LOUISIANA: First Marriage Takes Place, Gov. Bobby Jindal Says Clerks Can Opt Out

Louisiana has seen its first same-sex marriage but Gov. Bobby Jindal is following the lead of Texas and today declared that state employees can opt-out if they have religious objections.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has said Louisiana court clerks and other state employees who don't want to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of religious objections won't have to do so. Jindal's office has said the governor's religious freedom executive order as well as state and federal law will protect clerks and state employees who have moral objections to gay marriage and don't feel comfortable handing out licenses to same-sex couples. "We believe the U.S. Constitution, Louisiana Constitution, Louisiana's Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, as well as our Executive Order prevents government from compelling individuals to violate sincerely held religious beliefs. We will continue to fight to protect religious liberty," said Mike Reed, spokesman for the governor's office.

LOUISIANA: New Orleans Tourism Bureau Comes Out Against RFRA Bill

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has issued a statement denouncing the pending RFRA bill in Louisiana. Via the Times-Picayune:

"The adoption of certain types of overreaching, problematic and divisive legislation in Louisiana has the possibility of threatening our state's third largest industry and creating economic losses pushing past a billion dollars a year and costing us tens of thousands of jobs," said Stephen Perry, president of the organization in a written statement. The bill's author, state Rep. Mike Johnson, has already made some adjustments to his legislation, but Perry is asking that Johnson scrap the bill entirely -- or risk doing damage to New Orleans's reputation as a friendly travel destination. "We urge that further debate and new legislation be tabled for now because of the huge and needless damage this could inflict on our brand and to an industry and destination city that each have a world-wide reputation as being welcoming, diverse, inclusive and exceptionally tolerant," wrote Perry in a statement.

Rep. Johnson appeared on the radio show of Tony Perkins earlier this week to promote the bill. (Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

UPDATE: Also "on edge" is the state's film industry.

To the state’s nascent motion picture industry, an enterprise that emerged in the early 2000s and has put Louisiana on the map as one of the country’s premier filming destinations, there’s no silver lining to the bill that could alienate out-of-staters in the same way a controversial religious freedom law recently led to a national boycott against Indiana. “For those of us in the creative industries … this bill creates a significant challenge,” said Lampton Enochs, CEO of Moonbot Studios, a film animation company in the northern city of Shreveport, one of Louisiana’s three main movie industry hubs. “We’re competing with companies in L.A., San Francisco and New York. I think a bill like this would make it difficult to recruit out-of-state talent.”

Street Preachers At Mardi Gras 2015

Ruben Israel and his cast of idiots, of course.

First Reactions From Fifth Circuit Court: Judges Appear Poised For Pro-Gay Ruling

Weekend (Funeral) At Bernie's

New Orleans funerals have always been known for being celebrations of a life fully lived rather than somber reflections on loss, but this may be pushing it a bit too far. Via WGNO-ABC:

In life Miriam Burbank loved a cold beer, and an occasional scotch. So it’s only fitting, that it all be captured as part of her home-going. “I didn’t want her to just go, just go. So, I had to do something amazing. So she’s never forgotten,” Kimball said. Burbank’s daughters had a vision and presented it to funeral directors at Charbonnet Funeral Home, located in Treme. “They said they didn’t want a traditional religious type service,” Intern Funeral Director Lyelle Bellard said. “That she was just one of those people that just enjoyed life enjoyed living, just enjoyed people.” Burbank is sitting at a table wearing Saints colors. Her fingernails are even painted black and gold. She’s got her Busch beer and menthol cigarettes. The arraignment has been well received by friends and family members.

This short news clip is going viral.

TRAILER: Upstairs Inferno

If you are unfamiliar with the 1973 arson at New Orleans' UpStairs Lounge, the Wikpedia entry on the crime is a good place to start. Below is the trailer for the coming documentary on the worst mass murder of LGBT people in US history. While you watch, think about how close we came to this in Seattle a few months ago.

Source.

Anti-Gay Preachers At NOLA Mardi Gras

In 2012 nine members of this troupe, led by crackpot-in-chief Ruben Israel, were arrested at Southern Decadence. Last summer they protested at Comic-Con in San Diego. This is from Israel's YouTube channel.

NEW ORLEANS: Scam Artist Busted After Bilking Gay Businesses And Charities

There's so much to this bizarre story that I hardly know which bits to excerpt. Here's a starter:

He frequented French Quarter gay bars and claimed to be a tycoon with an investment firm headquartered in Switzerland. He would introduce himself to the city, he promised, with a grand, glittering party he called “Indulge,” scheduled for the night of Oct. 24 at the Eiffel Society on St. Charles Avenue. There would be red carpets and seductive costumes; photographers and bottle service. VIP tickets went on sale for $125. People took note of the mysterious out-of-towner, with opulent plans and a backstory that seemed too good to be true, with his age and his origins obscured by thick makeup and plastic surgery. Some found him alluring. Others thought him absurd. But they got tickets in droves to his masquerade ball — until his past caught up with him, just in time for the gala. His real name is Michael Manos. In New Orleans, he went by his 15th alias: Michael Morgan. The media, years ago, dubbed him “the glam scammer.”

The entire story is really fascinating. (Tipped by JMG reader Chris) 

FEMA Recalls Workers For Karen

FEMA has recalled furloughed workers in advance of Tropical Storm Karen.

A hurricane watch is in effect from Grand Isle to Indian Pass in the Florida Panhandle. A tropical storm watch also was in effect for parts of the Louisiana coast west of Grand Isle, including the New Orleans area. "Based on applicable legal requirements, and consistent with its contingency plan, FEMA has begun to recall currently furloughed employees necessary to serve functions of the agency to protect life and property as they prepare for potential landfall of Tropical Storm Karen," White House press secretary Jay Carney. Carney, the president's press secretary, said FEMA has also reactivated the Hurricane Liaison Team, which is embedded with the National Hurricane Center in Miami. "The president directed his team to ensure that federal resources and personnel needed to support state and local preparation efforts are available and on the job," Carney said.

How much federal disaster aid will Bobby Jindal ask for next week? Socialism!

At The Beard & Mustache Championships

TRAILER: Southern Knights

Movie description:

Tragoidia Moving Pictures presents our first narrative feature film. Set during the exuberance between Stonewall and AIDS, Southern Knights is the story of one man's struggle to reclaim his world after losing the love of his life in the tragic fire at the Upstairs Lounge in New Orleans.

Wikipedia has an entry about the Upstairs Lounge fire, one of the most horrifying events in the early days of the gay rights movement. (Tipped by JMG reader Scott)

RELATED: If you're around my age, you might recognize the instrumental music in the above clip. It's the final track from my all-time favorite album.

This American Life On HIV Testing

In the below episode of This American Life, New Orleans activists visit local bars and then the bathhouse to offer free HIV tests to the patrons. The clip includes some relatively frank depictions. Of note, the author of the piece is Nathaniel Rich, the son of famed essayist Frank Rich. Start at the 34:00 minute mark. (The clip may take a few seconds to load.)

(Tipped by JMG reader TJ)

God Hates Southern Decadence, Part 4

God Hates Southern Decadence, CTD

World Net Daily jumps on board.

The arrival of Hurricane Isaac exactly seven years after Hurricane Katrina blasted New Orleans has some people wondering if there’s more to it than random chance, and suggesting the popular homosexual festival Southern Decadence may be part of a judgment from God. A hurricane hitting a celebration of decadence … twice in seven years. What are the odds?” asks Robin Cox, a lifelong Gulf Coast resident. “Does it seem God has it in for New Orleans?” adds Mary Starkey. “Just contemplating why this has happened twice in seven years at exact same time of year.”

God Hates Southern Decadence

"Katrina was the greatest natural disaster ever to hit America. Now seven years later, to the day, another hurricane is heading towards this city. The fact the events are seven years apart is very significant as this number is biblically important. It is the number of completion: God created the universe in seven days. The church, city and nation have not repented and the homosexual agenda is far worse than it was in 2005.

"New Orleans is still hosting Southern Decadence with open homosexuality manifesting in the streets of the city. It could be that God is putting an end to this city and its wickedness. The timing of Hurricane Isaac with Southern Decadence is a sign that God’s patience with America’s sin is coming to an end. Let’s all watch this very closely, because if New Orleans is destroyed, it is a sure sign that the final judgment for the national sin of America has arrived." - Pastor John McTernan, writing for Defend & Proclaim The Faith. The comments there are just as funny.

Isaac To Make Landfall Tonight

Isaac Aims At New Orleans

The danger to the GOP convention has mostly ended as Isaac sets its sights on the Gulf coast. Wednesday, the day the storm is forecast to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, is the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina slamming into New Orleans.

Hurricane warnings have been issued for portions of the northern Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Isaac continues its west-northwestward march into the Gulf of Mexico. Isaac poses a potential serious threat to portions of the northern Gulf Coast Tuesday into Wednesday. All interests from Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle should watch the progress of Isaac closely and begin to make preparations. Even areas as far west as extreme southeast Texas should continue to monitor Isaac's progress in case a farther west track materializes. Hurricane warnings have been issued from just east of Morgan City, La. to Destin, Fla. This includes New Orleans, Biloxi, Gulf Shores, Pensacola Beach, and the Destin/Ft. Walton Beach area. Hurricane watches are now posted as far west to Morgan City, La.

LOUSIANA: Anti-Gay Pastor Grant Storms Convicted For Jerking Off Near Playground

Infamous anti-gay New Orleans Pastor Grant Storms, seen above-right leading one of his annual "perversion sweeps" during Southern Decadence, was convicted yesterday of public masturbation near a children's playground.

Storms, 55, who lives in Metairie, declined to comment after the conviction. Judge Ross LaDart of the 24th Judicial District Court, who presided over the daylong trial because Storms waived a jury, did not even break to deliberate. He promptly found Storms guilty of the single count of obscenity. He sentenced Storms to three years of probation, citing no evidence of a criminal history. LaDart also ordered Storms to be evaluated, apparently psychologically. The judge noted that in Storms' confession, he admitted that Feb. 25, 2011, the day he was arrested, was the third time that week that he masturbated in Lafreniere Park.

"Lafreniere Park is a public place," LaDart said in announcing the verdict. "Lafreniere Park is a place that was chosen by this defendant to engage in a history of masturbation." Storms declined to testify. His attorneys, Brett Emmanuel and Donald Cashio, did not overtly deny their client masturbated in the park but argued he never exposed his penis. The exposure was a necessary element of the obscenity charge. In his confession, Storms told Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Sgt. Kevin Balser he had taken a break from his grass cutting business to sip a beer in the park, where he said he became "horny."

Following Storms' arrest last year, numerous Southern Decadence 2011 revelers celebrated with mocking costumes. (Tipped by JMG reader WWWest)

Newspaper Woes For New Orleans

After a widely-praised post-Katrina comeback, insiders claim New Orleans' major daily newspaper will be cutting back to publishing twice a week.

The Times-Picayune, which has published since 1837, was bought by the Newhouse family in 1962 and later merged with the afternoon daily. Up to now, the paper has avoided some of the deeper cuts in the industry, in part because the newspaper played such a critical role in the coverage of Katrina and its aftermath. “The newspaper, oddly enough, is stabilizing, albeit at a reduced level from before the storm,” he said. “It has not come roaring back — it is a smaller business, but it is healthy business and that can’t be said of many American newspapers. The reporters and editors who work here accomplished something amazing.”

Christian Love At Southern Decadence

NOTE: This clip has been reposted from a different YouTube account after the earlier version got zapped as hate speech.