An Oral History of the New Orleans Ninth Ward. Caroline Gerdes. Pelican Publishing Co., 2017. ISBN: 9781455622634. 192 pages. One of the inadvertent legacies of Hurricane Katrina was to give the 9th Ward of New Orleans a certain cultural cache in the national imagination. Prior to the storm, most people had never heard of the neighborhood and it was certainly not on … [Read more...] about An Oral History of the New Orleans Ninth Ward by Caroline Gerdes.
Arts & Culture
Trodding the Boards
On the Road--Motown, Mo’ Better Now I hadn’t been to Detroit in fifteen years. I have cousins in one of its suburbs and a friend in Ann Arbor. Its Black Pride Festival, Hotter Than July!, is held the last weekend of that month. So last year I figured why not visit for a long weekend getaway from New Orleans’ summer heat’n’humidity. I’m happy I did. The previous time I was … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball
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
Top 10 LGBTQ Movies You Can Stream while recovering from Mardi Gras
Top 10 LGBTQ Movies You Can Stream while recovering from Mardi Gras Regardless of age, or how long you’ve been out of the closet, or if you’re out of the closet at all, it’s easy to recollect a time during which you found yourself feeling validated while watching a movie. Cinema itself, since the very beginning of the craft, has relied on one major element and that’s the … [Read more...] about Top 10 LGBTQ Movies You Can Stream while recovering from Mardi Gras
From New Orleans with Hate, Bianca Del Rio on Her Career
Love her, hate her, or fear her, Bianca Del Rio has skyrocketed to fame and established herself as a preeminent figure of drag and stand-up comedy in the United States and across the world. Early Career Though most people know her as the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Six, Bianca Del Rio is a more familiar character to many in New Orleans, where her drag career … [Read more...] about From New Orleans with Hate, Bianca Del Rio on Her Career
Champion Terence Blanchard
Google “Movies about boxers” and dozens of titles come up. Google “Operas about boxers” and one title appears. Google “Movies about gay boxers” and there are still a half-dozen titles. Google “Operas about gay boxers” and the same title that popped up before reappears. That opera is Champion by New Orleans native and multiple Grammy Award winner Terence Blanchard which New … [Read more...] about Champion Terence Blanchard
Under The Gaydar
Ambush on the Road: Discovering Natchez I cannot believe that I have lived in the South all my life and never been to Natchez, Mississippi. It was one of the places on my bucket list and now that I have been there, I plan on traveling there much more. Less than three hours form NOLA, this picturesque city on the bluff just celebrated its tricentennial last year. I spent a … [Read more...] about Under The Gaydar
Cityscapes of New Orleans
Cityscapes of New Orleans. Richard Campanella. LSU Press, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-8071-6833-2. 400 pages. Local Tulane Professor Richard Campanella’s latest offering is especially appropriate given the city of New Orleans is celebrating its 300th birthday. Cityscapes of New Orleans is a collection of 77 previous published articles on a variety of topics ranging from vice … [Read more...] about Cityscapes of New Orleans
Under the Gaydar
Party Down This was another Mardi Gras for the memory book. From the streets to the ballrooms, the city came alive with beads, boas and sequins. It was a gay dream come true. The week prior to Mardi Gras I spent either working or getting ready for the Krewe of Armeinius’ ball on Saturday night. Many reasons made this year special starting with the fact that it was moved … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar
20 Years of HIV/AIDS Headlines
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
