaux, Tony Leggio

LOCAL ADVERTISING sales@ambushpublishing.com 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 · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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NEWS & COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS New Gay Bar Opening at 700 Burgundy You’ve heard the rumors. We’ve heard the rumors. And now we’re excited to share what’s going on at 700 Burgundy.

Our friend Matt Giglio, who owns the 700 Club, recently decided not to renew his lease at 700 Burgundy and purchased a building in the 1000 block of Rampart Street. While the new address isn’t 700 (that’s where the Black Penny is), Giglio plans to relocate there once renovations are complete

sometime later next year. The 700 Club shared on Facebook that their last day at 700 Burgundy will be December 15th, 2019.

So what’s happening at 700 Burgundy? Upon learning that the lease was available and having always wanted to own a bar, Ambush Magazine owner Tomy Acosta recently signed the lease for 700 Burgundy with plans to keep the bar in the LGBTQ community.

As most know, the building is also

home to the Faubourg Bistro. Matt Hayes plans to stay and run the kitchen.

Acosta’s lease begins on January 1, 2020, and he plans to get the bar up and running as soon as possible. This is in part due to Acosta’s desire to be able to offer current restaurant and bar staff employment as quickly as possible as it’s unsure when the 700 Club will reopen and, additionally, he wants to have ample time to figure things out

before Mardi Gras!

Additionally, the Ambush Magazine office will return to the French Quarter, relocating to the second-floor apartment.

Be on the lookout in future issues of Ambush as we have updates on the new bar at 700 Burgundy including the name and opening date!

4th Annual Infringe Fest New Orleans The 4th Annual Infringe Fest New Orleans will be hitting local theaters November 7-10 with almost 30 shows over 4 nights; what with offerings of plays, puppetry, musicals, dance, drag, monologues and more, there’ll be something for everyone.

Performances will be held at The AllWays Lounge, Art Klub, The Mudlark Theatre, Southern Rep, Art Garage, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Wonderland, Cafe Istanbul, Happyland, Backyard Ballroom, Bar Redux among other

locations.

Some of the more intriguing shows include-· Out of Sync by CC Falcon at Art Klub. An unexpected tip from a sexy stranger leaves a group of resident New Orleans Drag Queens with voices that are no longer their own. Lip synching takes on a whole new dimension as each Queen explores what it means to lose their voice and have to reinvent their lives. · Personal Space by Ben Fox at

Art Garage. After a one-night stand ends in a meteorite crash that destroys his flat, expatriate Johnny Doodle-Dandy’s life doesn’t explode. It supernovas! The meteorite decapitates his neighbor who haunts him with a mysterious message from the end of the universe as he dodges popstars, prime ministers and eccentric environmental groups. · Drift by The Corrijeune Collective at Art Klub. Deeply hidden in the dimension called Corrijeune there is an eternal ritual taking place in which the weavers of change keep in motion a perpetual tectonic quiver. Drift is a surrealist work of dance theatre featuring live music and multimedia sensory delights. · Candy Cotten by Daiquiri Jones at Art Klub. Candy Cotten debuts an afro-surrealist production merging music, puppetry, mime, spoken word, and dance to enhance a kaleidoscopic storytelling experience. Candy Cotten blends theory, history, folklore, and autobiography in service of black life, in honor of black death and for love of black dreamscapes. · Clark Wade - A Jazzy Tragedy

by Esquizito Perez at Cafe Istanbul.

Musician/performer Esquizito con-

jures up notorious characters of “The District” in an adaptation of a Danny Barker (1909-1994) tale from The Last Days of Storyville. Interpreting Barker’s “lies embellished with truth,” Esquizito makes New Orleans’ red-light district and the birth of Jazz come alive. · Eat Me by Jen Pagan at Southern Rep. A sensual exploration of food, sex and how they connect us. Our hostess unveils a recipe for pleasure, comfort and the ultimate ‘food-gasm’.

Through salacious stories, peppered with projected scenes from the most sensually delicious food films, Eat Me will leave much more than your mouth watering. · Protrusion by Intramural Theater at Backyard Ballroom. Faced with the arrival of a strange, foreign life form and its unprecedented spread, a misfit group of neighbors must decide what to do about their mutating landscape.

This original devised piece touches on themes of nativeness and nature, using puppetry, acrobatics and sculpture to frame an immersive performance.

All tickets will be $10 per show via Infringe Fest online ticket sales and at the Info Hub in the 2nd floor lobby of The Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Ave.).

Baton Rouge Pride Announces It’s Inaugural Orphan’s Thanksgiving Celebration The holidays can be an extremely hard time for members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of which don’t have an accepting family to go home to for the holidays. With our community in mind, Baton Rouge Pride is organizing its first annual Orphan’s Thanksgiving.

The special event is set for November 10th, 2019 from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at George’s Place at 820 St. Louis St. Many ask, “What is Orphan’s Thanksgiving?” It’s best answered as

a gathering for those without an accepting family to come and have a traditional holiday meal surrounded by those who accept them with open arms and hearts. “As soon as we announced the event online, we had many members of the Baton Rouge community, both LGBTQ+ and Allies, thanking us and donating money to help make this event even more special than we were planning.” says Baton Rouge Pride Pageant Director, Carlos Perez.

6 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Tickets can be purchased on our website in advance or at the door.

“Tickets are a small amount to help us cover the costs of food, though if any

business would like to donate food, deserts or make a monetary contribution we would be thankful.” says Baton Rouge Pride Chair, Christopher

Bradford. Bradford can be reached via email at chrisb@brpride.org.

If you are a business owner or organization leader and wish to partner

with Baton Rouge Pride, please email contactus@brpride.org.

Advocates for Children Joins Forces with Catastrophe and Company to bring Christmas to Children in Need CASA of Hancock County advocates for abused and neglected children who, through no fault of their own, are in foster care. 100% of the children in Hancock County are assigned a Court Appointed Special Advocate or “CASA” volunteer. These volunteers are trained to navigate the overburdened child welfare system and to ensure that the children are safe and that the goal of achieving a permanent home is achieved. Each December, CASA hosts a Christmas Party for Hancock County’s foster children. The event includes food, drinks, carnival style game booths, pictures with Santa and more.

This year CASA is partnering with the Gulf Coast drag show troupe, Catastrophe and Company, to hold a charity event the proceeds of which will go towards supporting the annual Christmas Party for the children CASA serves.

Catastrophe and Company has become a household name along the Gulf Coast within a short time. The group consists of Catastrophe Knight, Misty Knight, and Zamareyah Dawn and is managed by Alisha Warran. The group also features special guests at each show (Lexis Redd D’Ville, Brooklyn Alexander, Ivy Dripp, and Misty Love).

Catastrophe Knight is a fairly new queen but has taken the Coast by storm. She is the face and leader of Catastrophe and Company. Known for her glamorous look and costumes Catastrophe is sure to please her audience.

Misty Knight also known as, The Legend by The Bay, is a resident queen from Mobile, Alabama. Misty has captured several local titles and is highly revered in the LGBTQ community. Misty’s realistic illusions always cause quite the confusion.

Zamareyah Dawn is the Dancing Diva of the group. She is known for her death drops, spins, & high energy choreography. Zamareyah has been known to jump off high platforms and land into a perfect split. She always knows how to keep the audience on edge.

Brooklyn Alexander is currently reigning as Miss Gay Mississippi America. Brooklyn often appears with Catastrophe and Company. Brooklyn’s infectious humor and personality always leave the audience begging for

more. She is a cast member of Wonderlust in Jackson, Mississippi.

The “Queens for a Cause” Drag Show will be held on Friday, November 22, at the Diamondhead Country Club, 7600 Country Club Circle in Diamondhead, Mississippi. Doors open at 6pm and the show begins promptly at 7:30pm. Admission includes table seating and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

To purchase tickets online https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/queens-for-acause-tickets-74726395661. For more information please call 228.344.0419.

Italy Versus Puerto Rico: Rue Royale Revelers to Host Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner Nov. 21 The Krewe de Rue Royale Revelers will host a pre-Thanksgiving dinner fundraiser at Grand Pre’s bar (834 N. Rampart) on November 21 at 6:00pm.

The culinary theme of the dinner is a departure from the traditional Thanksgiving menu and will feature Italian and Puerto Rican dishes.

Krewe Captain, Lord of Misrule, and local historian Frank Perez says the unconventional theme is a nod to New Orleans’ unconventional history and pays homage to the city’s rich Sicilian and Latin American heritage.

Coordinating the dinner are the krewe’s current Grand Reveler, Frank Perez the Younger (who is Puerto Ri-

can) and former Grand Reveler Felicia Philips (who is Italian). Both Grand Revelers are noted for their excellent cooking skills and assure the public that this will be a meal not soon forgotten.

Cost of the dinner is $10. All proceeds benefit the Krewe de Rue Royale Revelers and their annual Twelfth Night Party, which in 2020 will be held at The Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture (located at 1010 Conti). Handmade and custom-designed commemorative buttons, which also serve as admission tickets to the party, will be available at the Pre-Thanksgiving dinner.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

• take dofetilide.

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

• have kidney problems.

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

©2019 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

DLLADVT190008 June 2019 Produced in USA.

Learn more about Kalvin and DOVATO at DOVATO.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That means fewer medicines† in your body while taking DOVATO

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

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

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

KALVIN‡ Living with HIV

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

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

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

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

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

Where Can I Find More Information?

• Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

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

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

Compensated by ViiV Healthcare

‡

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

ARTS & CULTURE

Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com

Beth Leavel/Broadway@ NOCCA

Since it began, Broadway@NOCCA has had many joyously comic moments. But nothing has been funnier than Beth Leavel continuing to sing Go Into Your Dance from 42nd Street as she put on her tap shoes.

She sat down and, needing both hands, placed her microphone on the adjacent side table. She then bent over at a 90 degree angle to sing into it as she adjusted the straps of her shoes.

Her determination and resourcefulness trumped any momentary bewilderment, and had me laughing so hard I feared I might choke. Which really could’ve put a damper on things.

Broadway@NOCCA’s eighth season opened with a fantastic, rollicking performance by Leavel who won a Tony Award for The Drowsy Chaperone and recently starred on Broadway in The Prom. Reviewing her turn as an egocentric diva, I wrote that she was “excellent at being vain and shallow” and had “a tremendous set of pipes.”

Those pipes were in evidence when she began the evening with a song from Anything Goes whose lyrics were slightly adjusted to become I Get a Kick out of NOCCA. If her clarion voice resembles a trumpet, she somehow manages to blend in the more subtle tones of the string section as well.

Wearing a fashionable blue sequined cocktail dress, Leavel said that she was a “late bloomer” since there was not much theater available in North Carolina at the time she grew up. One of her earliest memories was when her Mom and Dad took her to see Robert Preston in the movie version of The Music Man. She “auditioned for choir in church

and didn’t get it”, but in her senior year of high school her best friend wanted to audition for a musical, Brigadoon; Leavel went along, tried out, and got the third lead. She said she thought it would be a “great way to meet guys” though her sarcastic tone made it clear that she was quickly disabused of that notion. Still, she realized that in the theater crowd she discovered “people like me” and thought “What do I need to do to stay in this oxygen?”

Leavel eventually moved to New York (“terrifying”), got a fifth floor walkup in Hell’s Kitchen (“when it really was Hell’s Kitchen”), and auditioned for the original production of 42nd Street in a pink fuchsia skirt suit. She had five days to become a better tap dancer and went to the Harlequin Dance Studio in NYC’s theater district to do so.

When she went through the wrong door, she discovered that it shared an entrance with a gay strip club.

PS--she got the job, toured with the show for eight months, and then spent four years on Broadway with it, the first of her 12 B’way productions.

As Leavel told these and other great stories, her engaging personality shined through. Naturally funny-she can toss off a line like “The man I’ve been with the longest is my agent” (though her fiancé was in the audience)--she’s the first B@N guest I’ve seen who’s been able to keep host Seth Rudetsky quiet.

If Leavel has a voice that can pierce steel to great comic effect, as she demonstrated marvelously with two songs from The Prom, she can segue effortlessly from broad comedy to a heartfelt, bluesy rendition of I Only Have Eyes for You. Bill from Showboat, done simply & sweetly and

Beth Leavel and Seth Rudetsky at NOCCA (photo by B. Sands)

addressed to her fiancé, showed that she’s a true singing actress who invests each lyric with meaning.

Watching her do her showstopping number, Stumble Along, from Drowsy Chaperone, I thought that I would’ve loved to have seen her as Princess Winifred in Once Upon a Mattress as she reminded me a bit of Carol Burnett.

I also thought “Why isn’t she a household name?”, but nobody said life was fair.

As she sang Mamma Mia!’s The Winner Takes It All (with the help of readers yours truly lent her (hey, she hadn’t done the number in a while); thanks for cleaning them, Beth!) and Everybody’s Girl from Steel Pier, I became convinced she can do anything, especially when, in the latter number, occasional hints of a dramatic actress poked through.

Sure enough, Leavel concluded, flawlessly, with Everything’s Coming Up Roses which she would be doing for an upcoming Humane Society benefit.

If there’s any justice in the world, some day she might star in a full Broadway production of Gypsy and then, who knows, she just might become a household name after all.

Up next in Broadway@NOCCA’s season on December 14 will be sixtime Tony Award winner Audra McDonald with special guest Will Swenson (aka Audra’s husband). As is usually the case, the uber-knowledgeable Rudetsky will serve as music director & interlocutor, and all proceeds will benefit the NOCCA Institute which offers wide-ranging support to the school’s talented students.

New in New York

If you’re heading up to New York in the next few weeks, there are three shows on Broadway you might want to check out IF the ticket price is right.

There’s one off-Broadway, however, you should beg, borrow or steal a ticket for, even if that last option might get you thrown in jail...like the play’s real-life protagonist.

Five years ago, I found Robert Schenkkan’s All the Way, which focused on Lyndon Johnson from John F. Kennedy’s assassination until he’s elected President himself in 1964, to be a fascinating chronicle, grippingly told.

With The Great Society (Vivian Beaumont Theater thru Nov. 30), Schenkkan picks up where his previous play left off. Johnson is still wheeling’n’dealing but now he must balance his national priorities (the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, and Civil Rights battles in the South) with the ever-expanding Viet Nam war which he fears “will eat up everything I’m trying to do domestically.”

Even more so than All the Way, the first act of Great Society is phenomenal--broader in scope, inevitably marching towards tragedy, and featuring, like grandmasters playing multiple games of chess at once, Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr. facing off against not only each other but Senators, the military and J. Edgar Hoover (Johnson) and his own more radical, less patient colleagues like Stokely Carmichael (King).

Schenkkan has included more lyrical, almost surreal passages and Bill Rauch matches them with imaginatively staged directorial flourishes.

10 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

TL Thompson, Pete Simpson, Emily Davis, Becca Blackwell in Is This a Room (photo by Carol Rosegg)

Fine as Bryan Cranston was as LBJ, Brian Cox brings his classical training and extensive experience with Shakespeare to monologs that he performs with symphonic grandeur. He’s foxy as can be, but adds an inner gravitas to Johnson worthy of a tragic hero.

A final scene with his wife Lady Bird, as he looks back over his life, resonates with a heart wrenching poeticism.

Unfortunately, Society’s second act slogs down as the focus fades from MLK (Grantham Coleman, excellent).

As Johnson gets mired in the war in Southeast Asia, so too does the play become bogged down in numbers and statistics. Similar to All the Way, Society sometimes seems reminiscent of a You Are There episode, albeit it a superlative one.

Despite two extensive cast lists breaking down the era’s players and what they did, it’s sometimes a bit challenging to know exactly who’s who, particularly an almost unrecognizable Richard (“John Boy Walton”) Thomas as Hubert Humphrey whom I wish had more to do (but such is the lot of Vice Presidents, I suppose).

Anyone interested in history, however, should see The Great Society.

Sad as it is to observe how, in many cases, we’re still fighting the battles of the 1960s, it’s even sadder that the current occupant of the White House hasn’t a quark’s worth of the moral fortitude that Lyndon Johnson had.

Three years ago, French playwright Florian Zeller burst on the scene with The Father which detailed the decline of a man increasingly afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease but showed it from his perspective as memory fades and reality takes on a surreal aspect; Frank Langella would win a Tony for the role.

Last year I saw Zeller’s The Mother off-Broadway which dealt with infidelity and a family falling apart; it was a bit of a mess, but allowed Isabelle Huppert to give a deliciously overwrought performance.

Now Zeller returns to Broadway with The Height of the Storm (Sam-

uel J. Friedman Theatre thru Nov. 24) about an elderly couple and how their children cope with them. That description, however, doesn’t begin to describe Height as it offers multiple realities of André, Madeleine and their brood.

Against Anthony Ward’s high-ceilinged, book-lined set and under Hugh Vanstone’s atmospheric lighting, Zeller, in Christopher Hampton’s adroit translation, casts the challenges of aging in the form of an Escher drawing or Rubik’s Cube. To reveal more would spoil the play’s fun and not do it full justice.

Height starts slowly with lotsa small talk and one extended sequence in the middle is numbingly static (otherwise, Jonathan Kent’s direction is terrifically fluid). Yet, as it circles in on itself, the script can’t be approached as naturalism; as with The Father, Zeller is not interested in giving us another Lifetime movie about a family’s problems.

What makes Height required viewing for any theater lover, however, is the superb acting of Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins as André and Madeleine.

As a noted writer suffering from palsy, Pryce brings a Lear-like agony to his cry of “I don’t understand anything” as he confronts his frustrating present situation. Atkins has the less showy role but imbues Madeleine’s formidable no-nonsense manner with an unstinting steeliness one doesn’t usually associate with an octogenarian.

The rest of the cast are all very good.

The Height of the Storm will likely have you trying to make sense of all its fuzzy plot points and repetitions and coincidences, but that’s the point--you can’t take it too literally. Rather, it’s like a fever dream you might anxiously awake from. It may be a bit too clever for its own good, but will certainly hit home for anyone dealing with parents of advanced years. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it for giving imaginative form to an oft told subject.

The subject of Slave Play (Golden Theatre thru Jan. 19, 2020), the lega-

cy of slavery as it pervades interracial couples’ personal relationships and, more broadly, America as a whole, may be told on stage less often which may be why playwright Jeremy O. Harris is the “It” man in theater of the moment.

I’m not convinced, however, that Slave Play is all that it’s cracked up to be.

It begins with three scenes of interracial couples (two straight, one gay) play-acting sexually fraught vignettes set during the antebellum South. At 40 minutes, it all goes on too long; before each scene had ended, I wanted to say “I get the point.”

This is all a set-up, though, for the second part of the play, an extended group therapy session led by two therapists who happen to be a lesbian couple. They aim, with their newly-devised “Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy” program, to help such couples who aren’t connecting in the bedroom.

A third section focuses on one of the three couples as they try to work through their problems. It’s involving but all too brief.

Do we feel these characters’ pain, particularly the black ones who have come to therapy because they feel unfulfilled by their partners? Absolutely.

Slave Play delivers as tense an evening as you’re likely to experience in the theater.

Do we care about them? Not really as they remain too abstract and vaguely-defined to be more than just

concepts. Even if we take them at face value, it’s difficult to work up much concern for a bunch of self-centered people. That Harris makes his white characters utterly clueless didn’t bother me, but he insults his black characters by having them fall in love (or whatever) and stay with these nincompoops in the first place. And, in contrast to the realistically drawn clients, the two therapists are so over-the-top that the whole situation feels less real than just a parody of psychobabble.

Robert O’Hara, the brilliant playwright of Barbecue (which Radical Buffoon(s) presented here in the spring) and Bootycandy (which should have its NOLA debut next spring), would seem to be the ideal director for Slave Play and I suspect he’s given us just what Harris wanted, but I felt like I was at a very interesting discussion rather than a dramatic work.

One would think that a verbatim presentation of an FBI interview, with all the “um’s” and “er’s” left in, might be interesting but not necessarily very dramatic. Yet Is This a Room (Vineyard Theatre thru Nov. 24), a 70-minute play taken from just such an interrogation, proves to be fascinating AND more dramatic than anything else I saw in New York.

On June 3, 2017, 25-year-old Air Force linguist Reality Winner (her actual name!) was surprised at her home in Augusta, Georgia, by FBI agents.

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What begins as casual everyday conversation evolves into questions about potential espionage. Winner dodges them for a while but, ultimately, without ever having access to legal counsel, confesses to passing on evidence of Russian interference in U.S. elections.

She remains in jail with a record-breaking sentence.

Conceived and directed, brilliantly,

by Tina Satter, Room, even if you know how things turn out, keeps you on the edge of your seat. The FBI agents may be threatening but they’re down-toearth guys, doing their job in the most mundane manner. Winner cares as much about her pets being treated well and looked after as she does about her own well-being. The implications for how our government treats its citizens are harrowing.

As Winner, Emily Davis is simply extraordinary as she parcels out information with wary honesty. Pete Simpson, TL Thompson, and Becca Blackwell, a transgender actor, all add an unsettling verisimilitude to the production.

The theater is small but Is This a Room has been extended. If you can see it, the reality is you’ll be a winner.

Curtain Up

See ‘Em On Stage presents Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret based on the true stories of Christopher Isher-

wood. Having previously triumphed on stage and screen, in 1998 Cabaret returned to Broadway in a Tony Award-winning, long-running production. See ‘Em On Stage’s version will use the script and score from that version.

Cabaret stars Clint Johnson as the Emcee, Kali Russell as Sally Bowles, and Josiah Rogers as Cliff Bradshaw.

Margeaux Fanning and Ken Goode are featured as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schulz. Christopher Bentivegna directs and choreographs the production.

Cabaret runs November 8-24 at The New Orleans Art Center (3330 St. Claude Ave.) and will feature an exhibit curated by Christina Juran with work inspired by the political, provocative, and poignant themes found in the show.

Paul Lucas’ Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women will be given its regional premiere by Voices in the Dark Repertory Theatre Company at the AllWays Lounge and Cabaret (2240 St. Claude Ave.) from Nov. 17 through 25.

The 90-minute play is based on material assembled from more than 75 interviews Lucas conducted with people from around the world who identify as transgender. Its characters range in age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, educational level, and age at transition.

Tommye Myrick directs a cast which includes Nadine Berenger,

Jen Pagan in Eat Me at Southern Rep

Jazmine White-Davis, Jerek Edora, Joann Guidos, Teryl Lynn Foxx, Milan Nicole Sherry, and Sophie Marie White. Trans Scripts has previously been performed in Edinburgh, Scot-

land and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About Halloween STREETWALKER HALLOWEEN 2019 | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

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THE HERE AND THE NOW Farewell to American Aquatic Gardens: Celebrating the History and Courage of Two Pioneers Catherine Roland catherineroland12@gmail.com American Aquatic Gardens (AAG), located at 621 Elysian Fields, ended its 30-year reign of joy, delight and serenity on October 25. The creators and owners, Rich Sacher and Bill Dailey, have been active members of the New Orleans gay and lesbian community for many years, even prior to opening AAG. This establishment, for it was much more than a business, was special for a number of things: the beautiful, unique & highly-prized specialized water lilies that Rich loved and created; the gift shop in the Red Building where anyone could find something representing varied cultures and tastes to rival any emporium of its kind; the ponds that held the waterlilies in their elegance; and the natural displays creating a level of beauty that grew greater as you walked toward the back. The Louisiana Iris with their brief but brilliant blooming would always stop me. When I reached the ponds and the lilies, all I wanted to do was look, take photos, and breathe in the beauty and wonder. Profoundly peaceful.

I would often anticipate going downtown to AAG and spending a bit of

time visiting & photographing and ended up for long periods, enjoying a place of serenity and loveliness. The ponds and fountains provided a constant, calming sound of water slowly running, the kind of sound people spend money to imitate from a machine. Water was everywhere, cascading on so many birdbaths and sculptures.

That glorious sound was also inside the gift shop, outside on the grounds, even in the parking lot as you made your way to the entrance. While America Aquatic Gardens was appreciated for what it added to the New Orleans community of class and beauty, its real importance, and legacy, is far deeper than that.

While Rich and Bill were contemplating, creating, and shaping the direction of American Aquatic Gardens in the early years, it took courage to open and foster a gay-owned business on Elysian Fields at that time. Many in our community were given jobs, health plans, a sense of belonging, and a de facto ‘family’.

In the announcement of the closing, Rich and Bill wrote to friends and patrons, “From its very beginning,

American Aquatic Gardens

American Aquatic Gardens publicly celebrated its pride as a gay-owned business, providing a safe and welcoming workplace for many young gay and lesbian staff members.” It was one of the first and largest openly gay business, and there was never an apologetic or shy sign of the identity of the

owners. It was just Rich Sacher and Bill Dailey, that’s who they were. And people came, staff, customers and friends, those seeking solace and acceptance, and they kept coming back for 30 years.

Rich wrote “During the AIDS crisis, Aquatic Gardens contributed funds

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to Community Relief, which provided financial support to those who were dying. Rich and Bill visited hospitals to comfort their friends, and paid for the funeral of one of their employees.

Rich gave the eulogy for several prominent gay activists, took part in street demonstrations with Act Up, helped organize political protests, demonstrated against the anti-gay politics of the Catholic Church at St. Louis Cathedral, and was a keynote speaker at our first local gay and lesbian conference called Celebration.”

Rich and Bill advocated for causes related to AIDS and LGBT rights. The AIDS epidemic was as terrifying as anything we had seen in our lifetime. It was also a time when, despite New Orleans being known as ‘open’ to LGBT individuals and groups, there were still raids on bars, gay Mardi Gras Krewes hld their balls in outlying areas, and hate crimes continued. They were courageous.

If you’ve been to Aquatic Gardens, you’ll recall the room to the right of the counter, in the ‘back’ of the gift shop, filled with the most amazing and unique things, and where there was no wall space unused. I was reminded by Bill not long ago, that the room was built that way because the intention was to have space to use for gatherings of people in our community when few spaces would be offered as a space to meet. Not to party (although we did that too), but to work, to fundraise, to figure out next steps for fighting AIDS, how to work with the City of New Orleans, of conjuring the best ways to advocate for the NO/AIDS Task Force and Lazarus House, to open the eyes of politicians about the tragedy taking place right here. Aquatic Gardens, due to the dedication and generosity of Rich and Bill, became a source of funding and fundraising, of advertising for the good of the community. You probably weren’t aware? That’s because it was always, and is to this day, humble. And it is now being revealed just a bit, because it’s time.

Alongside NO/AIDS, there were two other organizations, Community Relief for People with AIDS, and NOWAA New Orleans Women Against AIDS. Both of these groups depended on the wisdom and compassion of Rich, Bill, and Al McNairn, owner of La Peniche, close friend and another advocate for the community. Recently, Rich, Bill and I were talking about how connected the services (such as they were at that time) were. Al would mention to Bill or Rich that there was need in housing, food, employment or healthcare of some PWA’s, and the donation would come. No pomp and circumstance, no fanfare.

I recall that NOWAA was working a fundraising booth at PRIDE back when it was still in Washington Park.

We wanted some way to be identified as an AIDS fundraising group for the

PRIDE Parade, and suddenly I was having a conversation with Rich about how many dark pink t-shirts he should order with NOWAA being sponsored by AAG. We weren’t to sell them, we were to give them to our members, and those who marched with us in the PRIDE Parade. I had a pink shirt, beautiful spring flowers on the front with NOWAA and AAG on the back. I kept that shirt so long it literally fell apart. Rich and Bill even hung a shirt over the cash register which stayed there for years. I suspect neither Rich or Bill knew how meaningful that was for a group of lesbians who held fierce dedication to the cause. It meant the world. And our benefactors were so quiet about it.

The history around the physical space of American Aquatic Gardens is also interesting. Prior to Rich and Bill purchasing it, tearing most of it down, and creating their vision, it was a women’s bar. Actually, it was two different bars.

In 1989 Rich and Bill purchased what was then a burned-out building that had been a women’s dance bar called The Other Side. The Other Side, before it burned down, had been used by NOWAA as a venue for fundraising for almost 2 years. We hosted sock hops (with costumes, of course), potlucks, game nights, and meetings. During that time, Rich, Bill and Al supported those efforts, allowing NOWAA to raise thousands of dollars for Community Relief and NO/ AIDS. Even before American Aquatic Gardens existed, that space had been used for helping and advocacy. Prior to The Other Side, it was a different bar, Pino’s, also a lesbian bar. We needed safe spaces then, and Aquatic Gardens enabled a community to continue the tradition in that location in style.

Rich and Bill continue to be loyal supporters of P-FLAG, New Orleans.

Rich wrote, “In 1992, Rich and Bill established the scholarship fund for P-FLAG New Orleans, and for the next five years, its fundraisers were held at AAG, (gardens), until they outgrew the space. For over 25 years now, American Aquatic Gardens has contributed to the P-FLAG scholarship fund, which supports countless high school graduates as they navigate their transition to college life.” Having been to a few of these celebrations lately, I have been impressed with the students who have been chosen as recipients, and with American Aquatic Gardens for their constant and ongoing support.

Rich and Bill recently related to me some of AAG’s history right after Katrina. They were among the first business owners in that Marigny area to return and rebuild. It seems at first there would be a police car or two parking in the lot or just outside American Aquatic Gardens. AAG became a place of calm and supplied a sort of needed break for police and other first responders during what was an extremely challenging

Rich and Bill, now retiring after 30 years at American Aquatic Gardens

time.

Rich and Bill would see first responders debriefing and talking with colleagues. The staff of American Aquatic Gardens welcomed them all, sometimes providing food and a place to relax and take a deep breath.

Though I’ve known these men for over 30 years, I did not know about the Katrina efforts until about three weeks ago. That’s what I mean by quiet service, humility at its purest.

I think it’s appropriate to end with a quote from Rich speaking for Bill as well, “For thirty years, American Aquatic Gardens has provided a place of beauty and serenity for all who visited. It is not unusual to see various first responders in the nursery, taking a few minutes to recover from a traumatic call. Some customers come to the nursery to decompress after chemotherapy, or after a funeral. We had set out to provide a nursery for the beauty of waterlilies, and the tranquility of splashing fountains. It took us a while to understand that we had also created a very special place where all are welcome, safe and respected. As we begin retirement, we will treasure these fond memories and are grateful to all those customers and friends who brought American Aquatic Gardens to life. It was all of you who made this place, and us, so much more than we ever knew was possible.”

Dr. Catherine Roland, LPC, is a therapist in private practice, specializing in our LGBTQ+ community for 25 years. Catherine is a member of the Board of Directors of both Cres-

centCare-NO/AIDS Task Force, and NOAGE - New Orleans Advocates for LGBTQ+ Elders.

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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COMMENTARY

Medicaid Expansion: “We could very easily lose this!”

Rodney Thoulion rodney.thoulion@crescentcare.org Just this past weekend, the hands of time turned back an hour, but on November 16 the hands of time could roll Louisiana back four years to a time where access to health care was tougher to achieve. At stake in the gubernatorial election is Medicaid expansion.

Linda Hawkins, Healthcare Program Chair for the League of Women Voters of Louisiana said, “We have made lots of gains, but it can slip through our hands very fast because they [opponents of Medicaid expansion] have got a playbook and are moving along and they know what they’re going to do.”

Hawkins took part in a roundtable discussion at CrescentCare last week to discuss the ramifications of losing Medicaid expansion if there is a change in the guard in Baton Rouge come Election Day. For Tschya Guy-Shelton, a patient at CrescentCare who receives Medicaid benefits, she says that “Medicaid truly changed my life” by giving her the opportunity to address an issue she had ignored for over a decade.

“I lived with HIV for more than 10 years before I was able to attain help,” Guy-Shelton said. “I didn’t have Medicaid and didn’t have the resources to know where to go. It took a tragic situation of going to jail for someone to tell me that I have HIV, which I already knew.” Resources from within the system pointed her to CrescentCare upon her release. Now Guy-Shelton is on Medicaid and has been linked to care at CrescentCare for the past 2 years.

Should a new administration be led by Eddie Rispone there are talks of “freezing Medicaid.” Current Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP), a non-partisan public policy monitor, call it a “de-facto repeal” of the Medicaid expansion.

Hawkins says, “We could lose it all with the stroke of a pen.”

According to the LBP, supporters of an enrollment freeze argue that it won’t affect people who are already covered. But it ignores a basic reality: People might cycle on and off Medicaid as their circumstances change; under an enrollment freeze, they would not be able to re-enroll.

Approximately 40% of the state’s population is on Medicaid. Hawkins cited these statistics: In 2013 we had an uninsured rate of 17%. Since expansion the uninsured rate dropped to 8.8%. 61% of the people in Medicaid expansion are women according to the Louisiana Department of Health’s

dashboard citing statistic as current as October 1.

“Our life expectancy in Louisiana is at 75.6 years. That’s three years shorter than the national average. Our poverty rate is 20%. We have the highest number of working poor in America,” Hawkins said.

Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, Chief Medical Officer for CrescentCare, remembers a time before expansion when he had to figure out ways to get patients medications they could not afford through samples or sending them to a free care facility like the old Charity Hospital which no longer exists.

“It was tough to treat then. Now we are able to get patients on the medications they need to treat them and get their primary care needs met. I can’t think of going back to having a regular discussion of ‘Oh, you can’t get your meds, let me see if I can get you a sample’,” he said.

With CrescentCare having started as an AIDS service organization, many employees recall that care could be given for HIV/AIDS services under Ryan White funding, but other needs could not be addressed because patients didn’t have health care and could not be referred to specialists.

Social worker Rebecca Russell’s Halloween shirt read, “You can’t scare me, I’m a social worker.” “Except I am scared by the thought of losing Medicaid,” she said. “Medicaid has enhanced the lives of both HIV and nonHIV clients. It would be sad to lose that. I don’t see how that would benefit the state in anyway.”

Financially for Federally Qualified Health Centers, the loss of Medicaid would mean that a large number of individuals would no longer have insurance coverage and the facilities would not be able to absorb the cost of care for such a large population. Loss of visits would indeed gut services and reduce the number of people being served.

For Louisiana, the Medicaid program “is an excellent deal due to a favorable federal match rate,” according to the LBP. The federal government covers 66% of the cost for regular Medicaid enrollees and 91.5% of the cost for the expansion population. Louisiana levees a fee on Medicaid managed care companies and hospitals to cover its share of expansion costs.

According to Gov. Edwards’ Policy Advisor Nick Albares, Medicaid expansion saved the state budget more than $300 million. The state pays no more than 10 cents on the dollar for Medicaid

expansion claims and 34 cents on the dollar for traditional Medicare claims.

For Noel Twilbeck and the staff at CrescentCare, they do not want to turn back the hands of time. Katie Conner, patient navigator for CrescentCare, says people are getting more assistance than before and are being cured for illnesses such as Hepatitis C. Twilbeck remembers a comprehensive needs assessment done in 2012-2013 asking people if they were satisfied with their healthcare. “They overwhelmingly said ‘yes.’ But when we did a deeper dive we discovered most people were getting health care from emergency departments and we knew we had to change that trajectory. With Medicaid expansion, what that has meant to this organization is we are seeing a majority of individuals who now have health insurance and are able to access care at CrescentCare and may other health centers or hospitals. They are now able to get credible insurance to provide health care and medications that you and I take for granted. It truly should be a right for all of our citizens. We cannot see it go away or be diminished.”

Hawkins believes in sounding the alarm and being on guard. “Everyone’s voice must be heard. This is not going away.”

For Guy-Shelton, it’s a personal battle and struggle for her. “If we lose either Medicaid or Medicare, we are going to have a large number of people in the mind frame of ‘I don’t care.’

It’s going to be more chaos. Do we want more chaos? We want to live in peace and, trust me, I lived in chaos long enough.”

Both Guy-Shelton and her husband have seen the major benefits in Medicaid coverage which has saved them thousands of dollars in medical bills. The only other alternative is to not address issues like she had done in the past. Since tackling her inner

struggles, Guy-Shelton not only got married in June 2018, but she is now the successful entrepreneur of three start-up businesses, including the most recent, her Dream Closet fashion line.

“This isn’t just a cry for New Orleans, this is a cry for nationwide access,” Guy-Shelton said. Hawkins followed with, “Wouldn’t it be great if we had Medicaid for all? Because when you do, all the other issues go away.”

Early voting takes place through November 9. The runoff election is on November 16. For information on registering to vote go to https://www.sos. la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/RegisterToVote/.

EARLY VOTING INFORMATION

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COMMUNITY VOICE New Orleans’ First Summit on HIV and Aging Jim Meadows Executive Director, NOAGE info@noagenola.org New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE), in partnership with CrescentCare and NO/AIDS Task Force, will be hosting New Orleans’ first ever Summit on HIV and Aging on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 8:00am4:30pm at CrescentCare (1631 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, in the Second Floor Conference Room). Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all in attendance. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Register at https://hivagingsummit.eventbrite. com.

We welcome people who are living and aging with HIV, along with healthcare and other service providers, activists and policy makers.

The keynote speaker will be Bill Gross of SAGEPositive (New York), and SAGE’s Aaron Tax will be leading a session on legal and policy matters.

Other sessions will include HIV and Aging 101 (Nicholas Van Sickels, MD); HIV, Aging, and Anal Cancer (Jake Rickoll, BSN, ACRN); and Addressing Isolation in People Living with HIV Aged 50+ (Catherine Roland, Ed.D., LPC). The summit will conclude with a

panel discussion moderated by Dorian Alexander.

About half of all people living with HIV in the United States are aged 50 and older. With proper treatment, people living with HIV can now expect to live long and healthy lives. Many are thriving, and thanks to antiretroviral treatment, people with an undetectable HIV viral load cannot transmit the virus (U=U).

But challenges remain. Much of the marketing for PreP has focused on younger adults who may be at risk for HIV. Meanwhile, people over age 50 who receive a first-time diagnosis of HIV tend to get the diagnosis later in the course of the illness. Long-term care facility staff are, on the whole, unprepared to deal with the unique needs of residents who have HIV. For people who have lived with HIV for many years, the onset of senescence (typical diseases associated with aging) can occur earlier than in other older adults.

And loneliness and isolation can have profound effects on a person living and aging with HIV. NOAGE is proud to work in part-

nership with CrescentCare to provide a forum to discuss these and related issues at the summit.

About the Presenters Dorian-Gray Alexander, BA, has been living with HIV/AIDS since 2006, and is a Policy Fellow for the Coalition of HIV/AIDS Nonprofits and Government Entities (CHANGE). Since 2008, he has done advocacy, training and education for treatment, linkage to care and retention in care for HIV. He has leadership roles with the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council (NORAPC), CrescentCare, and the ACLU of Louisiana. As Community Co-Chair of the Louisiana Statewide HIV Planning Group, he contributed to the plans for Louisiana’s HIV/AIDS Strategy 2012-2015. He is passionate about addressing HIV criminalization across the U.S., and the promotion of U=U (Undetectable=Untransmittable) messages.

Bill Gross has worked at SAGE for over 4 years. As Program Manager for SAGEPositive in New York City, he is in charge of all HIV and sexual wellness programming, including support groups, workshops, social events, and testing days. He sits on the New York City HIV Planning Council, and is a founding member of the Long-Term Survivor Wellness Coalition, a collaborative of agencies dedicated to improving the lives of the HIV long-term survivor community.

Jacob Rickoll, BSN, ACRN, has served the patients of CrescentCare and NO/AIDS Task Force since 2007; first as a Community Specialist, then as a Case Manager, and currently as an AIDS Certified Registered Nurse.

His goal is to become a primary care nurse practitioner at CrescentCare after completion of his Doctorate in Nursing in May 2020.

Catherine Roland, Ed.D., LPC,

has been a private practitioner for over 30 years, and a full professor of counseling at a number of institutions over the past 25. She is a past President of the American Counseling Association (ACA), and former editor of ADULTSPAN Journal, the national peer-reviewed journal of the Association for Adult Development and Aging. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor, and has a private practice in Metairie, LA, with a focus on general counseling, adults in transition, LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, and family counseling.

Aaron Tax is the Director of Advocacy for SAGE. He advocates for LGBT-inclusive federal aging policies that account for the unique needs of LGBT older adults. Prior to his work with SAGE, Aaron served as the Legal Director at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the leading organization challenging “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in Congress and in the courts. He is a graduate of Cornell and the George Washington University Law School. He currently resides in Washington, DC. Nicholas Van Sickels, MD, is originally from San Antonio, and has been in New Orleans for 11 years. He went to the University of Texas at Austin for undergraduate training, and earned his medical degree at the University of Kentucky in 2005. After graduating, he moved to New Orleans, where he completed his Internal Medicine training at Tulane University in 2008. He went on to be a Chief Resident in internal medicine, and then completed his infectious disease training in 2011. Since then he has been a faculty physician at Tulane, and is now the Chief Medical Officer at CrescentCare. He enjoys teaching, global health, LGBTQ equality and rights, and advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS.

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COMMENTARY Trump, Russia, and Walls Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com November 9 marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Erected virtually overnight on August 13, 1961, to divide the Democratic west from the Soviet controlled east, the Berlin Wall was not only a literal concrete divider, but also a powerful symbol of the divide between freedom and totalitarianism. During the Cold War, there was no starker symbol of the great ideological gulf between the West, led by the United States, and the East, led by the Soviet Union. In fact, when freedom-loving Germans took sledgehammers to the wall and caused it to crumble, it was generally regarded as a tangible manifestation that the Soviets had lost the Cold War. Freedom had defeated authoritarianism. We had beat the Russians.

Two years earlier, on June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and boldly declared, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down

this wall!” That was way back when the Republican Party firmly believed Russian totalitarianism was a bad thing.

Reagan, the one-time Patron Saint of Republicans, actually called the Soviet Union an “evil empire.” Back then, the only thing Republicans believed in more than lowering taxes was that Russia was our sworn enemy and that authoritarianism had to be defeated.

The Republican Party has immigrated a long way from that position.

Reagan is probably turning in his grave knowing that his honored place in the pantheon of GOP saints has been replaced by the likes of Donald Trump—a shameless cretin who identifies with totalitarian dictators. For example, he refuses to say anything critical of Vladimir Putin, a dictator whom the entire world knows is a murderer and enemy of democracy. Trump respects Putin so much, he is quick to dismiss and utterly disregard the entire

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT Louisiana Children’s Museum New Orleans is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. An estimated 15 million people visit the city annually, many of them children. While most people think of New Orleans as an adult playground, the city also has much to offer children, including the Louisiana Children’s Museum.

Formerly located on Julia Street in the Warehouse/Arts District, the Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM) recently relocated to City Park.

The brand new campus features 8.5 acres of interactive programming and exhibits, themed activity and education centers, ample outdoor space, and a number of unique and local touches.

The Lagoon Building Houses LCM’s public offerings such as the toy and book store, the parent-teacher resource center and literacy center, as well as Dickie Brennan’s Acorn, the waterfront cafe that features wholesome kid-friendly fare, and dishes that are sure to excite adult palates as well.

The Play Building features five interactive, educational exhibit galleries.

Their areas of focus are literacy, health & wellness, environmental education, and arts & culture.

Play With Me is a ground-floor space dedicated to families with infants and toddlers under the age of four. The Play With Me exhibit features the Sensory Lagoon, In Dialogue, Cypress Tree Book Nook, Peek-a-Boo Puppet

U.S. intelligence community’s advice regarding him. Republican straight-arrow lawman Robert Mueller even wrote a book about it.

Remember in 2008, during a debate, when Barack Obama said he would be willing to talk with North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un? Republicans lost their collective minds. But Trump strikes up a bromance with “Rocket Man,” and all the Republicans can do is clap and cheer. Man crushes are okay, apparently, as long as they are with psychotic despots who starve their own people and hate freedom.

And what about the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who brutally butchered, literally, an American journalist?

He tells Trump he didn’t dismember the guy and Trump believes him! And not a peep out of Republican Congressional leaders. Oil covers a multitude of sins.

Every intelligence agency in the country says Russia interfered in the 2016 election. But Putin says he didn’t do it and Trump believes him. Republican outcry? Nope. Just crickets.

In the 1950s, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ominously declared the Soviet Union would destroy the United

States from within; “We will bury you,” he said. The resulting “Red Scare” made the careers of many Republican politicians, including Joseph McCarthy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. I wonder what those three GOP icons would have to say about Trump’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin.

As impeachment fever heats up, don’t be surprised to learn that Russia is behind almost every bizarre decision Trump has made regarding U.S. foreign policy. Putin is playing Trump like a cheap fiddle. And don’t be surprised to start hearing again about those immigrant “caravans” heading toward our Southern border—you know, the fictional ones that materialize whenever Trump needs to distract the public from his crimes and misdeeds.

And to get back to walls, don’t be surprised to start hearing about that border wall—you know, the one Mexico is apparently not paying for.

Thirty years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Reagan’s admonition to Gorbachev has echoed back through history, but this time it’s the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin saying, “Mr. Trump, put up that wall,” as he laughingly pulls Trump’s puppet strings.

Mexico, the journey explores water as a resource. Keep an eye out for these special activities: Mighty Mississippi, In Dialogue Program Space, Rocks + Springs Tot Spot, Water Wall, and Car-

go + Destinations.

The LCM is located at 14 Henry Thomas Drive in New Orleans City Park. Admission to the museum is $10.

Theater, Early Literacy Sensory Wall, and the Discovery Zone.

One of the largest LCM galleries, Follow That Food is an immersive experience for little ones that will take them on a playful journey of Louisiana agriculture and food. Beginning with fields and coastal waters, passing through the international port, stopping in markets, cafes & restaurants, the journey finally ends at the family table.

In the Dig Into Nature exhibit, children are invited to discover the abundant and unique natural resources in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast. This space will highlight these assets, as well as the region’s ecosystems, plants and animals. This exhibit includes the Nature Caring Station, Energy, Exploration + Innovation, Wetlands Sedimentation Table, Storytelling Nest, Nature Sharing Station, Cajun Pirogue + Buzzin’ on the Bayou, and Promise Tree Portal.

The Make Your Mark exhibit celebrates New Orleans’ rich heritage, history, arts, architectural, and music. Not only will children be introduced to New Orleans’ great contributors, but they’ll also be asked to make their own marks with original creations and crafts.

Described as an “action-packed, watery world, “Move With the River” teaches children the story of the Mighty Mississippi River. From Lake Itasca, MN, down to the Port of New Orleans, and all the way to the Gulf of

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 19

AN INTERVIEW Cary Oswald Named King Pygmalion XXI Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Cary Oswald was recently crowned King of the Krewe of Pygmalion for the 2020 Carnival Season. The krewe’s Coronation Ball was held on November 2, 2019. The Krewe of Pygmalion was founded in 1999 and its parade follows the traditional Uptown route during the first weekend of parades. Frank Perez recently had the opportunity to interview Oswald.

FP: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

CO: I’m a native New Orleanian who relocated from the city in the late 80s a few years after finishing graduate school. I pursued a career in finance which was natural for me since I have an undergraduate degree in Finance from Loyola and an MBA from LSU. I spent most of the 25 years away working in the energy industry in finance-related capacities such as credit management, treasury operations and then commodity risk management. For over 20 years I lived in Denver and enjoyed the mountains and skiing. Yes, the NOLA boy was actually a pretty good skier! Life was great in Denver and I never really thought I would return to New Orleans until “life happened”.

My father became very ill here in town during the summer of 2013 and, as was the case, I decided to leave my job in Denver and three months later I had a job with a local bank here in town and moved back in December 2013.

FP: As a life-long Carnival enthusiast, it must have been difficult living so far away during Mardi Gras.

CO: The one and only thing I consistently missed about NOLA was Mar-

di Gras! I tried to return for a few years but didn’t enjoy only seeing small slices of Mardi Gras so eventually stopped returning. The minute I returned to live here, I started looking for a Mardi Gras krewe(s) to join. I am a parade nut, so I knew I was going to join a parade as I was formerly in Endymion while in college many years ago. However, while searching for the right parade for me, I met the one and only Opal Masters.

Needless to say, I was soon in Amon Ra and on their board. My Amon Ra activity didn’t deter me from finding a parading organization and decided after much research to check out the Krewe of Pygmalion. I liked the idea of a Saturday night parade uptown on the first weekend and sent in my application. Pygmalion turned out to be “my parade” and I’ve become a member of Armeinius so that takes care of Gay Mardi Gras too!

FP: Many members of the gay krewes, none of which parade, are also members of other traditional mainstream krewes because they want to parade. Tell us about Pygmalion as a parading Krewe.

CO: We are a true 21st century Krewe with all types of members and I highly recommend it for people interested in a nice, well-executed parade.

I’m a bit of a parade snob and the things Pygmalion has going for it are (1) Great Captain - Jack Rizzuto, (2) Captain designs and builds our floats, (3) Pygmalion owns our own floats, so they are original to our parade, (4) Right size about 600 members, and (5) Good value with memberships around

$550!

FP: So how did you get to be King?

CO: I was accepted into Pygmalion and, as luck would have it, I was on a float with many of the Krewe’s officers. After just being a rider for a few years, I decided to start participating in more Krewe functions and in December 2017, I asked my good friend, Kevin Hemenger, to attend the annual King’s Luncheon in the Rex Room at Antoine’s with me. I was one of the few regular krewe members present, and Kevin, as my guest, didn’t know anyone. After the former Kings introduced themselves, the Captain had me introduce myself. I said, “Well, I’m Cary and just a member”. The Captain replied, “Well, it’s good of you to attend, any interest in one day being King yourself?”

I literally laughed out loud because I thought he was just joking. Later, near the end of the luncheon, Kevin told me that he thinks the Captain is serious and I need to check out what he has to say. Later at the event, the Captain approached me and said, “I’m serious.

You need to contact me and we can discuss your being King in the future.”

The future date turned out to be 2020! I’m very fortunate to be asked and be able to make the time and financial commitment to become King Pygmalion XXI! My niece, Victoria Oswald, is one of the eight maids of the court. I’ve seen sketches of the court costumes and have received my crown from Dynasty in Mobile and everything is so grand and beautiful. I can’t wait to attend the ball and ride in the parade.

COMMENTARY Edwards to Rispone: “I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you.”

Lynn Stevens Last week saw the only meeting of the candidates in the gubernatorial runoff in a televised debate. The election is on November 16, and the issues that would be discussed were noted before the debate started including: the role of national issues in Louisiana, constitutional changes, infrastructure, the economy, and taxes.

Honestly, most of those issues were lost in a haze of worthless arguing and empty rhetoric.

John Bel Edwards, as almost any article about him points out, is the only Democrat governor in the Deep South.

He served in the Louisiana House of

Representatives from 2008 to 2015 when he became Governor of the state. He toes the line of neo-liberalism which sometimes appears to be the best the left can get in the deep south.

While he supported LGBTQ rights by rolling back the Marriage and Conscience Order enacted by his predecessor, Bobby Jindal, and supporting protections from harassment and job loss based on identity or orientation, he also supports anti-abortion measures and gun rights.

Still, he has expanded Medicaid and attempted to reduce the prison population as well as supporting pay

raises for teachers.

I can imagine that being a Democrat governor in the South is a tough row to hoe and in some ways his moves appear almost radical in a red state, although by other standards they may seem quaint, too little too late.

One could hope that in a second term he would move further left without having to bow so much to Christian Fundamentalists and the NRA. Some of those choices might hinge on the outcome of the 2020 election which will change the political outlook of the country one way or another.

His opponent, Republican Eddie

Rispone is a Trump protege. He has said he is a “conservative outsider” and, because of his past in business, a job creator.

He’s recently posted photos with Vice President Mike Pence and has received the blessing of the President himself, although that support was also given to the primary’s third place candidate, Republican Ralph Abraham.

On the front page of his campaign website, Rispone is pictured in close-up, wearing Realtree camo and shooting a bow & arrow with a passing resemblance to other long-faced politicians. In bold letters on the photo it

20 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

reads: Conservative. Outsider. Businessman then a link to “Meet Eddie.”

Rispone and his brother started a construction company, ISC, in the late 1980s, and, according to his website, the company, “has grown into one of the largest specialty contractors in the United States with annual revenues of approximately $350 million and employing over 3,000 families.”

Like the current president, he does not have a background in politics, but he has served on multiple boards in relation to workforce and construction.

Some, like the Associated Builders and Contractors, are specifically non-union organizations.

He appears to be running on his ability to create jobs and little else. He is also on the board of the American Federation for Children, a conservative group whose chairman is U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, Erik “Blackwater” Prince’s sister.

Early on in the debate Rispone was given a chance to ask Edwards a question.

“Can you explain why you supported Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump for President of the United States?” Rispone asked.

It was a bizarre non-sequitur; seconds earlier the two men had been talking over each other regarding healthcare.

“There you go looking to Washington DC.” Edwards replied, “There’s not

much inspiration to be had there.”

Rispone seems to lack any real ideas or plans, although he claims to have them. In terms of debate, he began to tread water from the first question posed to him.

Rispone came off as marble-mouthed and lacking direction. He relied on dog whistles to his base. He likened Edwards to what he called “socialists” running in the 2020 presidential election. He attempted to appeal to the lowest common denominator of the electorate, if for no other reason than he seemed to have trouble putting words into sentences.

A new drinking game could have been created during this debate. If someone took a shot every time Rispone brought up Donald Trump, they’d’ve been wasted half-way into the hour-long debate.

It would be very dangerous for any governor to worship any president this much. That kind of blind devotion has no place in politics or public service. It should be reserved for the pulpit and the cross.

Both men came off as less than great, talking over each other to the point where one might think they accidentally had two videos playing at once. Edwards, however, was composed and honest next to Rispone’s blithering and piss-poor Trump imitation.

Among Rispone’s missteps was

claiming the gender wage-gap didn’t exist, or seeming to. It was a bit confusing. He was asked a question about it

by Edwards and immediately launched into how he never had anything like that happen at his company and he didn’t know if it really happened at all.

Edwards responded, “You’re not running for governor of your company.”

Near the end of the debate, having had enough maybe, Edwards said to Rispone, “You don’t know what you don’t know and frankly, what you don’t know is astounding.”

One could almost feel bad for Rispone if he wasn’t so pompous. Someone this unprepared and tongue-tied was kind of hard to watch.

Shades of the 1960 debate between Kennedy and Nixon came into view, but during that debate the television audiences thought Kennedy had won, presumably because he looked better on a TV screen.

Radio audiences, however, thought Nixon had won because he really was a fine orator.

In this debate, no such mistake could be made.

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

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 21

BOOK REVIEW Why Didn’t Someone Warn You About Prince Charming Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com Currier, Jameson. Why Didn’t Someone Warn You About Prince Charming.

Chelsea Station Editions, 2019. 179 pgs. $18.00.

Jameson Currier’s latest offering is a collection of short stories about the common pitfalls of gay male relation-

ships.

The writing is straightforward, honest, often humorous, understated, reflective, and clever. These tales are very crisp, very smart, and filled with truths that will resonate with gay men over a certain age, especially those who have turned a corner or two. The

book will also appeal to anyone who has visited or lived in New York.

Blending heroic male icons, literary archetypes, gay relationships, and an observant, sharp humor, Jameson Currier’s Why Didn’t Someone Warn You About Prince Charming? collects twelve new tales of bad ro-

mances, backstage affairs, bittersweet recipes, and broken hearts.

Jameson Currier is the author of seven novels, five collections of short fiction, and a memoir.

MOMENTS IN GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY “A Transgender Voice from the Past” Frank Perez frankearlperez@gmail.com I’ve been spending a lot of time recently at the Louisiana Research Collection archival repository at Tulane University conducting research for a new book I’m working on—a biography of Stewart Butler. Stewart was a driving force in a political group called LAGPAC in the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, while combing through the or-

ganization’s records, I ran across the following letter. One of the great things about archival research is discovering “a hidden gem,” which is to say a primary source you were not necessarily looking for, but which contains some really valuable information. One such hidden gem is the letter reproduced below.

July 12, 1988 Alexandria, La. Dear Lagpac, I am writing in regards to your organization.

I would like to take this time to write and explain a situation that disturbs me greatly.

I am a transsexual and have been for six years. I have never met any other transsexuals in Louisiana but I know I’m not the only one.

However we are all faced with a lot of discrimination as well as violence.

There are Gender Centers in Seattle, Washington and Denver, Colorado.

That is the only two I am familiar with.

These centers are just a few that are greatly needed.

In Alexandria we all have an aids group center and two gay bars. If there are any other organizations I am unfamiliar with them.

A lot of the gay people in Alexandria won’t go to the bars for fear of being seen by people who pass by on the street. These people live in the closet for fear of being recognized as gay or fear of losing their job as well as what might follow as being known as gay.

I know how all of this is. I will not live in a closet. I have rights as a citizen of the United States of America as well as a free human being.

I lived in a small town before moving to Alexandria. I have been cursed, threatened, followed home, I’ve had the windows broken in my home, ran off the road and denied jobs because I was gay.

A couple of months ago I was beaten up for no reason. I was in a straight nite club but I was minding my own business when I was attacked. I suffered from blackened eyes, a broken nose and had my earrings pulled out of my ears.

Nothing was legally done about it.

I was told I had been out all nite and couldn’t expect any better.

Some say I shouldn’t be there.

Maybe so, but who is to say it couldn’t have happened anywhere? No reports were taken. No police was called. The guy walks away free to do it again.

I feel cheated and mad. I told the police I would carry a gun to protect myself and he said it was against the law to do that. What is a person to do if the police won’t protect you against such things and yet you can’t protect yourself? It’s as much as saying these people are in the right. This guy can come back at any time and do it again.

I don’t know who he is but he evidently knows who I am.

I called the Gay Task Force but for four days was unable to get through.

I called Directory Assistance to see if there was another number in another state but there was no listing.

We really need another or more branches of the Gay Task Force. One can’t handle all the cases that are to be reported. It is also closed on weekends when most crimes take place.

I could write on and on about these and other problems we are faced with but I am sure you are aware of them too.

What I want to know is what I can do on behalf of gay men and lesbians as well as transsexuals. I want to help stop this crime.

I would really like to sit down and talk with whomever it is I need to talk to on these matters and others.

I don’t work anywhere and I guess you can figure out why.

Please help so I can help.

I don’t have a telephone but I do have this address.

Please write soon.

Yours truly, (name and address withheld)

22 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About Halloween STREETWALKER HALLOWEEN 2019 | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

24 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at HNO AT THE SATURDAY HNO PARTY | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

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A COMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Just As I Am

The Very Rev. Bill Terry+ Rector St Anna’s Episcopal Church fr.bill@stannanola.org

Two composers wrote a wonderful hymn that is now an American Classic, Just as I am. The words were written by an English woman named Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) and the hymn tune was written by a man from Maine named William Batchelder Bradbury (1816-1868). Of the author of prose, Christian writer Lorella Rouster called it “an amazing legacy for an invalid woman who suffered from depression and felt useless to God’s service.”

I come broken to be mended I come wounded to be healed I come desperate to be rescued I come empty to be filled I come guilty to be pardoned By the blood of Christ the Lamb And I’m welcomed with open arms Praise God, just as I am “Hi, my name is Bill. I am an alcoholic.” Yes, I have been in recovery for about 35 years. Yes, I hang out at various watering holes with which many of you are familiar. I am sort of the designated driver of the world! I am good with that until about 9:00pm because that is when most of the crazy starts.

But the point here is that I am an alcoholic. Such used to be a hidden ill-

ness. It was an embarrassment. It was considered a character defect, perhaps even a weakness of character.

There was a time when I could drink almost all of you rookies under the table because I was an All Pro drinker. Over one fifth a day. That’s drinking! Yet here I am. I have searched and found, to some degree, the goal of sobriety, “to be happy, joyous, and free.”

“And I’m welcomed with open arms; Praise God, just as I am.” Yes, the key here is “And I am welcomed just as I am.” I - we - friends and lovers worry about us folk with some of these issues. I say issues because it is a menu of illnesses of which most have a cure. For me, it is rehab and then sobriety. I love being sober. Really I do.

For some, alcoholism may be a manifestation of depression. There are a lot of triggers for depression. Perhaps a past that is never reconciled; perhaps an event (Katrina was a big one); perhaps a personal trauma; for women, perhaps menopause. All may be triggers for depression. Depression is treatable. The key here is in recognizing what that terrible place is and then, perhaps with encouragement,

seeking help.

The community that enjoys its cocktails is a great place for abuse to hide and manifest. The caustic humor that we use is another hiding place for depression and self-loathing. It is treatable. You are treatable. You are always so worthy to be loved and cared about.

So, where might you go? What might be the first steps to a healthier life and richer self-appraisal?

Often clergy are taught how to mediate these manifestations. No, not as a therapist but many of us know where you can go and who will offer the best help. CrescentCare is a good place to go. It is safe and holds everyone up with a sense of dignity.

There are many other avenues which you can travel. In fact, if you are suffering from addictions there are detox centers and rehab centers that cost nothing. Further, once you go through the program they offer virtually a lifetime of medical access.

Our community is such a grand one. Our community has so much to offer. Our community can and is a most giving community. When I think of a recent phone call a friend of mine

made telling me that The Golden Lantern and a few folks had raised a goodly donation for Anna’s Place, I was so moved. The same with Winter Wonderland. The same annually with Amon Ra. The Lords of Leather. Mags.

The Phoenix. And so many others.

We live in a generous community.

I see the support for things like CrescentCare, NOAGE, PFLAG, Lazarus House, and so many other groups that do good work! What a great horizon of care! Yet, within our community some are damaged, hurting, self-doubting, or simply depressed. Such is not the state that we are ordained to be in. Such are brought about by some trauma great or modest. Please know that your hurt, your pain, your suffering can be healed.

Because you - yes, you - are a gift.

If you are one of the blessed who is self-confident, sure of your place, and achieving peace & satisfaction, you can be the person to reach out to another and become their life line. We are all in this together. Together we can and will overcome.

26 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at HNO AT THE SATURDAY HNO PARTY | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

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HEALTH & WELLNESS HEALTH & WELLNESS The Importance of Good Feet most critical areas for proper fit are: Chenier Reynolds-Montz Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana CReynolds@accesshealthla.org Most people really don’t think about their feet after they put on their shoes in the morning. Feet are critical to your overall health. In fact, your feet provide a solid foundation upon which to support your entire physical body.

They can also be a tell-tale sign of your overall health. Dr. Anthony Perry is a Podiatrist with Access Health Louisiana. He looks at feet more than the average person.

“Your feet take a lot of abuse and are often neglected which makes them vulnerable to problems,” says Dr. Perry.

“Healthy feet are critical for a high quality of life.” This is especially important for people with chronic illnesses like diabetes. Regular foot checks should be performed annually for diabetics.

Problems such as loss of feeling or foot sensation can develop in diabetics or even those dealing with cardiovascular issues. “Most people think cardiovascular disease only impacts the heart or

brain in an isolated manner, but in fact it affects the entire circulatory system.

Feet are vulnerable to poor circulation since these structures are furthest from the heart and receive the weakest blood flow.”

It’s important to know that any problem involving your feet can be seen by a Podiatrist. “It could be problems with the skin, nails, foot structure, nerves, circulation, bones, tendons or even muscles,” advises Perry. “Even problems such as the appearance of the nails and foot odor can be helped with medical care from a Podiatrist.

Pain is nature’s indicator that there is some type of problem. Any significant pain in the foot is a reason to see a Podiatrist.”

Dr. Perry says wearing the right shoe is also important. He says when faced with wearing a large shoe or a squeezing into a shoe that is too small, always go with the bigger shoe. “The

the tip of the great toe, the base of the great toe on the side where a bunion often is, the fifth toe and the base of the fifth toe on the side where a tailor’s bunion is often located. If the shoe is not contacting any of these problem areas, you are unlikely to have painful foot problems caused by poor shoe fit.”

Selecting the shoe material is also important. Perry says leather or woven fabrics allows your foot to breathe.

“When you buy a shoe made of plastic, it’s like putting your shoe inside a plastic bag and makes your foot sweat.

Extra sweat causes increased friction, increased odor and predisposes your skin and nails to fungal infections.”

Don’t compromise fashion. Just make smarter choices when it comes to your feet. “High heels may look great, but they’re not how nature intended us to walk. I think the goal for anyone should be to limit high heel wear to when its most important.” Perry says high heels are designed to increase pressure on the ball of the foot and crunch toes against the toe box of the shoe. “When the ankle is bent downward in a high heel shoe, the ankle joint geometry is not as stable and the ankle is more vulnerable to twisting and spraining.” You don’t need to give up style for the health of your foot.

Perry suggests going with a stacked heel that’s more stable than a stiletto due to the wider base of the heel. Consider going with a low heel with good cushioning under the ball of the foot.

Rounder and squarer toe boxes also offer more toe room.

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to shoes. “Judge the fit of the shoe by how it fits your foot, not by the size that

your foot measures or the size that the shoe is labeled,” advises Dr. Perry.

While Podiatry is considered a specialty care, it’s important to know that getting an appointment is easy and affordable for those insured and uninsured. Federally Qualified Health Centers like Access Health Louisiana (AHL) offer sliding fee discounts for uninsured which means patients pay what they can afford. The slide is based off your household size and income. Medicaid, Medicare and most commercial insurances are accepted.

Prescriptions can also be filled through AHL’s discount pharmacy which offers free home delivery of your medications. To make an appointment with Dr. Perry, call toll-free 1-866-530-6111.

Chenier Reynolds-Montz is Director of Outreach & Development for Access Health Louisiana, a registered 501(c)3 organization. She can be reached at creynolds@accesshealthla.org. For information about our services, log onto our website at accesshealthla.org

WELLNESS

Settling or Compromising

Dr. Andrew Watley Professional Counselor in the State of Louisiana www.drandrewwatley.com I was so in love! There was absolutely nothing that this guy could do to push me away. He was all I could think about during the day, and all I would dream about at night.

When we weren’t together, we were texting. I mean sure, I would have liked to speak on the phone more but he wasn’t into that as much. We would go on adventures to the movies, and to

dinner and bars. I wanted to call them dates but as a “closeted” and “masculine” guy, he didn’t want anyone to think that we were dating.

I loved how romantic we could be together. Sure, the sex was great and his kisses made me see fireworks, but nothing compared to when he would simply hold my hand...behind closed doors of course. We definitely could

28 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About Halloween AT THE FULL MOON PARTY AND HALLOWEEN | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

30 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About Halloween AT THE FULL MOON PARTY AND HALLOWEEN | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

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MR. RAWHIDE LEATHER

2020 Competition

Winner receives Primary Sponsorship to International Mr. Leather 2020 and All Expenses paid trip to Chicago for two.

Contestants welcome from across Gulf Coast Region and need only to enter one of the three preliminary competitions.

The 3 preliminary winners will compete in the Final Competition.

1st Preliminary Competition - Dec. 12 2nd Preliminary Competition - January 9 3rd Preliminary Competition - Feb 13 Final Competition - March 12

For more information Rawhide2010.com

REDPARTY The 27th Annual

Watch our staff turnabout to benefit NOCCA

Auction and Raffle

901 Bourbon Street

November 23 9:00 PM

not do that in public.

For almost six years I endured this relationship, or “friendship” according to him. He strung me along for the ride. You see, he identified as bisexual but his culture frowned upon that. He decided that he was going to marry a woman eventually, but for now, he was with me and I was okay with that because I could not recognize that I was settling.

You can read the story above and ask, “How could he not see the signs?”

The truth is that I did see the signs. I saw every last one but I, like many, had convinced myself that this relationship was the best one for me. A lot of people in our community spend a lot of time trying to find who they believe is “the one”. We find someone who may not check all of the boxes, but we might let him or her slide.

Why do we do that?

The answer is, “manipulation”. I am not speaking about the manipulation that we may experience from our significant other, but rather the manipulation that we put on ourselves. Sometimes we convince or force ourselves

to believe that what we experience is love. We allow ourselves to live in an imaginary bliss that is associated with the good things while ignoring the bad or justifying it.

I did it! I manipulated myself into believing that I deserved to be this guy’s “side piece”. My lack of self-esteem at the time allowed me to settle with being his secret. As I grew more and learned about myself, I was no longer ready to settle and I began to express how I felt, which resulted in the decision to end the relationship.

What that relationship lacked was compromise. Neither one of us wanted to give up what we wanted to make things work. He wanted me to be his secret just as much as I wanted to be in the spotlight with him on my arm.

When we compromise, we are able to find our voice while at the same time lending an ear to another person.

It isn’t one-sided and, if done properly, can be very fair. Compromise allows us not only to learn about other people, but also about ourselves.

There were many things I wanted in my previous relationship but was not

able to receive because of the lack of compromise. I lost who I was because I was too focused on being who he wanted me to be.

Fast forward to my current relationship. I know what I want, my boyfriend knows what he wants, and we work together to make sure that we are both happy. By no means is our relationship perfect or a representation of what all relationships should be, but we are working toward making it as perfect as we can for each other. When we disagree, we communicate and then we compromise.

So how do we know when we are settling and when we are making mature compromises in a relationship?

First, pay attention to the red flags.

We all have those things that are big “no nos” in a relationship. If you recognize that the red flags are frequent and you continually allow them to happen, you’re most likely settling. If there are things that you have planned for yourself and you begin to realize that they may not be the best for you in your current relationship and you are able to let them go, then you are com-

promising. Likewise, if you realize that they are important to you, then speak to your partner and see if s/he can help you achieve them. If s/he can, that’s a valid compromise. If not, don’t settle and give in to someone who doesn’t respect you, your dreams and your goals (within reason, of course).

Second, remember that in order to have a successful relationship, you first have to have one with yourself. Know who you are, what you want, and what you deserve. How you allow someone to handle those things is completely up to you.

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

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Corner Pocket AT CORNER POCKET HALLOWEEN | PHOTOS BY CS EVENTS

34 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Corner Pocket AT CORNER POCKET HALLOWEEN | PHOTOS BY CS EVENTS

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HOT HAPPENINGS UNDER THE GAYDAR New Orleans Hot Happenings Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com As we enter November, the weather is getting cooler, yet still not quite cold, but at least not sweltering. The holiday season is in full swing, however, as steer a steady course to Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are so many fun things to do in the city during this time of the year. Here are just a few of the things to keep your days (and nights) busy. (If you have a fundraiser, party, show or event coming up and would like to be listed in the calendar, please email me at ledgemgp@ gmail.com.

WEEKLY EVENTS EVERYDAY

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

777 Happy Hour: Kajun’s Pub;

2556 St. Claude Ave.; 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

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

Happy Hour: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (except Monday) Happy Hour: GrandPre’s; 834 N Rampart St.; 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. $3 Well/ domestics Happy Hour: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

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

Happy Hour: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. (except Sunday) Happy Hour: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; bargain prices starting with draft beer or Schnapps for only $1.50—plus six more specials. Weekdays: Noon - 7 p.m., Weekends: 10 a.m, - 6 p.m. | Boys dancin’ on the bar nightly 9 p.m. till close.

WEEKDAYS

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

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

MONDAY

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

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

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

Well, domestic, and wine.

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

NOAGE & Stonewall Sports Walk/ Run Club: Lafitte Greenway; 6:15 p.m. Join Stonewall Sports New Orleans and NOAGE starting at 6:30 p.m..

Meet for the walk/run at Bayou Beer

Garden. The Stonewall Run Club joins every 3 weeks. This group is for ALL fitness levels, and you can go at your own pace. Whether that’s running, jogging, leisurely walking, or using a wheelchair or walker, this group is for you. If you are worried that you’ll be left behind, don’t worry; someone will walk with you. If you are the fastest person there, we’ll see you at the finish line.

If you need assistance or have questions, call Jim at (504) 228-6778.

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

Lazy Susan Karaoke: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Join bartender Mark and a revolving cast of drag queen hostesses for Lazy Susan Karaoke with music by DJ Lucius Riley. Mondays are a drag, so make them fabulous and sing the night away.

Underwear Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; starting at 9 p.m. The Eagle now is open EVERY Monday night. Happy Hour prices if you’re in your underwear.

Doors open at 9 p.m. and No Cover.

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

36 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

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

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

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

Pool Tournament: Rawhide 2010; 740 Burgundy St.; 9:45 p.m. $2 PBR and $50 gift certificate for Rawhide S.I.N.: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 1 a.m - 4 a.m. 2 for 1 drinks.

TUESDAY

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

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

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

Burlesque Bingo with Lefty Lucy: The AllWays Lounge; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m There’s no cover for this grown-up game show where everyone’s a winner! Just buy a drink from the bar & Tsarina Hellfire will give you a Bingo card. Each round winner gets a bucket of prizes including exclusive prints & a grand finale prize from Abita Brewing Company! Just for showing up you get to enjoy the free burlesque side of this unique game.

Between every round, Lefty Lucy performs an improvised striptease to a song the crowd selects, removing only one item per round—don’t miss your

chance to win the finale prize, and to see the tassels twirl!

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

Join a trivia team or bring your own and test your knowledge across multiple categories to win an often odd and useful assortment of prizes!

Tito’s Tuesday: The Bourbon Pub; 801 St Ann St.; 8 p.m. - close. $5 Tito’s cocktails Country Dance Lessons: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 8 p.m.

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

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

by Trixie Minx.

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

Trivia Night: MRB; 515 St. Philip St.; Starts at 8 p.m. Every Tuesday at 8 you can join us for Who Wants A Dollar? Trivia! Free to Play. Plenty of Prizes. Tons of Fun. Teams of 1-6 wel-

come. Enjoy some killer drinks, amazing food from Woodies @ MRB, and out of this world trivia.

Kocktail Karaoke: Good Friends Bar;740 Dauphine St.; 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Join us at Good Friends Bar for Kocktail Karaoke. The winner gets a $25.00 bar tab. $5 Fireball.

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

Every week on Tuesday from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am the next day.

WEDNESDAY

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

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

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

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

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

Show Tunes Night: The Bourbon

Pub; 801 St Ann St.; 8 p.m.- Midnight Wednesday Night Karaoke: Cru; 535 Franklin Ave.; 8 - 10 p.m. Join Vanessa Carr Kennedy and the krewe at Cru NOLA - Raw & Bubble Bar for Wednesday night karaoke in the treehouse. Sing your heart out, enjoy some amazing cocktails, and get some food from the kitchen.

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

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

THURSDAY

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

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

Drag Race UK Viewing Party:

38 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

CROSSING

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

HAPPY HOUR DAILY 7 AM – 9 PM OPENING HOURS 7 AM – 1:30 AM ADDRESS 439 Dauphine Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 523-4517 www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 39

ALL THAT DRAG Weekly Drag Shows in New Orleans

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

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

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

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY FRID

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

SATURDAY

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

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

Divas R Us - 10PM - Golden Lantern Hosted by Monica Synclaire Kennedy Illusions - 10:30PM - The Bourbon Pub The Queens of Illuisons offer up superstar female impersonation

SUNDAY

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

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

The Reba Douglas Jubilee - 5PM - Golden Lantern Hosted by Reba Douglas Divas at the Dive - 5PM - Kajun’s Kajun Pub Hosted by Vanessa Carr Lipstixx - 8PM - The Bourbon Pub Oz Show Night - 9:30PM - Oz New Orleans Hosted by Persana Shoulders Are we missing your show? Email us at info@ambushpublishing.com

Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave.; 7 p.m. Mama Ru’s in search of the UK’s very first drag race superstar.

Prepare for the ride of your life! Join us every Thursday for Rupaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 Viewing Party at Kajun’s Pub! Laveau Contraire has invited some of her best squirrel friends to come give insightful commentary, sickening drag numbers, and a healthy dose of SHADE. Don’t get left at the starting line!

Prime Time Trivia: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; starts at 9 p.m. Come out and enjoy trivia with great prizes with your host Honey Bee. Retro Night: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; from 9 p.m. till close.

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

The Jeff D Comedy Cabaret: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 10 p.m. The Comedy Cabaret stars Jeff D. featuring Gia GiaVanni. Enjoy hilarious comedians, amazing talent and the Ladies of Oz. Strip Off: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; Midnight. Persana Shoulders hosts the Strip Off every Thursday night. Sign up begins at 11 p.m. and the show features a spotlight performance by Miss Gay Louisiana America 2013 Mercedes Ellis Loreal. Winners receive 1st Place - $100 Cash • 2nd Place - $50 Bar tab

FRIDAY

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

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

Beat The Clock; 700 Club; 700 Burgundy St.; 5 - 9 p.m. Well Drinks: 5 PM - 6 PM $1.50, 6 PM - 7 PM $2.00, 7 PM - 8 PM $2.50, 8 PM - 9 PM $3.00 Take It Off Fridays: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 5 p.m.

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

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

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

Bayou Blues Burlesque: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8-10 p.m. An intimate night of live blues music accompanied by burlesque and variety acts. Drink specials and comfy seating to enjoy the

art of the striptease. Music by The Delta Revues; burlesque by Andrea Louise Duhe´ (Ooops C.) Cherry Brown and special guests. Doors: 7:00pm; Show: 8:00pm; Cover: $10.

Jock Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave; 9 p.m. Happy hour prices for wearing a jock or singlet.

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

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

Late Night Happy Hour: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Ave.; 10:30 p.m.

- 2 a.m. Executive Chef Marlon Alexander and sushi & vegan Chef Kelseay Dukae serve delicious drink specials and amazing food during late night happy hours. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

SATURDAY

Queer Meditation: Mid City Zen; 3248 Castiglione St.; 10:30 a.m. A queer and trans centered meditation group meeting regularly on Saturday mornings. Open to all LGBTIQ+ people, and all folks interested in holding and sharing an intentionally queer-centering mindful space. Join for a sit, breathe, notice, rest; to cultivate presence and kindness together. Free/by donation.

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

Happy Hour: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Beer Bash: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. $10 pitchers of beer, $9 pitchers of Miller Light draft (upstairs only) Piano Bar with Trey Ming; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 4-7 p.m. Sing along with your favorite songs with talented piano player Trey Ming.

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

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

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

40 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 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 · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 41

Late Night Happy Hour: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin Ave.; 10:30 p.m.

- 2 a.m. Executive Chef Marlon Alexander and sushi & vegan Chef Kelseay Dukae serve delicious drink specials and amazing food during late night happy hours. Come chill out in the iconic courtyard.

SUNDAY

Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch: Cru NOLA; 535 Franklin St.; 11 a.m. Vanessa Carr presents Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch featuring Chef Marlon Alexander’s amazing menu and the phenomenal talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy and Friends! For tickets, go to www.crunola.com Bottomless Mimosas: Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 1 - 4 p.m.

Bottomless Mimosas are offered upstairs from 1 - 4 p.m. for $12.

Happy Hour: Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 1 p.m. - 11 p.m. $3.75 well drinks and domestic beer.

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

Beer Bash: The Bourbon Pub; 801 Bourbon St.; 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. $10 pitchers of beer, $9 pitchers of Miller Light draft (upstairs only) Happy Hour/ Drink Til You Drop: The Page Bar; 542 N Rampart St.; Happy Hour 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. and Drink Til You Drop $12 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The Original Trash Disco: Cafe

Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 4-10 p.m. Includes the original napkin toss and the best music videos to sing along with.

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

Divas at the Dive: Kajun’s Pub; 2256 St. Claude Ave; 5 p.m. Vanessa Carr LIve. 6:30 p.m. Drag Karaoke. 8 p.m. Audience Karaoke Drink and Drown: 700 Club; 700 Burgundy St.; 5 - 8 p.m. Unlimited well drinks, Bud Light and Miller Lite draft $10 Sinful Sunday: Crossing; 439 Dauphine St.; 5 - 8 p.m. Drink & Drown, $15 well drinks or top shelf & bottled beer $25 - includes free burger cookout.

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

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

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

Zingo!: The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 6 p.m. Play for free to win

prizes or bar tabs. Late night: The Barry Bareass Booty Contest, $50 cash prize. | Boys dancin’ on the bar 9 p.m. till close.

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

Join DJ Dereesha as he plays Karaoke.

Sunday Swing: The Allways Lounge and Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; starts at 8 p.m. Every Sunday, local swing dance instructors offer a community class from 8-9pm. From 9 till midnight there is live, local music and social dancing! There is NO cover, but a one drink minimum is required per set.

Jock Night: The Eagle at the Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave; 9 p.m. Happy hour prices for wearing a jock or singlet.

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

SPECIAL EVENTS TUESDAY 11/5 – SUNDAY 11/10

Dear Evan Hansen: Mahalia Jackson Theatre; 1419 Basin St. Tickets for Dear Evan Hansen start at $69.

Tickets are available for purchase at BroadwayInNewOrleans.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone (800) 9822787 or at the Saenger Theatre Box Office (1111 Canal St., New Orleans).

Dear Evan Hansen will play Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 p.m.; Friday: 8 p.m.; Saturday: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The winner of six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

WEDNESDAY 11/6

Bobbie Yan Lecture in Social Media & Change: Lavin-Bernick Center, Kendall Cram Room, Tulane University; 6823 St. Charles Ave.; 6 p.m.

The inaugural Bobby Yan Lectureship in Media and Social Change will feature Christine Vachon, producer of the film Boys Don’t Cry, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Vachon has produced films including Carol, Far From Heaven, Still Alice, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Crescent City Leathermen Board Meeting: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 7:30 - 9 p.m. Meeting is open to the Public.

THURSDAY 11/7 – SUNDAY 11/10

4th Annual Infringe Fest: various locations around New Orleans. A four day festival featuring performance of all types! Puppets! Drag! Dance!

Musicals! You name it. For a full list

of shows, visit infringefest.com Saturday Night after party at Art Klub featuring Siren on the 1’s & 2’s! New Wave/ Disco and a special late night performance of NIGHTMARE OF NOISE: A toy orchestra featuring the duo of TOYBOX THEATRE and MEXICAN PURGATORY representing the duality of all things. Chaos magic blending light and dark, whimsy and terror.

Toys, homemade instruments, vocals, theremin, turntable, antics. Not to be missed! Sunday night closing party at d.b.a. New Orleans: Glamrock Superfoxx featuring Jesse Tripp & The Nightbreed! A raucous tribute to all things GLAM ROCK! Come close out the festival with this high energy celebration!

THURSDAY 11/7

Drag Bingo Benefitting Dress For Success: The Cannery; 3803 Toulouse St.; 6 - 9 p.m. Drag BINGO fundraiser with 100% of proceeds going directly to Dress for Success New Orleans to empower women towards economic independence. Sequin attire encouraged! VIP tables $500 • Table of 8 $350 • Individual tickets $40. Bingo begins promptly at 7pm. Pre-order champagne & cheese boards. Cash bar, food trucks, raffles & more. Don’t forget your dollar bills to tip the Queens!

For tickets go to www.one.bidpal.net.

RuPaul’s Drag Race - Werq the World 2019: Orpheum Theatre; 129 Roosevelt Way; 8 p.m. The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race World Tour returns with an all new production for 2019! Mission leader Asia OHara is on a journey to save the universe with the help of her intergalactic queens including Aquaria, Detox, Monet Exchange, Naomi Smalls, Plastique, Violet Chachki, Yvie Oddly! VIP Option: Enjoy a private meet and greet with the queens before the show! Includes a customized VIP Galaxy Pass and a seat in the first few rows. Guests must arrive by 6PM. For tickets, go to www. ticketmaster.com.

SLAAP’d vs. Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch Bunch: Three Keys in the Ace Hotel; 600 Carondelet St.; 9 - 11 p.m.

The punk queer drag kids of SLAAP’d mash up with the old school drag glamour of Vanessa Carr and Friends - mix vinegar and baking soda and you gonna get a messy reaction - join us for a volcano of fun and the silliest Honor Thy Mother of the year. Cover $10 at the door.

The Great Drag Debate: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10:30 p.m,. - 1:30 a.m.

The Race for New Orleans Next Drag Presidentress is in its final lap! They spoke, you voted and This Year’s Candidates include: Laveau Contraire, Annie Bacterial, Quinn Laroux, Siren, Gayle King Kong and Daisy Konfused.

Hosted by Nebula Omega. Tickets are $10 at the door

42 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Sipps Bar Gulfport, MS PHOTOS BY DWAIN HERTZ

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

OPENING HOURS Everyday 5pm - TILL ADDRESS 2218 25th Ave, Gulfport, MS Phone: (228) 206-7717 Email: sipps25th@gmail.com

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FRIDAY 11/8

Nothing To See Here Beer Bust: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 9 p.m. - midnight. Enjoy the Lords of Leather Beer Bust for a $5 buy-in gets all-you-can-drink from 9 - 10 pm, then

$1 refills from 10 - midnight.

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

Each show will feature a rotating cast of current and past students who have studied extensively perfecting their craft and developing new acts! Doors at 10 p.m. Show at 11 p.m. $10 cover.

SATURDAY 11/9

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

NOLA Gaymers Party November: LGBT Community Center; 2727 S. Broad Ave.; 2 - 6 p.m. 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!

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.

The Wishbone Show with Varla Jean Merman: Cafe Istanbul; 2372 St. Claude Ave.; 8 - 11 p.m. Varla Jean, Deven Green and Handsome Ned talk turkey, sing food songs and break the wishbone! Tickets: https://thewishboneshow.brownpapertickets.com/ Crescent City Rougaroux Rugby Beer Bust Fundraiser: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields; 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Come support the New Orleans Rougaroux at their November beer bust fundraiser with our Title Sponsor The Phoenix! $10 all you can drink.

SUNDAY 11/10

Drag Diva Sunday Brunch: - The Golden Girls Edition The Fillmore; 6 Canal St.; 10:30 a.m. For tickets, go to http://www.fillmorenola.com/. It is always best for your group to purchase tickets together to ensure that you’ll be seated together. Large groups, please call 504.872.3303 or email FillmoreNOLABoxOffice@livenation.com for accommodations. Buffet Includes: Scrambled Eggs, Country Potatoes, Bacon, Sausage, Baked Chicken, Fried Catfish, Baked Macaroni, Asparagus Salad w/ Grape Tomatoes, Spring Mix Salad w/ Honey Basil Vinaigrette, and an Assortment of Pastries and Desserts.

Bianca Del Rio “It’s A Jester Joke”: The Orpheum Theatre; 129 Roosevelt Way; 8 p.m. Tickets on sale at www.ticketmaster.com.

FRIDAY 11/15

Goat in the Road’s Annual Bingo Night: Catapult; 609 St. Ferdinand St.; 5 - 10 p.m. Hosted at GRP’s new home by the hilarious Ian Hoch, Goat in the Road’s annual Bingo Night Fundraiser features free, delicious food, a cash bar, great prizes, acerbic wit, and Bingo rounds (over 30!) all night long. Come out to this family-friendly event and play one game or play them all! Kids 12 and under are admitted 44 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI French Quarter PHOTOS BY DWAIN HERTZ

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for free! Tickets $10 - $30. Proceeds from the event will support GRP’s 2019 – 20 season. For tickets, go to www. eventbrite.com.

SATURDAY 11/16

Summit on HIV and Aging: Crescent Care; 1631 Elysian Fields; 8 a.m.

- 4:30 p.m. New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE), in partnership with CrescentCare and NO/AIDS Task Force, would like to invite you to New Orleans’ first ever Summit on HIV and Aging. It will be on Saturday, Nov 16 from 8:00AM-4:30PM at CrescentCare (1631 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, LA, in the Second Floor Conference Room). Open to people living and aging with HIV, along with healthcare and other service providers, activists and policy-makers. Keynote speaker is Bill Gross of SAGE Positive, and SAGE’s Aaron Tax will be leading a session on policy matters. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all in attendance. This event is free, but RSVP at https://hivagingsummit.eventbrite. com is required. Please contact info@ noagenola.org if you have any questions about this event.

Drag Diva Sunday Brunch: - The Grease Edition The Fillmore; 6 Canal St.; 10:30 a.m. For tickets, go to http:// www.fillmorenola.com/. It is always best for your group to purchase tickets together to ensure that you’ll be seated together. Large groups, please call

504.872.3303 or email FillmoreNOLABoxOffice@livenation.com for accommodations. Buffet Includes: Scrambled Eggs, Country Potatoes, Bacon, Sausage, Baked Chicken, Fried Catfish, Baked Macaroni, Asparagus Salad w/ Grape Tomatoes, Spring Mix Salad w/ Honey Basil Vinaigrette, and an Assortment of Pastries and Desserts.

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

Queer Dance Waacking and Posing: LGBT Community Center; 2727 S. Broad Ave.; 7:15 - 10:15 p.m. Artivism Dance Theatre will be providing a Waacking and Posing dance workshop. Wear comfy dance clothing and shoes!

Mr. And Miss National Apollo: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 8 11 p.m. Join as the Mystic Krewe of Apollo hosts the Mr. and Miss National Apollo 2020 competition at Oz on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the cover charge is just $5. Hosted in conjunction with our sister Krewes in Baton Rouge, Birmingham and Lafayette, the show will feature contestants from those cities and New Orleans competing in Mardi Gras presentation, talent and formal wear categories. A limited number of VIP tables also are available and can

be obtained by visiting the Shop section of MKANola.com.

Dirty Dime Peepshow: The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. The most outlandish burlesque show in all of New Orleans, hosted by Ben Wisdom.

The corps cast consists of the artistic genius of The Lady Lucerne, Tarah Cards, Bella Blue, and more. Since 2009, the Dirty Dime has been feeding audiences the raw, dirty, and boundary-busting burlesque they crave.

11pm doors. Midnight show. $15 cover at the door.

SUNDAY 11/17

Krewe of Amon Ra’s Gumbo Cookoff: GrandPre’s; 834 N. Rampart St.; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Come out and support the Krewe and have delicious homemade Louisiana Gumbo! $25 to enter $10 for tasting, donation to the Krewe.

Skyy Miss Pageant Pageant: One Eyed Jacks; 615 Toulouse St.; 7 - 10 p.m. 9 contestants will be on hand to compete for the title of MISS PAGEANT 2019. Along with Head Mister-ess Vinsantos, two celebrity judges will be on hand to critique and crucify our wouldbe hopefuls. Doors for this event are at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm. There are different price levels for this event from VIP seating with cocktail service, reserved seating in the front section, reserved private booth seating for you and your 4 closest friends and gener-

al admission standing room. When you go to check out, you can choose your spot from our seating chart. We can’t wait to see what these talented Queens and Kings are bringing to the big stage! Guest judges this year are Dragula’s own Louisiana Purchase and Drag Queen Brunch author Poppy Tooker. Tickets at https://skyymisspageant.bpt.me/.

MONDAY 11/18

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

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

WEDNESDAY 11/20

2nd Annual Trans March of Resilience: St. Philip St. and Claiborne Ave.; 1 - 5 p.m. NOLA Trans March of Resilience is not only a rally and demonstration, but also a revolutionary movement. NOLA Trans March of Resilience welcomes everyone to join us in this march for Justice, Equity and Liberation. Join us as we REMEMBER our loved ones and community members who have transitioned to ancestor; stand in solidarity and RESISTANCE against the hate, social injustice and inequality faced by Trans, Non-binary and Gender Non-conforming individ-

46 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About in Natchez THE WEEKEND EVENT IN NATCHEZ | PHOTOS BY DOUG ADAMS

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at HNO COSTUME WINNERS | PHOTOS BY CHARLES PIZZO

And best overall costume. It’s the voodoo dolls.

Best individual. Uncle Sam witch.

Hott mess award goes to the zombie nutcrackers for their unsynchronized high kicks.

Best group. Shady bitches of Arbor Day.

Best on stage performance. 3 French open men’s.

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 47

uals; and honor our RESILIENCE as commUnity. Issues such as the unsolved cases in our own city; hate violence, specifically against Trans Women and People of Color, and the lack of official concern; oppressive healthcare policies, media misgendering, financial and housing insecurity; police brutality, workplace policies and employment discrimination, and the lack of resources for Trans, Non-binary and Gender Non-conforming Youth and Elders, are just some of the concerns being voiced upon in this year’s March.

PFLAG and St. Anna’s Painting with A Purpose: Painting with A Twist: 4931 W. Esplanade Ave. Suite D; 7 10 p.m.

Paint.Sip.Support.Repeat!

That’s what you will be doing when you this Painting with a Purpose fundraiser! The artists will help you create this characteristic New Orleans “Glowing Shotgun” on the surface (wood or canvas) of your choice! So tell your friends to come and sip with you for a great purpose! It’s BYOB and snacks are definitely welcomed! Winter Queen III of New Orleans Andrea Sabillon Halstead is hosting this fundraiser as part of her reign for Winter Wonderland 8. To register and for more information, go to https://www.paintingwithatwist. com/studio/metairie/event/2173339/.

THURSDAY 11/21 – FRIDAY 11/22

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

Catch this exciting show in its World Premier before the show goes on the road! In 1979, Evita was the hit of Broadway. For 27 weeks, its 30-year-old star, Patti LuPone had another project in the works. After the Saturday night show, she would don a white tuxedo and run across town to the nightclub Les Mouches. There, she would work a 70-minute cabaret act starting around 12:30 am, featuring Broadway belting, original compositions, and covers of Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Dusty Springfield, and more.

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

THURSDAY 11/21

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

FRIDAY 11/22

Petronius at Chef Ron’s Gumbo Shop: Chef Ron’s Gumbo Shop; 2309 N. Causeway Blvd.; 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Come to Chef Ron’s and have a delicious meal all while supporting the Krewe of Petronius! Chef Ron has won many awards for his delicious delicacies all while supporting the LGBT community as much as he can. On November 22, he’s graciously donating a portion of profits to the Krewe of Petronius! Make it to the restaurant, dine in or take out and support the community!

NOAGE Gala - NOAGE in the Enchanted Wood: Cajun Ballroom at the Audubon Zoo; 6500 Magazine Street; 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Join NOAGE for an evening of beauties, beasts, and enchantment at Audubon Nature Institute’s Cajun Ballroom! The theme of the Fifth Annual NOAGE Gala will be “NOAGE in the Enchanted Wood.” The event will feature live entertainment, an open bar, delicious food, a silent auction, and the presentation of the 2019 NOAGE Trailblazer Awards. Suggested attire is fairy tale fabulous! SPECIAL PRIZE FOR BEST COSTUME!!!

(Dressy casual is OK too!) NOAGE is committed to providing excellent services and advocacy for LGBT older adults in the New Orleans Metro Area, ensuring that they can live their best lives possible, with the dignity, respect, and good health that they deserve.

NOAGE is also seeking sponsors for

the event, and items for the silent auction. To become a sponsor, or if you would like to donate to the silent auction, please email us at info@noagenola.org. To purchase tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com.

SATURDAY 11/23

New Orleans Pride Pub Crawl: Starting Location TBA; French Quarter; 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. $20 includes limited edition Pride bandana and a free shot/drink at every stop. One of the biggest French Quarter Pub Crawls is back! COSTUMES ARE ENCOURAGED! Come decked out in your favorite color (or the whole rainbow) and you can win extras at each stop! To register: NewOrleansPrideFestival.com Gobble Til Ya Wobble Friendsgiving Drag Brunch: Nole Restaurant; 2001 St. Charles Ave.; 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. $55 ALL INCLUSIVE - Bottomless Mimosas and House Margaritas (rocks or frozen) as well as Brunch Buffet full of delicious selections - FREE Valet Parking. Prepare yourself to dance and sing along with the most Fabulous NOLA Drag Queens. Purchase tickets together to ensure that you’ll be seated together.

BES Bingo: The Phoenix; 941 Elysian Fields Ave.; 6 - 9 p.m. This is the final Big Easy Sisters bingo of the year. Come win stuff. The proceeds benefit local charities.

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

48 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

TUESDAY

Gay Bar BINGO 9:30 & 11PM

THURSDAY

MONDAY

Service Industry Night

TUESDAY Karaoke

p.m. No Cover. Ladies drink half off

Ladies Night w/ Piano 6pm

THURSDAY

Movie Night with Chris 8pm

Drag Bingo & Show

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

PENSACOLA THE ROUNDUP

Amateur Drag Night 11PM

WEDNESDAY Rock n Roll Bingo 8PM

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

THURSDAY

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

SATURDAY

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

Midnight Drag Show

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

Karaoke

SEC Football

SUNDAY

Along the Gulf South BATON ROUGE MON-FRI

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

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

SATURDAY

MONDAY

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

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

LAFAYETTE BOLT BAR & PATIO

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

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

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

THURSDAY

Double Trouble Thursday: George’s Place; 860 St Louis St; 7pm. $6 Double Wells and $10 Double Calls Show Night: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd; 11:30pm. Featuring the Bombshells of Baton Rouge Think and Drink Trivia: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue;

FRIDAY

$5 Fridays: The Park Pub & Patio; 4619 Bennington Avenue;

560 E Heinberg St

TUESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

Drag Bingo with Monica Heart; 6 p.m.

- 8 p.m. Win cash and prizes

Funday with Karaoke

WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

GALVESTON 23RD ST. STATION

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

MONDAY

Texas Hold ‘Em 7pm

TUESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

Live Entertainment 6pm

SATURDAY

Live Entertainment 9pm

SUNDAY

Sing Along Sundays w/ Piano 4pm7pm

RUMORS

3102 Seawall Blvd.

Happy Hour every day until 7 p.m.

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

SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY Karaoke 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

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

Tube-ular Tuesday with Jim 8pm

SUNDAY

114 McKinley St

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY

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

SATURDAY

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

LAKE CHARLES CRYSTAL’S DOWNTOWN 720 Ryan Street

TUESDAY

Anything But Techno Tuesdays; 10

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Party Down Tony Leggio ledgemgp@gmail.com

Halloween season is my favorite time of the year. I love the spookiness, the costuming and of course all the parties. My two weeks were filled with lots of activity that included a headless horseman, royalty, murder and mayhem, theatrical shows, a scary parade and it all culminated with the big Halloween New Orleans weekend.

Let’s start off with my first of two theatrical productions. Noises Off at Le Petit Theatre was a non-stop laugh riot. A play within a play, it tells the story of a cast of interesting characters trying to mount a production of the play Noises On. It begins with the technical rehearsal the night before the opening, then the next act is the show at a matinee performance one month later and finally the last act is the end of the show’s ten-week run.

This show was brilliantly done with Leslie Castay as one of the leads doing an awesome job as Dotty Otley.

The set was inspired with the first and third acts being seen from the front of house, while the second act is viewed from behind the scenes. The actors got an incredible workout as this is an extremely physical show and my hats go off to them for their stamina running up stairs (one with their shoes tied), crashing through doors & windows and lots of falling/tripping. Congratulations to Le Petit for once again producing a great night of theatre.

Wednesday is still my American

Horror Story watch night with friends and it is still a campy mess, but I love it.

Honestly who does not love the eighties?! If you’re not watching this show, you should be!

Getting into the holiday spirit, literally, the House of Blues hosted a hospitality party on Thursday night in their Voodoo Garden which they transformed into a spooky enclave. Guests were greeted by Voodoo performers complete with live snakes. They also had a crystal ball and palm reader on hand to tell people what the future has in store for them. There was smoke hovering right above the ground as you walked in as well as colorful uprights to give an eerie glow for the Halloween-esque party atmosphere. Their staff was passing delectable bites as well as having tasty beverages. Since the weather is getting nicer, the House of Blues wanted to reintroduce people to their outdoor courtyard space.

Saturday’s schedule was jampacked with events. I started my early evening by attending the final Halloween New Orleans Host party at Jim Mounger’s esteemed home on Nashville Street. Beautifully decorated with some of the best art in the city, Jim’s home is truly part museum. I love events here, because not only do you get to enjoy a party, but you have an opportunity to take in some great works of art. Hosts picked up their packets and enjoyed cocktails and light nibbles.

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

You can feel the excitement in the air as people chatted about their costumes and the upcoming week.

Next, my friend Matt and I were off to Bonnie Bayer’s Krewe of Boo viewing party at her apartment in the Pontalba Building. She has a bird’s-eye view of all parades that go by on Decatur Street from her third story balcony.

The parade had a lot of great dance troupes and floats. A group of my friends were all riding on one float so I decided to go into the crowd to catch them and loved their throws. Taking a nod from Muses and Nyx who decorate shoes and purses, the Krewe of Boo riders decorate plastic skull heads and mini-pumpkins. I hit the mother lode in throws with this one float.

After the parade, I stopped at the opening of Creason Fine Art Gallery on Chartres Street to wish them good luck on their new space. The place is gorgeous and their current exhibit is Greg Creason’s own intense and beautifully done paintings mixed with glass.

He is such a talented artist.

My final stop of the night was Oz New Orleans for the New Orleans Pride Coronation. Although Pride has been in New Orleans for many years, it had become slightly stalled, like in a holding pattern and not going anywhere. Ten years ago, New Orleans Pride was formed and has become quite the powerhouse turning our city’s Pride celebration into one of the best

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in the South. Lots of people attended the event and congratulations go out to new pride royalty - Grand Duchess Nicole DuBois, Miss New Orleans Pride Lana O’Day, Mr. New Orleans Pride Justin InBetweener. They also had a great show hosted by 2010 Miss Pride Tami Tarmac.

I ended my week by seeing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow which was staged by the NOLA Project in the Sculpture Garden in City Park. It was a beautiful night to watch live theatre outdoors. The weather was perfect. The air was crisp. The setting, with the sun going down and casting shadows, was appropriately spooky for the show. And the headless horseman character was kind of scary when he finally made his appearance in the second act. Hard to describe the play, but think of a mash-up between the farce Scary Movie and Washington Irving.

The next week was busy getting ready for Halloween New Orleans (HNO). HNO came about 36 years ago as a fundraiser for Project Lazarus.

The LGBT community came together to share their love and sense of family while celebrating its unique culture and showmanship. For 35 years, HNO has been raising money for Project Lazarus, an assisted-living home for those with HIV/AIDS in New Orleans.

HNO is run with an all-volunteer staff and all the money raised each year goes directly to Lazarus to the tune of approximately five million dollars since HNO’s inception.

The theme of this three-day event was Hallowdays. The celebration started on Friday with the Lazarus Ball which I was honored to chair this year. With the help of the fabulous and incomparable Renee Rolland (who I could not have done this without) and the hard work of Lily Hannigan from the Lazarus House staff, we produced an amazing black tie gala at the Board of Trade.

Even though the weather wasn’t great, the crowds turned out for the festivities. Guests were greeted at the door by the lovely Merry Antoinettes and a male model adorned in a lighted

50 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

Peacock Costume donated by Paperdoll Promotions. Inside guests dined on cuisine by Pigeon Catering, and non-stop cocktails. There was a glitter buffet sponsored by Ambush Magazine and folks could have their cards read by Dan with Inner Makeup. A DJ on hand played fabulous music all night and a spotlight number was performed

by Countess C Alice, Lana O’ Day and Debbie with a D. The silent auction had over 80 items and was one of the best in years, if I do say so myself. The Krewe of Armeinius was also on hand selling their new 2020 drag calendar The Year of Living Fabulously!

I spent so much but was very happy with my purchases--good to get an early jump on my Christmas shopping. Neil Savoy, who is president of HNO this year did an outstanding job.

He announced the winner of the Paul Plauche award which was Aaron Rusich, the HNO Treasurer. I have to give a giant round of applause to Neil and the entire board of Halloween New Orleans for working hard all year to put on the monthly Host parties and three days of sparkling events.

After the ball, guests were invited across the street to the Eliza Jane Hotel for an after-party. More cocktails were consumed and the hotel generously donated 10% of all their proceeds that night at their Press Room Bar to HNO. If you have not been to the bar in the Eliza Jane, you need to go. It is a cool space with great craft cocktails.

OMG--Saturday night was just amazing. I attended two events that were both spectacular Halloween celebrations. The first was Les Daze de Hallows Soiree at the Gobble Sanctuary and Preserve hosted by the owners of this fine estate, Lawrence Gobble and Williams Sparks. Playing on a similar theme as Halloween New Orleans, they chose scary takes on holidays such as a bad Santa Christmas, a deathly New Year’s Eve, a Murdi Gras, a bloody Valentine’s, unhappy St. Patrick’s Day to name a few.

As far as house parties go, and I consider myself somewhat of an expert, this one was spectacular. Guests were greeted with a cocktail upon entering and literally every room in their home was decorated to the hilt with Halloween regalia. They had a creepy candy buffet with lots of treats for all the good tricks.

But it was when you went outside that the party exploded into Halloween overdrive. You could take the deadly Easter Bunny pathway to get your fortune told; or brave the werewolf for a cocktail at the second bar. There were new discoveries at every turn. They even had a fabulous step and repeat and an evil leprechaun giving out syringe liquor shots. But the crowning touch was the haunted zombie children attached to a Roomba running around the house. Truly priceless and a great

start to the night.

Next, my friends and I made our way to the Halloween New Orleans Main Event party at The Fillmore.

Not wanting to be in a regular holiday like everyone else, we went obscure this year. Beaux and Barret Delong-Church, Matt Dow and I came as the Shady Bitches of Arbor Day. I was Steeley Magnolia, Matt – Sassy Birch, Beaux – Cherry Poppins and Barrett, Peachy Qween. We were very extra that night. We were joined by our costumer Countess C Alice as well as our friends in town from New York.

The entire evening was memorable from the spectacular venue to the DJ’s who were DJ Ben Jackson and DJ Grind. They even had a special guest performance by Apostrophe. The costume contest and all the evening’s festivities were led by emcee Persana Shoulders. Every part of the night flowed well from the VIP areas both near the stage and in BG’s Lounge to the spacious dance floor. I have always loved HNO events, but I have to say The Fillmore was a memorable one!

Sunday, the final day of HNO’s three-day festival, was a brilliant afternoon from start to finish. The event was held at Crescent Park along the river and included food trucks, free-flowing libations, an incredible DJ that had guests dancing the entire time and incredible panoramic views of the city.

DJ Blacklow spun tunes to the delight of a crowd that danced itself into a fabulous frenzy. Stoli had complimentary merchandise like rainbow whistles, fans and sunglasses for guests as they enjoyed the beautiful breezes off the river. The VIP area had great food donated by EAT Restaurant.

They also announced the winners of the costume contest and because of the talented Daryl Dunaway and his costume and makeup prowess, our Shady Bitches quartet won best group.

Yeah us! The cocktails were flowing all the way to the culmination of the event which was a second-line that boasted a high school band, dance troupes and a second-line jazz band. The crowd sashayed through the French Quarter to the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon.

Congratulations to all the hosts, the board of HNO and the staff of Lazarus House who made the weekend a phenomenal success.

That’s it for my over-the top pre-Halloween festivities. Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween and I hope you get lots of good treats (and some better tricks)!

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

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 51

BUSINESS SOCIAL SALES

Hard Rock Collapse Prompts Social Crisis Response Charles Pizzo pizzocharles@gmail.com Social media serves many purposes. While marketing communication is top of mind for most businesspeople, its use has broadened over time.

Through messages and comments, it serves a customer service role, is the virtual complaint department, and is the primary communications channel during crises.

Bad news travels at the speed of the Net. When the Hard Rock Hotel under construction collapsed October 12, many people learned about it from text messages sent by the City of New Orleans, social or mainstream media.

If your business had been in the immediate vicinity, would you have been prepared to respond?

TODAY’S INFORMATION ERA

We live in the era of near instantaneous communication. Customers expect real-time communication when “it hits the fan.”

Examples of the unexpected that can befall an enterprise: 1. Shooting in a bar 2. Robbery of patrons at a restaurant 3. Fall of a rider from a float during a parade 4. Unexpected closure or disruption due to situations out of your control All of these situations will test management. While you’re trying to assess the situation and decide how to act, it’s important to keep your customers informed. In a vacuum, people will draw their own conclusions, many pessimistic.

Savvy business people will be prepared to react fast to counter that.

CRISIS COMMUNICATION 101

A. Express empathy B. State what you know and avoid speculation C. Explain how the situation affects your business or customers D. Communicate quickly and offer timely updates Web sites are great resources.

When time is critical, however, access to the webmaster and the time it takes to change the home page can be a challenge. That’s why more and more businesses use social media channels

as their first line of defense.

It doesn’t matter whether you use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or another vehicle. The most important thing is to communicate via the way your customers usually receive information from you. That’s where they will turn— faster than you might expect.

One of the greatest fallacies business owners and managers harbor is the belief that they can’t say anything until all the facts are known. In reality, the facts are seldom clear during a crisis. They’re unfolding, often changing, and fluid. Thus, even a pre-planned yet lightweight statement will show you are in charge.

Example: We have just learned about the <incident>. <Name of business> is very sorry to hear about <loss of life, injury, people affected, etc.> and wish the best <or pray> for them, their families, and the first responders.

While we assess the situation and decide what to do, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates. We hope to post more definitive information <timeframe>.

The screenshots provided show examples of local businesses that effectively got their message out within a few hours after the Hard Rock crisis impacted the neighborhood near N. Rampart and Canal.

As you can see, not everything was known in the early moments. That’s not important. Outreach to customers is what’s important at this stage.

The relationship a business has with its customers is one of its most valuable assets. Though it doesn’t appear on the balance sheet, a good reputation is widely accepted as essential for sales.

In times of crisis, make sure your customers view you in command, on top of the situation, and concerned about the impact to them. Crisis-proof your reputation and business.

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

52 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS What You Should Know About Managing Aging Parents’ Finances Scot I. Billeaudeau, JD, LL.M. ADPA® s.billeaudeau@ampf.com Making financial decisions takes time, attention and energy at any age.

In the case of elderly adults, it can become increasingly difficult to manage daily finances, particularly if their health is declining or they’re experiencing a cognitive issue. If you’re providing support to aging parents – or plan to in the future – here is some advice on how to handle the situation and prepare for what’s to come.

Don’t wait to start talking about finances. While it may be uncomfortable to ask your parents to discuss their finances with you, it’s essential that you are familiar with their intentions for care and what plans they have in place. The first time you broach the subject, emphasize that you are looking for only a high-level overview so that you can have more peace-of-mind that your parents will be well cared for.

This initial conversation can then help set the groundwork for future discussions.

Create a contact list. If your parents experience a sudden change in a health that affects their ability to manage their own affairs, it’s important to have a game plan for what happens next. If you anticipate stepping in to

pay bills, make insurance claims and handle other financial tasks, start by asking your parents for a list of contact information for the professionals they work with and where their accounts are held. Keep in mind that you may need to be an authorized user or power of attorney to be allowed access to certain accounts. Consult a lawyer to talk through what permission may be necessary for you to step in if the need arises.

Build a support network. Talk with siblings or other trusted family members about what a possible care plan could look like for your parents.

While this conversation can be tough to initiate, know that it’s often easier to bring everyone together while your parents are still healthy and in good mental capacity. Discuss who can realistically provide support – and in what way and at what cost. Proactively deciding who can drive your parents to doctor appointments, manage financial affairs, care for their home, and handle other tasks can help avoid a strain on your time and energy down the road.

Anticipate future lifestyle changes and challenges. Even if they aren’t yet needed, explore the

options and costs of various assisted living and memory care services. And, check your parents’ insurance policies to see if and how services might be covered. You may also want to decide whether their home or yours could be modified to provide additional space or comforts, such as wheelchair access.

Knowing what choices exist and how your parents feel about each one can help you make future decisions with more confidence.

Know your rights at work. The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) allows covered employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to provide care for a family member with a serious health condition.2 Consult your Human Resources (HR) department to learn what your company’s policies are for supporting employees who are caring for a parent and how to initiate a claim if you need to. Many employers have access to resources and support groups to help you manage your responsibilities at home and at work.

Maintain momentum on your own financial goals. It’s understandable to want to provide your parents with as much support as you can. It’s

prudent to look at your finances to see how much support you could provide (if it’s needed) without jeopardizing your own retirement and future health care needs.

It’s hard to imagine – let alone talk about – what caring for an ill or aging parent may look like. For additional support in having family conversations, evaluating financial options and creating a plan for your parents, contact your financial advisor and lawyer.

These experts work day-in and day-out with families in similar situations and can help you take the steps necessary to feel more confident about your own plan.

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.

SNAP PAPARAZZI Out & About at Corner Pocket AT CORNER POCKET HALLOWEEN | PHOTOS BY CS EVENTS

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 53

LGBTQ Owned & Friendly Business Directory NEW ORLEANS

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Burgundy Bed and Breakfast, 2513 Burgundy St, (504) 261-9477, theburgundy.com Aaron Ingram Haus, 1012 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 949-3110, ingramhaus.com Blues60 Guest House, 1008 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 324-4311, blues60guesthouse.com The BEARigny Suites, 2226 N Rampart St, (504) 309-0062, thebearignysuite.com

BARS & CLUBS

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

Bourbon St, (504) 593-9761

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

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

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

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

GrandPre’s, 834 N Rampart St, (504) 267-3615 Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St Claude Ave, (504) 947-3735 Mags 940, 940 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 948-1888 Oz New Orleans, 800 Bourbon St, (504) 593-9491, ozneworleans.com Phoenix Bar, 941 Elysian Fields Ave, (504) 945-9264, phoenixbarnola.com Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St, (504) 525-8106, rawhide2010.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phillips Bar, 733 phillipsbar.com Lafitte’s

Blacksmith

Cherokee

St,

Shop,

941

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

BOOKSTORES

Faubourg Marigny Art and Books, 600 Frenchmen St

CIRCUIT / EVENT

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

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

Awards,

GALLERIES

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

GROCERIES

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

GUIDES

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

54 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

HAIR SALONS

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

HARDWARE

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

HEALTHCARE

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

MUSEUMS

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

Rougaroux,

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

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

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

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

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

Arthur,

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

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

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

PHARMACY

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

Values Respect Diversity Inclusivity

Equality Knowledge Community

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

REAL ESTATE

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

gslgbtchamber.org

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 55

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

RELIGION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Envie Espresso Bar & Cafe, 1241 Decatur St, (504) 524-3689, cafeenvie.com

RESTAURANTS

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

Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard,

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

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

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

Club

Restaurant,

634

(504) 948-0077, santafenola.com

Mona Lisa, 1212 Royal St, (504) 5226746, monalisaneworleans.com, NOLA Poboys, 908 Bourbon, (504) 655-3312, nolapoboys.com Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans Ave, (504) 5231930, Orleansgrapevine.com Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal Street, royalhouserestaurant.com Santa Fe Restaurant, 3201 Esplanade,

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

RETAIL

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

SERVICES

Formal Connection, 299 Belle Terre Blvd, 985.652-1195 Washing Well Laundryteria, 841 Bourbon St, (504) 523-9955 Bear Hebert Yoga and Life Coach, bearteachesyoga.com NOLA Healer: Lawrence Gobble, nolahealer.com , Massage Therapy A&B Errand Services, (504) 3197227, aandberrandservices.com Flambeaux CrossFit, 505 N Causeway Blvd, Metairie, flambeauxcrossfit.com

THEATERS

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

TOURS

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

HOUSTON

BARS & CLUBS

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

56 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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

Acadiana Pride, acadianapride.org

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

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

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

Date

TBA,

HEALTHCARE

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

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

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

Krewe of Apollo de Baton Rouge, apollobatonrouge.com

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

Krewe of Apollo kreweofapollo.com

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

CIRCUIT / EVENT

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

PHARMACY

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

SOUTH LOUISIANA BARS & CLUBS

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

ORGANIZATIONS de

Lafayette,

PHARMACY

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

NORTHERN LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI & ALABAMA BARS & CLUBS

Club Pink, 1914 Roselawn Avenue, Monroe, myclubpink.com Central Station, 1025 Marshall St, Shreveport, (318) 222-2216 The Korner Lounge, 800 Louisiana Ave, Shreveport, thekornerlounge. com Wonderlust, 3911 Drive, Jackson, (337) wonderlustjackson.com

Northview 378-9003,

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

S,

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

CAMPING

CIRCUIT / EVENT

CIRCUIT / EVENT

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

Birminham,

RELIGION

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

MCC,

GULF COAST BARS & CLUBS

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

HEALTHCARE

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

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

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

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

B-Bob’s, 213 Conti Street, Mobile (251) 433-2262, b-bobs.com Flip Side Bar & Patio, 545 S. Conception Street, Mobile, (251) 4318819, flipsidebarpatio.com

HIV CARE AND SERVICES

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

Gulf Coast Transgender Alliance, (850) 332-8416, gulfcoasttransgenderalliance.com, gctransgenderalliance@gmail.com Gay Grassroots, 6847 N. 9th Avenue, Ste A, Box 317, Pensacola, ggnwfl. com

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

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

Baton Rouge Pride, June 15, brpride. org

Krewe of Apollo mkabirmingham.com

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

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

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

CIRCUIT / EVENT

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

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

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

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

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

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

Email Ambush sales@ambushpublishing.com

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

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COMICS, PUZZLES & HOROSCOPES CROSSWORD & WORD SEARCH ACROSS

10) Another meat from a hog eaten at Thanksgiving.

12) A gathering of crops.

16) A male turkey.

17) Heart, liver, gizzards of a fowl.

19) The name of the first governor of Plymouth Colony.

20) Nationality of peo1 2 ple that helped the Pilgrims survive their first difficult years.

3

1) A nut grown in trees that make delicious pies.

3) A light, open, slender boat that has pointed ends that Indians made from trees.

6) Journey 9) Day of the week that Thanksgiving is on.

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2) Tart, red, edible berries that are used in sauces.

4) The Pilgrims’ ship name.

5) Macy’s Day 7) Name of the American Indian that was the interpreter for Pilgrims.

8) The lower part of the leg of a cooked turkey.

11) A forked bone.

13) Fall season 14) English colonist military leader’s last name in the early days of Plymouth Colony.

15) Town founded in 1620 by Pilgrims.

18) Corn

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

PUZZLE WORD BANK SETTLERS SPINACH SQUANTO SAUSAGE SHARING SAIL SPICE STUFFING SAUCE SQUASH STIR SWEETPOTATO SEASONS SUNFLOWER SWEETS SAVORY SWEATERS SMORES

Want More Puzzles?

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

58 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

HOROSCOPES

Messages from the Oracle in New Orleans Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans dan@innermakeup.net If you just want to read your horoscope, skip this paragraph. But I encourage you to pause and consider the nature of astrology. Astrology was originally understood as omens, prophecies, and oracles. Whenever you go to a psychic, tarot reader, or an astrologer like me, you’re engaging with the possibilities of the future. But modern astrology is also the alignment of the heavens at your moment of birth that serves as the signature of your personality. This combination of your star chart and sun sign—Aries, Taurus, etc.—and the usage of that tool to divine the future is here for your taking.

Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. These horoscopes are for your entertainment, so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars!

We’ve arrived at the infamous Mercury Retrograde. No doubt you’ve heard people cursing this astrological phenomenon and blaming it for technology failures and traffic tickets, among other things. But what is it really about?

Mercury Retrograde is actually about the weeks beforehand, October 11 through Halloween. What was going on then? Mercury Retrograde reviews that terrain and retraces those steps.

You may have unwittingly gone down an ill-advised path and are now forced to double back, or perhaps you availed yourself well over the second half of October and are reaping the rewards.

Regardless, the month of November is not about moving forward. It is about being thrown back. This is difficult because many of you will turn to the vices of ambition, materiality, and social status in an effort to feel better about yourselves. Animals actually deceive each other in nature, and so do humans, especially in the outlets of the internet.

The drive towards success and “living your best life”, however, provides a real chance to reject those common cultural mores and move towards enlightenment. This path can be lonely, but there are great gains to be made here, gains that are made by letting go of the things to which we cling but which no longer serve their purpose.

If there is sadness or even aggression found here, realize that this is a necessary function of transformation.

You’ll find that true progress is not made through wealth or consumption

(although according to one estimate you do need to make seventy-five grand a year to be happy), but rather the gains that are made through accepting the soul’s evolution through the majesty of your individual life.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19 You feel an emotional pull towards your social networks, but you do better when you emphasize a kind of love that doesn’t rely on friends or a romantic partner. Feeling a oneness with all, that is, ironically gets you back to yourself. Taking a class that expands your mind or even going on a trip will allow you to make leaps and bounds. There is a fairly tight window for this over the next few weeks.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20 You’re surprised by an uptick in a partner’s finances. Though this partner is feeling particularly intense about this financial gain, adjust and allow this person the space to express those emotions in good time. Mercury Retrograde will actually help this. Sometimes it’s hard to celebrate good news if things have been a struggle for a long time.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20 For the next few weeks, you’ll be assessing your situation with coworkers. Be careful you don’t engage in any fights, as this could be your undoing.

When things are disruptive, it’s better to keep a detached attitude. Power often doesn’t come from speaking out but, rather, staying silent.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22 You’re particularly interested in displaying your financial success. But this could actually embarrass you among friends and cause power struggles with a partner. If you’re doing well, be classy about this. True class is not bragging.

VIRGO

August 23 - September 22 There’s a coworker who can’t shut up about his recent successes. You’re bothered by this, but this reaction is an opportunity to understand that you neither can nor should get emotionally tied up with the fate and fortune of others. Understanding that you can be critical as a Virgo reveals your nature and allows you to calibrate your thinking, which has become quite intense of late. Use this insight towards more productive ends.

LIBRA

September 23 - October 22 You’re feeling more combative than usual and this is causing some power struggles at home. On another note, now is not the time to do anything with regard to your finances. Your best bet is to enjoy a sibling and maybe even enjoy a local thrill. It’s a beautiful few weeks in your neighborhood, but make sure to get out of the house.

SCORPIO

October 23 - November 21 You’re your usual, intense self and this is particularly pronounced this Mercury Retrograde. Interestingly your pocketbook is doing well, so this is a good time to do some soul-searching.

Though there is seemingly a freeze on letting your emotions out, you triumph when you go on a spiritual retreat with another even though there might be a fight around how you achieve this. The means is less important than the end, so whether you go to a monastery or take a staycation, it doesn’t really matter.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 - December 21 You’ve been having a great year

so far but your massive fortune will subside a bit by the end of this year.

Fortune is variable in life, so enjoy it while it lasts. You might be the one who fares the best this Mercury Retrograde.

A particular area of good fortune is romance. Imagine the impossible, and see where love can take you.

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 19 Out of all the signs, you are the most ambitious. But you do best as the dreamer. Your friends can really aid you to this end by helping you understand there is more to life than structure and discipline. Wade into the water and let your mind run free. You will dive into a spiritual reservoir you didn’t know you had.

AQUARIUS

January 20 - February 18 This next month has you looking at where your career stands. You’ll be looking at contracts and how everyone’s money fits into the big picture.

Be careful not to put too much stock in money and prestige. Happiness and tranquility are invaluable when it comes to your sanity.

PISCES

February 19 - March 20 There’s a hidden enemy amongst your coworkers. This person will be revealed in a couple of weeks. This person is undoing herself so you do best not to engage with her. All will be revealed in good time, and the general consensus among your coworkers will fall in your favor.

I’m Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans. Contact me for readings, parties, events, corporate trainings, and more at dan@innermakeup.net or by calling 504-313-8706. Visit http:// www.innermakeup.net

LEO

July 23 - August 22 A partner is particularly interested in showing off and in a couple of weeks you’ll be feeling the same way. Issues of class consciousness, family ancestry, and status come up. This is all to your detriment and you’ll do better to have fun, enjoy romance, and even take a risk or two. If you’re having good times, why fight?

www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 59

SPORTS Tulane gets bowl eligible and puts season back on track Les East, Crescent City Sports NEW ORLEANS – The losing streak is over.

And the bowl streak is on.

Both are of modest length, but significant to Tulane football nonetheless.

The Green Wave had lost just two games in a row, but those losses had put the team in a precarious position in which a potentially historically good season could have become monumentally disappointing.

But Tulane got its season back on track with a 38-26 victory against Tulsa on Saturday at Yulman Stadium.

It wasn’t all that pretty. There were way too many penalties, which has become a recurring issue, a couple of crucial turnovers and a win that could have been a tad easier.

But all’s well that ends well and this one ended with Tulane having claimed bowl eligibility while improving to 6-3 and 3-2 in the American Athletic Conference.

“We just had to keep pushing and keep fighting and we knew we’d get back on the winning side,” nose tackle De’Andre Williams said.

The banner headline is that the Green Wave are bowl eligible in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-98 and likely to go bowling in consecutive years for the first time since 1979-80.

That’s a big deal.

But the way this team has evolved in recent weeks is a fairly big deal as well. Finding adversity is not ideal but it’s inevitable in whatever form it takes.

The adversity that Tulane had encountered recently was significant and threatened to get out of hand if Tulane didn’t get a win Saturday.

The Green Wave began the season hoping to become the first Tulane team to win bowl games in back-toback seasons, though getting to the postseason a year after beating Lou-

isiana-Lafayette for just the fifth bowl victory in school history would be a significant milestone along the way.

Then they bolted from the gate with a 5-1 start, losing only to SEC powerhouse Auburn in a reasonably competitive game, and suddenly becoming bowl eligible seemed a foregone conclusion and the goals seemed in need of significant elevation.

The Green Wave were No. 26 in the AP poll and poised to move up.

Then came the trip to Memphis.

The Green Wave spit the bit.

Turnovers, penalties and bad tackling all took their toll in a 47-17 loss.

It wasn’t just the loss that created concern that a 6-6 record might be the ceiling for this team. It was also the margin of defeat and the fact that Tulane didn’t match the physicality and the intensity of a team bent on taking out the frustrations of a close, controversial loss a week earlier on the opponent at hand.

Then Tulane went back on the road to play Navy, a team that ironically had been beaten handily by Memphis and won its three games since then.

The Green Wave’s task was to bounce back from its loss to Memphis in a fashion similar to how the Midshipmen bounced back from theirs.

But the early parts of the game looked a lot like the Memphis game as Navy rolled to an initial 24-0 lead and a 31-14 halftime edge. It looked like the drop-off against Memphis might be turning into a trend.

Then Tulane fought back. It came from behind three different times and was poised to go to overtime after tying the score with 61 seconds remaining.

But Navy drove into field-goal range and kicked a game-winner as time expired to prevail, 41-38.

“We need to win games like that,” Tulane coach Willie Fritz said.

Back-to-back losses put the bowl eligibility into a different light, but the fight the Green Wave showed in coming back suggested a team going through a rough patch, not a team in a free-fall.

The performance against Tulsa would provide more evidence as to whether the Green Wave were turning the season back in the right direction.

They scored the first 10 points of the game before falling behind 13-10.

But they rallied to take a 24-16 halftime lead and led the rest of the way.

Fritz, being a coach, kept things in perspective afterward as his team enters an open date.

“We’ve got three really tough ball games at the end of the season with Temple, UCF and SMU,” he said.

The two-week set-back is now in the rear-view mirror and will have vanished by the time Tulane returns to action.

Quarterback Justin McMillan, a senior who transferred from LSU some 14 months ago, put the accomplishment in perspective, as he tends to do.

“I just got here,” McMillan said. “I didn’t understand fully what Tulane has been through in the past two, four, five years ago. It wasn’t good. To know that we’re bowl eligible with three games left I mean, it just shows where we’re heading.”

Presumably they’re heading to another bowl game.

TULANE 38, TULSA 26 – POSTGAME NOTES (27,417 – Attendance) TEAM NOTES With the win over Tulsa, the Green Wave moved to 6-3 on the year and marked the second straight season Tulane has become bowl eligible.

Tulane has only been bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons three times in program history.

The Green Wave improved to 5-0 at home.

The 27,417 fans in attendance was the largest crowd this season and the third-best in Yulman Stadium history.

Tulane has won seven straight home games, dating back to last season.

The Green Wave’s current seven-game winning streak is tied for 10th all-time.

Tulane moved to 11-4 in its last 15 games dating back to last season.

Tulane moved to 5-11 all-time against Tulsa.

The Green Wave’s win over Tulsa marked the third straight season Tu-

lane has defeated the Golden Hurricane.

The Green Wave out-gained Tulsa by a 474-398 count.

Team captains for today’s game were QB Justin McMillan, OL Christian Montano, DL De’Andre Williams and DL Cameron Sample.

Sophomore DE Davon Wright carried the New Orleans flag. Redshirt freshman Cameron Carroll carried the American Athletic Conference Power 6 flag.

Sophomore TE Tyrick James carried the No. 18 flag in honor of Devon Walker.

With the loss, head coach Willie Fritz fell to 215-98-1 all-time. Fritz owns a 41-24 mark in the month of November.

OFFENSIVE NOTES The Green Wave offensive starters were QB Justin McMillan, RB Darius Bradwell, TE Tyrick James, WR Jaetavian Toles, WR Darnell Mooney, WR Jalen McCleskey, OL Ben Knutson, OL Keyshawn McLeod, OL Corey Dublin, OL Christian Montano and OL Joey Claybrook.

Mooney made his 37th consecutive start, while Dublin made his 34th straight start.

Tulane has now scored points in 30 of 35 quarters this season.

The Green Wave surpassed 400 yards of total offense for the 24th time since 2016. Tulane owns a 20-4 record in those games.

Tulane finished the game with 290 rushing yards. The Green Wave have now surpassed 250 yards rushing in seven of its last 11 games.

The Green Wave have now surpassed 100 yards rushing in 48 straight games.

McMillan improved to 11-4 all-time as a starter. He has never lost a start at Yulman Stadium.

McMillan finished the night by going 12-of-16 for 184 yards with one passing touchdown and three rushing scores.

McMillan has now run and passed for a score for the ninth time in his career. McMillan leads the team with 11 rushing touchdowns on the year.

McMillan’s 11 rushing touchdowns are the most for a Tulane quarterback in a single season. His rushing touchdown total is tied for fifth all-time among all players.

McMillan has now rushed and passed for a touchdown in six straight games.

Junior running back Stephon Huderson finished the night with a

60 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com

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www.GayMardiGras.com · www.GayEasterParade.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · 61

career-high 100 yards rushing on just seven carries.

Mooney extended his consecutive catch streak to 28 games, as he hauled in two receptions for 27 yards.

DEFENSIVE NOTES The Green Wave defensive starters were DL Patrick Johnson, DL De’Andre Williams, DL Cameron Sample, NT Jeffery Johnson, LB Malik Lawal, LB Lawrence Graham, LB Marvin Moody, CB Jaylon Monroe, S P.J. Hall, S Chase Kuerschen, and CB Thakarius Keyes.

Sophomore defensive tackle Jeffery Johnson recorded his first career sack.

Redshirt junior De’Andre Williams tied a single-game career high with 1.5 sacks in the first half.

Redshirt sophomore Willie Langham returned a fumble for touchdown to give the Green Wave a 24-13 lead late in the first half. Former Green Wave defensive back Roderic Teamer Jr. was the last Tulane player to return a fumble for a touchdown.

Tulane now has 12 turnovers gained this year (eight interceptions and four fumble recoveries).

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES Redshirt junior kicker Merek Glover drilled a 31-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Sophomore Amare Jones finished

the game with 54 kickoff return yards and surpassed 1,000 kickoff return yards for his career.

TULANE 38, TULSA 26 – POSTGAME QUOTES Head Coach Willie Fritz On the crowd…

“I was really excited about our crowd. I thought we had a good crowd today. I guess it was the third largest crowd they’ve ever had in Yulman Stadium, and they got pretty loud at times.

I appreciate everyone who came out.

I’ve said it hundreds of times, this is a great stadium. Every seat is a perfect seat. I don’t why anyone wouldn’t come out on a day like today. It was a beautiful day out with two great teams going at it, competing with each other.

Thank you for all the fans who came out today, we appreciate you all.”

On the performance overall…

“I thought we started well, particularly offensively, we got down the field and got up, but then we got a little stagnant there towards the end of the first quarter. We ran the ball very effectively. We had 290 yards rushing, which is good against anybody. We only played 62 snaps so there was a little bit of ball control game between the two sides. I thought Justin [McMillan] did a good job other than the one throw in the fourth quarter. He had a good ballgame and managed the game extremely well. We

had a big play call when we were fourth and four and Stephon Huderson came out of the back field for 55 yards. A long one. That was a big play for us. Defensively, we bent and broke some, but we didn’t break all the time. We needed to get some stops and we got some big stops which is playing complimentary football.”

On RB Stephon Huderson…

“He’s so low to the ground, he’s got good vision, he’s got jump cuts and he’s a smart football player. A lot of these guys bide their time and he got his opportunity today to carry the ball a little more than normal. I thought he did a very nice job with it. He’s a good blocker also.”

On being bowl eligible…

“It’s big for us. I think the 1979-80 team went to back-to-back bowl games.

The 1997-98 teams qualified, but they didn’t go in ’97. We got three really tough ball games at the end of the season with Temple, UCF and SMU. It’s a very competitive league, and I’m glad we’ve got this next week off. We got a bye week next week, which gives us a chance to heal up and devote our time to other things like recruiting and then jump back into it.”

RS Junior Nose Tackle De’Andre Williams On becoming bowl eligible…

“It feels good, this is one of our goals and we’re happy accomplished it so early, we really are. We’re going to take another week at a time and keep playing.”

On the team’s sacks today…

“I think it was really important, that’s something that went though the week of practice, talking about how we have to get pressure on this quarterback. He’s a great thrower and we had to keep pressure on him the whole game.”

On bouncing back this week after the last two weeks…

“Our mindset was just keep our intensity high, we know we have a great football team and we just knew that the game and ball was going to start rolling. We just had to keep pushing and keep fighting and we knew we’d get back on the winning side.”

Senior Safety P.J. Hall On Tulane’s forced turnovers…

“I mean it was fun, but it’s always fun going out there and playing with the guys. Whether I’m the one making the plays or someone else is making the plays, I love going out there with them.”

On the review process after Hall’s forced fumble…

“I felt like it was when it happened.

To be honest, I couldn’t really tell on the video. When it happened, I knew it came out, I feel like I pulled it out before we hit the ground.”

On the offensive momentum tonight going into the half…

“I think it was real big. Any time you

can score on defense, that’s a big play.

The offensive momentum can make us feel good as a unit, so any time we score on defense is good.”

Junior Running Back Stephon Huderson On the team pushing each other to be successful…

“When a running back runs back deep, people think that there’s selfishness but everyone loves to see everyone succeed. So when I’m doing good they lift me up, and when I don’t they have to lift me higher. We’re all one big family.”

On setting the tone with his 55 yard run…

“Justin had a great pass, big love, and he turned and reversed it to me and then the o-line did a great job, the backs flowed to the left and it was just open, a big hole. And then the run, a long run.”

Graduate Quarterback Justin McMillan On becoming bowl eligible at this point in the season…

“To this team, it means a lot. Just to know the strives we made and talking to people like P.J. [Hall], I just got here, I didn’t understand fully what Tulane has been through in the past two, four, five years ago. It wasn’t good. To know that we’re bowl eligible with three games left I mean, it just shows where we’re heading. The leaders on this team, you know we’ve stepped up a lot. Young guys on the team have stepped up a lot as far as taking the leadership that has been passed down. Coach Fritz is trying to build a program here, you know, and we’re working hard doing it. We’re playing for this city, there’s a lot going on in this city right now and we just have to give them hope in this football team here and just play our hearts out.”

On bouncing back from his interception…

“Don’t throw another pick. It’s a game, it’s four quarters. Throw a pick, throw a touchdown, I mean I’ll be excited or I’ll be mad, but within those next ten seconds I’ll be back to normal. You see I get really excited on touchdowns and what not, but believe it or not I’m back in it within a matter of seconds.

You gotta take the good with the bad and understand that the quarterback with the ball in their hands every play, you can’t be up and down for the most part. The offensive guys look at me after a pick just like you would, you throw a pick they look for my reaction.

If I react bad, it’ll slow down the momentum of the team. These guys next to me held me down, gave me another chance and opportunity and I just had to do what I had to do.”

This article was originally published

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

62 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · November 5 - 18, 2019 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com