New Orleans is historic, beautiful, charming and—really gay.
The most popular city in Louisiana has catered to LGBT travelers for decades, mostly in part to the Southern Decadence celebration that takes place there every Labor Day weekend.
But there is more to the city than a weekend-long party of fabulous costumes, nearly naked men and a parade that lasts almost an entire day. More than 20 clubs cater to the LGBT community and the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau does more than just target LGBT travelers.
“But it’s about a whole lot more than just an advertising campaign,” says Kelly Schultz with the NOCVB. “We are genuinely a city that welcomes gays and lesbians and wants them to feel completely comfortable enjoying all the wonderful things that our city has to offer.”
The city has long been a destination spot for travelers of all kinds, but since the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the city has struggled to bring back the tourism numbers before the storm.
But that’s changing and New Orleans is open for business, despite an oil spill just 100 miles off of its coast.
“The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau is closely monitoring cleanup efforts of the rig centered oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico,” Schultz says. “We are in constant communication with officials from the City of New Orleans, the United States Coast Guard and the Command Center.”
New Orleans is nearly 100 miles from the actual Gulf of Mexico coast, so Shultz says the city doesn’t expect to see any disruption to its guest services or tourism attractions.
A Gay Tradition
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans just a few weeks before Southern Decadence in 2005. Since then the high octane, three-day dance party and parade has slowly rebuilt its numbers. But according to Samson Utley, who was grand marshal of the 2009 Southern Decadence, the annual pilgrimage is more than just a party. It’s a tradition.
Utley says the event began almost 40 years ago as a small going away party among a group of local friends. Since that time it has blossomed into an international event attracting tens of thousands of gay revelers from across the country and around the world. Southern Decadence is always Labor Day weekend. The dates for 2010 are Wednesday, Sept. 1 through Monday, Sept., 6.
Decadence’s original going away party was for Michael Evers and to shut up a new “Belle Reve” tenant (from New York) who kept complaining about the New Orleans heat. As a riff on the “Belle Reve” theme, the group named the event a “Southern Decadence Party: Come as Your Favorite Southern Decadent.” All participants were required to dress in costume as their favorite “decadent southern” character.
By 1981, most of the original organizers had moved on with their lives. Many felt that the event had become so big that it was no longer the intimate party they had started nine years earlier. Of the original group, only Grand Marshal V Robert King was actively participating. He, along with some of his friends who were regulars at the Golden Lantern bar, thought it was worth continuing and they took over the festivities. It was at this point that Southern Decadence became primarily a gay event. Other protocol changes made in 1981 included moving the starting point of the annual parade from Matassa’s to the Golden Lantern bar, and allowing Grand Marshals to personally name their own successors. Both of these traditions continue today. And in 1987, the Grand Marshal began to make a proclamation of the official theme, color and song.
Utley will name his successor on May 19. His successor will then name the official colors and theme for the 2010 event. The new marshal, colors and theme will then be announced on the southern decadence website.
“Southern Decadence is about a lot more than just Gay pride,” said Utley. “It is truly a gay celebration—a festival of everything gay—and New Orleans just loves it. While the event primarily appeals to gay men, we do have lots of gay women and even straight people who come with their children. I’ve even seen people pushing baby strollers during the parade.”
The parade itself, which takes place on Sunday, can be characterized as organized chaos. The grand marshal leads the procession and anyone can 
participate. There are no floats or official units, most of the participants are on foot, although most are outfitted in all sort sorts of colorful costumes. Utley says that there can be upwards of several thousand participants.
Participants basically go bar hoping. The procession begins at the Golden Mansion, the longest operating gay bar in the country, and revelers stop at various pubs along the way to indulge in libations before traveling on to the next destination. It ends with a huge dance party at the Bourbon Pub. There are usually more than a dozen stops.
“Everyone just basically descends upon a bar all at once,” Utley explains. “We stay for a few minutes or up to a half hour or more depending on our mood. Then the grand marshal and his or her entourage blow their whistles and yell ‘Time to go Girls” and we’re off we go to the next stop!”
Utley says he had over 100 people in his entourage. No one may walk in front of the grand marshal except the police whom Utley said are very supportive and friendly.
“Members of the entourage take them bottles of water while they wait on us to party in each establishment,” said Utley.
More than parades
While the entire French Quarter participates, including bars, restaurants and entertainment clubs, the focal point of the celebration is the Bourbon Pub, a two story dance palace that features one of the nation’s largest collections of videos in the downstairs bar and high energy music upstairs. There are professional shows, comedy acts and free concerts both inside and on the street outside the pub. The Bourbon Pub is housed within a 200-year-old historic building.
“While we basically have no rules during Decadence, you still have to obey the law,” he says. “Organizers aren’t going to bail you out if you do something stupid!”
Utley said it was a privilege and an honor to be named a Grand Marshal—a title he says is the highest that can be bestowed upon anyone in the gay community in New Orleans. Utley is a professional performer and goes by the stage name of Paloma.
“I’d like your readers to know that this is their party too,” he says. “It’s all about welcoming our gay brothers and sisters to my remarkable city and celebrating who and what we are.”
A different kind of city
According to Arnold Hirsch of the University of New Orleans’ Department of History, normally when tourists or first-time residents come to New Orleans, they have a difficult time understanding the city. It looks like no other place in the United States.
“The first puzzling impression usually comes from the appearance of the French Quarter near many of the city’s hotels,” said Hirsh. “It is more than just a few blocks of townhouses and cottages standing side-by-side, up against the sidewalk. They quickly learn that bars have no closing hour, that the food is spicy, and that the music is pulsating almost everywhere.”
And they may also take note that the locals come from all different backgrounds.
“They are more than a mosaic of identities; instead, they have to share a new cultural identity,” says Joseph Logsdon, also from the History Department at the University of New Orleans. Neither race nor nationality, nor sexual orientation excludes any group from this common ground. What the city’s denizens celebrate is less the Old World cultures of their ancestors and more the new way of life that evolved in New Orleans.”
Schulz adds that New Orleans is the kind of place where people indulge too much, eat too much, drink too much, dance too much and generally just have a good time.
“We want all of our visitors, including members of the LGBT community, to feel like New Orleans is the kind of place where they can relax and really let their hair down,” he says.
For more information on New Orleans or Southern Decadence, visit SouthernDecadence.com, NewOrleansOnline.com/NewOrleans/GLBT or MardiGrasGuide.com.
