Ambush Magazine and the Krewe of Queenateenas is pleased to announce George “Rita George” Roth as your King Cake Queen XXIX, The Classic Queen. Roth was born in 1936 and raised in New Orleans where he attended St. Aloysius High School. He then attended Louisiana State University. While in college, Roth served as a cheerleader for the Tigers. After attending L.S.U., Roth … [Read more...] about Announcing King Cake Queen XXIX – George “Rita George” Roth, The Classic Queen
Gay Mardi Gras Balls 2024
Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers Saturday, January 6, 2024 Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes & Culture, 318 N. Rampart St. 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets at www.eventbrite.com or by email at frankearlperez@gmail.com Krewe of Stars Friday, January 12, 2024 Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes & Culture, 318 N. Rampart St. 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets at … [Read more...] about Gay Mardi Gras Balls 2024
Frank Perez Commentary: Jeff Landry & Eldorado
If you haven’t seen the recent films El Dorado: Everything the Nazis Hate and Rustin (both on Netflix), you should. Nothing could better prepare you for the impending inauguration of knuckle-dragging, arch-conservative Trump sycophant Governor-elect Jeff Landry. El Dorado: Everything the Nazis Hate (2023) is a documentary that casts a critical eye at Nazi Germany’s … [Read more...] about Frank Perez Commentary: Jeff Landry & Eldorado
National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change Conference to be Held in New Orleans Next Month
Next month, thousands of LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies will gather in New Orleans from Wednesday, January 17 to Sunday, January 21, 2024, at the Hilton Riverside for the 36th Creating Change Conference. Run by the National LGBTQ Task Force, this is the nation’s foremost political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBTQ+ … [Read more...] about National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change Conference to be Held in New Orleans Next Month
Bulbancha was Queer
In 1720, just two years after French colonizers renamed Bulbancha “New Orleans”, a French military officer named Ladun complained to Governor Bienville about indigenous queerness. Bienville, who founded New Orleans and lived into his 80s without ever marrying, told the young man to relax, that queerness was quite common in these parts among the Natives. Ladun recorded … [Read more...] about Bulbancha was Queer
A Brief History of Black Drag in New Orleans: The Dew Drop Inn, The Caledonia, and Stormé DeLarverie
A lost treasure of New Orleans’ rich cultural history is being resurrected. From the late 1930s to the early 1970s, the Dew Drop Inn in Central City was an iconic venue for African American musicians both locally and nationally. For black artists traveling through the segregated South, it was a must stop on the Chitlin Circuit. Now, fifty years after it closed, the Dew Drop Inn … [Read more...] about A Brief History of Black Drag in New Orleans: The Dew Drop Inn, The Caledonia, and Stormé DeLarverie
LGBT+ History: A Local Timeline
The following timeline starts with the founding of New Orleans in 1718, but it’s important to note that queerness was common and revered in Bulbancha (what New Orleans was called before it was colonized). Colonial visitors in the Gulf South observed that Indigenous Nations recognized and respected the existence of more than two genders. The acceptance of LGBT+ people has a deep … [Read more...] about LGBT+ History: A Local Timeline
A Brief History of New Orleans Bar Rags
Gay journalism traces its roots to the 1960s and originally manifested itself in the form of bar bulletins and organizational newsletters. In those pre-internet, pre-Stonewall, highly homophobic years, the notion of a gay media was an alien concept because gay communities, if we can even call them that (perhaps gay subcultures is a better description) were essentially … [Read more...] about A Brief History of New Orleans Bar Rags
1973: The Year the Shrinks Decided Queers Were Not Mentally Ill
In terms of queer history, 1973 is most often remembered in New Orleans as the year of the horrific Up Stairs Lounge fire. Understandably so—the fire claimed 32 lives and remains the deadliest fire in New Orleans history. June 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the fire. This year, however, also marks another golden anniversary. 50 years ago, the American Psychiatric … [Read more...] about 1973: The Year the Shrinks Decided Queers Were Not Mentally Ill
Trans History: The New Orleans Home Rule Charter
Courtney Sharp and Stewart Butler met in 1995 at the LGBT Community Center, which was then located on N. Rampart Street. One afternoon, as Stewart was sitting on the Center’s stoop smoking a cigarette, Courtney approached the entrance to meet with Crystal Little, with whom she volunteered at the Center. Stewart greeted her and then gruffly asked, “Who are … [Read more...] about Trans History: The New Orleans Home Rule Charter