Southern Decadence
southern decadence annual sixday lgbtqbased event held new orleans louisiana labor day weekend culminating parade french quarter sunday labor day event trace beginning august endofsummer party among group friend straight gay billed event southern decadence party come favorite southern decadent people attended required dress favorite decadent southerner two week later group threw another party farewell michael evers left join lover david randolph michigan first small walking parade occurred following year participant first met johnny matassas bar french quarter show costume walk back home belle reve name taken streetcar named desire tremé neighbourhood via esplanade avenue first group impersonated people character belle watling prostitute character gone wind mary ann mobley tallulah bankhead helen keller event expanded frederick douglas wright african american appointed first grand marshal member original group complete control parade character costume marched french quarter decadence commonly known participant marked parade bead tossing street party dance party resembles new orleans mardi gras southern decadence sexual tone decadence crowd quarter typically match exceed mardi gras crowd event take place around french quarter centered intersection bourbon st ann street crowd range reveler across world participant positive economic impact city new orleans estimated million decadence caters primarily gay men lesbianfriendly dyke bike lesbian group participate annual parade french quarter grrlspot lesbian party promoter sponsor event lesbian theme presented beginning theme become consistent fixture event plague pest parasite theme featured every year decadence held since ranged theme varied voodoo menage à trois ancient truth lie sacrifice hurricane year blow back theme house bourbon unleash beast theme “fruit salad come toss good time” year past religious conservative group rallied festival formal petition filed event terminated video footage handed official depicting dozen men engaged public sex act example men exposing others bead similar way woman exposed breast traditional mardi gras balcony bead toss complaint led vocal response business owner hotelier new orleans support festival ultimately police posted notice clarifying constitutes public sex grant storm pastor spearheaded videotaped filed petition arrested february caught masturbating public park convicted obscenity august city later passed ordinance effectively banned dissemination social political religious message bourbon street sunset sunrise punishable six month jail fine city councilwoman kristin palmer sponsored ordinance said city legitimate interest protecting resident visitor highly trafficked area bourbon street night said aggressive solicitation crowd control issue people allowed law speak message take five step bourbon street really issue trying protect public safety nine preacher activist arrested september allegedly yelled slur people attending southern decadence bourbon street represented american civil liberty union first round case arrested saw law temporarily suspended via restraining order granted federal judge later new orleans city council voted lift ordinance banning street preaching sunset sunrise city famous bourbon street unconstitutionally city restriction prohibited person group gathering bourbon street purpose disseminating social political religious message patently unconstitutional could hope judge would rule otherwise said attorney nate kellum center religious expression year year edition southern decadence officially cancelled wake safety precaution hurricane katrina however small group resident still remained french quarter celebrated event anyway abbreviated parade took place french quarter two dozen participant french quarter holdout also least couple people wade flooded street neighbourhood get city officially evacuated time police officer first attempted stop small observation tradition one participant able produce parade permit issued prekatrina showing scheduled legal event small procession allowed continue national medium reporter noted event first parade new orleans hurricane recent previous new orleans parade krewe oak midsummer mardi gras parade night city mandatory evacuation theme southern decadence rebirth event rebounded attracting nearnormal crowd bourbon street extravaganza annually hosted napoleon itch saw deborah cox fredrick ford jeanie tracy mat jordan headline festival due approach hurricane gustav mandatory evacuation notice event saturday official southern decadence event sunday august midday cancelled year result sunday parade cancelled southern decadence grand marshal paloma samson utley tittie toulouse gary delaune returned however case small group french quarter resident still celebrated event anyway unofficial parade taking place french quarter parade twodozen participant like three year earlier theme hurricane year blow back event rebounded whole attracting nearnormal crowd year year edition southern decadence officially cancelled wake covid pandemic following year edition also cancelled due continued concern surrounding covid pandemic plus effect hurricane ida south louisiana southern decadence new orleans howard philip smith frank perez foreword robert laurent afterword maureen block southern decadence official website southern decadence new orleans definitive history book frank perez howard philip smith medium related southern decadence wikimedia common