In 1994, New Orleans attorney John Rawls took an ad out in Impact (a New Orleans-based LGBT+ newspaper) announcing he was planning a civil lawsuit to challenge the state’s “Crimes Against Nature” law and asking, “We would like to hear from the following groups of people as possible plaintiffs: people who have the courage to reveal their sexual orientation and fight openly in … [Read more...] about John Rawls and the Sodomy Statute
Arts & Culture
Bartender Spotlight
The hospitality industry in NOLA is a large and vibrant community. And like our city’s LGBTQ+ community, it is diverse, cultured, fun and unique. As I’ve always said, if you’re a successful bartender at one of the gay bars in New Orleans, you can handle any type of job, hands down. If you’ve been in the trenches through Mardi Gras and Southern … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight
Southern Decadence Grand Marshals and their Announcement Party
On Saturday, April 20, outgoing SDGMs Jimmy Gale, Monica Synclaire-Kennedy, and Nicole Dubois will name their successors. In recent years, the annual announcement party has become a highly anticipated event in the New Orleans queer calendar, but that wasn’t always the case. In the beginning, there were no Grand Marshal announcement parties. In fact, when Southern Decadence … [Read more...] about Southern Decadence Grand Marshals and their Announcement Party
Bianca Del Rio–Dead Inside but Live Onstage
Gretna’s own Roy Haylock, better known as international drag superstar Bianca Del Rio, returns to New Orleans on April 24 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater with his newest solo comedy tour Dead Inside. With the theater seating over 2,200, it may be a little smaller than London’s Wembley Arena (capacity: 12,000+) which his It's Jester Joke tour sold out in 2019, but a tad larger … [Read more...] about Bianca Del Rio–Dead Inside but Live Onstage
Trodding the Boards April 2, 2024
The Diary of Anne Frank at WWII Museum's Stage Door Canteen The WWII Museum's Stage Door Canteen recently presented The Diary of Anne Frank, the classic drama about eight Jews hiding from the Nazis in a concealed storage attic in Amsterdam. This production used Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of the original Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett script from the 1950s which had … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards April 2, 2024
Under the Gaydar (April 2024 Event Calendar)
April is here and so are all the fabulous festivals and parties. Get ready for a month of excitement both indoors and out. Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest and Bayou Boogaloo are just a few of the fabulous events happening. Here are just some of the hot events in April to put on your “Gaydar.” If you want your event listed, send me an email at … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar (April 2024 Event Calendar)
THIRD STREAM MUSIC FOR THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL
New Orleans Premiere of Gunther Schuller's String Quartet No. 4 LPO Violist Sixto Franco with musicians from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Orleans will give the regional premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller's String Quartet No. 4 along with a world premiere by New Orleans composer Jonathan Freilich. Sixto Franco, who has been performing with … [Read more...] about THIRD STREAM MUSIC FOR THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL
Trodding the Boards Match 19, 2024
Kingdom of Earth at Loyola's Marquette Theatre through March 24 Through March 24, at Loyola's Marquette Theatre, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans (TWTC) is revisiting the first script they produced back in 2015, 1968's Kingdom of Earth from Williams’ later period, a tale of the Mississippi Delta filled with love, lust, familial rivalries and other such … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards Match 19, 2024
Trodding the Boards March 5, 2024
Dear Readers--Greetings from Shreveport! For the past 21+ years I have always tried to give you well-crafted reviews. This week, however, due to a variety of circumstances including having to be in north Louisiana on business, I've fallen behind schedule but do want to let you know about two most worthy productions that will be finishing their runs this weekend. So this may not … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards March 5, 2024
Tom Caplinger and How Lafitte’s Went into Exile
In 1933, shortly after the repeal of the Volstead Act, Tom Caplinger, Harold Barthel, and Mary Collins leased the building at 941 Bourbon Street (at the corner of St. Philip Street) and opened a bar called Café Lafitte. At the time, it was just one of two bars on Bourbon Street, the other being the Old Absinthe House. Contrary to popular belief, the iconic building at 941 … [Read more...] about Tom Caplinger and How Lafitte’s Went into Exile