The City of New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS)has named Tracy “TJ” Boyd, Jr. as the agency’s newly created liaison officer between the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (or questioning) communities. As the LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer, Boyd will be promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace, and educating our first responders on LGBTQ+ related … [Read more...] about New Orleans EMS Appoints LGBTQ Liaison
Articles
Jimmy Neurosis
Jimmy Neurosis. James Oseland. Ecco, 2019. ISBN: 978-0062267368. 293 pages. Long before James Oseland was a judge on Top Chef Masters, he was a teenage rebel growing up in the pre–Silicon Valley suburbs, yearning for a taste of something wild. Diving headfirst into the churning mayhem of the punk movement, he renamed himself Jimmy Neurosis and embarked on a journey into a … [Read more...] about Jimmy Neurosis
1977: Pageants and Rags and Courts—O My!
In 1983, Valda Lewis moved to New Orleans and began working at a Randall’s Record Shop on Toulouse Street importing and selling British punk rock music. Here in New Orleans, she found the freedom to be her true self, a lesbian, that proved so elusive in her hometown of Rayleigh in Essex County back in England. After Randall’s, she took a job bartending and met her … [Read more...] about 1977: Pageants and Rags and Courts—O My!
Pride is a Process: Overcoming Internalized Stigma
June is Pride Month, and many of us are gearing up to celebrate, and also to remember the pioneers who got us where we are today. But what does “pride” mean to you? Is it something you feel to the deepest core of your being? Or is it still a personal goal you are working toward? Maybe you are still struggling to find it. If so, you’re not alone. In this article, I will examine … [Read more...] about Pride is a Process: Overcoming Internalized Stigma
Will ‘Making Waves’ be the Queerest Aquatic Romance Yet?
Drew Larimore is a Brooklyn-based writer. His plays have been produced internationally as well as Off Broadway. His film and TV work stream online. He makes killer pumpkin bread, and alternates between black t-shirts and plaid. Since Drew is about to gear up for his new short, Making Waves, let’s make a splash in his queer mind with some questions on the eve of Pride. What … [Read more...] about Will ‘Making Waves’ be the Queerest Aquatic Romance Yet?
Fuck Pride
Pride season has arrived yet again. Pride parades will roll all over the country throughout the month, and as its 50th Anniversary approaches, Stonewall memes will undoubtedly flood social media. That’s all good and well; however, not everyone in our community is feeling the pride. In fact, some folks are not proud of Pride at all—at least not what it has become. This … [Read more...] about Fuck Pride
Like A Good Neighbor… Part 1
Recently, in Manhattan, there was a day; one day that was absolutely perfect. It was the first of its kind this year. It was as if Mother Nature had spritzed the entire city with Windex and wiped away the dull, gray grime of recent months to reveal a clean, sparkling look into what summer might bring. In recent years, midtown Manhattan has become what Chelsea used to be: the … [Read more...] about Like A Good Neighbor… Part 1
Past and Present: Pride and Freedom for ALL
In 2019, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, Woodstock Nation, Women’s Liberation, and Gay Pride. And so much more in our brave community of LGBTQ individuals, groups, and organizations. I’ve included Woodstock Nation and Women’s Liberation in order to give background and context to where we are now, and why we can actually celebrate Pride as we do. … [Read more...] about Past and Present: Pride and Freedom for ALL
Trodding the Boards June 4, 2019
How to Kill a Diva at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre through June 9 Chris Wecklein starred as Max Bialystok in The Producers for the Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS) nearly 10 years ago, winning an Ambie Award as Best Actor in a Musical for his performance. If Max Bialystok were around today he might consider presenting How to Kill a Diva, in which Wecklein is … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards June 4, 2019
Curating Gay Carnival: An Interview with Wayne Phillips
The pomp and splendor that awaits the public in the Louisiana State Museum’s upcoming exhibit, Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleans, is the result of a curatorial endeavor that has spanned well over half a decade collecting the memorabilia of gay Carnival. Wayne Phillips, the museum’s Curator of Costumes and Carnival Collections, has led this … [Read more...] about Curating Gay Carnival: An Interview with Wayne Phillips
