Greetings to the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender community of Louisiana! Allow me to introduce myself. I am G. Michael Gallien and will be keeping you abreast of all the goings-on in Central Louisiana, or "CenLa," as we affectionately refer to our esteemed area of gay life. My first order of business is to heartily welcome everyone to the new location of Unique Bar and Lounge. For those who haven't been to Alexandria in awhile, we'd like to welcome you back. You'll be astonished at what's been done since last we saw you. And if you've never been here, put aside your preconceived notions and stop by. Things are getting festive!! We've worked to offer you one of the best bars in the state. With over 5000 sq. ft., a huge dance floor and several different seating areas, we can accommodate whatever mood you're in. The music is hot and the trade is hotter than ever before. We're proud of what we've got and are looking forward to sharing it with you.
There's a lot to jam into just a little space, (not that that's a bad thing), so we'll hit the highlights for now. Consider it foreplay, kids.
If you can't find us, you won't get
to know us. To know us is to love
us, so let's start this beautiful love affair by getting your pretty butts to the new bar. Here's how: from I-49 South, driving north, take exit 86 off of the interstate (MacArthur Dr. exit). Take the Marksville/Boyce exit off MacArthur. There will be an immediate "Y" on the service road. Go to your right and we are on the right hand side. Look for the oh-so-well recognized colors of the rainbow on the Unique sign and there you are.
From North Louisiana, you'll do basically the same. Take exit 86 for MacArthur. Get in the left lane on MacArthur and, at the first opportunity, get on the service road heading north. Take the Marksville/Boyce exit off of MacArthur and we are on your right side around the curve out of the aforementioned "Y" on the service road. If you have any problems, call the bar at 318.448.0555. We'll send one of our pretty red-neck-gay-farm-boys after you (in his new truck, of course).
Now that the boring part is out
of the way, it's time to salute
a couple of our dearest divas. Congrats to Sylvia Scarlett, your newly crowned Miss Gay Louisiana America, and to Jessica Daniels, MGLA 1st Alternate. I should mention both of these queens are former Miss Uniques. Sylvia reigned in 96-97 and Jessica ruled the queendom in 95-96. The competition in Lafayette was fierce and these two fish swam upstream to capture the top two rankings in a state renowned for flawless drag. (Sorry, Rick, dear. I meant "female illusion.") These girls, as well as the other contestants, did indeed raise drag to a higher level of artistry than we have seen in a while. I'm scared of all the queens getting as real as they did this year. I must say, except for a couple of ladies from areas other than north, central and very-south Louisiana, every contestant competed seriously but acted beautifully throughout the entire weekend. (Now, now, girls. You know who you are. Stop acting like boys in dresses and conduct yourself as the ladies you want to be.) That's as pissy as I'll get in my first column. Back to happier thoughts: Kudos to Rick Martinez, Charlie Stewart, and the rest of the gang for producing one of the best run pageants I have ever seen.
The gay godfather of Alexandria, Tim Bordelon, Unique owner, was so proud of his former queens and so impressed with the MGLA Pageant, he went and bought himself his very own preliminary. (Finally. Now you can rest your nerves, Felicia. Finish your drink, fish.) Miss Central Louisiana America will be held on Valentine's day. Feb. 14, 1998 is a Saturday for you queens driving in from out of town. Pay attention to future columns and ad space in Ambush, girls. You could be the first ever to don the tiara.
But, beware-yours truly is not only spilling the tea on this pageant and other current events for this column, but I am also doing double duty as Director of Pageants for Unique, and will serve as Pageant Director for Miss Central Louisiana America. The judging panel has already been confirmed and is nuthin' nice. Our honorable panel consists of some of the most respected names in drag throughout the South. Stay tuned for more details in future issues of Ambush. Expect some impressive talent to come from us in the future. Our laundry list of Unique Divas who have gone on to greater glory includes Nicole Dubois (93-94) who captured Miss LA USA 93, Chandler Synclaire (94-95) was a Miss LA USA 1st Alternate, and our current Unique Goddess, Jennifer Jason Hart of Lake Charles, won overall talent in last year's MGLA Pageant. (And yes, that is her real voice.)
Before I close, let me tease you
a little more. Look forward to
info on upcoming events featuring the above names as well as the fabulous Kofi from Houston, and Louisiana's own Tiffany Alexander and Raquel Chevalier. Louisiana lesbians can look forward to their own kind of fun, including the Ms. Lipstick Louisiana Pageant and featured lesbian entertainers. We will continue to feature the finest in male entertainment with flawless out-of-state strippers and porn stars. Until then, Louisiana...I'm so glad we had this time together. Stay safe and happy.
