A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION CELEBRATING LGBTQ+ CULTURE SINCE 1982
VOLUME 44 ISSUE 3 June 1, 2026
Pride Issue
Casimiro & Gaijin Sandos
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 or camzimmerman504@gmail.com
T.J. Acosta
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Frank Perez AD SALES
Frank Perez, Cam Zimmerman
CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Sands, Tony Leggio, Jim Meadows, Felicia Phillips, Charles Pizzo, Kelly Schexnaildre, Cas O’Brien, Frank Perez
LOGISTICS COORDINATORS
Jeffrey Palmquist, Ryne Stoned, Chris Trentacoste, Dwain Hertz
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tony Leggio, Dwain Hertz
COVER DESIGN
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 2025 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,
June is Pride Month and there are plenty of events to celebrate in New Orleans and the Gulf South. Baton Rouge will hold their annual Pride on Saturday, June 27th from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Raising Canes River Center. In New Orleans, Pridefest will be moving away from the heat and into the evening with their event taking place on Saturday, June 13th starting at 5:00 p.m.
For more information on these events and others, check out BatonRougePride.org and NolaPridefest.com. Also check out AmbushMag.com for our Official Pride Guide with all the evets happening in New Orleans and the Gulf South.
Also, during Pride Month be sure to support local LGBT+ owned businesses and their employees, especially those that advertise with AMBUSH. The summer months can be a slow time for our brothers and sisters who work in the service industry, and they can use our support. We appreciate all our advertisers who make it possible for us to bring you this print edition of AMBUSH. We also want to wish all of you, our readers, a Happy Pride Month!
From the Editor’s Desk Frank Perez
The cover of this issue of AMBUSH is sure to evoke some emotional responses, both positive and negative. Some will say, “Why do we need so many flags? Isn’t the Rainbow Flag enough? Shouldn’t that cover everybody?” Others will find joy in the fact that the queer community is so diverse and argue the wide variety of flags demonstrates our multifaceted ness. Whether you’re non binary, or intersex, or trans, or poly, or bi, or lesbian, or demisexual, or pansexual, or a bear, or genderqueer, or into leather, or whatever Pride is a good thing. We have a lot of problems, but
having too many flags is not one of them. I like to think of all the different flags as an indication of how proud our community is. And in times like these, we need all the pride we can get.
Our ancestors and elders spent decades fighting and clawing and scratching to chip away and dismantle the dominant power structure that said we were deviant, sick, and even criminal, and should therefore be treated as second class citizens. And they weren’t alone, Feminists and Black leaders also fought against the same system. But in the last ten years, the white Christian patriarchy, empowered by Donald Trump, has reared its ugly head and fought back with a vengeance. This is evidenced by the brazen erosion of women’s rights and access to reproductive healthcare and by the government’s eagerness to return to Jim Crow segregation. The speed with which Southern states began disenfranchising Black voters (ie damn near the speed of light) is an indication of what waits for the queer community. The aggressive attacks on trans people is just the beginning. Every g ain we’ve made in the last two generations is at risk.
What to do? Despair? No. Complain about having too many flags? No. If you’re closeted, come out. And whatever you are, whoever you are, wherever you are, REGISTER TO VOTE! And then VOTE like your life depends on it.
News Briefs
Former Congressman Barney Frank Dies
Barney Frank, former Massachusetts representative who made history by being the first member of Congress to come out in 1987 and marry a person of the same sex in 2012, died on May 19, 2026. Frank championed banking reform and gay rights. Frank was criticized in 2007 when he removed trans protections from the proposed Employment Non Discrimination Act.
8 Democrats Vote with Republicans Against Trans Rights
With the help of eight democrats, the republican controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that would compel teachers to out trans students to their parents. The eight democrats who voted for the legislation are Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Rep. Don Davis of North Carolina, Rep. Cleo Fields of Louisiana, Rep Laura Gillen of New York, Rep Vicente González of Texas, Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, and Rep. Eugene Vindman of Virginia. The bill must still be passed by the Senate and signed by the President before it becomes law.
Gay Easter Parade Raises $5,000 for Food for Friends
The 2026 Gay Easter Parade in New Orleans raised $5,00 for Food for Friends, a part of CresecentCare that provides nutritious meals to those living with HIV.
Queer History Exhibit Opens in French Quarter
A new exhibit focusing on New Orleans’ queer history recently opened in the French Quarter. Operated by the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, the exhibit is located at 311 Burgundy Street and open six days a week, 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Wednesdays. Admission is free. The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana also offers queer history tours out of the space on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., and by appointment. The tours are complimentary with a suggested donation of $20 per person and a two person minimum.
Weekly Events Tony Leggio
Monday
NOAGE New Orleans Walking Group; Audubon Park; 6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA; 5 p.m. NO-
AGE’s weekly walking group meets on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at the Magazine Street entrance to Audubon Zoo. They start walking promptly at 6:00, 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 & 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.
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: Beanlandia; 3300 Royal St.., New Orleans, LA.; 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. The Big Easy Stompers have free dance classes every Tuesday. They have been giving dance classes to the LGBTQ+ community and general public. Classes are $10. All are welcome and beginners are welcome.
No Judgment Karaoke at Good Friend’s: Good Friends 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 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
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 at the oldest Gay Bar in New Orleans.
Video Bar: SIPPS Gulfport; 2218 25th Ave. Gulfport, MS; 8 11 p.m. Video Bar Every Wednesday from 8pm 11pm Featuring videos of your favorite hit music, live performances, Broadway Divas, and sing a longs.
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 drinks specials all night.
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 (Cont’d. on pg. 11)
Weekly Events Cont’d.
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 New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 8 p.m. A group of queer comedians performing comedy together.
Terrioke: Le Cabaret; 834 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA; 10 p.m. Come sing karaoke with Terri Aqui.
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 &
Burlesque back to its original home on Bourbon Street. Get tickets at www.eventbrite.com.
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!
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! (Cont’d. on pg. 12)
Weekly Events Cont’d.
$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.
That’s Drag: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 p.m. Come out and enjoy a great show with Haus Contraire.
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.
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
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!
Drag Me To The Lantern: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 10 p.m. Vanessa Carr Presents a Mama Honey Production.
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. 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
Trash Disco & Historic Napkin Toss; Cafe Lafitte in Exile; 901 Bourbon St.; 1 – 10:30 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.
Writing Across the Rainbow: New Orleans Pride Center; 2762 Orleans Ave., New Orleans, LA; 2 5p.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 (Cont’d. on pg. 15)
Weekly Events Cont’d.
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.
Vanessa Carr: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St., New Orleans, LA; 3 – 5 p.m. Come see Vanessa Carr Kennedy sing your favorite songs.
The PlayGirlz Show: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal St.; 5 – 7 p.m. Come out and enjoy the show featuring Gia GiaVanni with Taze Ya Ballz and a special guest each week.
Zingo!; The Corner Pocket; 940 St. Louis St.; 6 p.m. Zingo! with the boy’s pullin’ the balls. Can you say, O 69? Come play to win fabulous prizes and bar tabs (free to play). Corner Pocket Emcee Felicia Phillips and former Southern Decadence Grand Marshal hosts.
Minx Burlesque: Howlin Wolf; 907 S. Peters St., New Orleans, LA; 6 p.m. Minx Burlesque is LIVE at the Howlin’ Wolf. Featuring a rotating cast of performers for a new and exciting show each week. From classic strip tease, to circus acts, to comedy Queens, Minx Burlesque has something to please and tease every audience member. For tickets, go to https:// www.ticketweb.com/events/org/13741?pl=howlin
SIPPS Drag Bingo: SIPPS Gulfport; 2218 25th Ave.; Gulfport, MS.; 7 p.m. Come play bingo for great prizes every Sunday.
Drag Bingeaux; Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St.; 7 – 9 p.m. Hosted by Ivy Dripp with gogo boys. 11 games, no cover.
The Opulence Hour: Maison; 508 Frenchmen St.; 8 – 9 p.m. The troupe that brought you “Talk Nerdy To Me: A Weekly Nerdlesque Revue” is putting on our Sunday best for this new burlesque and variety show. The Society of Sin Burlesque & Variety every Sunday at The Maison on Frenchman at 7pm. Every week there will be a different show filled with decadent costumes, extravagant aesthetics, and big moods from our rotating cast of entertainers. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com
Lipstixx Ladies on Parade; Bourbon Pub & Parade; 801 Bourbon St.; 8 – 10 p.m. Hosted by Miss Aubrey Synclaire. Showtime 8pm Sharp! Reservations accepted on a “first come first serve” at 504 529 2107.
The Ladies of Oz Show Night; Oz New Orleans; 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 9:30 11:30 p.m. Featuring the Ladies of Oz and DJ Tim Pflueger.
HAPPY PRIDE!
Chop Chop Charles Pizzo
Worlds Apart: Mexico City Breakfast, Japanese Sandwiches
A beautifully wrapped corn husk arrives at the table, one end neatly tied off. Inside, a pink hued filling–almost the color of a Sunday ham–sits neatly. It almost looks like sushi. There’s a shock of something bright red drizzled atop, and a dollop of thick white sauce in front of it all.
noticeably smooth, not grainy. The taste is familiar, yet this is totally unfamiliar. I’ve never heard of a sweet (hot) tamale, much less a strawberry one. It is a revelation.
Curious, I take a bite and smile. It’s sweet in a pleasant way, not too much, and very earthy. Curious, I take a bite and smile. It’s sweet in a pleasant way, not too much, and very earthy. The filling is noticebeans that thinly coats one side. It’s a generous cut of pork, somewhat thick and possibly brined. Pickled peppers and carrots which garnish the plate are exceptional.
Welcome to Casimiroto, the new Mexico City style breakfast place from the Castro sisters, whose nearby fine dining
Acamaya has garnered acclaim across the culinary world. Their brand of Mexican food is different. Don’t expect to see pools of refried beans, red hued rice, or
slabs of molten orange cheese on every plate. This is a minimalist homage to their hometown.
Nixtamalized corn is turned into masa (corn flour) and mixed with strawberries macerated with vinegar. It’s worked into a smooth paste and steamed in husks. For service, it’s drizzled with strawberry compote and garnished with a sweet Mexican crema, thicker than whipped cream.
It works beautifully. The server says previous iterations of the tamale special had been savory, and perhaps more aligned with American expectations. But this sweet version is a showstopper.
This is what happens when a fine dining chef pursues a more casual outlet for her creativity, one where most everything is under $20. Dare I say it’s an affordable version of Acamaya.
Chilaquiles feature tortilla chips tossed in salsa roja or salsa verde, fried eggs, crema, queso fresco and shaved onion. The salsa in this case is not the uncooked variety–it’s a cooked down, slightly smoky and warm red sauce flecked with bits of chicken. It coats the chips and elevates them into a mound that is both colorful and filling. The egg is like a cherry on top.
Torta de Milanesa is a sandwich stuffed with a fried boneless pork chop, chipotle mayo, avocado, tomato and onion. The bread is dense and heavy, soaking up a schmear of refried
The closest thing to conventional is a breakfast burrito (flour tortilla, chorizo, cheesy scrambled eggs and crispy potatoes). It’s fat and stuffed with ingredients, and a meal all by itself. This is the dish to recommend to a dining partner who is wary of anything new.
On the advice of some enthusiastic soon to graduate Tulane bros at the next table, I tried the Tetela de Hongos al Ajillo (two masa triangles stuffed with roasted mushrooms, deep fried, roasted salsa verde and crema). This is another dish I’d never heard of.
Latin food is known for little meat pies such as empanadas. Fillings vary. This is different in a good way, perhaps more refined. The crust is extra light and tasty. The mushroom filling is deep and rich; the roasted green salsa offers acidity. It’s not spicy. In retrospect, nothing I tried at Casimiro was hot. It’s all balanced with a chef’s gift for seasoning.
There’s so much more to explore on this menu. Two things I saw on other tables are on my list for a future visit: Molletes and Queso en Salsa. Dessert is offered too; full bar.
Not too far yet worlds away is Gaijin Sandos, (Cont’d. on pg.
28)
Casimiro – Strawberry Tamales
Casimiro Torta de Milanesa
Casimiro – Chilaquiles
Cur tain Up Brian Sands
Things heat up in New Orleans in June and July so head indoors and cool off while watching any of the upcoming productions listed below. And what with Debbie with a D’s Divas Through the Decades, Kander & Ebb’s Chicago, and those sweaty college football players in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, June should be bursting with Pride. In fact, with such presentations as La Cage aux Folles at Tulane’s Summer Lyric Theatre, Tennessee Williams’The Rose Tattoo at Loyola, and Kander & Ebb’s other mega hit Cabaret
in Chalmette, July should be pretty gay, too!
Award winning New Orleans drag entertainer Debbie with a D launched her first ever full scale variety production, Divas Through the Decades, at the Toulouse Theatre on May 29; it continues with performances on June 6, 12, 19 and 26.
Blending drag, burlesque, dance, music, and theatrical spectacle, this revue combines vintage glamour and modern pop before leaning into the dark and lamplit lore of New Orleans nightlife and the French Quarter after dark.
The cast also includes La Reina, Zephyr, Roslynn Aphrodite Alexander, Rusty Fawcett, Kozmik, Vantasia Divine, and Emonie Alexander Pryce.
Says Debbie with a D, “At its core, the show is about glamour, transformation, and surviving difficult times with your sense of humor intact. Which, coincidentally, is also the central skill set of every drag queen over 24.”
The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane presents King Lear, the Bard’s most nihilistic work, through June 7 at Tulane’s Lupin Theatre. Directed by Jana Mestecky, Lear stars John Neisler in the title role and features James Bartelle, Jake Bartush, Silas Cooper, Michael C. Forest, Ryan Hayes, and Philip Yiannopoulos among others. With its vain 80ish year old monarch slowly going mad, well, sound like anybody you know?
King Lear will be followed by that other great tragedy Macbeth, June 26 July 12, directed by Graham Burk. Expect lots of blood.
For a little lighter fare, head next door to Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University which will be offering Kander & Ebb’s Chicago, June 18–21, directed by Jaune Buisson; Jerry Herman’s La Cage aux Folles, July 9–12, directed by Diane Lala; and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, July 30–August 2, directed by Ricky Graham, Tony winners all.
Next door, at Loyola’s Marquette Theatre, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans continues its season, July 23 August 9, with The Rose Tattoo in which a grieving widow living in a tight knit Gulf Coast community rediscovers the power of love when a wild, big hearted truck driver crashes
unexpectedly into her world.
Down in the French Quarter, Le Petit Theatre gives the Tony Award winning musical Once its first local production, June 4 21. Conner Wilson directs this tale, kinda based on real life, of a “Czech girl meets Irish boy, boy almost gets girl, boy goes back to old girlfriend.” When I saw Once at the Saenger in 2015 I found it “easy to like but hard to love,” and noted that “having started in a small off Broadway theater, Once might have lost something in the vastness of the Saenger.” Perhaps the more intimate Le Petit will be a better fit.
Speaking of the Saenger Theatre, Monty Python’s Spamalot returns there through June 7. Lovingly ripped off from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur & his Knights of the Round Table, deliciously sends up musical comedies, and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, French people, & killer rabbits.
Further down in the Bywater, Fat Squirrel will present August Strindberg’s Miss Julie and Venus in Fur by David Ives at CANOA (4109 St. Claude), June 10 20. Don’t know too much more about this except they’ll be directed by Andrea Watson, and feature Elizabeth McCoy, Jonathan Mares, and Mallory Osigian Favoloro.
Even further down in Chalmette, A Company: A St. Bernard Community Theater follows its worthy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Cabaret, July 10 19. Destinie Collins directs Kander & Ebb’s Tony winner adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 novel Goodbye to Berlin. Expect Nazis and show girls.
And up on the Northshore, Mandeville’s 30 by Ninety Theatre will fill its small stage with a large cast of 27 actors, singers and dancers for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas which recounts the good times and the demise of the (Cont’d. on pg. 35)
Debbie with a D at Jazzfest
Gulf Coast
Chop Chop Cont’d.
now occupying the space that most recently housed Frissons Cajun on St. Claude Avenue (I was sad when it closed). Gaijin’s has been a well regarded pop up at local bars. It now has a brick and mortar storefront. I was pleasantly shocked on my first visit. They had only been open five days, yet the place was packed and doing a brisk take out and delivery business too. The genial guy behind the counter seemed overwhelmed but happy at the public’s response to the new endeavor.
The specialty is Japanese style sandwiches on milk bread, a very soft and flavorful version of white bread. They’re cut diagonally and wrapped in paper (if you have ever visited Japan, you will know they are obsessed with fancy packaging). Since Gaijin’s just opened, I will refrain from a full review but will say the Patty Melt Sando (2x beef smash patties, burger sauce, B&B pickles, Colby Jack cheese, soy caramelized onions) was juicy and delicious, the milk bread a good foil for its beefiness. The meat was crumbly, juicy, and tender. This could become dangerously crave worthy.
Don’t miss the optional fries. They are triple cooked and arrive super crisp and piping hot, with a cloud like interior. Potatoes are first boiled, then fried. They get a third high heat fry just before serving. These may be the best fries in all of New Orleans, served with house made mayo.
Likewise, the Karaage (chicken nuggets) were crackling crisp, its mayo sauce enhanced with Tabasco. I’m certain these are made from thigh meat because they were so moist.
Gaijin Sandos bakes its own milk bread and makes the accompanying mayonnaise based sauces from scratch. This level of ambition reminded me of the effort one sees at the highly recommended Patula on Royal Street. Both are small, quality driven operations.
I’ll be back to try the Fried Chicken Sando and Tsukune (meatball skewers). See you there!
Casimiro, 800 Louisa St corner Dauphine, Open 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(Cont’d. on pg. 35)
Gaijin Sandos Patty Melt Sando
Gaijin Sandos – Karaage
Know Your History Frank Perez
The Archbishop, Sissies in Struggle, and Gay Pride
In 1978, the Pink Triangle Alliance hosted the first Gay Pride rally ever held in New Orleans. The Pink Triangle Alliance was the public face/political name of the Louisiana Sissies in Struggle, a group that came out of the Mulberry House Collective in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when Dennis Williams, Dimid Hayer, Stacey Brotherlover, and Aurora relocated to New Orleans. The Sissies had grown out of the back to the land movement advocated by Milo Pyne and served as sort of a forerunner to the Radical Faeries.
The Louisiana Sissies in Struggle was short lived, but while it lasted, it advocated for queer issues, as well as protested non gay specific issues such as racism, police brutality, and socio economic inequality. The group also helped edit RFD, a quarterly magazine for rural folk which aimed to raise queer consciousness, that had been founded in 1974.
After the Pride rally the Pink Triangle Alliance sponsored in 1978, a small group of people met to discuss a Pride event the following year. The Pink Triangle Alliance members in attendance argued that more was needed than just a parade. Activists
Dick O’Connor, Charlene Schneider Mark Gonzalez, and other community leaders agreed, and the group decided on a festival.
Dick O’Connor met with City Councilman Mike Early who enjoyed the support of the gay community and endorsed the idea, going so far as to even help the group secure a prime location for the first GayFest, none other than Jackson Square. When the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese learned of the event, however, Archbishop Philip Hannan went to work behind the scenes with his contacts at City Hall and had the venue nixed.
Years later, in 1986, Archbishop Hannan pressured Councilman Early, a former priest, to withdraw his support for a non discrimination ordinance that would have protected lesbian and gay employees. Early had sponsored the ordinance two years earlier and his “no” vote in 1986 was viewed by many in the community as a betrayal. The ordinance failed in 1986 but was eventually passed in 1991 over Archbishop Hannan’s strong objections.
The Archdiocese’s opposition to gay visibility in front of its landmark Cathedral was ironic considering that one of its own facilities, a church and building complex that had once been a cloistered convent for nuns on the corner of N. Rampart and Barracks, was being used as a de facto gay community center.
Prior to the founding of the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of New Orleans, the St. Louis Community Center in the French Quarter served as a gay friendly meeting place for various LGBT organizations such as PFLAG, a gay Alcoholics Anonymous group, Dignity, Crescent City Coalition, LAGPAC and a few other LGBT groups. This was made possible because of the tolerance of a gay priest on the downlow who ran the facility. Rich Sacher observes, “For a few years, before the Catholic Church in Rome swung to far right conservatism, this location was practically a gay community center. When Pope John Paul II was elected, we were all told to leave.”
GayFest organizers were not happy at having the venue pulled, but found a suitable, alternate location at Washington Square Park not far away in the Marigny neighborhood. When GayFest was organized, part of the idea was to raise money for a community center, which they did. Subsequently, however, the money raised for the community center mysteriously vanished. A lack of financial resources would plague the community center throughout its history.
New Orleans Pride would survive and has been reincarnated under various umbrella organizations. The parade has enjoyed phenomenal growth and popularity in the last several years.
For good or ill, Pride Parades today have strayed pretty far from their roots as angry marches of defiance. The gay liberationists in the early 1970s may not be happy with what their marches have evolved into (little more than moveable corporate trade shows), but one fact is undeniable Pride Parades are here to stay, even if they barely resemble the marches that gave rise to them. As long as homophobia persists, the need for Pride will continue.
U Haul Diaries Kelly Schexnaildre
Pride, Sober
Do y'all remember the first time you walked into a gay bar? I do. Two feelings hit me at once: relief I could finally just be myself and stunned, elated, aghast at the sea of queer people around me, expressing themselves and having fun. A whole room full of people like me. Gay bars were sanctuaries then, the only place we could be out and visible. I took to it like a duck to water and boy, did I like to drink.
We grow up as our "not" selves, pretending to be people we aren't, often steeped in rejection and abandonment and whatever else happened to us along the way: a lot of us reach adulthood with a pile of pain and no idea what to do with it. My parents never taught me to self soothe, and yours probably didn't either. They modeled the opposite ignore the feeling, work, drink, deny, avoid. I don't think my story is rare. We are a community that learned to keep the hurt at bay with a glass in hand; we celebrate with it, we grieve with it, we carry it into everything. I rarely meet a queer person with an easy relationship to alcohol. A drink was the cost of admission to our own sanctuary.
At twenty five, I had done all the drinking I was ever meant to do. I was physically sick, mentally and emotionally exhausted, spiritually dead. I was never going to have the life I wanted if I kept drinking.
When I tell people I haven't had a drink in thirteen years, they say what? Quitting is culturally taboo; it means friendships change, nights end earlier, anything that isn't truly fulfilling falls away. But on the other side of that is a life I built on purpose
Chop Chop Cont’d.
self awareness, real friendships, work that helps someone, a connection to something larger than me. I grew into my own skin.
Pride is our month to be proud of who we are and all we've survived and yet, from the parade to the brunches, a drink is still the cost of admission. I dream of a different one. A Pride where we line dance together; where we start a book club and read Audre Lorde to pay homage to the foremothers and the butches who came before us; where we do crafts and meet new people without having to poison ourselves to do it. None of it the connection, the conversation, the music, the dancing requires alcohol. It can be lit instead by being fully, soberly here.
Life without alcohol is a salve to the soul, an opportunity to lean into what's here right here, right now. This is your invitation to stop drinking, to turn around and face yourself, to call home all the parts you've been denying, drowning, avoiding. Pride is not a parade or a sea of rainbow flags; it's the deep satisfaction of a life well lived. The call is coming from inside the house, and you are your best self when you're free.
Thursday – Monday. Walk in only. (504) 345 2218 @casimironola /Instagram
Gaijin Sandos, 3304 St Claude Ave near Piety, Open 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday. @gaijinsandos /Instagram
Charles Pizzo is a native New Orleanian and PR professional. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and former chairman of IABC, the International Association of Business Communicators.
Curtains Up Cont’d.
the Chicken Ranch, known since the 1850s as one of the better pleasure palaces in all of Texas, a cozy bordello frequented by governors, senators, mayors, and victorious college football teams. Expect The Aggie Song, set in the team’s locker room as the Aggies get ready after a game to head to the Chicken Ranch, to be a highlight.
Enjoy! And try, as it says on the label of Hellman’s Mayonnaise, to keep cool but do not freeze.
G Gay Easter Parade Report TJ Acosta
The 2026 Official Gay Easter Parade raises $5,000 for Food for Friends!
As we close out Spring and move into Summer and Pride Month, we at Ambush want to start by thanking everyone who made the Gay Easter Parade (GEP) a huge success. This year we raised $5,000 for Food for Friends, a division of CrescentCare. Since 2003 the Gay Easter Parade has raised a total of $399,594.54 for Food for Friends.
I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the member of the Gay Easter Parade Advi
sory Board who make the fundraisers and parade possible. Members of the board include Tony Leggio, Monica Synclaire Kennedy and Daryl Dunaway. They each help to coordinate the multiple fundraisers that lead up to Easter. They donate their time, talents and money to help make each of these fundraisers a success. It is no easy task to pull off so many events and have them all be successful, yet the members of the board not only do it but make it look easy.
I would also like to thank all the members of community who supported our fundraisers by either attending or participating in the entertainment. A special thank you to all our sponsors and to Grand Marshal’s Jeffrey Palmquist and Felicia Phillips who were instrumental in raising sponsorship funds. Raising this kind of money is no small feat and is truly a community effort. On behalf of the GEP Advisory Board and Ambush we would like to give everyone a heartfelt thank you!
A breakdown of funds raised and expenses is below:
Funds Raised: (Note: Event totals include sponsorship funds collected at the event) Spring Fever/Sponsorship Party @ Le
Cabaret $5,986 ($4,300 in Sponsorships); Purple Party @ Crossing $3,804.96 ($1,245 in Sponsorships); Corner Pocket Eggstravaganza $1,963.00 ($500 in Sponsorships); Oz
Drag Extravaganza $2,428 ($100 in Sponsorships); Bunnies in the Big Easy $8,183; Parade (carriages, walking groups, convertibles) $3,388.00; Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop Fundraiser $246.09; Additional Donation after parade $153.40– Total Raised $26,152.45 .
Expenses: Parade Permit $206.24; Cleaning Contract $3,550; Grand Marshal Portraits $350.00; Parade Insurance $530.00; NOPD Parade Detail $12,195.12; Orleans Parish Sheriff $2,840; Parade Banner $181.09; DJ for Bunnies event $300; Bunnies Bartenders & Cleanup $500; Bunnies addition expenses/ awards $500 – Total Expenses $21,152.45.
Again, thank you to everyone who made the 2026 Gay Easter Parade a huge success! We are excited to once again support Food for Friends and we look forward to next year’s parade!
