Dear Ambush Nation,
The 31st Annual Gay Appreciation Awards are here and we are so excited! The GAA Gala will take place on July 20th at 6 pm at Oz and we hope to see everyone there. This year has been one for the record books and for that we thank you! Not only did we break the record set last year for unique nominees but we also broke the record for votes cast. This year we had a total of 5,347 people cast their votes in 38 different categories.
The Top 5 in each category have already been announced and the winners will be revealed at the Gala. To find out who made the Top 5 you can go to our website, AmbushMag.com and read all about it.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all nominees who were on the ballot. Even though not everyone could make the Top 5, the fact that your name or business or organization appeared on the ballot means that someone in our community thought you were deserving of the award in that category. And while not everyone can win, each of you together are what make the LGBTQ community in New Orleans and along the Gulf South so special and vibrant. There are some amazing individuals and businesses doing wonderful things here. We at Ambush consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on them and share their stories with the community.
As in years past, the proceeds from this event will benefit Southern Decadence. All VIP tables have been sold out and there is a $10 cover for the event. I promise this is an event you don’t want to miss. I’ve seen the list of winners and, no, I’m not telling, but you very well may be surprised! If you want to find out who the winners will be, come out to the GAA Gala at Oz. We will have entertainment from the Top 5 show bars along with Nicole Dubois, the Marcy Marcell Entertainer of the Year in 2018. Can’t wait to see you there as we celebrate our community and this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Larry Bagneris Jr.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND
As I write this column, the talk along the Gulf Coast is about hurricanes, wind gusts, storm surges, and levees. Like with storms we’ve dealt with before, friends and family want to know “Are you staying or evacuating and if so, to where?”
For the record, I’m staying at home for this storm with my 2 pups and with enough snacks, alcohol, and doggy treats to last at least a week. Several friends from across the country reached out today with text messages asking if I was okay or if I needed a place to evacuate to.
Other friends in New Orleans sent text messages letting me know if needed anything to simply reach out. Of course this evening my brother sent a text message to a group of us asking “What y’all doing tonight? Dinner anyone? Last supper?”
And this got me thinking about hurricane season, friends, family (biological and otherwise) and people we all know in our community. We all know someone who may be elderly with no family in town or a friend who lives paycheck to paycheck and doesn’t have the financial means to leave town or maybe someone who lives here but isn’t from here and they just aren’t sure if they should stay or go.
This is when we should reach out to others in our community to make sure they are okay and know that they have a friend who is at the ready to help. Sometimes a simple text message or phone call saying “If you need anything, I’m here!” goes a long way.
Dealing with a hurricane and potential evacuation can be a stressful event. Knowing you have friends around who are thinking of you and willing to help if you need them can help make it a lot less stressful.
So be that friend – call or text someone you know next time we have a storm or major weather event. Ask them if they are okay. Ask them if they need anything. Invite them to dinner as sometimes just having a friend to talk to can make you feel less stressed about a situation. Most importantly, let them know you care!
I’ve always believed a small act of kindness can go a long way. We never know what someone else may be dealing with in their personal life and how a small gesture of kindness can make all the difference.
With that being said, to everyone who reached out to me over the last few days, thank you for being a friend!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
GrandPre’s will be hosting the Burgers and Bingo July Sunday Social for Big Easy Animal Rescue (BEAR) on July 28th from 4 to 7 pm. $10 at the door gets you a bingo card and a grilled hamburger plate (they’ll also have a vegan option). There’ll be drink specials along with prizes for both you and your fur babies. All proceeds will go to BEAR.
New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE) will have their next potluck dinner on Tuesday, July 30th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The event will be held at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church located at 1313 Esplanade Ave. If you are able to attend please consider bringing a dish (although not required) or a non-perishable food item for St. Anna’s Food Pantry. All ages are welcome to this event! Come eat, network and make new friends!
August 2nd thru 4th is Mobile Bleather Weekend 2019. This is the 11th year of this annual event which benefits AIDS Alabama South. This is a weekend full of events, happy hours and parties along with the 24th annual Mr. Gulf Coast Bears contest at B-Bobs. For a full listing of events go to mannmobile.wixsite.com/mysite
