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Miss Louisiana Leatherette C.Alice in Crescent City Divas

@ 4 Seasons in Metairie

Lana O’Day & Lauren Brown inCrescent City Divas @ 4 Seasons

Crescent City Divas’ Barbara Ella,Lauren Brown & C. Alice

@ 4 Seasons

GAA Top 5 Entertainer of the YearFinalist Big Momma Lavouge

headlines Big Momma’s Show @Billy’s in Slidell

Big Momma’s daughter on stage@ Billy’s in Slidell

Princesse Stephaney @ Billy’s inBig Momma’s Show

Paris Manchester & Miss GayUSofA Classic Amy Demilo in

Lipstixx @ Bourbon Pub & Parade

Venus in Lipstixx@ Bourbon Pub & Parade

All smiles @ GAA Top 5 Show Barof the Year Finalist

Bourbon Pub & Parade

Miss Gay Vieux Carre’ AmericaMonique Michaels & Reba Douglas

B-Bob’s Show Director Miss Cie infor Lipstixx

@ Bourbon Pub & Parade

Jewel Box Revue special guestBarbara Ella @

Michael’s On The Park

Cookie St. Ann in the Jewel BoxRevue @ GAA Top 5 Show Bar of

the Year Finalist Michael’s

Queen Amon-Ra Deja Deja-Vue’ inthe Jewel Box Revue

Electra City & Tittie Toulousehosted Amon-Ra’s Christmas inJuly @ Michael’s On The Park

Ida Claire, SDGM Tami Tarmac &Kookie Baker @ Amon-Ra’s

Christmas in July

Queen Amon-Ra Deja, Tittie &president Safonda @ Amon-Ra’s

Christmas in July

Coca Mesa kicks off her Miss GayLouisiana America fundraiser

@ Oz

Big Momma emcees Coca’s MGLAfundraiser @ GAA Top 5 Show

Bar of the Year Finalist Oz

Raven Kennedy joins Coca’sMGLA fundraiser @ Oz

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Poseiden & Eros Sea @ B-Bob's

Eros Sea @ B-Bob's

Poseiden Sea @ B-Bob's

Poseidon & Eros Sea doing theirthing on top of the bar @ B-Bob's

Bears night out @ B-Bob’s withDarwin, Josh, Scot & Leon, happy

birthday Scot!

Alton & Michelle sharing awarm moment

B-Bob's Tuesday night Drag Bingois so much fun!!

paparazzimobile

Josi Cotton & New Orleans’ RebaDouglas performing @ B-Bob’s,

"Love Can Build a Bridge" benefitfor Amber Douglas

Marty & Koo with the Girlsin Biloxi

Miss Gay USofA Classic AmyDemilo with Miss Cie

Southern Decadence GrandMarshal Tami Tarmac performing

@ B-Bob’s

Biloxi’s Miss Toni Dee

Jason, Timothy & Aaron @Mobile’s new club FlipSide

Miss Cie with Justin & Friends

Rivers Brown Webb Family@ FlipSide

Miss Gay America’s Nicole Dubois& Raquel Chevallier @ B-Bob’s

FlipSides’ Eric, with David & Criss

Ana Matronic performing@ B-Bob’s

Hello Boys @ B-Bob’s

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a community within communities

by The Rev. Bill Terry, Rector St. Anna’s Episcopal ChurchEmail: fr.bill@stannanola.org

Blowin’ in the wind.Yes, how many years can a mountain

existBefore it’s washed to the sea?Yes, how many years can some people

existBefore they’re allowed to be free?Yes, how many times can a man turn

his headPretending he just doesn’t see?The answer my friend is blowin’ in the

windThe answer is blowin’ in the wind.

These remarkable words by the poetlaureate of the movements of the sixties,Bob Dylan, still ring true don’t they or dothey? These are exciting and dauntingtimes my friends. Complacency is the socialblue plate special it may seem; or is it?“Yes, how many times can a man turn hishead pretending he just doesn’t see?” Jesussays, “For where your treasure is, thereyour heart will be also.” This piece is oftenused to raise money. We all know thatchurches are about money and control;right? Wrong! Like some institutions thereare good, average, and bad. Discern, toler-ate, and act upon your faith even if just alittle. The quote about storing treasures isan interesting piece it follows on the heelsof the Sermon on the Mount which is morethan “The Beatitudes” oh much more so -much more. For in his preaching he saysthat he does not change the law but thenreworks the Law to its completeness.

This Rabbi teaches us that one mustbe engaged and active in our faith andworking it out “Salt and Light” (Matt 5:13-16); he talks about murder and says that theact of anger and hatred are tantamount tomurder; he talks about adultery and lustful-ness over and against chastity; he con-demns divorce because women were allbut dead in his time if they were divorced;he talks about forgiving ones enemies overand against “An eye for an eye;” he talksabout the mandate to give to the needywithout a requirement for gratitude or hu-miliation to the recipient (Matt. 6:1-4); heteaches how to pray in humility NOT as ashow of public piety but in sincerity (Matt6:5-15); again he talks about Fasting as aself discipline not a public display leading tohypocrisy; finally he talks about Treasure inheaven, that if our focus is on the dispos-able things of this world we will have missedall that he has taught. All of what I have justsummarized – those are the Treasures inHeaven: humility, chastity, charity, gener-osity in the face of hatred, injustice, andafter his Treasure in Heaven talk he offershope rather than anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34) and he replaces anxiety with dignity.WOW!

Something is blowin’ in the wind myfriend. DOMA struck down; Voter Rights Actstruck down; Treyvon case – not guilty, yes,something is in the wind. They question myfriends is this will we pretend not to see?Solidarity is the by-word today and thatmeans going into dangerous territory. Iexplained it to a dear gay friend of mine, “Itmay even mean going to straight bar <gasp>

to meet and greet someone who needsyou.” It may mean serious work on recon-ciliation between the traditional Blackchurch and LGBT community. It may meanshowing up at a venue to raise funds forchildren who are now at risk but offer thepotential to be powerful black businesspersons or scientists or doctors but whonow have little chance to do it. Yes, I amtalking about things like Anna’s Arts forKids. Will you join and go to a “non-gay fundraiser?” Will straight folks mingle amongstgay folk with common cause? The answeris blowin’ in the wind.

I have recently had several experi-ences that point toward the fear of engage-ment. I was recently invited to an Essence/Urban League Dinner with some of themost powerful Black leaders in our city. Iwas one of two white guys there. I wasracked with “white guilt” intimidated andtrying to be on my best behavior. The onlytable left was a single 4 top and so I satthere, “the white guy” by himself. Thinking,“Oh I must appear to be aloof or withdrawn– that’s not good (white guilt working).”Then the most delightful woman approachedme from one of the most prominent of thesecelebrated guests and offered me hospital-ity, “would you like to join our table?” Howarrogant I was to think I was so important towrap myself up with “white guilt and para-noia.” Jesus spoke through her – generoushospitality.

Equally, our church has a large per-centage of LGBT members. Yet, last nightonly a few of those members showed up fora fund raiser for Anna’s Arts for Kids, it wasin a Lakeside Church far from the “lavenderline.” What is that about; fear? If so, dumpit, it should be about the children andsolidarity. Why we even offered gourmetchocolate, champagne, a Chamber Quar-tet, and classical vocals by soloist TanyaBoutte and the Treme Choir. You will bevalued for where your treasure is not whator who you are. Those that attended wereastounded and charged up about the po-tential power of black children as our futureleaders instead of drug dealers, street kids,and miscreants. They have power that isjust waiting to be tapped.

On the same note I recently got aTHREE PAGE text message from a dearfriend who happens to be gay absolutelydistraught about the Treyvon Martin deci-sion. His words went beyond disappoint-ment to profound sorrow and hurt; as if hehimself had been slapped in the face. Heexpressed what we all should be express-ing over the Voters Rights repeal andTreyvon Martin, and Guantanamo incar-cerations without benefit of trial or adjudi-cation; or creating a society that encour-ages and indeed protects vigilantes like theFlorida Stand and Fight Law or the “Rightto carry a concealed weapon” laws perme-ating our cities. Given our rampant fear andtrepidation Treyvon was going to happen.It was going to happen to a young blackman, or perhaps a Latino, or perhaps a Gayboy in Middle America. Two children standside by side now: Emmet Till AND Matthew

Shepherd and perhaps now Treyvon.Where is your Treasure? I am angry,

yes indeed; I hope that you are two. As acitizenry we should all be outraged of theseinjustices of our inclination to legalize vigi-lantes, deprive the benefit of habeas cor-pus, and trample on the Magna Carta andConstitution. Play lose and fast with dignity,and the “Right of all persons [men] to live inthe pursuit of happiness.” We have had abreather from the 60s and 70s. There is a

whole new generation where AIDS is not akiller but inconvenience; where the right toGay assembly is not against the law; maybeeven marriage equality is on the table;voting rights are in the wind. BE THECOMMUNITY WITHIN COMMUNITIESstart the conversations and break out of ourcocoon of safety and tread on dangerousgroup. These are heady times and some-thing is in the wind. For where your treasureis that is where your heart is.

commentaryIt’s Time to Celebrate and to Redouble Our Efforts!

What a special day it was, June 26, 2013, the day the U.S. Supreme Court foundpart of DOMA unconstitutional and refused to intervene in California’s Proposition 8battle, effectively allowing same sex marriages to resume in that state! Who couldhave imagined even a couple of years ago that we would live to see gay marriage legalin the largest state of the union, along with twelve other states and the District ofColumbia? It is indeed time to celebrate! For a while…. Then it is time to get backto work and to redouble our efforts.

“Why should we work harder?” you ask. We should work harder because thePromiseland, where gay marriage is legal in all 50 states, is within sight and theproponents of hatred can see the writing on the wall. Just as countless people areresponsible for the recent achievements that we have made over the years, there arejust as many working tirelessly to deny members of the LGBT community of our basichuman rights. Because, as Hillary Clinton recently acknowledged, that’s what we aredemanding… the basic human right to love the person of our choosing, to be ableto marry that person and to have our government recognize that union. We are notasking for special rights, just the same rights that our heterosexual brothers andsisters enjoy.

The DOMA decision opens the door to hundreds of federal benefits to marriedgay couples living in states where gay marriage is legal. Among them, they can applyfor their foreign-born spouse or fiancé to join them in the United States and they canfile joint federal tax returns. What the DOMA decision means for married gay couplesnow living in states where gay marriage is not legal is uncertain, although most expectsome benefits to flow. What any of this means to gay couples wanting to marry instates where gay marriage is illegal is even more uncertain. But there is reason tohope….

The Supreme Court struck down a section of DOMA as a violation of theConstitution’s guarantee of equal protection and due process. In doing so, it citedLoving v. Virginia, the 1960’s landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down astate law against interracial marriage as unconstitutional. While the DOMA SupremeCourt did not declare a constitutional right for gays to marry, gay advocates see asignificant hint that the Court is prepared to do so.

So, what do we do now? We, gay couples living in states that have outlawed gaymarriage, must apply for marriage licenses in these states. We will be turned downand that decision can be appealed and ultimately, hopefully lead to the legalizationof gay marriage nationwide. But we must do this immediately. Why? Because somestates, such as Indiana, already have laws on their books that would make simplysubmitting a marriage application by a gay couple a Class D felony, carrying a possiblepenalty of 6 months to three years in jail and a possible fine of up to $10,000. Andby now we know from experience, that when one state passes laws that discriminateagainst a certain segment of society, many other states will quickly follow suit.

In this last civil rights struggle in which we are involved, we must not becomediscouraged by acts of others such as the Indiana legislature or Russia’s recent anti-gay laws. Instead, we must put aside our differences, stand together, keep our eyeon the prize and continue to push forward using our hearts, our brains and the powerfulknowledge of what is just and right. And, possibly, it is time to consider the use ofnonviolent resistance tactics, which were so effectively advocated by Dr. MartinLuther King, in order to achieve equality for all.

(These are the personal views of Troy A. Tureau, and nothing therein is intendedto be legal advice of any kind. I invite your comments and questions.)

Troy A. Tureau, J.D., L.LM., Attorney at Law, Tureau Legal8303 Pritchard Place, New Orleans, LA 70118, thelawprofessor@comcast.net504.602.9511

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mr. Tureau obtained his Bachelor of Arts fromLouisiana State University in 1987 with a major in Broadcast Journalism and aminor in Political Science. He obtained his Juris Doctorate in 1992 from LoyolaLaw School, New Orleans and his L.LM. in Environmental Law from Lewis andClark Law School in 2008. He has been a member of the Louisiana State Bar since1992 and is in solo practice at the New Orleans law firm, Tureau Legal, whichcaters to the LGBT community. He is an Associate Professor at Ashford Universityand held adjunct faculty positions at the College of the Desert and KaplanUniversity. He is the author of many written works, both fiction and nonfiction. Heis married to his partner Michael of 10 years ,and they are the proud parents of 10year old Cole and their 3 year old Pekingese, Ginger.