June is Pride month and no other city’s gay scene is bouncing back quicker than New Orleans’. The bars are open for business 24/7, music is playing, and people are hugging once again. As life gets back to a semblance of normalcy (whatever that is these days), the LGBT+ scene is jumping into the deep end of the pool. Our favorite bartenders are back doing what they … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight: June 2021
Arts & Culture
Book of the Month: Bourbon Street Blues
Recently I attended Wine, Art, & Books: A Benefit for the LGBT+ Archives Project and discovered my Book of the Month for June. The event itself was wonderful, located in a space adjacent to Grand Krewe wine store at 2305 Decatur Street. They were holding their Thursday wine tasting in conjunction with the book and art sale, which was a brilliant … [Read more...] about Book of the Month: Bourbon Street Blues
Trodding the Boards June 15, 2021
Songs for a New World at the New Orleans Jazz Museum Hallelujah! Live musical theater performances have returned to New Orleans! Under its “Lyric Lagniappe” banner, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University (SLT) recently presented Songs for a New World at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. And the only question I have is “Why did it take so long for anyone to do a show there?” … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards June 15, 2021
Book Review: The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States
The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States. Eric Cervini. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2020. 512 pages. $35 History is a series of causes and effects: A lie about voter fraud leads to bloody insurrection. The murder of George Floyd leads to a national call for police reform. The election of a black president leads to the election … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States
Trodding the Boards June 1, 2021
Little Shop Of Horrors at 30 by Ninety Theatre through June 13 While theaters in New Orleans are beginning to open again (see HEDY! below), venues on the North Shore are now playing to 100% capacity. That being the case, if you want to see 30 by Ninety Theatre’s production of Little Shop Of Horrors, you better book now or risk being disappointed. For those unfamiliar with … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards June 1, 2021
THE OFFICIAL PRIDE GUIDE
Happy Pride Y’all! It has been quite a year and half as we have navigated the COVID pandemic, quarantines, unemployment, riots, murder hornets, natural disasters and a host of other crises. But as the world gets vaccinated against the virus, life has begun to come alive again in New Orleans. Live music can be heard, businesses are reopening fully, and you … [Read more...] about THE OFFICIAL PRIDE GUIDE
Chess, Insanity, and the Historical Closet
One of the challenges of recovering queer history from the closet is the fact that until recently, no one wanted to document their same sex desires. To do so could result in being arrested, committed to a mental asylum, being fired from a job, being ostracized by family and friends, and in some cases, suicide. This was certainly the case in the 19th Century. The … [Read more...] about Chess, Insanity, and the Historical Closet
Bartender Spotlight: May 2021
The television show Cheers was a tremendous success for many reasons; but one of the biggest ones is we all want to go to that one place “where everyone knows your name and they’re always glad you came.” In many cases for New Orleanians, that is your neighborhood (or favorite) bar. This is a safe refuge where you can be with friends, enjoy cocktails, and … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight: May 2021
Trodding the Boards May 18, 2021
New in New York Broadway will be reopening in September and, elsewhere in New York, live performances have begun happening again, all great news. During a recent visit there, though I noticed only a few street musicians, I was able to go to a number of museums, some featuring special exhibitions, one in an exciting temporary location, and two even in Queens! While The … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards May 18, 2021
Book of the Month: The Night Crawler King
A gripping memoir has the capacity to take readers on a journey of a person’s life and experiences. Memoirs tend to be not so much of an autobiography but a glimpse into a slice of your life. My book of the month choice for May is about William Fagaly who while growing up in rural Indiana during World War II began his first venture―collecting and selling earthworms (or … [Read more...] about Book of the Month: The Night Crawler King
