by Toni Pizanie
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
Excitement and Celebration
A
ugust is always filled with excitement and celebrations, and this usually includes Southern Decadence. For several years, this exciting event has fallen on or around my birthday. Most of my friends are either leaving New Orleans to escape the mob or they are part of the mob so I get lost in the shuffle. But this year, the calendar is on my side. I’ve already received three invitations for either lunch or dinner. I am spreading them out over the week so that the fun will last longer.I’m not alone in my celebration during the dog days of summer. Oh, when I think of my poor mother having to suffer through pregnancy until the last day of August, I am reminded of one of the reasons that I now suffer through caring for her. And to think she did it without air conditioning.
Two of my favorite couples, Rip & Marsha and Sam & Princesse Stephaney are summer bundles of joy. Although instead of celebrating their birthdays, the Ambush creators celebrate their anniversary also in August with a fund-raiser for the NO/AIDS Walk. I know that you already know that but just give it some thought. I have always been impressed with the generosity of spending thousands of dollars on friends and business associates to make thousands more for a most worthy cause. It is a very caring and unselfish act.
Leonard Earl Johnson celebrated his birth by inviting all his friends to Bacco’s for 10 cent Martinis. It was a very happy and wet party. I look forward to his next article in the Marigny Newsletter in hopes that it will be a tell all on how many martinis we actually consumed before being asked to vacate the bar.
Sam and PS are always celebrating but one of their most exciting adventures will take place in Austin, TX where Sam will be taking part in a marathon and the Princesse will be entertaining live at one of Austin’s Gay/Lesbian Clubs.
The three of us got together recently to do a little celebrating at Big Daddy’s on a Saturday night and moved to Oz on Sunday for some more fun and booze. The Princesse is introducing me to new cocktails which I like a lot.
Big Daddy’s hosted the Petronius Hookers Ball complete with live entertainment and contests. One lovely bared most of her all and still couldn’t get the guys to applaud. Honey, you were in a Gay bar and the few women that were there were too stunned to applaud.
I just cannot get over how supportive most of the Gay Krewes have become. Petronius was thrilled to welcome friends from Amon Ra, Armeinius and Satyricon. The costumes were hot and funny. It was difficult to tell the difference in the applause between President Todd of Satyricon, the hustler, and Queen to be Randy from Armeinius, the high class call girl — sorry, I meant Natasha.
We gave the wine to Todd because Natasha doesn’t drink, and she won a bottle of wine at our last party. Petronius member Keith won for the best john costume contest. The Princesse introduced him as a preacher from Greater St. Stephen’s Church. I think that did the trick.
The Pimp/Madam contest was truly a costume delight. I cannot even tell you who won because I was pulling for Madam Karen with the Russia accent and fantastic costume. However when you party with men, you understand that we females don’t have much of a chance to win their applause.
The next afternoon I headed out with Princesse Stephaney to enjoy Sunday socials at Cafe Lafitte and Oz. That two for one drink special was very attractive. Saw a couple of men from Savannah, GA who were at the Petronius event. They said New Orleans has the friendliest Gay community in the country. Now I know that they were exaggerating but I enjoyed hearing it just the same.
Between Joann on Saturday night and the Sunday DJs, my ears were ringing. Sunday night I was ready to stick my fingers in my ears like Wally did the night before. I guess I need to get out more because everyone else seemed to be ok from years of conditioning.
It was a block party celebration one Friday evening when the lights went out in the Marigny — not just the Triangle but down into the lower Marigny too. After an hour or two inside, the old air conditioned air was beginning to feel oppressive. Paul walked over from Mandeville Street to join me on my steps catching the evening breeze.
We called La Peniche and then Cowpokes but they were also feeling the effects of the warm temps without electricity.
Cowpokes didn’t get their A/C in full swing until just before the start of BAR ANGEL. Paul and I decided to see it again another night. My neighbor and owner of The John was trying hard to hold her temper in check when Entergy told her they didn’t know what the trouble was. I guess they found out eventually.
Still, even though it was an inconvenience, I enjoyed being out in the street visiting with everyone. And a visit with Paul is always a welcome event. After our lunch on the 31st, he will be escaping to San Francisco to avoid Southern Decadence. Not me. I am thrilled Donnie Jay is the Grand Marshal. Rusty, you couldn’t have made a better choice.
There are rumors of wings, wild makeup and sheer costumes that will make Donnie Jay’s decadent entourage another great free show. I hope that everyone will have an outstanding experience while remembering that the locals have a vote coming up in September to make Gay marriage an impossibility in Louisiana. We don’t want to give them more ammunition to fight us with.
It would be wonderfully fair if the straight press would remind the citizens of Orleans Parish just how many millions of dollars this events brings to the City. It isn’t enough that the Mayor and City Council are aware of the impact to the economy. The voting public should be told not to take our money with one hand and push the button in the voting booth to stop our equality with the other.
Alas, I’m too old to worry about what straight people do without intelligent thought or education. I leave it to the stronger and younger to continue the fight for equality. I celebrated the love of my life without concern for equality. Now alone, I rejoice that others also seem to live happily without a legal marriage. Some things in life are too important to let man made rules interfere.
I wish all the Virgo folks many happy returns. Have a safe yet wild Southern Decadence.
