Ambush Magazine

The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™

Arts & Culture

A Brief History of Black Drag in New Orleans: The Dew Drop Inn, The Caledonia, and Stormé DeLarverie

By

A lost treasure of New Orleans’ rich cultural history is being resurrected. From the late 1930s to the early 1970s, the Dew Drop Inn in Central City was an iconic venue for African American musicians both locally and nationally. For black artists traveling through the segregated South, it was a must stop on the Chitlin Circuit. Now, fifty years after it closed, the Dew Drop Inn … [Read more...] about A Brief History of Black Drag in New Orleans: The Dew Drop Inn, The Caledonia, and Stormé DeLarverie

Bartender Spotlight – November 2023

By

Bartenders are performers. I believe they make the best actors since they go through a range of emotions on a daily basis dealing with their patrons. Like actors, bartenders are chameleons turning into a different character to suit the situation or customer.  They can be the understanding father figure, the bitchy next door neighbor, the gossip girl or the protective … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – November 2023

LGBT+ History: A Local Timeline

By

The following timeline starts with the founding of New Orleans in 1718, but it’s important to note that queerness was common and revered in Bulbancha (what New Orleans was called before it was colonized). Colonial visitors in the Gulf South observed that Indigenous Nations recognized and respected the existence of more than two genders. The acceptance of LGBT+ people has a deep … [Read more...] about LGBT+ History: A Local Timeline

Ambush Across the Pond, Part 1

By

I got a brief respite in August from the extreme heat of our New Orleans summer when I made a trip across the pond to Merrie Olde England.  It was an amazing experience filled with adventure, parades, festivals, hurricanes, and a lot of gaiety!  I hope you enjoy my “Tale of Two Gay Cities” except in this story, it will be Brighton and London, not Paris and … [Read more...] about Ambush Across the Pond, Part 1

Trodding the Boards October 31, 2023

By

I Wrote a Song at The AllWays Lounge I Wrote A Song, Trey Ming’s 2018 musical, recently returned to The AllWays Lounge. Based on countless true stories, it’s just your average boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-married, boy-looks-at-gay-porn-becomes-a-Baptist-preacher-sneaks-off-to-bathhouses-gets-outed-in-disgrace-tries-a-conversion-camp-comes-out-anyway story. Set to music. I had … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 31, 2023

Under the Gaydar (November 2023 Event Calendar)

By

One of the major things I give thanks for every year is living in a city that has so many fun things happening.  November has so many wonderful things to see and do as a primer for the holiday season.  Here are just some of the hot happenings in November to put on your “Gaydar.” If you want your event listed, send me an email at ledgemgp@gmail.com.  Weekly … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar (November 2023 Event Calendar)

Trodding the Boards October 17, 2023

By

Varla Jean Merman's Stand By Your Drag at Cafe Istanbul In July, I went to a Comedy Festival at the New Orleans Arena. Other than Tiffany Haddish, who was very funny, I laughed more at Varla Jean Merman's Stand By Your Drag than all the other comics combined. Why hasn’t Ms. Merman yet gotten her own sitcom? Stand By Your Drag, Varla’s (she really needs only one name) … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 17, 2023

A Brief History of New Orleans Bar Rags

By

Gay journalism traces its roots to the 1960s and originally manifested itself in the form of bar bulletins and organizational newsletters.  In those pre-internet, pre-Stonewall, highly homophobic years, the notion of a gay media was an alien concept because gay communities, if we can even call them that (perhaps gay subcultures is a better description) were essentially … [Read more...] about A Brief History of New Orleans Bar Rags

Trodding the Boards October 3, 2023

By

Carrie: Blood in the Water at the Drifter Hotel through October 7 Aqua Mob’s Water Ballerinas and Ballerinos may not be quite ready yet for the Olympics, but do any of those athletes who “go for the gold” perform their synchronized swimming routines wearing high-heeled shoes as Daisy Konfused does in Carrie: Blood in the Water? I think not. I’ve been attending Aqua Mob’s … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 3, 2023