People born in China sometimes don’t recognize Chinese food in the USA. They see similarities, but the dish in question does not exist back home. That’s because much of the Chinese food served in this country has been westernized to appeal to American tastes. In Asia, I discovered that the same thing also happens in reverse; I was served spaghetti with seaweed and scrambled … [Read more...] about Authentic, Gourmet Chinese at Dian Xin
Arts & Culture
Bartender of the Month: Jay Jay
The Crescent City is all about “rebirth”; after Katrina, the city transformed itself for the better and keeps improving. We also now have more bars and restaurants than we have ever had and our LGBT+ bar scene is thriving. Over the years, many gay establishments have opened and closed, but recently one major transformation has been at the corner of St. Louis … [Read more...] about Bartender of the Month: Jay Jay
Trodding the Boards December 17, 2019
Period of Adjustment at Loyola’s Lower Depths Theatre through Dec. 21 Some people like to see things they’re familiar with; they’ll go to New York and get tickets to Phantom of the Opera or Chicago or Wicked. They’ll attend Romeo and Juliet rather than Troilus and Cressida (not that there’s much opportunity to see the latter). Similarly, here, audiences flock to … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards December 17, 2019
Giving Back: Celebrating One of US!
Some excellent news from my good friend Julie Thompson, Co-Chair of New Orleans’ PFLAG Chapter for many years. A good number of academic scholarships are given out yearly by the PFLAG Board, helping many LGBTQ+-identifying young adults with their post-high school education. This initiative has changed many lives. A young man named Ross was a recipient of a small PFLAG … [Read more...] about Giving Back: Celebrating One of US!
LGBTQ Horoscopes December 17–30, 2019
Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. These horoscopes are for your entertainment, so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars! As you’re reading this column, your mind will be occupied by the … [Read more...] about LGBTQ Horoscopes December 17–30, 2019
Party Down December 17, 2019
I love a holiday, any holiday! I celebrate them all. But I especially love this time of the year that begins with Southern Decadence and ends with Christmas. Who am I kidding, I celebrate year-round, any reason for a party. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind from my Thanksgiving road trip with Mama Dawn to the crazy party scene in December, and it’s only the first … [Read more...] about Party Down December 17, 2019
New Orleans Hot Happenings December 17–30, 2019
It’s the holiday season and everything in NOLA is festive and gay. I love everything about this time of the year. Christmas is great, but that just heralds our next big season, Mardi Gras! Here are just a few of the things to keep your days (and nights) busy. (If you have a fundraiser, party, show or event coming up and would like to be listed in the … [Read more...] about New Orleans Hot Happenings December 17–30, 2019
Southern Food and Beverage Museum & Museum of the American Cocktail
The Southern Food & Beverage Museum is a nonprofit living history organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding, and celebration of the food, drink and the related culture of the South. While based in New Orleans, the Museum examines and celebrates all the cultures that have come together through the centuries to create the South’s unique culinary heritage. The … [Read more...] about Southern Food and Beverage Museum & Museum of the American Cocktail
The Bookstore on Frenchmen
In 1977, Tom M. Horner, a former Episcopal priest, had two things on his mind—finishing his book on homosexuality in the Bible, and opening a gay & lesbian-themed bookstore. By 1978, Jonathan Loved David: Homosexuality in Biblical Times was published by the Westminster Press and Horner signed a lease on a space for a bookstore at the corner of Frenchmen and Chartres … [Read more...] about The Bookstore on Frenchmen
Book Review: Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder
Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder. John Waters. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019. 384 pages. John Waters, filmmaker, actor, writer, & visual artist, is one of those cultural institutions that people either get or don’t get and never the twain shall meet. Or shall they? Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder may … [Read more...] about Book Review: Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder