Ambush Magazine

The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™

Moments in Queer New Orleans History

Acting Up in New Orleans

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As the 50th anniversary of Stonewall approaches, my mind is not so much on the gay liberation movement of the 1970s, but rather on the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.  How did the disease affect the movement?  How might LGBT+ history have unfolded if there had been no epidemic?  And what was happening in New Orleans at the time? In some ways, AIDS had the … [Read more...] about Acting Up in New Orleans

1977: Pageants and Rags and Courts—O My!

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In 1983, Valda Lewis moved to New Orleans and began working at a Randall’s Record Shop on Toulouse Street importing and selling British punk rock music. Here in New Orleans, she found the freedom to be her true self, a lesbian, that proved so elusive in her hometown of Rayleigh in Essex County back in England.  After Randall’s, she took a job bartending and met her … [Read more...] about 1977: Pageants and Rags and Courts—O My!

Traveling Back to 1988 and 1971

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Ambush readers of a certain age may remember blueboy. From 1974 to 2007, this glossy magazine featured pictures and centerfolds of naked men. Some people even read the articles. A friend of mine recently dug out his April 1988 issue and showed me an article about New Orleans entitled “New Orleans: Last American Refuge.” I eagerly read the article and while it was mostly … [Read more...] about Traveling Back to 1988 and 1971

Remembering Rip

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I knew who Rip Naquin was long before I knew him as a friend. I had seen him at the bars for years and had even been introduced to him a time or two at various social events. Marsha was always, without fail, at his side. Together, they struck me as an enigmatic couple—mysterious and intriguing, yet aloof and unapproachable. There was something about them that made me want to … [Read more...] about Remembering Rip

Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball

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Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball The Krewe of Armeinius recently celebrated its golden anniversary as well as New Orleans’ tricentennial at its annual Bal Masque. The theme of the ball was “Nouvelle—Orleans: 300 Years of Fabulous” and featured the following historical characters from New Orleans history: The Lady Bugs of New Orleans (mosquitos, termites, cockroaches, … [Read more...] about Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball

20 Years of HIV/AIDS Headlines

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The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana recently hosted a panel discussion on the history of HIV / AIDS in New Orleans. In preparation for the event, Archives Project intern Philip Ross, a student at Tulane University, compiled the following bibliography of early newspaper coverage of the crisis in New Orleans. Mulvhill, Kathleen A. “AIDS: Mystery Disorder” The … [Read more...] about 20 Years of HIV/AIDS Headlines

12th Night & the Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers

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In the Roman Catholic calendar, January 6 is recognized as the Feast of the Epiphany—the day the three Magi visited the baby Jesus, thus representing Jesus’ revelation to the Gentiles. Because the Magi were thought to be kings (although the Biblical nativity stories never suggest this), the Feast of the Epiphany is sometimes called King’s Day. 12th Night, despite all the … [Read more...] about 12th Night & the Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers

Bienville’s Wet Dream

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Carnival 2018 takes on special significance as New Orleans celebrates its tricentennial. Many parades will draw inspiration from the city’s 300th birthday, but none as irreverently as Krewe de Vieux, whose theme this year is Bienville’s Wet Dream. Bienville, the founder of New Orleans, lived to be 87 and never married. Just saying. Although Krewe de Vieux is a relatively new … [Read more...] about Bienville’s Wet Dream