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“BEARRACUDA” Joins BEAR GAMES at 8th Mobile Bleather Weekend 2016 Aug. 5 & 6 The Summer Games are here, but not all of the action is in Rio! Save yourself a plane ticket and put aside the mosquito netting, because Bear Games is coming to Mobile Bleather Weekend 2016! August 5 and 6 marks the 8th Mobile Bleather Weekend, billed as “The South’s Premier Bear/Leather/Levi Event”. Four bars in Mobile unite to present a weekend filled with contests, music and socializing, all centered around a theme. And because all eyes will be on Rio this August, Bear Games was a natural fit... especially during the 21st Annual Mr. Gulf Coast Bear Contest! Friday kicks off with Opening Cock- Mobile Bay Causeway, plus a manly gift tails at 6:30 pm at Gabriel’s Downtown. basket featuring items from Mayo’s Barber Stop by, have a beer and mingle with the Shop in Midtown. It’s all to benefit AIDS early arrivals. South. Gabriel’s provides the warm up for a Remember, there is no run fee for brand new event for Bleather... the circuit Mobile Bleather Weekend. Just come and dance party “Bearracuda” with DJ Ryan have a great time. Jones in from L.A. to pump the party! B- For more information, visit the event Bob’s is the host bar for Bearracuda, with website, http:// admission just $6 before 10 pm, $8 after. www.mobilebelatherweekend.com/ and Bearracuda is already a hot ticket in Lon- look for our special code for a $50 room rate don, , , San Francisco, at our host hotel, Quality Inn Downtown. , NYC and to name a "As always, a special thanks to Am- few. Mobile Bleather Weekend 2016 marks bush Magazine for their support. We’ll see Bearracuda’s premier in the port city with you in Mobile for Mobile Bleather Weekend support from Growlr. 2016, August 5, 6 in Beautiful Downtown Looking for late night adventure? The Mobile, Alabama!" Midtown Pub’s got it, with TMP’s Annual Notorious Black Party. The lights go low as DJ Scottie makes things go “thump” in the trodding the boards night. It’s over when it’s over, so don’t just ...from 23 come and go - stay a while! Summer afternoons can get hot in balance between comedy and drama. Mobile, so take the edge off by grabbing a With his pretty boy looks and will- cool beverage and a warm sack. It’s Corn ing yet tentative attitude towards Rosa, Hole and Cocktails at Flip Side Bar & Patio! Raetz leaves little doubt that his propri- No pressure here, just a friendly game of ety when it comes to premarital toss that puts you mood for the Bear Games whoopee with her is as much because to come. The center piece of Mobile Bleather of inchoate gay tendencies as it is to Weekend is the annual Mr. Gulf Coast Bear honor his vow to Serafina. While his contest. But before that hot mess is the properness may have been played annual Mr. GCB Contestant’s Party at 6 pm straight back in the 1950s, Williams at Gabriel’s Downtown. This year’s gather- himself hints at the subtext by having ing will be hosted by the men from NOLA Hunter state that his ship is heading to Leather to Geaux, providing some nibbles “Buenos Aires, Rio and San Francisco.” and a look at their 2017 run. This is also a I detected a slight, and not inappropri- good chance for late entries to sign up for... ate, twinkle in Raetz’s eye when he ...The 21st Annual Mr. Gulf Coast Bear Contest! This year’s pageantry takes mentioned the last city. mobile on a sporting theme as we celebrate the As Rosa, Linnea Gregg makes a paparazzi Summer Games (we can’t use the “O” suitably dramatic teenager, headstrong word) in Bleather style! Bear Games will like her mother; a little more of the give you an irreverent taste of Rio 2016 as tender ache of the heart that the text our contestants display their competitive suggests is all that’s missing. side in bear wear, bear image, and the ever Michael Sullivan winningly delivers popular “Less Is More” portion of the show. two different types of authority figures, As always, Louisiville’s own A.J. McKay will a too slick priest and, more broadly, a unleash his potty mouth and unique world view on the contestants and the crowd. nasty salesman who undoubtedly would Contestants will “pass the boot” during the be a Trump supporter. Destani Smith contest to benefit AIDS Alabama South, embodies the classiest blackjack dealer Mobile’s HIV/AIDS help agency. There’s a you’ll ever see and contributes an nice cash prize for the winning bear, a fab otherworldly demeanor as the Virgin. sash and adoration from everyone! Of Yet it is Mary Pauley in the small ~ Mobile, Alabama Photos by Miss Cie Flip Side & B-Bob's Butt, Pride Car Wash, Kickin' Cancer's course, the spectacle is followed by an- but significant role of Assunta, Serafina’s other, B-Bob’s Famous Floor Show, which confidant, who provides this Tattoo’s happens after we clean up the mess. most memorable moment. It’s a minor Mobile Bleather Weekend 2016 comes to a squeaky clean end with another new but telling one. Serafina has needlessly event... Gabriel’s Big Bleather Foam Party! insulted her friend. Pauley replies with It is exactly what the name implies, with a twisting clap of her hands as if to say Gabriel’s famous patio converted to a frothy “Bah! I’m done with you” and exits. dance emporium. Pay a small membership Pauley may not have much stage time fee and you can dance till dawn! but with her stooped walk, feminist/ Throughout the weekend, we’ll be giv- hippie-ish costume, curly grey wig, ing you the opportunity to win a $100 gift subtle facial expressions, and gestures card for a delicious meal at either Felix’s Fish Camp or The Blue Gill, both on the [continued on 29]

26 • The Official Mag©: AmbushMag.com • August 2-15, 2016 • Official Southern Decadence Guide • SouthernDecadence.com GayNewOrleans.com • NOLAPride.org • August 2-15, 2016 • Facebook.com/AmbushMag • The Official Mag©: AmbushMag.com • 27 uin y Rip Naquin

ambush paparazzi 1st Southern Decadence Grill Off raises $550 @ The Page for ~ New Orleans Photos by Paul Melancon, Rip Naq Sister Sunday Social: Brunch & Jukebox Drag Show raises $705 for Southern Decadence @ The Friendly Bar ~ New Orleans Photos b

28 • The Official Mag©: AmbushMag.com • August 2-15, 2016 • Official Southern Decadence Guide • SouthernDecadence.com Factors Affecting not just a service set aside for those in a certain financial bracket.Hans matters of health Cervical Cancer Gangeskar and A. Edvard Engesaeth Screening (who is an MD) are the co-founders of by Jack Carrel, MPH A recent study published in the Nurx, which allows women with insur- Journal of Clinical Nursing reported ance to get birth control free, and non- Health Status Linked to Sexual Orientation factors that impact cervical cancer insurance customers to purchase it for $15. The best part is that it is delivered A study published in a recent issue of JAMA Internal Medicine not screening among lesbian and bisexual to a customer’s house. They have a surprisingly found that LGBTQ adults are more likely to have psychological and women and transgender men, which team of medical doctors who can an- physical health issues that straight people. The data is from the National Health can affect health outcomes. Some of swer any questions. The site also Interview Survey. The results showed that gay and bisexual men were more the factors overlap with the general offers PrEP. The downside? At the likely to describe suffering from severe psychological distress, drink heavily and female population but some are spe- moment, it’s only available in smoke than heterosexual men. Severe psychological distress was reported by cific to LBT individuals. Patients who and but….who knows what 6.8 percent of gay and 9.8 percent of bisexual men, and only 2.8 percent of were screened routinely felt more wel- could happen in ! To check straight men. Also, 11 percent of bisexual women reported psychological issues come in the health care setting, while out the program, go to www.nurx.com and substance abuse problems, versus 5 percent of lesbian women and 3.8 nonroutine screeners reported more percent of heterosexual women. Study authors theorized that the stigma and discrimination related to their sexual bias that the LGBT community faces and the chronic stress that results, can orientation and gender expression. Transgender People seriously impact health and that health care providers should keep this in mind Routine screeners were also more likely Worldwide Face to ensure equitable health care for all their patients. to ‘out’ to their provider. “Our research findings add to the growing body of Challenges for HIV Seroconversion is Rare if PrEP is Used literature that suggests unwelcoming Health Care healthcare environments is a major The influential medical journal, The Consistently contributing factors to lack of preven- Lancet, recently published a series of In a study presented at the recent American Society for Microbiology tive screening among LGBT people,” papers highlighting health issues in the Microbe, researchers reported that new HIV infections were at a low rate of said Dr. Michael Johnson, lead author transgender community. This is the about 1 per 100 person-years among people who took daily Truvada for PrEP, of the study. “The healthcare land- first time such a journal has devoted a with infections mostly in participants who stopped taking PrEP. The study was scape needs to be more affirmative series to transgender health. Some of an analysis of more than 30 studies and demonstration projects presented last and inclusive for LGBT people, and this the data presented in the studies in- month at the ASM Microbe 2016 con- can only be achieved if each healthcare cluded transgender women, who often trodding the boards ference in . professional, especially nurses and face job discrimination and turn to sex ...from 26 providers, educate themselves on how work, have a 49 times greater risk of to provide better care to LGBT people.” like this one, she fully conjures up PrEP Use is Rising Fast HIV. Transgender people are also fre- Assunta’s personality. in US quent victims of violence, with research- Birth Control App Wants ers documenting 2,115 killings between Jerry Johnson’s scenic design, in- More than 49,000 people in the US 2008 and April 2016. One paper in the cluding a wall of shutters and a large have filled prescriptions for Truvada for To Reduce the 3 million series notes that many regions still rose hovering over the stage, adds pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at Unintended have laws or policies that threaten lyrical grace to the production as does retail pharmacies, according to the re- Pregnancies In The US transgender health, such as the 17 Missy Martinez’s variously hued light- sults of a survey by Gilead Sciences European countries that impose steril- ing. The cast does have to do a better presented at the ASM Microbe confer- You might be saying why is there ization on people seeking gender reas- job, however, of projecting lines from ence. Among those PrEP users, most an article about birth control in an LGBT signment. Studies showed there are an offstage; the scenery seems to muffle were white gay men; Blacks used PrEP column? Well, did you know that preg- estimated 25 million transgender people them and I wasn’t the only one who had much less often, despite having the nancy rate for LBT teenagers is two to globally. Transgender people suffer high trouble understanding them. highest rates of HIV infection. At a seven times greater than their hetero- rates of depression - up to 60 percent The last Rose Tattoo I saw was at conference in 2013 Gilead research- sexuals? Given the challenges LGBT - due to stigma, discrimination and Le Petit in 2003. It was a fairly tradi- ers presented findings from a survey of individuals have seeking appropriate abuse, jeopardizing their physical and tional production and utterly 55% of US pharmacies showing that health care, you can imagine the dis- mental health. unmemorable. Leaving this Tattoo, I fewer than 1300 Truvada prescriptions cussion around birth control can be was pleased to have experienced not were written in 2012 for people who did challenging. To try to make birth con- Jack Carrel, MPH has worked in only a wonderfully messy version of not already have HIV or hepatitis B. trol more accessible, a health care HIV, STD, and LGBTQ health for over Williams’ odd Gulf Coast dramedy of About half of these PrEP recipients company has developed an app. NURX 30 years. Currently he is a doctoral love and redemption, but what I hope were women. developed a website and app started will be The Williams The- by two male entrepreneurs based out student at Walden University, a con- atre Company of New Orleans’ ongo- of San Francisco, who want to ensure sultant in grant writing. He can be ing blooming into artistic maturity. that healthcare is more accessible, and reached at [email protected].

GayNewOrleans.com • NOLAPride.org • August 2-15, 2016 • Facebook.com/AmbushMag • The Official Mag©: AmbushMag.com • 29 La Scène Sociale y Leggio

Newly crowned Miss Gay Louisiana America Imani Nye Black in her first walk at Oz ambush paparazzi

Patrons living for the new photo booth @ Oz New Orleans

GAA Award Winning Ladies of Oz @ Show Night

YouTube sensation @ Oz after his House of Blue’s show: Straight Outta Oz!

Cutter's Mac "Goes Pink" to Harass Miss Love @ Cutter's Southern Decadence S'ingo raises $1,653 @ Cheezy Cajun for ~ New Orleans Photos by Rip Naquin

Piglette's Rip & Marsha Ton Biloxi raises $2,514 @ Just Us Lounge for Southern Decadence ~ Photos by Koo Gaffney, Coming Home: Decadence Takes "Goes Pink" to Harass Miss Love @ Cutter's 30 • The Official Mag©: AmbushMag.com • August 2-15, 2016 • Official Southern Decadence Guide • SouthernDecadence.com