This CHURCH just became a cruising hotspot 🙏

Hello and TGI(almost)F! Here’s what’s on tap this weekend:

Plus: all the latest in gay travel news. Let's get into it. 👇

Only in New Orleans. At least, for now.

Sniffies kicked took over the Church at Hotel Peter & Paul, a former Catholic church in the Marigny that's now a gorgeous boutique hotel.

For one night, the sanctuary turned into a cruising gallery. Decades of Southern Decadence photos hung on chain-link fencing, neon lit up the pews, and a cappella singers set the mood.

Writer and “horny evangelist” Leo Herrera gave the sermon: "Cruising, in its purest form, is a love and protection for your neighbor."

Then a DJ took over and the congregation danced.

It was a hookup app throwing a party in a church, and it came with real history. Decadence has survived more than 50 years of hurricanes, the AIDS crisis, and anti-gay backlash. It now brings around 200,000 people to the French Quarter every Labor Day weekend.

Sniffies also sold limited-edition tanks, with $5 from each going to the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana.

Heading to New Orleans anytime soon? Put Hotel Peter & Paul on your list, and book early.

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The girls are fighting…

Overnight, a judge temporarily blocked Trump's ban on CNN, MS Now and Politico.

But before that ruling, the big fight in queer media this week was between two of our own.

The Advocate put out a report noting that the Washington Blade kept working the White House pool, while the TV networks sat out in solidarity.

The article made it sound like the Blade was crossing a picket line even Fox News refused to cross.

But then, the Blade responded.

Blade Editor Kevin Naff pointed out that the boycott was only by the TV networks — no other print outlet was boycotting. He says he asked the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association to confirm.

Sitting out, he says, would have gotten the Blade thrown out of the pool and the briefing room — a hard fought position. They are the only LGBTQ+ outlet in the pool.

“The LGBTQ community is far better served with the Blade in the room than a far-right blogger taking our seat,” Neff said.

He also says he called The Advocate's reporter within 90 minutes of the story going up and never heard back. The Advocate hasn't retracted.

You can disagree with the Blade's decision to stay — or the Advocate’s decision to run that piece. But a story accusing a 57-year-old queer paper of crossing a picket line should have its editor's answer in it before it runs.

This is where queer media is right now. Last week it was equalpride and its own MAGA mess. This week, the two oldest names in queer journalism are fighting in public over a story that didn't hold up.

That's part of the reason why a group of LGBTQ+ journalists are starting something new. We mentioned it last week and the response was overwhelming. Now it's official.

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