GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM SouthernDecadence.COM April 12-25, 2011 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 11

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1 GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM SouthernDecadence.COM April 12-25, 2011 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 11

2 Easter Transfigured the pink pastor We human beings are symbolic creatures we process the world around us, our language, our histories and experiences as symbols, tools to grasp what is often ungraspable. We find ways of comprehending the incomprehensible. Our language itself is symbolic a single sound or group of sounds denotes a complex reality. The word tree, for example, allows us to reference an object and then move on, without being lost in wonder at the exquisite reality that is in fact, a tree. Sometimes these symbols diminish a thing, and sometimes they exult a thing. Usually, by naming a thing we seek control and a degree of ownership over it. It is for this reason that the Hebrew peoples created the unpronounceable the "official" dish...from 10 Brendan Thompson Chris Allen and more. Sunday-RETRO VIDEOS It s a blast from the past, down memory lane with all your favorite videos from the 80s, 90s and more! Come on down and sing along! The heat continues to rise upstairs at Parade. Wednesdays-DRAG OUT! with your hosts: Tiffany Alexander, Jasmine S/X and DJ Dorian Grey. Wednesdays are fierce! So invite all your friends and drag out your best drag! 12 contestants get to enter and compete until there is one left. Winners chosen by audience ballot. Win a paid guest appearance on the Lipstixx Show. $200 Cash Prize! Doors open 9pm. Contest starts promptly at 11pm. $1 draft from 9pm-11pm. For more information on how to enter, please contact us at: bourbonpub Thursday-SO YOU THINK YOU CAN SING! Karaoke with host Jasmine S/X. $100 Grand Prize to best singer, plus runner-up prizes. Sign ups start at 8pm. Performances start at 9pm. Then it s STUDENT BODY CONTEST. Do you have what it takes? Best body wins $100! Hosted by Tiffany Alexander. Music by Blair Quintana. Lighting by Poodle. Happy Hour Prices from 8pm Midnight. Friday-POPSTARZ If you can t hum it, we don t play it! Every Friday night upstairs at Parade. Drinks specials and $1 Schnapps shots all night! Saturday-NOT YOUR AVERAGE SATURDAY NIGHT! Club DJs Dorian by Rev. Clinton Crawshaw revcrawshaw@yahoo.com name of God, the tetragrammatton; written in your bibles as Yahweh or Jehova, but an orthodox Jew passes over that name, and says Lord instead of pronouncing what must never be pronounced. Lord is an attribute, not a name. Since the enlightenment in the eighteenth century we have become used to another language, a language that navigates facts and functions, figures and findings the empirical language of science. Science does not attempt to go further than its realm, it does not plumb the human soul, it does not ask the why, but generally restricts itself to the how. It seeks mechanisms, not meanings. Science has outshone all our magic, all our ancestor worship, all Grey and Blair Quintana with spotlight performances at: 12:30 and 1:30. Sunday-DRINK & DROWN featuring free well drinks from 6pm-8pm with $5 cover! Then at 8pm... LIPSTIXX New & Improved! Featuring new hostess: Nicole Dubois. Show coordinators: Tiffany Alexander and Jasmine S/X and other guest appearances with the return of the Big Production Number. DJ Jayskee. Lights by Poodle. $5 Late Night Happy Hour! And it s never too early to begin making your SOUTHERN DECA- DENCE plans for Labor Day Weekend, as there are a limited of bar VIP passes available - get them NOW at Last year they went quickly! FNBMG Monster Gaga Raffle Winners Announced our local deities all our attempts to control our environment through esoteric means. Science is STRONG MAGIC, and as such we have sought to apply its methods to everything, not just to the material world it is concerned with. Instead of reading scripture as allegory and nuance, as a sophisticated system of symbolic meaning, we now try and read it off like a textbook, or as a letter written to modern evangelical Americans by a God that is nothing more than a machine for processing our desires, dreams and prejudices. Few worship this God in silent adoration; few allow this God to be Godself - to be whatever is and may be, but see worship as another fix, another way of getting a high, of escaping from what Aldous Huxley called our sweating selves. This God has no existence outside of our projections onto it, it is just a means of escaping what we are, instead of making peace with, and coming to love what we are. A society that hates itself like this will not easily love others. What it cannot give itself it will begrudge the neighbor. Comfort with, and peace with one s Friday Night Before Mardi Gras, Inc. is pleased to announce the winners of the FNBMG Monster Gaga Raffle. The winning tickets were pulled by Queen Amon-Ra XLVI Tami Tarmac on the Friday night before Mardi Gras during FNBMG s Extravaganza XII at the Audubon Tea Room. The Extravaganza XII theme this year was Mardi Gras Gaga at the Tea Room and all of the 300 plus guests were totally gaga about the whole affair. It was a splendid evening with great music, dancing, fabulous Miss Tarmac entertainment, delicious cuisine catered by the Audubon Tea Room and magical potions provided and created by Glazer s Distributors and Perfect Vodka. It was the perfect evening. The perfectly gorgeous, muscle-bound Perfect Vodka servers with the awesomely perfect bodies served those colorful Perfect Vodka elixirs and turned the evening into a Martini Madness not to be missed. FNBMG thanks all who participated and helped make the raffle a success. The FNBMG Monster Gaga winning ticket numbers, winners, their winnings and generous sponsors are announced below: *GRAND PRIZE - two premium seats for the April 9, 2011 Lady Gaga Monster Ball Tour concert at the New Orleans Arena #5489 Phil Costa, (anonymously donated by FNBMG Board Members) *One night at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street - #5874 Sibyl M. White, (donated by the New Orleans Royal Sonesta Hotel) *La Thai Uptown gift card #5017 Craig Nero, (anonymously donated by FNBMG Board Members) *Natchez Riverboat dinner cruise and cocktails for two #5528 Jason Gill, (donated by Natchez Riverboat Company) *House of Blues Gospel Brunch for two - #3624 Nicole Guidry, (donated by New Orleans House of Blues) *Two nights at the Esplanade Avenue Five Continents Bed and Breakfast - #2114 Will Griffin, (donated by Five Continents Bed & Breakfast of New Orleans) *Omni Hotel Rib Room lunch for two - #5249 George Hester, (donated by the Omni Hotel New Orleans Rib Room) *International House Hotel Loa Bar own selfhood is not a vain fancy, it is an acceptance of reality at the heart of which MUST lay the unseen God. The endless flight from what and who we are is guided not by ethics or morals or a perception of godliness, but rather by the ingrained conditioning of a dysfunctional and fearful society which we take to be immortal and unchanging, but in truth is the recent product of recent events filtered through the lens of nostalgia and status quo. Jesus saw to the heart of our misery, Jesus saw the structures of power, wealth, control, deceit and hypocrisy that masquerade as virtue. Jesus dared to name them and was killed. In Jesus self we have the problem and the solution; he is not to be worshipped like some distant deity, divorced from most of the challenging things he said, but honored as living and breathing and valid and to be emulated. The frippery of modern cultism around Jesus allows people to loudly say they love Jesus without having any real idea of what he said and why, let alone making any attempt to follow his example. WWJD (what would Jesus do?), a noble question, seems often to be found written on rubber bands around the moralizing wrists of modern Pharisees, shouting judgment from the comfortable mainstream of capitalist society to the chilly margins where Jesus himself chose to dwell, and wherein Jesus saw beauty and dignity. Good Friday was the indictment of this model of human control, born of fear it seeks comfort through the subjugation of others, it fears so many things, it fears truth above all, and truth is what the bible often characterizes as judgment. Judgment can hold no terror to those who seek the truth, but to those who have build a life fleeing from it, then the disclosure of all things must [continued on 14] gift card for cocktails - #3287 Erin Cloherty, (donated by International House Hotel of New Orleans and Loa Lounge) *One night at Isle Casino Hotel - #4859 Jansen Vanderveer, (donated by Isle Casino Hotel, Biloxi, MS) *Jimmy Buffet s Margaritaville #4590 Sibyl M. White, (donated by Jimmy Buffet s Margaritaville of New Orleans) *K-Joe s Creole and Cajun Cuisine Restaurant gift card - #1403 Ginger Bouvier, (donated by K-Joe s Cajun & Creole Cuisine of New Orleans) The FNBMG Monster Gaga Raffle is registered and licensed by the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans. Raffle proceeds will be distributed to the following charities: Belle Reve of New Orleans, the Gay Easter Parade for Food for Friends, the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans, the NO/AIDS Task Force, and Project Lazarus. 12 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM April 12-25, 2011 Official ficial Gay Easter Parade Guide GayEasterParade.COM

3 GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM SouthernDecadence.COM April 12-25, 2011 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 13

4 spotlight feature by Tony Leggio Photo by: Larry Graham, GrahamStudioOne.COM Bartender of the Month Iam basically a city boy at heart. Growing up, I lived in the suburbs and even though it does have its benefits, I was ready to move to New Orleans which had more excitement to offer. And, once I became entrenched in city life there was very little reason to go back. But now I found a very cool motivation to return to the burbs. Recently I attended the Gay Easter Parade Pink Party/ Eggstravaganza fundraiser at Billy s in Slidell and had an absolute blast. I also found my bartender of the month. His Bartender Robert the pink pastor...from 12 be a hell indeed, or maybe it will be the redemption they could not find in life? Fear is the root of most hatred, prejudice, cruelty and violence, and Jesus, above all other things, told those he met Do not be afraid. So, what does Easter mean? Not the story we have been told since childhood what does it REALLY mean? Our ancestors in the faith were little moved by facts, we know few of the things a modern biographer would find essential, they knew however that they were custodians of something greater than events, they were custodians of truth and meaning. The modern way of reading the bible is a little like taking an onion and eating the skin, it is distasteful and gives no nourishment. Our ancestors wrote their testimonies with each layer of the onion laden with flavor and nourishment, and we need to look beyond the skin in order to understand what they had experienced in the man called Jesus. The man called Jesus who was, in the realest terms, the child of God. The ego always seeks to defend, and once begun, can never stop. It will build barricades around itself using anything to hand, other people dreams name is Robert and he is a doll of a guy. And talk about the hotties that were a plenty across the bridge. I have reevaluated my opinion of the Northshore, but back to Robert. Attitude is everything in life, but is a necessity in being a bartender. First you need to be able to handle yourself confidently while managing a rich assortment of characters that patronize your bar with speed. Robert managed this wonderfully. First he had a large number of somewhat jaded City Folk descend upon Billy s like a swarm of locusts when our group arrived. Could you just imagine a bus load of drag queens and handlers arriving at your establishment in full force and tipsy. Talk about a bartender s nightmare. He handled us with the ease of a professional who knows his trade and most importantly his bar. Robert was quick, courteous and very efficient. He is also very adorable which makes traveling to the burbs for a cocktail another treat. So if you are looking for a different night out on the town; take a ride to Billy s in Slidell and have a few libations with Robert. Who knows you may find Mr. Right, or at least Mr. Right Now, either way you will not regret it. Billy s is located at 2600 Hwy. 190 West Hop To 9th Marigny Bunny Hop Ijust wanted to remind everyone that the 9th Annual Marigny Bunny Hop, an Easter bonnet bar crawl, will be held on Saturday, April 23. And I will be the fabulous Bunny Marshal (BM) IX which means this will be a crazy year filled with new places, exciting new categories and some special surprises along the way. As Bunny Marshal, I lead this rollicking group of merrymakers in home-made bonnets and hats through the streets of the Marigny as we stop at eight different gay businesses. At each stop, bonnets will be judged in various categories by the bartenders and staff, and trophies will be presented. Bunny Marshal IX Tony Leggio and hopes notwithstanding. In its last stand it is capable of any enormity. Witness Colonel Gadaffi building walls around himself out of the bodies of his own people. Jesus turned away from this mechanism, and did not seek the life of a single human soul to save his own. He did not rally his supporters, or line them up as canon fodder to defend himself. He did not claim the safety of a single other person to keep his life. I think this is the real lesson of Good Friday not the pseudo magical transaction between a pagan devil and a cruel God to ransom the sins of a people God had made, warts and all. Easter shows the cost of valuing others as you value yourself, of seeing the world as the creator God sees the world grace is not cheap, it is deeply costly. God sees us as all created equal, but more than that, God sees all REMAINING equal. The vagrant huddled in his sorrow, or the bag lady shouting at empty space are treasured as glories just as much as The President or her majesty the Queen. My equality carries with it the insistence of the equality of all others we are not to be judged according to how successfully we navigate our system of dollars and cents, debt slavery or status. Easter points the way to the problem in the behavior of the Pharisees and the cowardly masses that praised Jesus one day, then hid in fear the next. It also points the way to the solution, to life, to dignity, to something NEW. It points the way to a retreat from possessiveness, ownership, jealousy, hatred, and the belief that MY life is worth more than anyone else s, which justifies the exploitation and death of others for my comfort and security, in MY name. In Easter Sunday we have a choice. Do we challenge and remake our system with it s grotesque iniquity and its devaluation of vast masses of humanity? Or do we stand up for a vision glorious and new? Such a vision was Jesus s vision, and can be ours this Easter season. Rev. Clinton Crawshaw is an ordained Anglican priest and a minister in Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC). In New Orleans, The Big Easy MCC meets every Sunday at 5pm at 1333 S. Carrollton Avenue as a loving and affirming Christian community. To contact Rev. Clinton to revcrawshaw@yahoo.com. To contact The Big Easy MCC call or go to their website at The event will begin at 2pm at Kajun s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue. So get creative with your hats, outfits or just come on out and join the fun. So no matter if your chapeau is butch, glamorous or just plain silly, you will have an incredible time and meet some of the most raucously fun people in the city. Winning at Gambit Big Easy Awards Charlie Sheen is not the only won winning these days. On Monday, March 28, Gambit New Orleans presented the 2011 Big Easy Awards at Harrah s Casino. Actor Bryan Batt served as emcee for this fabulous evening celebrating all the talented actors and actresses in our city. The Mystic Krewe of Satyricon even came out as a winner as we were bestowed the Business Recognition Award in theatre for all the theatrical performances we have bought out over the years. The award was accepted in honor of Mickey Gil, our captain, who we lost last year. Thanks to him and his love of the stage, we have worked with groups such as Theatre 13 and Running With Scissors regularly and have hosted opening night shows at Le Petit, Le Chat Noir, NOCCA, and Southern Rep. Both, his partner, George Patterson and I, were on hand to receive this incredible honor. And this may seem silly, but what an amazing rush it was to go on stage and receive this trophy. It was just like being at the Tonys. And another winner of the night was Satyricon s own Queen IX Brian Peterson for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Our emcee for this year s ball, Ricky Graham, also won Best Director of a Comedy. This was a wonderful night of entertainment, food, drink and good people. All the proceeds of the event benefit the Foundation for Entertainment Development and Education. My thanks go out to Gambit for not only recognizing the Mystic Krewe of Satyricon, but being a supporter of our entire gay community. Don t Feel Rejected The Krewe of Amon Ra is holding one of its more fabulous events this month. The Playboy Bunny Reject Pageant will happen on Sunday, July 17 from 2 5pm at JohnPaul s. Tickets are only $10 and the winner receives some cool prizes like a carriage in the Gay Easter Parade and a crown. And this year a new male bunny category has been added to the night. You definitely want to come and check out this event especially since I hear from a good source that Antoinette Ella Chardonnay may be entering. For more information, call Leonard at John Paul s is located at 940 Elysian Fields. [continued on 16] 14 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM April 12-25, 2011 Official ficial Gay Easter Parade Guide GayEasterParade.COM

5 GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM SouthernDecadence.COM April 12-25, 2011 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 15