The summertime may be slow for other businesses, but it seems that the bar industry is always busy. There is no better place to escape the brutal heat of a New Orleans summer than relaxing in a bar drinking a cool beverage and chatting with fascinating people. My bartender spotlight is the fabulous Andy Savage who can be found slinging drinks at Betty’s Bar & … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight
Arts & Culture
Under the Gaydar (August 2022 Event Calendar)
I know it’s August and so very hot, but as we get closer to Southern Decadence, things are really going to start heating up. Here are just some of the hot happenings in August to put on your “Gaydar.” If you want your event listed, send me an email at ledgemgp@gmail.com. Weekly Events Monday: * NOAGE New Orleans Walking Group; Audubon Park; 6500 … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar (August 2022 Event Calendar)
Trodding the Boards July 26, 2022
Henry IV, Part 1 at Tulane’s Lupin Theater through July 30 For the first time in its 29 year history, the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival is presenting Henry IV, Part 1, a tale of political infighting, warring battles on the fields of England, and interpersonal relationships that mutate throughout the course of the production’s two hours. This second installment of … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards July 26, 2022
Drag Queen Profile: Tiffany Alexander
Where are you originally from? How did you end up in New Orleans? I grew up in Baton Rouge and started my career there. I moved to New Orleans on April Fool’s Day 1996 for a job in the cosmetic industry. When I came to New Orleans, I wanted to retire from drag and just be Mitch. Obviously that didn’t go so well. How long have you been doing … [Read more...] about Drag Queen Profile: Tiffany Alexander
A History of “The Steamboat Club of New Orleans”
The Steamboat Club of New Orleans, the city’s oldst social organization for gay men, is approaching its 70th anniversary having been founded in January of 1953. It began with twelve older influential gay men. Often they would meet informally at the Bourbon Coffee House and share ideas. After some planning sessions for “Steamboat” in 1952, the first official meeting of … [Read more...] about A History of “The Steamboat Club of New Orleans”
Moments in Queer New Orleans History: Remembering Daisy Mae
One of my favorite books about New Orleans is Bruce Gilden’s photographic essay, “Hey Mister, throw me some beads!” From 1974 to 1982, Gilden came to New Orleans from New York for Mardi Gras and captured the Carnival street scene in the French Quarter. The photographs are raw and poignant and include a cross section of people—old/young, gay/straight, … [Read more...] about Moments in Queer New Orleans History: Remembering Daisy Mae
Trodding the Boards July 12, 2022
Curtain Up As typically happens when the temperatures go up, theater activity goes down. Still, a goodly number of shows, from comedies to dramas to musicals to a drag extravaganza, will be playing in the greater New Orleans area in July and August. If you prefer your entertainment “live and in person” rather than on TVs, movie screens, cell phones, or computers, plan on … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards July 12, 2022
Drag Queen Profile: Gia GiaVanni
Where are you originally from? How did you end up in New Orleans? I was born in Metairie and lived in various cities across Louisiana until 1988 at the age of 13. I then moved to Texas, and lived there from 1988 until 2008. In 2008 Hurricane Ike hit the Houston area where I was living and I ended up displaced as a result. I eventually moved back to Louisiana at the end … [Read more...] about Drag Queen Profile: Gia GiaVanni
Under the Gaydar (July 2022 Event Calendar)
It’s July and summer is rolling along like the mighty Mississippi River. Here are just some of the hot happenings in July to put on your “Gaydar.” If you want your event listed, send me an email at ledgemgp@gmail.com. Weekly Events Monday: * NOAGE New Orleans Walking Group; Audubon Park; 6500 Magazine St. 6 p.m. (not walking on 6/4) NOAGE’s … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar (July 2022 Event Calendar)
Trodding the Boards June 28, 2022
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at Loyola’s Marquette Theater thru July 1 (Full disclosure: I am the sponsor of The Carol Sutton Memorial Grant and I, along with Grant advisers Gwendolyne Foxworth and Wanda Rouzan, awarded The NOLA Project a 2022 grant to help offset some of the costs associated with the postponement, due to the Omicron Covid surge, of School … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards June 28, 2022
