Gay Appreciation Awards (GAA) Gala

GAA Gala Announces Winners; Honors Sy'ria Jackson-Synclaire with Lifetime Achievement (www.AmbushMag.com/gaa) The 28th Annual Gay Appreciation Awards Gala is set for Saturday, July 18, 8-10pm, at Oz, 800 Bourbon Street. Doors open at 7pm. In addition to announcing the 2015 winners, the evening will honor Sy'ria Jackson-Synclaire who was selected as the recipient of the prestigious 28th Lifetime Achievement Award. VIP Tables with four seats are $200 and are very limited. All proceeds benefit Southern Decadence 2015. Contact Rip Naquin for table reservations at ripna@ambushmag.com or 504.522.8049. Door admission is $10. (www.SouthernDecadence.com) Chosen by the GAA Board of Directors, Sy’ria is one of Louisiana’s own Transgender Women of Color, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a graduate of Belaire Magnet High and Georgia Tech University. She has been in the HIV prevention, education and policy field for 15 years now. She started as a Peer Educator with POCC (People of Color in Crisis) in Brooklyn, New York under the leadership of Michael Roberson; she then became certified by the CDC and New York’s Dept. of Health and Hospitals for HIV Counseling and Testing. Ms. Jackson-Synclaire is now the C.L.E.A.R./ ARTAS Prevention Specialist and a overseer of “The Doll House”, which is a Safe Haven for transgendered individuals of the Greater New Orleans Area under Brotherhood Inc. Her passion for her community has driven her to gain as much knowledge in all areas pertaining to healthcare, equality, and social justice for the Trans population. She continues to educate herself on how to be of a better aide to her brothers and sisters and help them navigate through healthcare resources. As a service provider and as a member of this community, she feels the need to empower, enlighten, educate, and assist all those that are willing to seek the help that is provided by all agencies and the healthcare resources. Ms. Jackson-Synclaire is acknowledged by the Black Transgender Advocacy Conference Board of Director’s as a “Rising Star” in Advocacy for the Transgender Community. Sy’ria enjoys the art form of female impersonation. She has been entertaining audiences for 20 years. She has earned many prestigious state, regional, and national titles. At present she is the current Miss Black Trans International, Miss Tampa Bay International, Miss Gay Acadiana, and the newly crowned Miss Metro. Sy’ria is also a former Miss Queen of Rampart, Miss Wolfendale’s, Miss Footloose, Miss Louisiana USofA, and Miss Louisiana Pride. These titles and accomplishments are just a reflection of all the people that believe in the vision and brand that is Sy’ria Jackson-Synclaire. Come cheer on your favorites. Top 5 Finalists in each award category include: Circuit Party/Event of the Year: 16th Gay Easter Parade, Friday Night Before Mardi Gras Extravaganza 15, Halloween 31, 16th Purple Party, Southern Decadence 43 Hair Salon of the Year: Fee & Art's Revival Studio, Head Quarters, Mickey Nolan's, Salon Versailles, Two Guy Cutting Hair Gay Mardi Gras Ball of the Year: Krewe of Amon-Ra, Krewe of Armeinius, Lords of Leather, Krewe of Narcissus, Mystic Krewe of Satyricon Neighborhood Bar of the Year: Corner Pocket, Four Seasons & Patio Stage Bar, The Golden Lantern, Good Friends, GrandPre's Buzzy Fanning AIDS Award: Darren Ferris, Big Easy Sisters, Toby Lefort, NO/AIDS Task Force, Adikus Sulpizi Bitch of the Year: Aubrey Synclaire, Opal Masters, Chi-Chi Rodriquez, Persana Shoulders, Princess Stephaney Show Club of the Year: Bourbon Pub & Parade, Corner Pocket, Four Seasons & Patio Stage Bar, The Golden Lantern, Oz New Orleans Donnie Jay Performing Arts Award: Gone With The Breaking Wind, La Familia, New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus, Running with Scissors, The Southern Barbitchuates Restaurant/Deli/Coffee House of the Year: Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop, Clover Grill, Eat, Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, Verti Mart Dance Club of the Year: Bourbon Pub & Parade, Corner Pocket, Four Seasons & Patio Stage Bar, The Golden Lantern, Oz New Orleans Bartender of the Year: Ashlee Logan/Corner Pocket, Jake Morris/Four Seasons & Patio Stage Bar, Jeff Palmquist/Cafe Lafitte in Exile, Wayne Penton/Bourbon Pub & Parade, Chi-Chi Rodriguez/Oz DJ of the Year: Deanne Cooley/Four Seasons, Dominick "Dom" Kolb/Corner Pocket, Four Seasons Kyle David/Oz, Tim Pflueger/Oz, Jonathan "JRB" Reed/Oz Leather Bar of the Year: Double Play, GrandPre’s, Mag’s 940, Phoenix, Rawhide Cheridon Comedy Award: Reba Douglas, Gia GiaVanni, Persana Shoulders, Princesse Stephaney, Tittie Toulouse Fly Fashion Glamour Award: Dominique DeLorean, Connie Hung, Monica Synclaire-Kennedy, Karli LaCorre, Aubrey Synclaire LGBT Business of the Year: Bourbon Pride, Crescent City Tour Booking Agency, Delaney & Robb Attorneys at Law, Rab Dab Clothing & Gifts, Scully’z Recordz Leather Person of the Year: Jason Ashford, Matthew Birkhoff, Troy Powell, Adikus Sulpizi, Gary Vandeventer Transgender of the Year: Regina Adams, Adrian Claveria, Joann Guidos, Rikki Redd, Chi-Chi Rodriquez Lesbian of the Year: Misti Ates, Catherine Gaither, Mina Hernandez, Nikki Max, Carla Torlucci Rogers Gay Man of the Year: Andy Bergeron, Bradley Latham, Tony Leggio, Derek Penton-Robichaeux, Stephen Valiente Marcy Marcell Entertainer of the Year: Reba Douglas, Gia GiaVanni, Karli LaCorre, Aubrey Synclaire, Monica Synclaire-Kennedy Sponsored by Ambush Magazine, the awards thanks those in the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community who are often not recognized for the outstanding services and efforts they perform. These individuals and businesses have made the LGBT Community into the viable, successful and powerful community it is today. The Gay Appreciation Awards Board of Directors includes Lisa Beaumann, Teryl-Lynn Foxx, and Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain. #gaa #gayappreciationawards #ambushmag