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Luther & Richard

Little Corey & Chris

Rocky & Luther

Happy couple at George’s

Having a good time at George’s

Cute & adorable Ross

Blair relaxing at George’s

Sexy bartender Andy

Quentin & Chris at Splash

Sexy David loves a party

Love birds Katie & Joy

Quentin at Splash

Hanging out at George’s

Brandon shows his wonderful smile

Jeanne & Johnny at Hound Dogs

Sexy studs out having fun

Cory & Quentin with friends

Happy time at George’s

Richard & Trixxie

Todd & friends

red stickpaparazzi

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adopted as the official mascot. Youmay wonder why this is the chosenmascot. Look at it this way - because ofthe way the rest of the world is viewed,poor taste is considered to be betterthan no taste at all.

The first parade is rarely mentionednow because it just isn’t politically cor-rect to think of the history as beingstarted by a bunch of fun-loving gayguys. However, if you put them in aconvertible and experience the sight ofthem driving all around the neighbor-hood, unauthorized, of course, you re-alize that this could be fun. The reactionwas “let’s do it again.” That’s whenthings got more organized, and paradehistory was started. Many of theseearly parades featured floats sponsoredby the gay bars and krewes. Lafayettekrewes or groups also participated, andone of the outstanding events from thepast was the convertible entry contain-ing Miss Gay America 1996 BrandiAlexander. The straight guys were allgoing ga-ga over her beauty as herpictures were being handed out, notrealizing she was of the same sex. Ifound it to be hilarious, but I also thinkshe added a little bit of class to thisevent. After all, this parade is not sup-posed to be classy, just funny, and itdefinitely is just that. Brandi was classy.

The very first parade theme in 1982is especially important. You might re-

member that “Every man a King” wasHuey P. Long’s slogan when he wasgovernor in the 1930s. During thesehard times of The Great Depression,Long claimed that all Louisiana citi-zens, no matter how rich or how poor,should have “a chicken in every pot.” In1982, when the parade organizers used“Every man a King” for their theme, theywere putting important political ideals ina different and impolite context. Thattheme was especially meaningful be-cause Mardi Gras is a time when ordi-nary people dress up as kings andqueens—pretending to be “powerfulpeople.” Every Spanish Town Mardi Grasparade has a king and queen. In 1996,a dog was the king. Now that is a littledifferent!

The more traditional Mardi Graskrewes of New Orleans have classicalnames, such as Krewe of Rex, Krewe ofEndymion, Krewe of Orpheus, Krewe ofAtlas, Krewe of Bacchus, and all thoseothers too many to mention here. How-ever, Spanish Town krewes have moreplayful, even impolite, names. The found-ing krewe’s name is “Mystic Krewe forthe Preservation of Lagniappe,” andthey are in charge of collecting thefloats’ entry fees. These fees are do-nated to the Louisiana Food Bank. Thiskrewe originally adopted the pink fla-mingo as its symbol, which later be-came the symbol of the entire neighbor-

hot tails of red stick ...from 30

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hood.Other groups are called “Wasted

Krewe,” “Krewe of Roadkill,” “Krewe ofKrime,” “Krewe of Le Mouk,” and “Kreweof Moulah,” to name a few. At one time,the Morning Advocate/State Timeshad a float, and the Krewe of Heden isnoted to always have a great, fun-filledfloat, compliments of our most sexyand gorgeous lawyer, the Possa stud.

Awards are given out for such hon-ors as “Deepest Concept,” “Best EthnicFloat,” “Best Pleasing of Judges,” andthe “Best Bribe of Judges.” Indeed, thebribing of judges is not only acceptedbut encouraged. There are also moretypical awards of “Best Float” or “BestMusic.” Sometimes the judges are pun-ished by krewes for their decisions.One year, a float threw water balloons atthe judges’ stand. However, the nextyear, the judges got revenge by throw-ing cream pies at that float.

The “Best Marching Group” awardtypically goes to the best known kreweof the Spanish Town Parade: The Kreweof Yazoo. This krewe is also known as“The Lawnmower Brigade.” Each mem-ber of the dancing krewe pushes alawnmower. Before the parade, eachkrewe member is required to decoratehis or her lawnmower—a personal float—to reflect the krewe’s theme. The march-ers perform several complicated danceroutines with their lawnmowers (whichare not running, of course). They have,in the past, dressed up as“Cosmownots” and as roaches of a“Roach Mowtel.” In 2004, they weredressed as trees, and their theme was“Krewe of Mow Return.” The theme forthe 2009 parade is Buy Yeaux Bailout.And now, there is an annual SpanishTown Mardi Gras Ball too. The openingband this year is the Bucktown Allstars.Headliner is Louisiana’s LeRoux, in-cluding Luther Kent, Jimmy Hall fromWet Willie and Steve Cropper fromBooker T & the MG’s, Fame, The GreatStax Label, and The Blues Brothers. It’salways a blast!

Many of the homes display not onlythe pink flamingos but also Mardi Grastrees. It is actually the holdover Christ-mas trees which have been re-dressedin the colors of the season. Windowsand porches have strings of lights, andparties are the order of the day. And likein New Orleans, you have the hugemess to clean up, and I’ve actually seenpeople steal decorations from lawns. Iknow this happens elsewhere, but it issuch a cheap maneuver to see theseoutsiders actually destroying the prop-erty of local homeowners. The smells ofthe French Quarter masses are not asoffensive here, but they were prior to thetime when those portable potties madethe scene. There were no tits and dickson the floats, but there certainly werelarge amounts of indecent exposuresbehind cars and bushes.

The corner of 7th Street and Spanish

Town Road is probably the biggest gayhangout. The Capitol Grocery is lo-cated here, and Splash Bar sets up astage on 7th Street and welcomes every-one with music and drinks. It’s a funplace to be, and my first picture forAmbush is usually of a certain police-man and a hot little Splash stud hangingonto the street sign. Over at the cornerof Main and 7th Streets , many gays popinto Hound Dogs where all Mardi Grasparades downtown roll right at their frontdoors.

One thing that has become neces-sary now is to keep someone on handto watch the near-by homes. Strangershave a tendency to crash parties, enterwhen no one is watching, and makethemselves at home – like they werepersonally invited. I suppose this is tobe expected, but it’s very rude, and,personally speaking, it just isn’t ac-ceptable. I’m for telling these drunkasses to get a life – elsewhere. Enoughis enough!

The sounds of the day go on intothe night. Home owners are usuallyworking late just to clean up their lawns,and many have wanted the parade movedto a different route, one that would nottake away from the meaning of theevent, but one that might be a little saferand onto wider streets. Spanish TownRoad is perhaps the one that is themost narrow, and the trees are some-times butchered to accommodate thefloats, which are getting bigger eachyear.

Wherever you choose to watch thisparade, you can probably catch it atdifferent locations by zig-zaggingthrough the crowds. If you want to getout at any time, it is best to park underthe interstate or across on the sidestreets or up around the State Capitolso you can get out by way of theinterstate entrance at the Governor’sMansion or on up towards the Exxoncomplex. On the opposite side of down-town, you can get on I-10 heading westor go on out toward LSU. Otherwise,you could be stuck for hours trying tomaneuver through the crowds, and for afew hours, this is just not possible. Likethe people who celebrate LSU gameswith tailgate parties, streets and park-ing lots start filling up the night before.Camping out has really caught on, andtrailers can be seen everywhere. Oncethe party is over, they never seem topick up. Their litter is their gift to the city.

If you do come early, you can parkaway from the Spanish Town sectionand walk into the neighborhood andenjoy all the decorations. It is a gay oldtime with friends meeting up for theirannual shootout at the “7th Street Cor-ral.” I do have to brag on Splash. Theyreally do it up right, and it is always apleasure to join them in all their merri-ment.

If you are going to night parties orparades in New Orleans, you have towait until the crowds clear out. Some-times, it’s just best to stay put. After-

wards, we look back at all the fun thathas taken place, and it always seemsthat the good outweighs the bad. It’sMardi Gras, and that’s what people do.They make merry!

Spanish TownIn A Nutshell

There has been a substantialimprovement in SpanishTown since artistic and cre-

ative gay people have purchased homeshere. Of course, there are some of theold families still in the area, but many ofthe homes became run down and inneed of repair. Thankfully, newhomeowners, both straight and gay,have done their best to preserve thehistory of this section of town. Thank-fully, it is now a historic district.

A book is being written on thehistory of all the homes here – by a gaywriter and local homeowner. All thehomes have a colorful history, but it isusually the larger ones that come tomind first. The Potts House at thecorner of North Street and 9th Street isfor sale now, and the most beautiful ofall in the area is the Stewart DoughertyHouse on North Street, which was usedas a hospital during the Civil War. Adja-cent to it is the Pino House – and the listgoes on.

We can’t really match the FrenchQuarter (and don’t care to), but with thenew revived downtown area within a fewblocks, it’s getting to be a rather livelyplace to live and work and play. WithSplash, George’s, and Hound Dogsproviding great entertainment venues,as well as the new wine bars, luxuryapartment, state office buildings, coffeeshops, historic buildings, restaurants,and the Shaw Center for the Arts, theplace is really hopping. No wonder weare known as Hot Tails of Red Stick.

Laissez bon temps roullez!

hot tail of red stick ...from 33news

Second Federal CourtIn Two Weeks HaltsSuspicionless DrugTesting of Teachers

Baton Rouge, LA - A federalcourt in Louisiana halted anunconstitutional teacher

drug testing policy instituted by theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Board,subjecting any teacher who suffers aninjury while on the job to a drug testwithout any suspicion of drug use. TheAmerican Civil Liberties Union and theEast Baton Rouge Federation of Teach-ers filed a lawsuit last month seeking animmediate halt to the policy in order toprotect teachers’ constitutional right tobe free from unreasonable searches.

“This is the second federal court intwo weeks to put the brakes on

suspicionless drug testing of publicschool teachers,” said Adam Wolf, anattorney with the ACLU. “Public ser-vants can breathe a sigh of relief todayknowing that their constitutional rightsremain firmly intact.”

Katie Schwartzmann, an attorneywith the ACLU of Louisiana added, “TheBill of Rights protects people from inva-sive government searches without sus-picion - teachers are no exception.”

The U.S. District Court for the MiddleDistrict of Louisiana issued the orderafter the parties reached agreementthat the drug-testing policy would haltpending final resolution of the case.The order comes on the heels of an evenmore sweeping ruling in late-Decemberby the U.S. District Court for the South-ern District of West Virginia. That courtheld that the constitutional right to pri-vacy outweighed the government’s in-terest in drug testing virtually all publicschool employees without cause.

The drug test of two-time East Ba-ton Rouge Teacher of the Year PeggyReno illustrates how the School Board’ssuspicionless drug-testing policy isimplemented. Ms. Reno, a veteran andrespected teacher, has never in her lifeused an illegal, and her school hasnever suspected otherwise.

A student punched Ms. Reno onSeptember 24, 2008. Although therewas no suspicion that she was underthe influence of drugs or alcohol, Ms.Reno was forced by a School Boardofficial to submit to an invasive drugtest. Countless other teachers whohave never used drugs - and who havenever been suspected of using drugs -have been subjected to similar uncon-stitutional searches.

The East Baton Rouge Federationof Teachers, a local affiliate of the Loui-siana Federation of Teachers and thenational American Federation of Teach-ers that represents over 1,600 localmembers, opposes the drug testing ofteachers absent suspicion.

Through a urine analysis, a drugtest can reveal teachers’ most sensitivemedical information, such as whetherthey have certain diseases, whetherthey take prescription medication, andwhether they are pregnant. Initial drugtests also have an unacceptably highrate of false positives, which can betriggered by a wide array common prod-ucts and over-the-counter drugs, result-ing in an indelible stigma cast on en-tirely innocent teachers.

Yigal Bander, an attorney with thefirm Kleinpeter & Schwartzberg, LLC isco-counsel in the case and also repre-sents the East Baton Rouge Federa-tion of Teachers. The case, East BatonRouge Federation of Teachers v. EastBaton Rouge Parish School Board, isbefore the U.S. District Court for theMiddle District of Louisiana.

For more information, visit http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/testing/38355lgl20090115.html.

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by Patrick ClintonEmail: BlondAtULL@aol.com

allons acadiana

It seems like the breaks keepgetting shorter and shorter, buton the bright side, now that

school is back in session, we are thatmuch closer to Mardi Gras. And whowants to complain? It’s a new year, andwe have a lot to look forward to. TheBush Era is over; Lafayette has one ofthe wildest night club scenes in Louisi-ana, and it is officially Carnival Season.For now until Mardi Gras day, Acadiana

will progressively build to the wildesttime of the year. There’ll be concertsand shows and balls, not to mentionthe regular nights of fun and festivities.

Sound Factory and Back Side arekicking off the new year in a big way. OnSaturday, January 24, they’ll begin thecelebrations with one of the most fabu-lous musicians to ever grace down-town. Laurel, for one night only, will belive and performing at Sound Factory;

so go ahead and mark your calendarsfor a night of entertainment and fun. Andmake sure you get there early, becausethis is a concert you definitely don’twant to miss.

Just two weeks later, Sound Fac-tory and Back Side will be hostinganother event you really don’t want tomiss. On Saturday, February 7, theywill be hosting the Official Before andAfter Party for the 2009 Royal Order ofUnicorn Bal Masque. The R.O.U. Ballin Acadiana is well known as the gayball. It’s relaxed, yet elegant, atmo-sphere has made it a favorite. And partof that tradition is having food and cock-tails at Back Side before heading to theincredible event. Afterward, the ballsimply wouldn’t be complete without

meeting up with all your friends at SoundFactory. It’ll be a night of formal fun,second only to the celebrations thattake place on Mardi Gras day.

Besides hosting special events,don’t forget Sound Factory and BackSide have a weekly lineup that is sec-ond to none. With their daily HappyHour Specials, they always make surethat every night of the week is its ownspecial party. And since they are openseven days a week, they always havesomething incredible planned. Whetheryou’re looking for a quick drink afterwork or a wild night on the town, theirseparate weekly lineups make even themost uneventful night fresh and new.

From Show Night every Sundayand Karaoke on Tuesday to their unfor-gettable Dance Parties every Fridayand Saturday, when you plan a night outat Sound Factory and Back Side, youknow it’s going to be an adventure.

And with ever changing drink spe-cials, you’re sure to get a great deal.What more can you ask for? It’s twobars in one, and it won’t break you’repocket book. So this Carnival season,make sure you remember your friendsat Sound Factory and Back Side. MardiGras in Acadiana wouldn’ t be the samewithout its only Gay owned and oper-ated bar.

With so much planned over thenext month or so, it’s no wonder Down-town Lafayette has become one of thehottest night spots in Louisiana. Onereason is because the Cajun culturereally embraces diversity, which makesthe Gay community a welcome addi-tion. If you haven’t been out in Lafayettelately, now is the best time of year to hitdowntown. Come find out for yourselfwhy Acadiana is so unique.

Until next time, have fun and besafe. I’ll see you around town.

news ...from 34

Recent Works Continuesthrough Feb. 15

Baton Rouge, LA - Don’t miss the exhibition ofLSU School of Art Faculty: Recent Worksat the Glassell Exhibition Gallery in the

Shaw Center for the Arts - new work from the fine artiststhat teach new artists continues through February 15.Participating artists include: Jeremiah Ariaz, KimberlyArp, Lynne Joddrell Baggett, Gerald Bower, DenyceCelentano, Michael Crespo, Paul Dean, Robert Hausey,Wei He, Christopher Hentz, Chris Johns, Kelli ScottKelley, Leslie Koptcho, John A. Malveto, Malcolm McClay,Thomas Neff, Frederick Ortner, Rod Parker, Andy Shaw,Ed Smith, Michaelene Walsh and Professor Emeriti:James Burke, Melody Guichet, AJ Meek, and EdwardPramuk. This beautiful exhibition features examples ofcontemporary art in all medias; ceramics, design, paint-ing, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

Rachel Hayes: Patient Persistence will openFebruary 28 and run through March 29. "Werush around our environment every day,

driving to work, running errands, and trying to manageour lives. The concrete buildings and wire fences of ourcityscape barely register; we are so used to the sightsof the city. What if something wonderful is waiting outthere amidst the construction and dust? What if some-one can find something new in our forgotten and dis-

carded remnants?" This is what sculptor and fiber artist RachelHayes does. She uses innocuous and readily available mediasuch as fabric to create spectacular experiences of color andmotion in an otherwise unappreciated setting. She has success-fully turned narrow hallways, city walk ways and grassy hills intovital and vibrant art installations which cause the viewer to stepback and reassess their familiarity with the environment. TheLouisiana State University School of Art has invited Ms. Hayes tocome to Baton Rouge and create a unique, new, installation intheir downtown exhibition space. It gives the community anopportunity to discover something fresh about Baton Rouge asseen through the eyes of this accomplished artist.

Rachel Hayes is an artist who has been steadily garneringaccolades and awards and gaining recognition in the contempo-rary art world for her fresh, innovative works. For this art exhibi-tion, Rachel Hayes will work with LSU Sculpture students tocreate a site specific installation in the Glassell Gallery. Ms.Hayes will be a visiting artist at LSU for two weeks in February,during which time the artist will meet with students and delegateinstallation tasks, work in studios with the students, install theexhibition and meet with the public during a gallery talk andopening reception on March 7th from 5-8pm in the GlassellGallery. This interactive approach will be a rare opportunity for thestudents to experience the process from beginning to end of alarge scale installation project. It will be an invaluable experiencefor the whole community.