The Krewe of Apollo, New Orleans, made history last year when it named Andrea Sabillon Halstead as Queen at its Ball. Halstead was the first female person to hold a royalty position in the Krewe’s history, including Chapters in other cities. This year the Lords of Leather also shattered the royalty glass ceiling and the Radical Faeries named a Jewish lesbian as Empress at its … [Read more...] about Women Make History: Carnival 2023
Arts & Culture
An Interview with author Mark Chestnut
Fasten your seatbelts for an amazing read! I recently spoke with author Mark Chestnut about his new memoir Prepare for Departure: Notes on a single mother, a misfit son, inevitable mortality and the enduring allure of frequent flyer miles. Mark is coming to New Orleans to be a speaker at the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival and the … [Read more...] about An Interview with author Mark Chestnut
Trodding the Boards March 7, 2023
White at NOMA's Lapis Center for the Arts through March 31 I had seen Fat Ham, James Ijames’ Pulitzer Prize-winning adaptation of Hamlet, off-Broadway in New York last year and loved it. So I had been looking forward to seeing The NOLA Project’s production of Ijames’ White from 2018. In a nutshell, and as per The NOLA Project’s (TNP) press release, “White is a … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards March 7, 2023
Bartender Spotlight: March 2023
Bartending during a major holiday in New Orleans is like doing a triathlon in my opinion. You need strength, determination and stamina, especially if that holiday is Mardi Gras. This wonderful bartender was an easy choice because he possesses all those characteristics and many more. I am talking about none other than Jerek Ace Edora who works at the Allways Lounge & … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight: March 2023
Under the Gaydar (March 2023 Event Calendar)
Carnival Season is over and Spring is in the air. We are heading into festival season along with our fabulous St. Patrick and St. Joseph Day celebrations. And let's not forget Easter is just around the corner. In fact, fundraisers for the Gay Easter Parade will start happening this month. Here are just some of the hot happenings in March to put on your “Gaydar.” If … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar (March 2023 Event Calendar)
Trodding the Boards February 22, 2023
Roller Soul at Cafe Istanbul In my 2022 Year in Review column, I lamented that a certain “NOLA quirkiness” had been missing from the season just ended. If Intramural Theater’s CAVE restored some of that quirkiness to NOLA’s theater scene as 2023 began, then Roller Soul, seen last month at Cafe Istanbul, threw us big beads of delicious eccentricity just as Carnival kicked … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards February 22, 2023
UpStairs Lounge Fire 50th Anniversary Commemoration Activities Announced
A coalition of local organizations spearheaded by the LBGT+ Archives Project of Louisiana will present a weekend of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragic 1973 UpStairs Lounge fire. The events will take place in various locations in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans on June 23, 24 and 25, 2023. In addition to the Archives Project, the other … [Read more...] about UpStairs Lounge Fire 50th Anniversary Commemoration Activities Announced
Trodding the Boards February 7, 2023
Sistas the Musical at Teatro Wego! through February 12 If you want some entertainment this weekend but prefer to avoid Mardi Gras parades, head to JPAS’ Teatro Wego! in Westwego for Sistas the Musical. You won’t catch any beads or cups there, but you’re likely to have a good time. Set in St. Louis, Sistas introduces us to three Black sisters, the teenage daughter of one, … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards February 7, 2023
A Treasure Trove of Vintage Gay Mardi Pictures
In 1963, Arthur Jacobs came up with a great idea to drum up business for his Bourbon Street diner, The Clover Grill. He would host a costume contest on Mardi Gras, late in the afternoon after the Rex parade. Because the Clover Grill was located in the “gay” section of Bourbon Street, directly across from Café Lafitte in Exile (the city’s oldest gay bar), the contest drew … [Read more...] about A Treasure Trove of Vintage Gay Mardi Pictures
Alfred & Stewart: A Love Story that Made History
The pick-up line was direct: “You can fuck me, and I’ll suck you.” That’s what Alfred Doolittle whispered in Stewart Butler’s ear on the night they met. The pair left Lafitte’s and immediately went to Stewart’s house. On the way there, Alfred remarked, “You’ll probably throw me out in the morning like the rest of them.” But Stewart didn’t throw him out. The two fell … [Read more...] about Alfred & Stewart: A Love Story that Made History
