Gay Place

GEE PEE MINUS ONE It's a sad day, indeed, in Gay Place land. Ash Bell, our lovely and dedicated co-columnist, is moving operations to Houston, and unfortunately we are having to take the opportunity to effect some belt-tightening 'round these parts. Truly, having a co-columnist for this thing has been a plush luxury. Not just for me, but for you dear readers as well, as you have enjoyed the benefit of two perspectives on Austin's ever-expanding gaydom. And Ash has certainly brought some sweet juice to the realm. We met Ash back in early '06. She was one of the sassy lassies behind the bar at the collaborative attempt between Nueva Onda and Foodies called LoFi. Our first impression (after "bustier"): wise-beyond-her-years and funny as fuck; it's been my pleasure to watch this dynamic young lady take her place in local queer community. After LoFi, Ash joined Kings N Things, making quite the impression as one of the troupe's red hot bio queens. She also became Kitty's right hand in Foodies, a frenetic task that put her on the front line, meeting and greeting new meat ... er, women, moving to Austin and looking for their tribe. Ash would often be the first person they'd meet. No wonder so many have stayed. We are beyond honored that Ash will continue as a loyal member of the Gay Place Krewe (along with previous GP columnist emeritus Kate Getty, et al.), so look for her blog posts and her smiling face at some GP events, and join us in wishing her well on her journeys. (See www.austinchronicle.com/gayplaceblog.)

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