The enduring appeal of Frank Capra’s classic holiday film It’s a Wonderful Life is its premise—that the quality of a person’s life is measured by how it affects others. George Bailey’s guardian angel, Clarence, tells him, ““Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends.” By that measure, Charlene Schneider, legendary lesbian bar owner, was amazingly … [Read more...] about It’s a Wonderful Life, Historically Speaking
American Italian Cultural Center
Did you know that according to the 1910 census, 80% of the residents of what we now call the French Quarter were Sicilian immigrants? Or that the lower Quarter was once commonly referred to as Little Palermo? Or that New Orleans has had two Italian-American mayors? Ever wonder why St. Joseph’s Day altars are so popular in New Orleans? The American Italian … [Read more...] about American Italian Cultural Center
Buying Gay: How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement
Buying Gay: How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement. David K. Johnson. Columbia University Press, 2019. 320 pages. $32.00. Before Grindr and Growler and the internet, before X-Tube and a thousand other porn sites, before Blue Rays and DVDs and VHS tapes, before roadside adult “bookstores” and before magazines like Obsession and Blueboy, there were the … [Read more...] about Buying Gay: How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement
LGBT+ Archives Project Announces Open House
The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is pleased to announce it will host an Open House on Wednesday, January 22, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at 636 St. Ann Street. In addition to complimentary wine and hors d’ouvres, the Open House will feature a Timeline of New Orleans LGBT+ History as well as vintage photographs of Gay Carnival, Southern Decadence memorabilia, old … [Read more...] about LGBT+ Archives Project Announces Open House
The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana Year in Review
As 2019 draws to a close, the New Orleans-based LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana can look back on a year of solid accomplishments. In addition to facilitating the donation of material to area libraries and museums across the state, the Archives Project also launched an Oral History Initiative and opened a new exhibit space. As a statewide collective, the Archives … [Read more...] about The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana Year in Review
Irish Cultural Museum
The old Hibernia Bank tower no longer looms over the CBD skyline, but it does provide revelers on Bourbon Street a familiar landmark. From St. Patrick’s Church to the stately Gallier Hall to Tracey’s and the old Parasol’s Bar in the Irish Channel to Fahy’s Irish Pub and Erin Rose in the French Quarter, the influence of the Irish in New Orleans is everywhere. … [Read more...] about Irish Cultural Museum
World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as Traveller
World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as Traveller. David S. Wills. Beatdom Books, 2019. 169 pages. “Om Shri Maitreya.” “Om Shri Maitreya.” “Om Shri Maitreya.” So chanted Allen Ginsberg at a demonstration to legalize marijuana in New York City in 1965. It wasn’t just weed that expanded Ginsberg’s worldview. In World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as … [Read more...] about World Citizen: Allen Ginsberg as Traveller
Trump and a Hill to Die On
One of the most significant Supreme Court decisions of 2019 was one that barely received notice in the LGBT+ community—Rucho v. Common. The case had to do with gerrymandering, the act of drawing legislative district maps in such a way that favors one political party. Not a sexy topic, for sure, but a consequential one, nonetheless. Profoundly … [Read more...] about Trump and a Hill to Die On
Spotlight on Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival Speakers
In this series, we introduce you to some of the writers in the all-star lineup for #SAS20 this March in the heart of the French Quarter. Robert W. Fieseler is the 2019 National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association “Journalist of the Year” and the author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation, winner of the Edgar Award in … [Read more...] about Spotlight on Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival Speakers
Rue Royale Revelers Set to Kick-Off Gay Carnival on January 6
Carnival season begins on January 6 and culminates on Mardi Gras, February 25. The Feast of the Epiphany—or Twelfth Night as it is more commonly called—is the first night of celebrations, parades, and parties leading up to Shrove Tuesday. The Mystik Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers kicks off the season with its annual Twelfth Night Party. The highlight of the … [Read more...] about Rue Royale Revelers Set to Kick-Off Gay Carnival on January 6
