I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Larry Kramer’s name: my friend Eddie’s deathbed in an AIDS hospice in Wichita, Kansas. I was working as a bartender at the time and Eddie was in construction. We, along with a few other guys, were sharing a house, and Eddie & I had become the best of friends. He was positive when I met him and seemed healthy as a … [Read more...] about Larry Kramer and Acting Up in New Orleans
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 … [Read more...] about The Archbishop, Sissies in Struggle, and Gay Pride
The Big Easy Sisters
Of all the nuns and orders of nuns in New Orleans, the most fabulous is The Big Easy Sisters, Parish of the Muddy Waters. The Big Easy Sisters are an order of 21st century queer nuns. Their primary goal, in their own words, is “to promulgate universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt or, in other words, we are the clowns of our community and we banish any negative … [Read more...] about The Big Easy Sisters
French Quarter Lockdown Journal: Some Day in April
Date: I forget... This could have been any day this April... 5:05 am—Wake up. See text from the middle of the night informing me yet another person I know has tested positive for the virus. Not the best way to wake up. Then the pissing, and the day. 5:15 am—With the coffee machine sufficiently gurgling, I step outside on the balcony. Nope. … [Read more...] about French Quarter Lockdown Journal: Some Day in April
Tinderbox Author Robert Fieseler Wins Louisiana Literary Award
Author Robert Fieseler working on his book at the Boston Athenaeum with his dog. (Photograph by Max Gordon) The Louisiana Library Association has selected Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation as the recipient of its prestigious Louisiana Literary Award. This is the first time an LGBT+ themed book has won the … [Read more...] about Tinderbox Author Robert Fieseler Wins Louisiana Literary Award
French Quarter Lockdown Journal: Monday, March 23, 2020
Frank Perez sitting at his dining room table in his third-story French Quarter apartment. (Photo: Jeffrey Holmes) Monday, March 23, 2020 5:15 am—Wake-up. After a stretch I sit and contemplate what the day holds—applying for disaster relief, answering emails, refilling prescriptions, doing the laundry, and writing. None of that sounds appealing to me so I look … [Read more...] about French Quarter Lockdown Journal: Monday, March 23, 2020
Tips for Working Remotely
New to working from home? I’ve done it for nearly a decade and can tell you it definitely has some benefits, but also some hidden hazards. If you are new to working remotely, here are a few tips: Set a schedule and stick to it. Adhere to strict office hours. Sign on and off at a set time. If you leave your computer up 24/7, you will work 24/7. An email … [Read more...] about Tips for Working Remotely
Spotlight on Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival Speakers
The annual Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival will take place in New Orleans March 27-29. For registration information: Sasfest.org Ambush readers can register with a 20% discount by using the code Ambush20 when registering. 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 … [Read more...] about Spotlight on Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival Speakers
Loyola University and the Need for Higher Quality Tour Guides: An Interview with Tourism Expert Frank Perez
Ambush recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with local tourism expert Frank Perez about the current state of tourism in New Orleans, the quality of tour guides, and the Professional Tour Guiding courses he teaches at Loyola University. Q: How did you get involved in the tourism industry? FP: Years ago I was a concierge at a hotel in the CBD. A … [Read more...] about Loyola University and the Need for Higher Quality Tour Guides: An Interview with Tourism Expert Frank Perez
Murder Believed to be Motivated by Racism and Homophobia
Photo of Ja’Quarius Taylor (via Dylan Waguespack's Facebook) Ja’Quarius Taylor, 17, was recently found tied to a tree and shot in a swamp near Angie, Louisiana, in Washington Parish. Authorities believe Taylor was murdered on January 12. On January 16, a dive team from the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office “made a significant discovery” at the bottom of a lake near … [Read more...] about Murder Believed to be Motivated by Racism and Homophobia
