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Volume 23/Issue 11/2005

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by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain 
Visit their site: RipandMarsha.COM

 

Ambush Readers Ready to Travel to Top Memorial Day Weekend Destinations

Avid readers of Ambush Mag are readying themselves to travel to their favorite GLBT destinations over the giant Memorial Day Weekend May 27-30. Many will find themselves in New Orleans, home of this mag, or Baton Rouge or Lafayette, Louisiana, while others will journey to Pensacola, Austin, Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi and Temple, Texas. Yes, it is the kickoff for summer travel and the GLBT community will lead the way spending untold millions of dollars in the process.

As you flip through these 68 pages, you'll find major events and activities, restaurants and bars, hair salons and shops, services, spas, and everything in between. Ambush is proud to serve as the Official Gulf South Guide bringing the GLBT community home to you. Visit AmbushMag.COM and catch every story and photo on-line.

Mwindo Essence Fest Raffle & Crawfish Boil June 5

The Krewe of Mwindo has set it's Essence Fest Raffle and Crawfish Boil at City Park Shelter #6 on Sun., June 5, from 12 noon until 6pm, in New Orleans. For more information, please contact Capt. James Swire at 504.701.3312 or 504.821.2601, ext. 255. Tickets for the raffle are $1 each and the Crawfish Boil is $15. The Essence Raffle is winner take tickets for all 3 nights.

Amon Ra Host Sean Ryan & Announces Year's Schedule

The Krewe of Amon Ra continues it's fund-raising activities with the exclusive "Sean Ryan" theatrical event on Mon., June 6, at Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., in New Orleans. The one man comedy show about being a gay man is set for 7:30pm and tickets are $25.

Up next is the Miss June Bride Pageant Sat., June 25 at Starlight by the Park, 834 N. Rampart, beginning at 8pm with a $10 cover.

The Ester Williams Swim Party and Open Bar is July 16 featuring 60’s attire at the Dive Inn Guest House, 4417 Dryades St., in New Orleans (across side street from Pascale Manales). Set for 7pm until, rooms are $75 and tickets run $25 including open bar, swimming, dinner, and show.

Next is the Captain’s Dinner with Celebrity Chefs Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain who will prepare an Italian feast on Sat., July 30 at the home of the Ball Captain. Limited to 30 guests, tickets are $30.

The biggest fund-raiser of the year, Mr. and Miss America 2005, is Sat., Aug. 13 at the
Frederick J Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. Table Seating is $20 per person and the production begins at
8pm with doors opening at 7pm.

The Krewe's 41st Anniversary Bal Masque: A Little Bit of Country will feature celebrity emcees and is set for Sat., Feb. 3, 2006, beginning at 8pm with doors opening at 7pm. The Frederick J Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette will be the site of the ball.

For more information on the Krewe of Amon Ra, visit KreweOfAmonRa.ORG.

New Research Reveals Graduation Rate Crisis in Louisiana High Schools

Students of color in Louisiana high schools are experiencing one of the most serious dropout crises in America, according to new research being released at an upcoming conference at Spelman College in Atlanta. The data highlights shockingly low "on time" graduation rates for Black and Latino students. It also shows that Louisiana pays dearly for high school dropout and incarceration rates.

Unlike other areas in the country where ‘dropout factories’ are concentrated in big city school systems, the South has a systemic problem that extends to suburban and rural areas. Despite intense education reform efforts centered on test scores, education leaders have failed to ensure that all students are graduating "on time."

An embargoed report containing data focused on trends in the largest school districts in Louisiana.

The conference, Dropouts in the South: Confronting the Graduation Rate Crisis, was held at Spelman College in Atlanta. Researchers from The Civil Rights Project at Harvard, The Southern Education Foundation, Spelman College and others considered ways that programs and policies could increase the graduation rate and steer students away from the school to prison pipeline.

The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University (CRP), founded in 1996, is a leading, national organization devoted to research and policy analysis about critical civil rights issues facing the nation. Its mission is to bridge the worlds of ideas and action by becoming a preeminent source of intellectual capital and a forum for building consensus within the civil rights movement. We achieve this by interweaving strategies of research and policy analysis, and by building strong collaborations between researchers, community organizations, lawyers and policy makers. Our dual objectives are to: (1) raise the visibility of, and attention to, racial justice national policy debates; and (2) arm local and national civil rights and educational organizations with credible research to inform their legal, political and public education efforts.

Schedule Set for Reel Identities GLBT Film Fest

Reel Identities, presented by the Lesbian & Gay Community Center of New Orleans, is proud to announce it's exciting lineup for New Orleans’ third annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film festival. The full film schedule is at ReelIdentities.ORG.

Making the move to June, Gay Pride Month, and to a new venue, the Southern Rep Theatre at Canal Place, Reel Identities 2005 will feature an impressive roster of independent feature and short length narrative, documentary, and experimental films of interest to the LGBT community.

Opening with a reception, Fri., June 10 at 7pm, the festival will offer 14 two-hour programs over the three-day weekend. Tickets will be $7 per screening, with a discount pass for five screenings available for $30, and an all-access festival pass available for $75. (Passes must be presented at the box office for tickets for individual screenings and do not guarantee admission, which is on a first-come, first-serve basis.) Further information about tickets will be posted on the website as it becomes available.

Presented by the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of New Orleans, Reel Identities is sponsored by Cox Communications and is supported in part by a Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans, and a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Both grants are administered by the Arts Council of New Orleans.

The schedule follows:

Friday, June 10

7pm

Opening Night Reception

8pm

Opening Program

A Mi Amor Mi Dulce (2004, United States). Directed by Alanna Ubach. Set in two rival coffee shops in Echo Park, Los Angeles, this comedy crosses all lines of sexuality, gender and race. Uni-brow lesbian Honey and her cross-dressing brother, Chocolate, look for love while trying to save their beloved family bakery. Chocolate’s philandering Jamaican lover (who might get deported) and the beautiful Vlaca are their potential mates. (23 minutes)

The Ski Trip (2004, United States). Directed by Maurice Jamal. This wild romantic comedy follows the exploits of a group of gay and lesbian urban friends, as they live, love, lust, and make big mistakes on a weekend away from the big city. Set in motion by Corey’s dramatic 30th birthday, the gang is faced with the meaning of love, acceptance, and the spirit of friendship. The film opens a window to a world we have rarely seen on a movie screen: a romantic comedy featuring African-American and Latino characters. These characters aren’t simply queer stereotypes; they are vibrant, articulate, strong, and diverse. And their lives are complex, involved, dramatic and hilarious. (86 minutes)

10pm

Michigan Fever (2004, United States). Directed by Aarin Burch. This fast-paced documentary offers a visceral experience of lesbian culture in the open woods of Michigan via the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. (11 minutes)

Where the Girls Are (2004, United States). Directed by Tricia Cooke and Jennifer Arnold. As detailed in this humorous documentary, the girls are at what used to be known as the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament, one of the largest annual gatherings of lesbians in the world, located in conservative Palm Springs, Calif. (28 minutes)

The D Word (2004, United States). Directed by Noelle Brower, Maggie Burkle, and Cherien Daibis Naffa. In this NYC parody of that "other" Sapphic series, Dot (Marga Gomez), the artistic director of a downtown theater, and her partner of seven years, Dina (Jessica Horstman), a crunchy-granola dyke, are looking for a sperm donor to expand their family. They throw a party to find him amongst the guests of their close circle of friends: Daynisha (Rose Sias), a closeted WNBA player; Dixie (Victoria Soyer), a bisexual journalist into S&M; Drea (Julie Goldman), the resident butch heartthrob and dog groomer; Dex (Geo Wyeth), Dot’s younger FTM musician sibling; Dim (Sergei Burbank), their next door neighbor chess coach and his newly arrived girlfriend Dani (Meeni Naqvi), a playwright curious about life in NYC; and Daria (Mellys’ah Mavour), the proprietor of the Drunken Pussycat, a bar where everyone gathers for gossip. All of them struggle through much dyke drama in the Big Apple. (60 minutes)

Saturday, June 11

12:30pm

Flowers from the Heartland (2005, United States). Directed by Peter Daulton. This inspiring documentary tells the story of how one person’s idea to send flowers of support to gay and lesbian couples waiting in line to get married at San Francisco City Hall blossomed into an online movement that resulted in thousands of bouquets being sent from all over the country. (25 minutes)

The Gay Marriage Thing (2005, United States). Directed by Stephanie Higgins. Gayle and Lorre, 30-something college sweethearts who marked their 15th anniversary a year after the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled a ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, are at the heart of this documentary scrapbook. From the protests outside the Massachusetts State House, to the churches of the Rev. Rich Wiesenbach and Carlton Smith, to the historic chambers echoing with State Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein’s perspective, a wide range of voices swirl around Gayle and Lorre as they approach May 17, 2004, the first date same-sex couples could file for marriage licenses in Massachusetts. While tracking the emotional and spiritual toll this issue has taken upon all parties, the story is carried along by anticipation of Lorre and Gayle’s wedding. The film is not a historical commentary on gay rights in the United States. It is instead a small story with big implications. By focusing on one suburban couple and the multitude of events that directly affect their otherwise average life, the film reveals an intimate side of this issue. (47 minutes)

2pm

Men’s Shorts

Ginger Beer (1999, United Kingdom). Directed by Seamus Rea. Paul wants to escape the pressures of teaching his homophobic students by entering the fantasy world of ballroom dancing. After a disastrous experience at a straight dancing school, his life takes a definite turn for the better when he discovers Linda, the glamorous lesbian dance teacher. But who will Paul be dancing with at the college Christmas party? (17 minutes)

Looking for Mr. Right (2003, United States). Directed by David M. Young. A gay man takes us through a dance bar filled with hunks and losers, until he comes face to face with the man of his dreams. (4 minutes)

Starcrossed (2004, United States). Directed by James Burkhammer II. This atmospheric film tells the story of two brothers whose relationship develops into something more than society could ever handle. (15 minutes)

Caley’s Friend (2003, United States). Directed by Cade Saint. A young small town loner asks a popular guy to the movies. (26 minutes)

Wingtips (2005, United States). Directed by Marc Saltarelli. In this noir-style surreal thriller, our hero is fixated on wingtip shoes. From a secret hiding place under loose floorboards in a dark attic he takes a shoebox containing the wingtips of his dreams. After meticulously shining them, he puts them on and embarks on a journey of self-discovery where danger lurks around every corner. (16 minutes)

Last Full Show (2004, United States/Philippines). Directed by Mark V. Reyes. In this poignant, well-crafted film, an affluent teenage student, Crispin, gets his kicks after school by cruising the dark underbelly of the Manila gay scene — an old movie theater frequented by other cruisers. There he meets Gardo and the two soon find themselves falling in love. (English subtitles, 18 minutes)

Feltch Sanders (2004, United States). Directed by Abe Sylvia. 1970s private dick Feltch Sanders and his sidekick Blossom Mather are a hot action couple who have turned into a domestic partnership. Their latest case involves a search for a lost We-Ho boy toy. (12 minutes)

4pm

Fairies (2003, United States). Directed by Thomas Gustafson. A boy facing homophobia from his classmates imagines a world of music, glitter and acceptance. (21 minutes)

Dorian Blues (2003, United States). Directed by Tennyson Bardwell. Michael McMillian stars as the appealing Dorian Lagatos, an attractive but awkward young man dealing with huge growing pains. Dorian’s an outsider at school and at home: his overbearing father only cares about Nicky, his younger brother, a star athlete, while his mother long ago retreated into a fantasy world. So, when Dorian realizes he’s gay, it’s a good thing he’s off to NYU where he encounters a world of cafes, sophisticates (including his lesbian best friend) and handsome men. But nobody said coming out or growing up would be easy, as Dorian discovers first love and heartbreak along his path to acceptance. (83 minutes)

6pm

Getting to Know You (2004, United States). Directed by Liz Lachman. Tenny Bell, a successful but superficial cartoonist, doesn’t do the basic dating homework of looking before she leaps. Her sister Marla and Marla’s husband Russ try to point Tenny in the right direction, but she continues to only date the beautiful women, with disastrous results. When Tenny meets the perfect woman at an out-of-town bridal shower, a phone-sex and Internet dating storm brews as she tries to do it right. But there are a few surprises in store for Tenny and she’s about to learn how to truly "get to know" someone. (20 minutes)

Not Straight Forward (2004, United States). Directed by Jennifer Ting. This documentary take on reality television follows Tan Vo, a 25-year-old self-described butch virgin, on 10 dates with 10 Seattle women. Get up-close and personal as Tan turns on the charm for a variety of women, taking them to restaurants, going for long walks on the beach and even bringing them back to her apartment. The viewer gets to be a fly on the wall, with full access to these dates and their intimate discussions, while being challenged to guess who will be asked out on a second date. (76 minutes)

8pm

Drag Queen Heist (2004, United States). Directed by JT Tepnapa. From the director of last year’s festival hit, Masturbation: Putting the Fun into Self-Loving, comes a new comedy about lipstick, mascara and bank robbery! (20 minutes)

Slutty Summer (2004, United States). Directed by Casper Andreas. Casper Andreas’ appealing romantic comedy is as fun and sexy as its apt title suggests. When Markus (Andreas) walks in on his lover Julian having sex with another guy, the attractive writer decides he’s had enough and leaves him. Needing a job, he begins waiting tables at a New York restaurant where it seems love and/or sex is on the minds of all the staff. Before too long, he’s hooked up with fellow waiter, part-time model Tyler, but both agree to keep things casual. But emotions are a hard thing to control, and both men find themselves growing closer than they expected. (85 minutes)

10pm

Storme: The Lady of the Jewel Box (1987, United States). Directed by Michelle Parkerson. This documentary by critically acclaimed director Michelle Parkerson is an intimate portrait of New Orleans-raised Storme DeLarverie, former emcee and male impersonator with the Apollo Theater’s legendary Jewel Box Review, America’s first integrated female impersonation show. The multiracial review was a favorite act of the Black theater circuit and attracted mixed mainstream audiences from the 1940s through the 1960s, a time marked by the violence of segregation. (21 minutes)

Drag Kings on Tour (2004, United States/Canada). Directed by Sonia Slutsky. While drag kings have become well known in major metropolitan areas, not everyone has been able to experience their playful explorations of gender, sexuality and identity, not to mention their stage presence and performances. In Sonia Slutsky’s wildly entertaining road movie documentary, six drag kings, Johnny Kat, Carlos Las Vegas, Christopher Noel, Ken Las Vegas, Luster, and Pat Riarch, aim to change all that, as this diverse group of performers pile into an RV for a three-week tour of 15 North American cities. The result: interpersonal drama worthy of the best reality TV shows, eye-opening experiences for audiences in different parts of the country and for the kings themselves, and great performances. (80 minutes)

12midnight

Midnight Shorts

Burning in Their Lust (2005, United States). Directed by Jason Vowell. According to Rev. Grant Storm, God wants him to bring an end to Southern Decadence, New Orleans’ annual gay celebration that brings millions of dollars to the city each year. Local filmmaker Jason Vowell documents Storm’s protest in the French Quarter at Southern Decadence 2004, including reactions from the crowd. (12 minutes)

Removal (2004, United States). Directed by Jo J. Barker Andrew cannot remove the ring that ex-partner Dan gave him; it’s stuck fast to his finger. As Andrew remembers the beginning and the ultimate end of their relationship, he tries harder and harder to remove the ring until he can take no more. (4 minutes)

David Leddick’s The Male Nude (2003, United States). Directed by Andrew Delaplaine. David Leddick provides a fascinating overview of the male nude in photography from 1827 to the present. (28 minutes)

Intent (2003, United States). Directed by Mary Ann Marino. A lesbian cop puts her life and love on the line to catch a serial killer in this moody thriller. (14 minutes)

Haircut (2004, United States). Directed by Bryan Jackson. John gets more than he bargained for during a routine haircut appointment. How close is too close? (6 minutes)

Different (2003, United States). Directed by Tyrrell Shaffner. In this teen comedy of a parallel universe, a straight high school boy is lost in a gay world. (16 minutes)

The Rules (2004, United States). Directed by Laura Black. Two women play a game that explores the fine line between passion and dominance. (29 minutes)

Sunday, June 12

1pm

Transgender Shorts

Give or Take an Inch (2002, United States). Directed by Lee Friedlander. Charlotte (Amanda Bearse) who sees herself as part of a "normal" lesbian family must face and come to terms with her sister Georgia becoming a man. (14 minutes)

A Wonderful Day (2003, Australia). Directed by Robbie Baldwin. A young man in drag races against time. (13 minutes)

I Used to Be Crazy . . . (2003, United States). Directed by D. X. Stone. D.X. Stone provides a humorous and thought-provoking personal examination of the many difficulties and challenges involved in being born transsexual in an intolerant society. (9 minutes)

Have No Fear (2004, United States). Directed by Marlon Singleton. For fifty-two years, Nicole McRory’s body has been foreign to her. She has lived her life trapped within both the societal expectations of gender and the unrealized dreams of herself because all her life she has been trapped inside a body that is not her own. Physically, Nicole is male. This documentary examines Nicole’s life as a musician and a woman on the threshold of taking the greatest step of her life: sex reassignment surgery. (51 minutes)

3pm

Women’s Shorts

You Fake (2003, Canada). Directed by Maureen Bradley. After a bad one-night-stand, a woman looks for solace in her best friend only to be confronted by what she considers unbelievable. (6 minutes)

Coup d’Etat (2004, United States). Directed by Tammy Lynn Cresswell. From Portland, Oregon to New York City, this documentary follows cutting-edge female musicians, comic book artists, filmmakers and visual and performance artists to show how artistic expression continues to be used as a tool to create social change, articulate the problems of American society and envision a new way of living. Interviews subjects include Amy Ray (The Indigo Girls), Kathleen Hanna (Le Tigre), Bahamadia, Harriet Dodge ("By Hook or By Crook"), Miranda July, The Butchies, Lori Barbero (Babes in Toyland), Sharon Jones (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings), Azita Youssefi, Sini Anderson (Sister Spit), Jennifer Reeder (White Trash Girl), Barbara DeGenevieve, Ladyfest Midwest and more. (30 minutes)

Dani and Alice (2005, United States). Directed by Roberta Marie Munroe. In this highly acclaimed short film, directed by Roberta Marie Munroe (short film programmer at the Sundance Film Festival), Dani and Alice must decide to end their tumultuous relationship. As they prepare to leave their favorite girl bar, the ramifications of Alice’s actions earlier in the night are brought up with tragic results. (12 minutes)

The Nearly Unadventurous Life of Zoe Cadwaulder (2003, United States). Directed by Buboo Kakati. Traumatized by a double death and a sequence of disasters, Zoe has to overcome her fears and phobias to find true love and adventure. (12 minutes)

PROM-troversy (2004, United States). Directed by Leanna Creel. It’s prom season again in Sherman Valley, Ohio, prelude to the biggest night on the town’s social calendar. But this year, something’s different. Cassie Stephenson, the local high school’s only known lesbian student, will be attending the prom and wants to run for prom king. Everyone in town has an opinion to share in this mockumentary treatment of the historic event. Written by Choudrant, La., native Melanie Aswell. (15 minutes)

Little Black Boot (2003, United States). Directed by Colette Burson. With an insightful and playful poke at the Cinderella legend, tomboy Cindy’s secret crush on the most popular girl in the school receives a boost when her fairy god-brother transforms her into the beau of the prom. (16 minutes)

5pm

Ideal Man: A Personal Look at Gay Male Body Image Obsession (2005, United States). Directed by Jesse Rose DeRooy and David Gilmore. This fascinating film explores how gay men have been targeted by ad campaigns that use men’s bodies to incubate brand loyalty in the gay community. The result is that men feel left out and insecure if they don’t resemble the imagery presented. And if they do, there’s usually no end to the pursuit of beauty. (20 minutes)

That Man: Peter Berlin (2005, United States). Directed by Jim Tushinski. This feature-length documentary recounts the life and times of photographer, filmmaker, model and gay icon Peter Berlin who shot to international fame in the mid-1970s with two 16mm films, Nights in Black Leather and That Boy. His beautifully photographed self-portraits and over-the-top skin-tight fashion became legendary. The film also provides a portrait of Armin, the man who created the icon, a man from an aristocratic family who lost everything and grew up poor in post-war Germany. Early on, Armin discovered the power of his youthful beauty and used it to his advantage, beginning a globetrotting existence that eventually led to stardom and encounters with Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Sal Mineo, among others. Eventually, Armin turned away from the spotlight and continues to live quietly in San Francisco. The film includes hundreds of Peter’s personal and professional photographs, excerpts from his films and interviews with Peter himself, John Waters, Armistead Maupin, Wakefield Poole, Jack Wrangler, Robert W. Richards, Rick Castro and other fans and friends. (80 minutes)

7pm

Breaking Up Really Sucks (2001, United States). Directed by Jen McGlone. In this personal, yet amusingly irreverent, diary of incompatibility, Charlie and Gill’s relationship, once filled with shared mountain biking and poetry readings, stops at around the same time that the ecstatic sex does. Enter the nomadic Gina and a wayward celestial experience. (10 minutes)

God’s Waiting List (2005, United States). Directed by Duane Adler. In a tough urban environment, an African-American brother and sister share similar ambitions — both dream of having a store of their own. But while Teresa, a lesbian, is dedicated in her effort to work in a floral design shop, Solomon resorts to underhanded methods to make his record store a reality. When Teresa’s dreams are thwarted by a crippling auto accident, her relationship with her brother is set further at odds. Teresa’s difficulty coping with her injuries also causes her to push away her devoted lover. Teresa develops a new strength to deal with her condition and experiences a profound spiritual awakening, while Solomon sinks into a down spiral of drug addiction and crime. To heal her broken body and spirit, Teresa learns to again reach out to others and discovers the depth of human compassion, that hope is ultimately what ties people together. (94 minutes)

9pm

Closing Program

Coffee (2004, United States). Directed by Todd Bartoo. When Polly, John and Jane meet for coffee, as usual the talk turns to guys, but this time they’re about to find out that the coffee’s not the only thing that’s hot. (11 minutes)

Eating Out (2004, United States). Directed by Q Allan Brocka. Reel Identities is pleased to present Q Allan Brocka’s (director of last year’s festival hit Seventy) first feature, a witty college comedy centering on a straight guy playing gay to get the girl. Hey - it was his gay best friend’s idea! The straight guy in question is Caleb, a hunky poli-sci major who likes aggressive girls - specifically Gwen, a potty-mouthed blonde who always falls for gay boys, including her gorgeous roommate Marc. Kyle (American Idol finalist Jim Verraros) has harbored a crush on Marc forever, and Caleb dating Gwen might be his way to finally get to him. But when Gwen decides Caleb would be perfect for Marc, how far will the straight guy go to continue his charade? (90 minutes)

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