Southern Decadence
Southern Decadence is a week-long, predominantly gay-male event held in New Orleans, Louisiana and its environs by the gay and lesbian community during Labor Day Weekend, climaxing with a parade through the French Quarter on the Sunday before Labor Day. Most events take place in or around the French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans, centering especially on the intersection of Bourbon and St. Ann streets.
Crowds range from 100,000 to 300,000 revelers from across the United States and the around the world. In 2010 there were over 125,000 participants and the positive economic impact on the City of New Orleans was estimated at over $160 million.
Decadence, as it is known by participants, is marked by parades, bead tossing, street parties and dance parties. In these ways it resembles New Orleans Mardi Gras, however, Southern Decadence is more adult and sexual in tone. Decadence crowds in the Quarter typically match or exceed the Mardi Gras crowds, although the influx of visitors to the city as a whole is not so great as for New Orleans Mardi Gras.
For 2011, the theme was "Viva New Orleans: What Happens in New Orleans Stays in New Orleans." The official colors were fuchsia pink, black and silver. The official song for 2011 was Fireworks by Katy Perry. The Grand Marshals for 2011 are Tiffany Alexander and Misael Rubio, and they will reign until their replacements are announced in June 2012.[1]
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[edit] Opposition
In the past several years religious and conservative groups have rallied against the festival. In 2003 there was a formal petition filed to have the event terminated, with video footage handed over to officials depicting dozens of men engaged in "public sex acts". There were examples of men exposing themselves to others for beads, similar to the way women have long exposed their breasts (and more in "girls-gone-wild" style) for the traditional Mardi Gras balcony bead toss. Ironically, the pastor who spearheaded, videotaped, and filed the petition, Grant Storms was arrested in February 2011 charged with masturbating in a public park while watching children on a playground.[2] There was an extremely vocal response from business owners and hoteliers in New Orleans in support of the festival. Ultimately the police made a show of posting notices clarifying public sex, and the public urination of the many drunken revelers is forbidden.
[edit] Expansion
In 2009, Dykeadence was started in response to Southern Decadence's primarily drawing in European-American wealthy gay men to its festivities. Dykeadence is a series of events created by and for women, transpeople, people of color and our friends and allies.
[edit] Hurricane Katrina
For 2005 Southern Decadence was officially canceled as a result of Hurricane Katrina; however, a very small group of residents who still remained in the French Quarter celebrated the event anyway. An abbreviated parade took place in the French Quarter with some two dozen participants. Most were French Quarter hold outs; there were also at least a couple of people who had to wade in through flooded streets from other neighborhoods to get there. As the city was officially being evacuated at the time, a police officer at first attempted to stop the small observation of tradition, but one of the participants was able to produce the parade permit issued pre-Katrina showing it was a scheduled legal event, and the small procession was allowed to continue. National media reporters noted the event. It was the first parade in New Orleans after the hurricane, the most recent previous New Orleans parade having been the Krewe of OAK "Midsummer Mardi Gras" parade the night before the city's mandatory evacuation.
With the theme "Southern Decadence Rebirth", the event rebounded in 2006, attracting near-normal crowds.
[edit] Hurricane Gustav
Due to the approach of Hurricane Gustav and a mandatory evacuation notice, some events on Saturday and all official Southern Decadence events after Sunday, August 31 midday were canceled for 2008.[3] As a result of Sunday's parade being canceled, the 2008 Southern Decadence Grand Marshals, Paloma and Tittie Toulouse, returned for 2009.
