Where are you originally from? How did you end up in New Orleans? I am originally from Baltimore (shoutout to SweetSpotBaltimore!) but I’ve been here in New Orleans for 11 years. The first time I visited New Orleans was in 2010 to help move my (at that time) ex-boyfriend to New Orleans. We were still friends and I volunteered to drive his moving truck with him from Baltimore … [Read more...] about Drag Queen Profile: Debbie with a D
Frank Perez’s French Quarter History Class
Was Bienville gay? Was New Orleans named after a cross-dresser? Did the Catholic Church let the French Quarter burn down in 1788? Did a gay Jewish man save St. Louis Cathedral from destruction? Would there be a French Quarter today without gay men 100 years ago? Which French Quarter gay bar featured a bath-tub for watersports enthusiasts? Which society matron … [Read more...] about Frank Perez’s French Quarter History Class
King Cake Queen XXVII Regina Adams, The Amethyst Queen
Ambush Magazine is pleased to announce Regina Adams as King Cake Queen XXVII, The Amethyst Queen. Adams has achieved legendary status in New Orleans as a performer and pillar of the community. She began performing nearly 60 years ago on Bourbon Street and still performs today. She has also been a bartender, bar owner, and community activist. Adams has … [Read more...] about King Cake Queen XXVII Regina Adams, The Amethyst Queen
The Lost Krewes of Gay Carnival
If you live in New Orleans, there’s a chance you’ve attended one of the several gay Carnival balls presented each Carnival season. If you have, you know these balls are highly elaborate productions requiring hundreds of hours of work and thousands of dollars. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the gay balls is that they are produced by relatively few people, depending on the … [Read more...] about The Lost Krewes of Gay Carnival
“The Children of Yuga”
The 73rd year of Gay Carnival is upon us. For those familiar with it, Gay Carnival usually means formal balls produced by krewes such as Petronius, Amon-Ra, Armeinius, Lords of Leather, Mwindo, and Narcissus. But Gay Carnival did not start out with krewes or balls. It began with a group of gay men who decided to do lunch. It all began in 1949 when Bob … [Read more...] about “The Children of Yuga”
Drag Queen Profile: Analia XO
Where are you originally from? How did you end up in New Orleans? I was born and raised in Honduras, but I came to the U.S. when I was 10 years old. At the time, I was living with my mom in South Carolina, but was having financial struggles, so our aunt offered her a job here in New Orleans back in 2009, and I’ve been here ever since. How long have you been doing … [Read more...] about Drag Queen Profile: Analia XO
The Future of St. Louis #1 Cemetery
St. Louis Cemetery #1, on the edge of the French Quarter, is one of the city’s premiere attractions for tourists. Opened in 1789 as a replacement for the St. Peter cemetery, which was deconsecrated in order to allow the residential development of the block bounded by N. Rampart, St. Peter, Burgundy, and Toulouse streets, St. Louis #1 is the oldest cemetery in New … [Read more...] about The Future of St. Louis #1 Cemetery
National LGBTQ Task Force Comes to New Orleans
The National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual Creating Change Conference, originally scheduled to be held in New Orleans, will be held virtually from January 12—16, 2022. Begun in 1988, in part as an outgrowth of the 1987 National March on Washington, the Creating Change Conference focuses on networking and grassroots organizing skills. In recent years, the conference has … [Read more...] about National LGBTQ Task Force Comes to New Orleans
Frank Perez Commentary: The Trouble With Entergy and the City Council
Entergy’s catastrophic failure during Hurricane Ida illustrated not only its incompetence, but also the City Council’s failure to use its full regulatory power over the shareholder-owned company. Entergy has a state-approved monopoly in New Orleans and its sole regulator is the New Orleans City Council. The problem is that the Council has never truly … [Read more...] about Frank Perez Commentary: The Trouble With Entergy and the City Council
Confessions from the Campaign Trail
Earlier this year when I first considered running for City Council, I floated the idea by more than a few friends. Their universal reactions were supportive, surprised at first, but very encouraging. And then, after digesting the news, they all had the same question “Was I nuts?” They had a point. The job is not easy and carries an enormous amount of … [Read more...] about Confessions from the Campaign Trail