A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION CELEBRATING LGBTQ+ CULTURE SINCE 1982
VOLUME 43 ISSUE 2 April 1, 2025
AMBUSH is published six times a year and has a print circulation footprint across the Gulf Coast. For ad rates and other information, email frankearlperez@gmail.com
PUBLISHER
T.J. Acosta
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Frank Perez
DIGITAL EDITOR
Brian Sands
CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Sands, Tony Leggio, Jim Meadows, Felicia Phillips, Charles Pizzo, Rev. Bill Terry, Hairy Bottoms, Kelly Schexnaildre LOGISTICS COORDINATORS
Jeffrey Palmquist, Ryne Stoned
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tony Leggio, Dwain Hertz
COVER DESIGN
Craig Fremin, Ryan Leitner
AMBUSH Magazine is published bimonthly. 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.
Copyright 1982 2024 AMBUSH PUBLISHING LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS, & PHOTOS.
The Official Dish TJ Acosta
Dear AMBUSH Nation,
Easter is right around the corner! The 24th Annual Official Gay Easter Parade is less than a month away. The parade is on Easter Sunday, April 20, and will start at 4:30 p.m. at the corner of St. Ann and N. Rampart Streets. We expect this year’s parade to biggest in our 24 year history.
Each year the parade is used as a fundraiser for charity and this year is no different. All money raised pay for the expenses associated with the parade and the surplus funds are donated to Food for Friends, a division of CrescentCare. If you would like to be a sponsor for the parade, you can email us at info@ambushpublishing.com. We have a series of fundraisers leading up to Easter Sunday and details can be found on our Facebook page @AmbushMag under events. Last year we raised over $27,000 for Food for Friends.
Congratulations to our Grand Marshals, Malaysia Walker and Will Antill. We are glad you are both part of this event which raises funds for Food for Friends. Enjoy your ride on Easter Sunday and we hope to see everyone at the parade! Happy Easter from everyone at AMBUSH Magazine!
From the Editor’s Desk Frank Perez
The need to preserve queer history is greater than ever, especially now in the face of the federal government’s full frontal assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our community is under attack and one of the strongest weapons our enemies have is the erasure of history. Examples abound: Indigenous history, Black history, Women’s History, to name a few. Historical awareness affords a community perspective and a reference point for moving forward. Knowing our history is crucial to visibility. And visibility is really what threatens those that would force us back into the closet.
Much queer history remains hidden and that is regrettable. The history that has been excavated is now in danger of being lost again. What can we do? Thankfully there is an organization working to preserve our LGBT+ heritage. In 2012, I was part of a small group of people who began meeting and thinking about the need to preserve local queer history. The result was the formation of the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, a federally recognized non profit organization that not only preserves history but also educates the public about that history. As a statewide collective, the LGBT+ Archives Project has facilitated the do nation of collections and memorabilia to libraries, museums, and archival repositories across the state. The Archives Project also provides resources for, and consults with, scholars, graduate students, podcasters, authors, artists, documentary filmmakers, and others working on queer history projects. In addition, the organization maintains a robust website, replete with historic doc uments, pictures, videos, publications, and other material. You should check it out. Memory work is a form of resistance. Resist
Carnival Balls and Mardi Gras
Weekly Events Tony Leggio
Monday
·NOAGE New Orleans Walking Group; Audubon Park; 6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA; 4 p.m. NO-
AGE’s weekly walking group meets on Mondays at 4:00 PM at the Magazine Street entrance to Audubon Zoo. They start walking promptly at 4:00, so be sure to arrive a few minutes early. Please consult with your primary care physician before beginning any new fitness regimen, especially if you are not
used to regular exercise. PLEASE NOTE: The walking group will be AUTOMATICALLY CANCELED in the event of inclement weather.
·Cooking with Monica: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St., New Orleans, LA; 5 p.m. Come enjoy delicious food cooked by Monica every Monday at 5 p.m. and stay and enjoy cocktails with her till her shift ends at 2 a.m.
·Betsy Propane’s Smoke Show; The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8 – 9:30 p.m. Betsy Propane and The Accessories are a Jazz Trio fronted by a female lead singer, who dabbles in the Ancient Art of Bump & Grind, and wants to share those powerful pipes through song & performance. Cover $20.
·Mondays at the Den: The Four Seasons Den & Patio Bar; 1229 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, LA; 8 p.m. Come check out the hot men dancing every Monday night.
·LAZY SUSAN KARAOKE: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Mondays are, once again, a DRAG! See your favorite Queens! Sing your favorite songs! GET WEIRD! With a rotating cast of drag hosts.
Tuesday
·Sing A Long Karaoke with DJ Slay: Flip Side Bar and Patio; 213 Conti St., Mobile, AL.; 7 – 11 p.m.
·Trivia Night: Crossing NOLA; 439 Dauphine St.; 7:30 p.m. 5 Rounds of Ten Questions Plus a Bonus Round; Prizes for 1st, 2nd & Last Place; $3 Wells & Domestics ‘til 8PM; Kitchen Open ‘til 10PM. Call the Bar at (504) 523 4517 to Reserve a Table.
·George’s Tuesday Night Trivia; George’s Place; 860 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge; 7 – 9 p.m. Come play trivia every Tuesday with a different theme each week.
·Big Easy Stompers Line Dancing: Le Cabaret; 834 N Rampart St.; 8 – 9 p.m. The Big Easy Stompers have free dance classes every Tuesday at Grandpre’s. They have been giving dance classes to the LGBT community and general public for the last 26 years. Classes are free and start at 8:00PM and open dancing at 9:00pm. All are welcome and beginners are welcome.
·No Judgment Karaoke at Good Friend’s: Good Friend’s Bar; 740 Dauphine St.; 8 p.m. – midnight. Come enjoy karaoke with fabulous hosts and a chance to win great prizes.
·Weekly Pool Tournament; Phoenix Bar; 941 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, LA; 8 – 10 p.m. The Phoenix Pool Tournament is hosted by Jesse every Tuesday night! $5 buy in, winner takes all. Drink specials begin at 7pm.
·Trivia Tuesdays; SIPPS Gulfport; 2218 25th Ave. Gulfport, MS; 8 – 10 p.m. Come out and enjoy Big Gay Trivia with Tara Shay Montgomery.
·B Bob’s Gay Bar Bingo: B Bob’s; 213 Conti St., Mobile AL; 8:30 & 10 p.m. Hosted by Champagne Munroe, come out for fun and great prizes.
·Open Talent Night: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Hosted by Debbie with a D.
Wednesday
·Cardio with NOAGE: Treme Recreation Community Center; 900 N. Villere St.; 6 p.m. Dance Cardio is a low impact dance cardio workout for active adults aging actively, set to high energy hip hop, rock, R& B, blues and funk.
·Showtunes Sing A Long; Bourbon Pub & Parade; 801 Bourbon St.; 8 – midnight. With VJ Brendan Thompson. Grab a Cocktail and Sing – A – Long to some of your all time favorites.
·No Judgment Karaoke; Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 8 p.m. – midnight. Come sing you heart out (Cont’d. on pg. 9)
AMBUSH is published six times a year in February, April, June, August, October, and December. Contact Frank Perez at frankearlperez@gmail for advertising rates and other information.
Weekly Events Cont’d. at the oldest Gay Bar in New Orleans.
·Men At The Den: The Four Seasons Den & Patio Bar; 1229 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, LA; 8 p.m. Join the Four for an evening of go go dancing!
·Wednesday Night Variety Show: The Page; 542 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA.; 9:15 p.m. Hosted by Simone Rishard. $5 entry fee and drink specials all night.
·Drink & Drown: SIPPS Gulfport; 2218 25th Ave. Gulfport, MS; 9 p.m. – midnight. Drink & Drown every Wednesday from 9pm – Midnight $15 all you can drink; Well single pour liquor drinks and Domestic beers 21+ to enter. Come sing your heart out.
·The Ladies of Oz Show Night; Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 9:30 11:30 p.m. Featuring the Ladies of Oz and DJ Tim Pflueger.
·Queen’s Karaoke: George’s Place; 860 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge; 10 p.m. – midnight. Hosted every Wednesday by Alvin McGee starting at 10 p.m.
Thursday
·Karaoke at Pub: Bourbon Pub & Parade; 801 Bourbon St.; 7 p.m. – midnight. Sing your heart out every Thursday upstairs at the Parade. There will be a different special host each week. Choose from over 30,000 songs.
·The Van Ella Bordella: A Storyville Burlesque; The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8 – 9:30 p.m. The Van Ella Bordella, New Orleans’ Storyville spectacle, is back with an all new show, original music, and courtesans. Limited seating. Join Madam Lola van Ella and her courtesans for an evening of debauchery, scandal, decadent delights and Victorian era brothel history. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com
·QUEERS OF COMEDY New Orleans: Oz; 800 Bourbon St.; 8 p.m. A group of queer comedians performing comedy together.
·Oz Strip Off: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 10 p.m. – midnight. Come enjoy the Oz Strip Off contest sponsored by Swiss Navy. Contestants in this male gogo competition can win $300 in cash and prizes for 1st Place.
·Clay’s KaraoKiki; George’s Place; 860 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge; 10 p.m. – midnight. Hosted every Thursday by Clay Donadlson starting at 10 p.m.
·So You Think You Can Drag: B Bob’s; 213 Conti St., Mobile AL; 11 p.m. Winner chosen by audience applause.
Friday
·Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom at The Jazz Playhouse: Royal Sonesta; 300 Bourbon St.; 7 and 9 p.m. shows. Come join us for a modern spin on a classic 1960’s Bourbon Street Burlesque Show with a rotating cast of soloists all performing classic strip tease to live music, bringing quality Jazz and Burlesque back to its original home on Bourbon Street. Get tickets at www.eventbrite.com
·Flamingo Night: The Four Seasons Den & Patio Bar; 1229 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, LA; 8 p.m. Tiffany Alexander hosts a night of crazy fun and games.
·Freaky Fridays: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 8 p.m. Oz New Orleans is the place to be this Friday and all Fridays as Ivy Dripp and JoJo host “FREAKY FRIDAYS ,” featuring performances that are sure to amaze and delight! A show that celebrates glam and horror! Join us for this one of a kind variety show spectacular!
·Raw Dog Comedy: Ugly Dog Saloon; 401 Andrew Higgins Blvd.; 8 – 11 p.m. Raw Dog Comedy is a FREE weekly comedy show in the Warehouse District. The open mic list often features the city’s best comedians, visiting comics, , national touring acts & first timers. It’s FREE to attend, but tipping (Cont’d on pg. 10)
Weekly Events Cont’d. Is highly encouraged (comics gotta eat, too).
·Friday Show Night: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA; 9 p.m. Splash’s Show Night is BACK, and it's about to be EPIC! Join us every Friday for the hottest drag show in the capital city! Get ready to be dazzled by the fabulous Bombshells of Baton Rouge, plus a surprise special guest each week! Hosted by the fabulous Miss Thing, who’s serving looks and laughs all night long! Whether you’re a drag aficionado or just looking for a fun night out, this is the place to be!
Don’t miss the chance to live your best life with us!
·Bayou Blues Burlesque: The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 10:30 p.m. Tickets available at eventbrite.com and at the door. An intimate night of live blues music accompanied by burlesque and variety acts. Drink specials by your bartenders and comfy seating to enjoy the art of the strip tease. Music by The Delta Revues Burlesque by Miss Oops C. (AKA Oops the Clown).
·Karaoke Night @ Sipps: SIPPS Gulfport; 2218 25th Ave. Gulfport, MS; 9 p.m. – midnight. Come sing your heart out.
·Fab Fridays Show Night: Splash Nightclub; 2183 Highland Rd., Baton Rouge; 9 p.m. Join us every Friday for the hottest drag show in the capital city! Get ready to be dazzled by the fabulous Bombshells of Baton Rouge, plus a surprise special guest each week! Hosted by the fabulous Miss Thing, who’s serving looks and laughs all night long! Whether you’re a drag aficionado or just looking for a fun night out, this is the place to be! Don’t miss the chance to live your best life with us! $4 well drinks before 11.
·The Famous Corner Pocket New Meat Contest; The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 10 p.m. (Boys dancin’ from 7 p.m.). The country’s longest running all male amateur dance contest (over three decades!) Hosted by Corner Pocket Emcee Felicia Phillips and former Southern Decadence Grand Marshal. Bring your sexiest, skimpiest, and tightest undies (but no jock straps) for a chance at a cash prize of $100 ($200 if it’s your first time in our contest). Open to all contestants over 21. New dancers encouraged.
·Dollz with Ballz: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 p.m. Come out and enjoy a great show with Taze Ya Ballz and cast.
·Guys Night Fridays: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 10 p.m, Dance the night away at New Orleans’ #1 Gay Dance Club with DJ Tim Pflueger 15 X Winner GAA “DJ of the Year” / Adam Joseph / Orlando Ricardo. THE OZ GOGOs DANCING ON THE BAR ALL WEEKEND!
·Friday Night Drag: George’s Place; 860 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge; 11 p.m. Join us Fridays Nights @georgesplacebr for the area’s best drag entertainers.
·Terrioke: Le Caberet; 834 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA; 11:59 p.m. Come sing karaoke with Terri Aqui.
Saturday
·Drag Brunch @ the Country Club: Country Club; 634 Louisa St.; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Enjoy delightful Drag performances and a delicious brunch! Reservations can be made at opentable.com
·Free Comedy Jam for Improvisers : Big Couch; 1045 Desire Street; 1 p.m. Just because improv is unscripted, doesn’t mean you can’t practice it! We welcome improvisers of all levels to join us weekly to hone their improv skills, learn new ones, and connect with fun folks. An improv jam is an opportunity for anyone to perform and watch scenes.
·LGBTQIA+ Youth Drop Inn Nights: New Orleans Pride Center; 2762 Orleans Ave., New Orleans, LA: 3 5 p.m. Every Saturday from 3 5pm, LGBTQ+ youth (ages 13 24) can join us at The Pride Center for different activities including movies, arts, journaling, and more! FREE to attend!
·Kingz & Corsets: A Sexy Studded Affair: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 8 p.m. Attention: Kings, Queens, and everyone in between! Oz New Orleans is thrilled to announce our newest show under the Oz Entertainment umbrella: Kingz and Corsets! “A Sexy Studded Affair” Starring: Justin Betweener hosted by: Paris Dee DeLorean. The show will feature weekly special guests.
·Dance Bitches Dance: Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 10 p.m. Dance the night away at New Orleans’ #1 Gay Dance Club with DJ Tim Pflueger. 15 X Winner GAA “DJ of the Year” followed by DJ Adam Joseph or DJ Orlando Ricardo
·Show Night: SIPPS Gulfport; 2218 25th Ave.; Gulfport, MS.; 11:30 p.m. Come check out the fabulous Nicole DuBois and a rotating cast of drag performers each week.
Sunday
·Drag Brunch @ the Country Club: Country Club; 634 Louisa St.; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Enjoy delightful Drag performances and a delicious brunch! Reservations can be made at opentable.com
·Morning Worship: Metropolitan Community Church of New Orleans; 5401 S. Claiborne Ave.; 10 – 11 a.m. Our worship services are best described as “Blended.” We recognize that many of our congregants come from different religious and spiritual backgrounds. (Cont’d. on pg.12)
Weekly Events Cont’d. We strive to incorporate elements from those various backgrounds so that all can feel a little more connected to our services.
·Solemn High Mass; St. Anna’s Episcopal Church; 1313 Esplanade Ave.; starts at 10:30 a.m. We are a diverse congregation and our slogan is “All are welcomed. None are shunned.” Our worship style is ornate with deep ritual yet it remains warm and inviting. We are also kid and pet friendly. A real community church, St. Anna’s welcomes all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
·WigSnatchers Drag Brunch: Marigny Brasserie; 640 Frenchmen St. , New Orleans, LA; 12 – 3 p.m. Located in the heart of historic Frenchmen St. comes the hottest Drag Show New Orleans has to offer. Hosted by Cosette LaFemme and Mistie Bonét, Drag Brunch @ Marigny Brasserie guarantees a welcoming and entertaining experience with some of Nola’s finest Drag Queens. Come enjoy performances of some of the most iconic artists of all time while you start the day with a plate of New Orleans, a drink in hand, and a safe space to have fun and express yourself. Email marigny.brasserie@kfkgroup.com to inquire about special event offers and group pricing of parties of 5 or more.
·Writing Across the Rainbow: New Orleans Pride Center; 2762 Orleans Ave., New Orleans, LA; 2 5 p.m. Writing Across the Rainbow is our new ongoing monthly LGBTQIA+ workshop focused on all aspects of writing, spanning how to get your first words on paper, to getting published and sharing your work with the world! Award winning publisher, editor, and writer Sorella Smith will host this event which will also feature other writers as guest presenters. This is an ongoing workshop, so you can attend as many meetings as you want! This is a free event, but everyone should bring their own pens, notebooks, computers, and tablets. Everyone has stories to tell, fictional, factual, or otherwise. This workshop will assist you with such concepts as: World building, Plotting, Character creation, Continuity maintenance, Editing, Sharing constructive criticism of work, The journey forward, either to publishing or wherever you want to take your writing. All prose types are welcome, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, etc. We hope to see you there!
·Sing A Long Sundays: Bourbon Pub & Parade; 801 Bourbon St.; 4 p.m. – midnight. Join Gay Appreciation Award Winner VJ Brendan for Sing A Long Sundays. (Cont’d. on pg. 27)
Malaysia Walker and Will Antill Named 2025 Gay Easter Parade Grand Marshals
Malaysia Walker was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, and now resides in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is very familiar with many obstacles faced by the transgender communities throughout the South. Her passion for equality, respect, and acknowledgement of the issues faced in the LGBTQIA+ community is the driving force behind her advocacy. Malaysia has worked with publications such as: Fast Company, The Clarion Ledger, and Freedom for All Americans, just to name a few, with hopes of inspiring many to live in their authenticity. She is also a local Drag Performer, known by Malaysia Ravor Black, and has graced many stages all over the country. She is a seamstress and costume designer, with her own business, who has had the privilege of costuming people in the City of New Orleans and abroad, which provides an opportunity for her to bring peoples’ dreams to life. She currently reigns as Miss Pride of Tupelo, and has held previous titles, inclusive of, Miss Oxford Pride, and Miss Black Trans International. Finally, Malaysia enjoys empowering others to not only embrace but stand strong and proud in their authenticity.
Will Antill is a native New Orleanian and currently manages and bartends at Crossing. He began bartending in 1979 at Fazzio Garden Bowl. He joined the Navy in 1983 and served on the battleship Iowa BB 61 and USS Hue City CG 66. He lived in Jacksonville, Florida briefly before returning to New Orleans in 1998, where he worked as a contractor for Entergy as a street light technician. He has bartended at Rawhide, Café Lafitte in Exile, and The Double Play. At The Double Play, he began helping organize the Purple Party, an annual fundraiser for the Gay Easter Parade. Antill has also organized fundraisers for various gay Carnival krewes and the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana. His previous titles include Grand Reveler II of the Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers and Southern Decadence Grand Marshal XLV.
The Gay Easter Parade, now in its 24th year, is produced by AMBUSH Magazine and serves as a fundraiser for Food for Friends.
The Gay Easter Parade rolls on April 20 at 4:30pm in the French Quarter.
Chop Chop Charles Pizzo
Run, Don’t Walk: Patula Stuns with Craftmanship and Charm
The guy behind the counter had me at “we use Turkish black pepper. It’s smoked, which adds depth, flavor, and a sweet, raisin like finish.” Turns out he is the chef.
That level of detail and craftmanship amazed me, even more so at a little café set back along a touristy stretch of Royal Street. Whereas the typical fare for restaurants near there is gumbo, red beans, and copycat beignets, Patula is a stunner. It brings refinement, creativity, and originality to the table.
And the lush, inviting patio is a score too: a hidden oasis behind Krewe eyewear.
I popped in after the recent book signing for LGBTQ+ advocate Larry Bagneris, not expecting such high quality food. Meatballs with tomato sauce, Moroccan spices, and yogurt is a delicious small plate that is surprisingly filling. (Meatballs are having a moment. In the previous issue, we covered the show stopping, oversized Italian meatball at Pulcinella!)
Patula has a completely different take on them. Four boulettes sat in a pool of tomato sauce that is decidedly not Italian, with a warm kick from Calabrian chilis. It’s topped with house made yogurt sauce and that Turkish black pepper plus fragrant fresh dill and mint.
The meatballs are fork tender and juicy, with just enough bite to offer spongy resistance when chewed. The seasonings are a classic toasty combination that would feel at home at a casbah in North Africa. Overall, it’s pretty darn satisfying.
And the tomato sauce! You soak it up with a soft, yeasty quick bread (similar to focaccia) that they bake themselves. It in and of itself is a shining star (you would not have to twist my arm to buy a loaf of this to indulge at home with olive oil or cheese).
The eye for detail shows up again in the Cæsar Salad. It features Belper Knolle, boquerones, and crunchy bits over classic, bite size Romaine lettuce. Belper Knolle is a specialty hard Swiss cheese infused with garlic and Himalayan salt. This is another small touch that elevates the dish beyond the more standard Parmesan. The crunchy bits appear to be ground up bread that soaks up some dressing.
Morrocan Meatballs
Lots of folks have strong feelings about anchovies. Most people only know (and hate) the salty, oily variety found in cheap pizzerias. Boquerones are more upscale, typically made from fresh anchovy fillets marinated in vinegar and parsley.
Patula builds layers of flavor to produce a product that is at once familiar yet reimagined with a modern aesthetic. That extends to the Cæsar dressing as well, which usually tastes like garlic. This version is more complex; it builds on the classic with olive oil, eggs, pureed boquerones, Parmesan cheese, some garlic, and–most unexpectedly–yuzu (an Asian citrus fruit). The chef is clearly thinking outside of the box. The overall effect is tangy, refreshing, and has a nice bite.
As a food purist, it’s rare for me to comment on ambiance. Patula is one of the most charming, and dare I say romantic, places I have visited in quite some time. The large patio will seem familiar to anyone who’s spent time in the French Quarter. During good weather, it would be a great place to dine al fresco.
There are also rear quarters typical of our local architecture a rectangular room with large windows that overlook the patio. It’s simple and white, with cozy artwork and dried flowers hanging from the walls.
I observed a young couple kicking back and leisurely drinking, laughing, and grazing on small bites. The setting is rustic, and in that sense, reminded me of small country places in France. It feels warm, homey, and relaxing. My interest is piqued to try more of the short yet interesting menu. There’s also an extensive list of wines, coffees, and pastries.
With its hidden location and specialized menu, I worry the tourist traffic may not support Patula. Hence, my advice is to run, don’t walk, over there. It’s worth a visit because the level of culinary detail and artistry is off the charts.
Patula, 619 Royal Street in the French Quarter. Open Wednesday – Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. All major credit cards. No phone listed. https://www.instagram.com/ patulanola/
Caesar Salad
Know Your Histor y Frank Perez
Rich Magill Exposes Hatred
In 1986, when the New Orleans City Council voted down an ordinance that would have included sexual orientation in the city’s anti discrimination policy, Councilmember Joseph Giarrusso told gay rights advocates they had failed to prove they had been discriminated against. One gay man in the audience couldn’t believe it. Rich Magill vowed to get Giarrusso his proof.
Disappointed but determined to not give up, advocates of the measure went to Charlene’s (a popular lesbian bar at the time) for a party after the council hearing. It was there that Rich Magill met Stewart Butler, one of the city’s fiercest gay rights advocates. Upon striking up a friendship, Butler warned Magill, “I’m a political animal.” Butler then assured Magill that they would try again to have the anti discrimination ordinance passed. That would take another five years. In 1991, the City Council did pass the ordinance with Magill playing a key role in its passage. In the meantime, Magill busied himself in the struggle for equality.
At Butler’s urging, Magill joined LAGPAC (Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus), which had been founded in 1980 by Alan Robinson and Roberts Batson. LAGPAC worked to elect candidates supportive of gay rights and also staged two memorable protests against the Pope’s visit
visit to New Orleans in 1987 and the Republican National Convention, which was held in New Orleans in 1988.
As the Public Relations Coordinator for LAGPAC, Magill issued a press release calling on anyone interested in protesting the papal visit to attend an organizational meeting. He subsequently received thirty harassing phone calls which included death threats. Undeterred, Magill proceeded with the meeting and when the Pope’s helicopter landed at Notre Dame Seminary on Carrollton Avenue, Magill was there with about a dozen other protesters holding signs calling for gay rights and reproductive rights for women. When the Pope visited St. Louis Cathedral, Magill, along with Nathan Chapman, Roy Racca, and another person, distributed an open letter to the pope to the throngs of people waiting in line to see the Pontiff. The letter asked how the church could treat gays and lesbians so cruelly when God made them that way. Later, when the Pope mobile rode down Canal Street, Stewart Butler, Anthony “Robby” DeJacimo, Leonard Green, and Michael Thompson followed it carrying a LAGPAC banner.
The following year, LAGPAC and other groups from around the nation, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and ACT UP, protested the GOP convention in New Orleans. Magill organized GLITER (Gay and Lesbian Initiative to Educate Republicans), which held a candlelight vigil at Armstrong Park. 412 candles were lit, that number signifying the number of people who would be diagnosed
with HIV during the convention. Congresswoman Lindy Boggs spoke at the vigil as did Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, ACT UP co founder Peter Staley and others. A police officer assigned to the event was overheard asking another officer, “How did the fags get the Mayor?”
In 1989, gay activists turned their attention once again to the antidiscrimination ordinance. The Ordinance Coordinating Committee was formed in Dr. Brobson Lutz’ living room in December1989.
In 1989, the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Lesbian and Gay Issues began collecting data on the prejudice and discrimination gays and lesbians in New Orleans were experiencing. 10,000 copies of a four page questionnaire were distributed. Magill and Jim Wiltberger then spent a year analyzing the data. The results were not surprising; the report’s conclusion stated, “Quite simply, our 1989 survey and subsequent study prove that homophobic hate motivated violence and discrimination are serious problems for New Orleans.”
Exposing Hatred: A Report on the Victimization of Lesbian and Gay People in New Orleans, Louisiana was published in 1991. When the antidiscrimination ordinance came up for a vote before the City Council again in 1991, the report offered the council members political cover. Councilman Giarrusso finally had his proof and voted to approve the ordinance along with Dorothy Mae Taylor, Jim Singleton, Johnny Jackson, and Lambert Boissiere, Jr. Voting against the ordinance were Jackie Clarkson and Peggy Wilson.
NEWS BRIEFS
Lawsuits Filed Challenging Trump’s Anti LGBT+ Executive Orders
GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) have filed a suit (Talbot versus Trump) challenging President Trump’s ban on transgender military service. The suit has 20 plaintiffs who are claiming the new policy has not only adversely affected them but also caused significant harm to the nation’s military readiness. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have asked U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes to issue a preliminary injunction stopping implementation of the ban.
GLAD Law and NCLR have also filed three lawsuits (Moe v. Trump, Doe v. Bondi, and Jones v. Trump) challenging sections of an executive order that directs the federal Bureau of Prisons to house transgender women in men’s prisons and to unlawfully withhold necessary medical care. Attorneys for the plaintiff secured temporary restraining orders in Moe and Doe, “preventing our clients from being transferred to men’s facilities and ensuring their continued access to necessary medical care. On February 11, we filed our third case, Jones v. Trump, in U.S. District Court.”
President Trump Orders LGBT+ Content Removed from all Federal Websites
The purge included the removal of HIV resources from the CDC website as well as all DEI references and programs in federal ag encies. A three dimensional digital scan of The Faerie Playhouse in New Orleans compiled by the National Park Service was also removed the NPS website. The Faerie Playhouse was the home of queer activists Stewart Butler and Alfred Doolittle and was the site of much organizing activity in the New Orleans queer liberation movement.
Louisiana Queer Arts Festival Set to Kick Off Pride Month
Louisiana Queer Arts will be the focus of a four day program planned by the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana. The festival will take place June 5 through June 8 at a variety of locations throughout New Orleans. The program launches at the Archives Project’s annual membership meeting at the Dodwell House with two exhibits (J.B. Harter & Barbara Scott) and a panel discussion on Harter’s legacy. On June 6, LQA will offer a screening of a new documentary about artist George Dureau at The Historic New Orleans Collection. A working artists show / fair , accompanied by an exhibition of Dureau’s photography, will take place on Saturday, June 7 at the Marigny Opera House. The festival ends at the Broad Theater on June 8 with partial screenings of queer films current ly in production. More information is available on the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana website. (Cont’d. on pg. 28)
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
June 5, 7:00pm / Dodwell House / 1519 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans
Our 2025 programming focus, Louisiana Queer Arts, will launch at this meeting. The meeting will feature exhibits of John Burton Harter’s and Barbara Scott’s artwork and a panel discussion on Harter’s legacy. Refreshments provided. Louisiana Queer Arts will be a four day program focusing on the history of queer visual arts in Louisiana.
Cur tain Up Brian Sands
What with French Quarter Fest and Easter and Jazzfest, there isn’t much theatrical activity, especially on the Southshore, going on for the next few weeks. Still, there are quite a few shows worth checking out on both sides of Lake Pontchartrain this month and next.
The NOLA Project presents Duncan Macmillan’s Every Brilliant Thing, in which the narrator, as a young child, begins creating a list of "every brilliant thing" in the world as a coping mechanism after his mother attempts suicide, using this list as a way to remind himself and others of the beauty and joy in life.
Featuring Alex Martinez Wallace and directed by Natalie Boyd, Every Brilliant Thing continues at Big Couch in the Bywater through April 6.
Through April 13, you can see the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company’s production of Orpheus Descending. A tale about a drifter with a secret who comes to a small Mississippi town and unintentionally causes trouble, Orpheus deals with many of the themes that Williams is known for and, as one beautiful scene follows another, it slowly builds to a conclusion that may be over the top by anyone else’s standards except Williams’.
Running at the Marquette Theatre on Loyola University’s campus, Augustin J Correro directs a cast that is headlined by Benjamin Dougherty, Charlie Carr and Leslie Claverie.
On April 4 and 6, New Orleans Opera (NOO) continues its season with Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Reset in a bustling western town, Nemorino, a hopelessly in love farmer, sets out to win the heart of the beautiful and wealthy Adina. Desperate for the hand of his true love, Nemorino turns to a mysterious elixir that takes him on a journey that’s both funny and touching.
Award winning soprano and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts graduate Lindsey Reynolds returns home to make her NOO debut and role debut as Adina, while tenor Matthew Swensen returns to NOO after his professional U.S. debut with the company in 2022 to make his role debut as Nemorino.
Don’t want to be indoors during spring’s typically nice weather? Then check out No Dream Deferred’s WE WILL DREAM: New Works Festival featuring Wonder Wander City Park, an immersive audio experience and unique outdoor production that explores the history of City Park once a vital portage for Indigenous peoples, later home to plantations, a segregated park, and now a space of celebration and community gathering. Hundreds of years of stories inhabit this land, and Wonder Wander City Park brings them to life through a fusion of live performance and immersive audio, inviting audiences to “connect to the land on which we stand.”
Conceived by Lisa Shattuck and co directed by Lauren Turner Hines, Wonder Wander City Park features April Louise, Owen Ever, Juniper Cassaway, Lorrin Dabon, Caldrick Williams, & Matt Story, and runs April 4 13.
If you want to be in the room where it happens, then head indoors some time between April 8th and 20th, when the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Hamilton returns to town at the Saenger Theatre. Lin Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical about you know who examines the first Treasury Secretary of the United States whose ambition drove him from Caribbean outsider and bastard child to American war hero and George Washington's right hand man. Gifted? Yes, but also a self destructive founding father.
Following Hamilton, another Tony winner comes to the Saenger May 13 18, an all new production of the musical The Wiz. This groundbreaking twist on L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway with its soul, gospel, rock, and ’70s funk score featuring such hits as Ease on Down the Road, Home, and Luther Vandross’ Everybody Rejoice.
Another Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner can be enjoyed May 1 18 when Le Petit presents Doubt which examines innocence, guilt, and the collective morality of society. Ashley Santos directs John Patrick Shanley’s brilliant play in which a nun tries to determine whether a priest at her school in the Bronx has molested a young boy.
On the Northshore, 30 by Ninety Theatre will be presenting a little edgier than usual fare with The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Running April 26 through May 11 and directed by DeJuan “DJ” James, (Cont’d. on pg. 25)
"Scenes from the 2019 production of Hamilton at the Saenger"
Curtains Up Cont’
Judas Iscariot is set in a time bending, darkly comic world between heaven and hell. Powerful and thought provoking, Judas Iscariot explores themes of faith, redemption, justice, and the human condition, while reexamining the plight and fate of the New Testament’s most infamous and unexplained sinner.
When Rent premiered in 1996, it was quite edgy; now, after the gentrification of the East Village, it’s more like a historical drama. Based on Puccini's La boheme, Jonathan Larson's Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning musical follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Katie Harrison directs Slidell Little Theatre’s production which opens April 11 and continues until April 27.
Another Pulitzer Prize winner plays in Ponchatoula at the Swamplight Theater April 25 May 4. George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s You Can't Take It With You features the zany but lovable Sycamore family and delights in the mayhem that ensues when their daughter's straight laced future in laws come to dinner a night early. An Academy Award winning movie, the most recent Broadway revival starred James Earl Jones to both smile AND lump in the throat inducing effect.
And it may not have won a Pulitzer, but the musical Beauty & the Beast is another smile and lump in the throat inducer. Be their guest when The Company–A St. Bernard Community Theatre does it at their home in Chalmette, May 16 25.
NOMA Announces 2024–25 Creative Assembly Cohort
This year’s cohort of Creative Assembly residents at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) includes eight artists from various disciplines. Launched in 2021, NOMA’s Creative Assembly residency promotes community engagement by welcoming artists to collaborate throughout the year with the museum’s permanent collection, special exhibitions, and programs.
“We are thrilled to see this year’s Creative Assembly Cohort hit the ground running, finding inspiration in NOMA’s collection and exhibitions,” said Susan M. Taylor, The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director of NOMA. “As one of the largest fine arts museums in the Gulf South, we are honored to serve as a space for discovery and innovation for the artists who are defining our current moment.”
Members of the 2024–25 Creative Assembly Cohort are: poet and novelist Andy Young, dancer and choreographer Caleb Dowden, filmmaker and visual artist Carl Harrison Jr.,
musician, spoken word artist, and harpist Cassie Watson Francillon,painter, drawer, and ceramic artist Horton Humble, clay, metal, and fibers artist Jer’Lisa Devezin, collage artist LaVonna Varnado Brown, poet Nikkisha K. Napoleon Artists kicked off the residency period with an orientation, followed by a series of professional development workshops and learning opportunities to dive into the museum’s collection and programs. Over the course of the residency, Creative Assembly Cohort members are provided funds and museum support to develop artistic projects and public offerings, like programs and workshops.
The theme for the 2024–25 cohort is Literacy and Language, inviting artists to explore how communication, accessibility, and language shape our world. Through this theme, NOMA will challenge the artists to consider the transformative power of words, symbols, and other forms of expression in today’s society.
Weekly Events Cont’d.
·Vanessa Carr: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St., New Orleans, LA; 3 – 5 p.m. Come see Vanessa Carr Kennedy sing your favorite songs.
·Trash Disco; Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 4 – 10 p.m. Come dance the night away at one of the best places to end your weekend of fun, Lafitte’s in Exile, home of the world famous napkin toss that happens every Sunday between 8:30 and 10 p.m.
Mwindo Royalty
The Krewe of Mwindo held its 2026 Royalty Announcement Party at The Page recently. Pictured (left) are King Kamikaze Monroe and Queen Serenity Lopez.
Mwindo was founded in 1998 and will celebrate its twenty eighth anniversary next year.
New Queer Theatre Company Premiers
Kaleidoscope Theatre Company, New Orleans’ newest queer theatre collective, will host its first fundraiser, Drag Queen Kickball!, on April 19th from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at New Orleans City Park, Field 1, Tad Gormley Baseball Field. Proceeds will help fund Kaleidoscope Theatre Company’s upcoming season, which spotlights adapted classical works, modern queer theatrical canon, and new works by LGBTQ+ playwrights. Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $5 at Kaleidoscopetheatrecompany.com.
Potential Cuts to Medicaid Looming
The Trump administration and republicans in Congress are considering slashing the federal Medicaid budget by $880 billion in order to offset the costs of extending and expanding tax cuts for the wealthy. 32% of Louisiana’s population (1.6 million people) are currently on Medicaid. If passed, the cuts would result in hundreds of thousands of people losing their health insurance and the closure of health clinics and agencies around the state. The cuts would further exacerbate Trump’s efforts to eliminate resources for people living with HIV.
Frenchmen Art & Books 14. Horn’s 15. The Friendly Bar
16. AllWays Lounge
17. Who Dat Coffee Café
St. Joseph’s Day
Larry Bagneris’ Book Launch
U Haul Diaries Kelly Schexnaildre
Finding Serenity in Darkness: Our Greatest Resistance
As LGBTQ+ Americans, we're facing what feels like an existential crisis. In Trump’s first two months in office, executive orders have defined sex as binary based on birth assignment, cut funding for schools supporting trans students, removed federal LGBTQ protections, and excluded trans youth care organizations from loan forgiveness programs. The administration's new passport policy requiring documents to reflect birth assigned sex
has denied many transgender and nonbinary Americans accurate identification, compromising their ability to travel safely.
Throughout human civilization, discrimination has been fueled not just by fear of the unknown, but by the intoxicating allure of power gained through subjugating others. When this poison mixes with greed, we experience the depths of human cruelty. But I believe we're called to meet these uncertain times with something much more powerful than Trump and his cronies an unshakeable inner peace rooted in a foundation of unbreakable self love.
And just how will we meet this calamity with the certainty that all is well? By emulating Victor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor, and the author of Man’s Search for Meaning. He says, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." What an incredible thing to say in the face of such unimaginable hardship, a belief that required intentional cultivation over some time. We can each build this fortress within ourselves with patient practice. If we allow hope to exist, it will always endure.
Clement of Alexandria wrote around 200 CE not only that "All things come from the One, there is no second source," but further elaborated that connecting to our spiritual source isn't about escaping reality but beginning exactly where we are. He understood, as did other classical philosophers, that authentic spiritual discipline creates a carefully chosen and cultivated self. According to Clement, this transforms our quality of life into joy a festival where we recognize divinity everywhere, in tilling the ground or sailing the sea.
If they take everything from us, our rights and our freedoms, will we be crushed? Not without our consent. There will always be limits to human endurance, and this is precisely why we must connect with something greater than ourselves to soothe and transcend our suffering.
We must draw our foundations of peace and self love from Source, where love remains alive every moment; we will always find eternity when we search in the right places. We've survived 100% of our worst days, and it is up to each of us how we choose to live and perceive what remains. Our greatest resistance isn't fear it's serenity. It's the radical act of choosing love when others choose hate. It's finding joy in a world that says we shouldn't exist. And it's knowing that in this choice lies our true power, immeasurable freedom.
The Vicarious Vicar Very Rev. Bill Terry
Easter!
Easter is a time of new life. Mardi Gras is in the past. The snow has melted away. I never thought I would write that. The days are warming and in my own garden lilies are sprouting. Easter is a time of new life. By now plans are more than underway for so many celebrations. As a nod to Rip and Marsha whom so many of us dearly miss The FEATURED EVENT must surely be The Gay Easter Parade.
Bonnets will be decorated. And the ladies will all turn out to show their very best of Springtime fling. Easter is a time of new life. For those who hold to Christian traditions, not religion necessarily, it is the time that we remember that remarkable event The Resurrection of our friend and messiah Jesus. It is indeed a story for this day and age. It is a story of violence by powerful forces bent on silencing this upstart young man. It is filled with conspiracy, betrayal, and even physical torture. Yet, it is Easter and it is a time of new life.
If any of the dark words mean anything to any of you then the Easter story is one that you may want to consider. It is the reason that so many celebrate this time of year. For almost two millennia a celebration has taken place to remember, reenact, and recall the power of that miraculous moment in our faith tradition. Resurrection.
Now some of you may know, or not, that I am in recovery. Yep, I was a devoted alcoholic and a darn good one at that. There was never a day, for a time in my life, that a fifth was not consumed. I am now, happily, a permanent designated driver. But looking back I could well have killed someone because I drove under the influence. I even jumped off a roof landing three stories down waving at folks sitting in balconies as I passed. Think Wile E. Coyote. Yea that was funny but what about the time I was doing about 95 on an overpass and almost flipped my car with a passenger in it. Or the time I fell asleep at the wheel during rush hour traffic outside of Dallas and hit a guy in the rear end? No one was hurt either time but they could have; I could have.
Resurrection happened for me when I was confronted by my life partner who simply said, “Bill, it’s continue drinking and lose your daughters and me. Or stop drinking and we will be a family.” I made the choice and while a lot of other miracles are associated with this story the end result is that I became sober. The hard part of sobriety was following what are called the 12 steps. A few of the biggies are, and I will paraphrase, recognize that you ain’t all of that and a bag of chips that are higher powers. Make a list of folks that you hurt, done wrong to. Then make amends, a nice way of saying suck it up buttercup and apologize. Here’s the thing when you do apologize, they don’t have to accept it and that’s okay but you do have
apologize or you will carry it with you until you do. That feeds into guilt; guilt feeds into self loathing, or feeds into anger and bitterness. Those negative thoughts and feelings are like being in a tomb. Resurrection however is about making your life right and regaining the dignity that is yours to hold onto. I learned that in my own recovery. In general, it’s not a bad way to frame your life. Resurrection is about reconciliation and rebirth at any age.
These are dark times for so many yet I know in my heart that for at least one day many of you will have joy in your heart. You will go on a pub stroll and celebrate the most fantastic bonnets; you will meet at local watering holes and laugh and on Sunday you break out your very best Spring Collection. Hoop skirts, big hair, white suits (Rip’s favorite), bow ties, buck shoes, no shoes, or even those big girl stilettos. Many of you will celebrate in churches as well listening to great choruses of voices in celebratory harmonies and grandeur. Easter lilies, which are just now sprouting in my own garden, will be in bloom and they will show up in bars, pubs, and altars all celebrating new life.
There is always some light in dark times. There is always Spring to celebrate and to soak up the good energy that the earth is showing us at this time of year. Yes, it is a time of rebirth, new birth, and mirth all in one season. That said, keep in mind, according to Christian tradition the celebration of Easter goes on for 50 days so celebrate for 50 days. If you can be Irish on St. Patty’s Day, Italian on St. Joseph’s Day, adopt Christian Feasts for Easter. So celebrate and party on. It’s all about new life.
Community Focus Jim Meadows
Who and What I Am Following During This Stupid Coup
Beginning on November 8 and until late January, I felt an intense need to ignore the news media, social media, and any other media that might remind me of what was coming. It was too much. It was overwhelming. It still is, but I’m not looking away anymore. I’ve noticed that many mainstream news outlets and legacy media (e.g. The New York Times, The Washington Post, the PBS NewsHour, etc.)
have been bafflingly reticent to say what is happening in plain language: The United States of America is under attack by a far right, authoritarian, and nationalist regime led by the Trump administration and his sycophantic, amoral supporters and enablers. I’m following this unspeakable national tragedy more closely now than ever. Below is a list of individual commentators, media outlets, organizations, coalitions, and readings that are mobilizing me to join the fight against this stupid coup with the most radical optimism I’m able to muster. You can find them on social media outlets like Facebook and BlueSky, on Substack, on TV and radio, and at your local library. This list is by no means comprehensive, but I share it in the hope that some of you can become better informed and more empowered to fight back now.
Individual Commentators
I’m following these folks on social media, newsletters, and TV. (Of these, I consider Rebecca Solnit and Heather Cox Richardson to be the most essential.)
Rebecca Solnit: Activist and writer (A Paradise Built in Hell, Men Explain Things to Me, etc.). Her website/newsletter, Meditations in an Emergency (along with her social media posts) is unflinching but radically optimistic.
Heather Cox Richardson: Political historian and creator of the “Letters from an American” newsletter. Richardson uses examples from history to put current events into a broader perspective.
Timothy Snyder: Historian of the Holocaust and author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, one of the biggest selling books on the topic of authoritarianism.
Joyce Vance: Law professor and legal analyst, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, creator of the Civil Discourse newsletter.
Adam Kinzinger: Air Force veteran, former member of the House of Representatives (Illinois), political commentator. Along with Liz Cheney and other Republican members of the January 7th Commission, his outspoken criticism of the Trump administration effectively ended his career as a Republican politician.
Bill Maher: Comedian and host of Real Time on HBO. Maher is a self righteous prick, but his show is one of the only forums where you can see discussions of current events with people from diametrically opposed viewpoints.
Rachel Maddow: Political commentator, host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, author of Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez: U.S representative for New York’s 14th congressional district (Democrat). The youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Member of “The Squad.”
National Organizations, Groups, Coalitions, Etc.
Indivisible: “A grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.”
Alt National Park Service: This group is not a federal agency. Rather, they are an activist coalition of current and former federal workers who are fighting the Trump administration by highlighting various aspects of the shutdown of federal agencies in real time.
Waging Nonviolence: “A non profit media platform providing original reporting and expert analysis of social movements around the world.”
Protect Democracy: A nonpartisan nonprofit organization that aims to “prevent our democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government.”
The Lincoln Project: A political action committee formed by conservatives who oppose the Trump administration and are “dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy.
Mobilize: A “technology platform and network that allows volunteers to sign up for events such as rallies, virtual meetings, canvassing, phone blanketing, and get out the vote.”
Local Organizations, Groups, Coalitions, Etc.
Indivisible NOLA and Do Something NOLA: Local chapters of Indivisible (Cont’d. on pg. 38)
Community
Focus Cont’d.
The Resistance NOLA: A public Facebook Group
Forum for Equality: Louisiana’s LGBTQ+ human rights organization.
New Orleans Pride Center: “A welcome, inclusive hub for local and regional LGBTQ2IA+ individuals and communities where all feel safe to celebrate their authentic selves and thrive through connection.”
Journalism and Commentary
The New Republic: A magazine “founded in 1914 to bring liberalism into the modern era.”
The Atlantic: A magazine founded in 1857 that is guided by the following principles: “Reason should always guide opinion; ideas, have consequences, sometimes world historical consequences; the knowledge we have about the world is partial and provisional, and subject to analysis, scrutiny, and revision.”
Wired: A magazine focused on emerging technology, politics, and culture.
The Nation: A magazine founded in 1865 that “has long believed that independent journalism has the capacity to bring about a more democratic and equitable world.”
ProPublica: “An independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force.”
founded in 1976” that “investigates the big stories that may be ignored or overlooked by other news outlets, including about democracy and voting rights, racial justice, reproductive rights, and food and agriculture.”
Truthout: A nonprofit news organization “dedicated to providing independent reporting and commentary on a diverse range of social justice issues.”
Democracy Now: A TV, radio, and internet news program focused on progressive issues.
The Contrarian: A brand new newsletter on Substack led by Jen Ruben and Norm Eisen that describes itself as “unflinching, unapologetic, and unwavering in its commitment to truth telling.”
The Bulwark: A newsletter on Substack that was “founded to provide analysis and reporting in defense of America’s liberal democracy.”
The Guardian (US version): “Covering American and international news for an online, global audience.”
A More Light Hearted Approach
The Onion: America’s premiere satirical news company.
Leopards Ate My Face: Initially formed on Reddit but now on other social media platforms, this group satirizes people who voted for the “Leopards Eating Faces” political party, and are now shocked to find that said leopards are eating their faces.
Andy Borowitz: A comedian and satirist best known for The Borowitz Report.
Mrs. Betty Bowers: “America’s Best Christian.”
God: “Creator of the Universe,” currently satirizing it on social media and The God Pod podcast.
Recommended Reading:
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, by Timothy Snyder
Surviving Autocracy, by Masha Gessen
How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, by Jason Stanley
