BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

About Christmas Cheer And A Happy New Year

Parties are going strong now in Baton Rouge. It's the season when everyone can come together for love and understanding. This year, Sam Favaro, King Apollo XVII-elect, was given a simply divine party by a co-worker and her husband at their elegant Castle Ridge home. The entire place was beautifully decorated, and the food was the finest you will find anywhere. It was one of those gatherings when everyone in attendance showed their support for the Apollo king-elect and his queen-elect, who attended the function with her significant other. If you didn't attend this one, you missed something very special, and you should be ashamed of yourself for doing so. A lot of work went into this presentation of togetherness, and each member of the Baton Rouge Krewe of Apollo owes a debt of gratitude to those people who put this one together. It would be difficult for anyone to duplicate this fantastic effort. Congratulations, Sam, and congratulations to all those members who supported you for this very special occasion, especially Gene N., who was hot to trot all evening for that Shreveport guy he finally took home with him. I noticed that he had extremely rosey cheeks the following day.

The other party of elegance for this holiday season was the Tyler-Possa bash at the magnificent Possa complex on University Lake. Elegance abounded here, and it was a stunning affair, an annual party for supporters of an outstanding law firm, and a few who usually just come along for the ride. I've mentioned this extremely sexy and gorgeous lawyer before, but I have to do it again. Joseph was dressed superbly for the occasion, and he welcomed everyone to this masterful party, catered by Amy Brassett and her distinctive catering service at De La Ronde Hall. Debbie, his secretary, was absolutely stunning in a low-cut burgundy velvet gown. Stephanie, a former queen of the Krewe of Hedon, was radiant in a black gown. The two moms, Tyler and Possa, were also elegantly attired and added so much class to this event. Throughout the Possa complex, the artistic touch of a master florist, Joe of Flowers By Jimmy Thomas, was seen and enjoyed by all in attendance. The carriage house was crowded as well as the main house, and a band serenaded those out back while a talented pianist entertained in the spacious sun room.

Damon and Tommy represented the Krewe of Apollo, and Leonard (a member of the local Krewe of Hedon) was the New Orleans Krewe of Sparta representative. Tim brought his new love, Bob, and Debbie, Josie and Paul arrived minus Claudette, who was home sick. Judge Downing also attended as did so many other prominent individuals, including that extremely cute lawyer, Eric Guirard, escorting his gorgeous other half. There were some 500 people coming and going throughout the evening, and the street and complex was patrolled by several local police officials. When I tell you this was a fabulous, I mean it was a FAB-ulous party. Congratulation to Joseph and his partner, John Tyler, for their community services and their kindness in inviting so many wonderful guests to their annual invitation-only Christmas extravaganza.

The party of parties for Spanish Town was held at David and Ken's home on Bungalow Lane. It was a community party, and a great time was had by all. This fabulous home is one of the most decorated in Spanish Town, and everyone going down Bungalow can enjoy this beautiful sight. This party is their way of celebrating the holiday with close friends and neighbors. Yet another great get-together was the Krewe of Apollo party at member Skip's home.

That's What Friends Are For," the fundraiser for Bettina Sheets held at the Mirror Lounge, was successful, and the talent for this one was outstanding. Included in the program were several great entertainers -Marilyn Mills, Mariah Holiday, Sashincie, Yvette LeVeaux, Effie Marie, Alicia Summers, Stephanie Holiday, Rob Johnson, George Knight, Onnie, the Rev. Don Clarke, Courtney O'Neal, and Veronica Monrey. It was a great show.

George's keeps going strong with the Thursday night karaoke extravaganzas, and Richard has had a few of those nice dancing boys coming in to his place too. The Georgettes (always a hit at this bar) blew into town too. My, but that sounds sexy! And Richard, Guy, Carla, and Damon got together for a special holiday dinner at that fancy steakhouse in Corporate Square. When I stopped in at the bar last week, I ran into that marvelous hunk of a man, the Joe of all Joes, as well as Kiwi the Mimi, and also that wonderful and beautiful stud, Kyle. My tongue gets extremely hard every time I'm in his presence. I can't imagine why. It could be because beautiful Brian was bartending. Talk about nice! They don't come any better than this young man. I hear he wants to go on that New York trip next April and needs a roommate. I immediately volunteered to be his roomie and personal companion for all activities planned - or unplanned, whichever the case might be.

The Hide-A-Way has opened a small store in their establish ment called Hibiscus East. It's just what the woman of the 90s needs, and merchandise changes every two weeks. This is another service that Minette is offering to her customers, and things got off to a great start last week. Hard-working Minette has a full-time job, so Marie does a lot of work at the bar. If you haven't been out there lately, you need to drop in. The Hide-A-Way is a nice place to "getaway."

The Blue Parrot is getting more and more into the leather thing on Friday nights. The crowds keep coming, some in full leather attire, others in cowboy or casual wear. Don and Tom just keep doing things right, and their little place of business keeps benefiting from their efforts. Another function held here was Eric's birthday party. This is that sexy Mississippi cowboy I told you about in my last column. He's a sweetheart, and I hear he has added a special piece of leather to his apparel. I also hear it fits quite well. I'll have to check this out soon.

Kyle and James are keeping things lively over on Main Street. Everyone is still talking about the wonderful Thanksgiving spread they had. I really think this was one of the nicest parties these guys have ever sponsored. Those of us who attended know how much these two mean to the local Red Stick community.

Kyle and Brian are keeping quite busy this holiday season. Not only do they operate Mystik Treasurers, but they burn the midnight oil keeping their Mystik Coffeeshop open. Talk about energy. These guys really work hard at success, and success is definitely their thing right now.

Lisa and her team of helpers are offering more free educator training sessions on January 13 and January 20. For places and times, call her at Friends For Life, 504.923.2277.

Naiad Press is about to cel- ebrate its 25th Anniversary. Founded January 1, 1973, Naiad is the publisher of over 400 books, audio books, and producer of lesbian videos and CDs. From its beginnings as the publisher of a single book in a world with only two bookstores eagerly welcoming new gay and lesbian products to the largest publisher in the field, serving thousands of stores and individuals, the story of Naiad's success is astonishing.

Barbara Grier and Donna J. McBride, founders of Naiad, worked without any salary at all for the first nine years. Not until 1982 when Barbara quit her daytime job to become Naiad's first paid employee did anyone earn any portion of their living from Naiad. Now, with eight full-time employees and two part-timers, the equivalent of six full time suppliers and over 100 living authors earning royalties for their work, Naiad is a leader in the gay/lesbian community not only for its product but for its financial support of the community, the lifeblood of future success for all.

Seeing the millennium around the corner, Naiad has put up its web site as of January 1, 1998 at www.naiadpress.com. When asked about future plans, Grier was quoted as saying, "No one has come close to matching what we do. I suspect we will keep on doing what we do best - publishing books that make lesbians feel proud of their lives, proud of their loves. I can't think of a richer legacy, can you?"

Grier has also helped many gay and lesbian bookstores get off to a good start. Damon at Hibiscus has great praise for her and all the help she has given him during the last nine years. In fact, she and Donna stopped in to visit him in Red Stick. Long before the major bookstores started carrying gay and lesbian literature, Hibiscus, as well as FM Bookstore, featured large inventories of these books. In fact, both stores are devoted to serving the community and would like to think that the community supports them. It's impossible to compete on pricing with the chains, but Hibiscus and FM Bookstores are involved in local services that mean a lot to the community. The gay money remains with gay causes and with other gay or gay-friendly businesses. The major chains do not help on a local level.

Congratulations, Naiad, on a job well done! May you enjoy greater prosperity in the new year and into the next millennium.

All the local establishments in Red Stick are offering big New Year's Eve bashes. You need to make one of these. In fact, there's so much in the works, you won't have to go out of town to have a great time. Just pick your location, and enjoy the midnight hour. Check out the ads in this issue of Ambush to see what's going on everywhere. I'll tell you all about Claudette and Debbie's Spanish Town party in my first column next year. It will also take place on New Year's Eve, and it looks like it will be a big blastoff into 1998 for the Spanish Town folk. Those gals really know how to do it up right. Very special thanks go out to friend Kevin for his help. He's such a handy and dandy man around the house, and sexy too.

Before I close, let me tell you about the ten top men and women of 1997 in old Red Stick, with some ties to New Orleans and other points in the state. I won't give you the complete details like I did last year, but, take it from me, these people are the top of the line, special in all respects. Here they are: Tommy, a great community leader and talented entrepreneur; Richard, a very special human being and wonderful humanitarian; Rick, a professional who is always helping others (especially me); Mario, thoughtful and caring and delightful to be around; Darren, a truly talented writer/playwright; Danny, always there when you need him; Larry, spice, and pepper, and everything nice; Ken, that artist with a flair for greatness; Leonard, always a friend, always caring; and Colla, just what the doctor ordered.

Top women of 1997 would have to include the following: Suzanne, the handsome and studly one who donates her time to needy causes; Bonnie, a professional lady who makes herself visible in several organizations both here and in New Orleans; Anita, for her tireless efforts on behalf of a gay and lesbian community center; Carla, for proving that straight women can enjoy the company of gay men with a classy kind of expertise; Lisa, for her marvelous efforts at helping out in the gay community; Gwen, who combines business and pleasure with an outgoing smile and great concern for her friends and acquaintances; Debbie, another professional in her work and in her passion for floral beauty; Bettina, for her courage and strong support of gay and lesbian causes over the years; Josie, another straight lady with strong ties to the community and always willing to lend a helping hand; and, of course, Mary Bess, a rare and beautiful human being, a wonderful friend.

Here's to you, my friends. Have a great Christmas and a very happy New Year.