Southern
Decadence 2006: A How-To Guide
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Decadence
Revelers Parading in Costume |
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When
people who have never spent Labor Day weekend in New Orleans ask
me what Southern Decadence is, I usually take the easy way out
and tell them that it's sort of like a gayer version of Mardi Gras,
although Mardi Gras is pretty gay itself and Southern Decadence
isn't really like any other celebration in New Orleans, or anywhere
else. So maybe it's easier to explain what Southern Decadence isn't.
It's not a party to celebrate a particular
holiday, like Halloween or New Year's Eve (or even Mardi Gras),
although it has taken place every Labor Day weekend in New Orleans
for nearly 35 years. It's not an event for the whole family.
And it's definitely not for the easily
shocked or faint of liver: if you're thinking of seeing out the
summer
in a starched polo shirt while sipping gin and tonics on an
immaculately manicured lawn somewhere, don't come to New Orleans.
(Or at least stay Uptown.)
First Decadence
played out in 1972
According to various online histories of the event, the first
Southern Decadence celebration took place in 1972 when a group
of omnisexual downtown New Orleans residents - including several
women and at least one Yankee - decided to hold an impromptu
cocktail party and costume parade to break the late summer monotony
and honor a friend who was leaving town. From such inauspicious
beginnings, Southern Decadence has become one of the largest
gay events in the country (the third largest, by most accounts,
after Gay Pride in New York and San Francisco), with over 120,000
revelers converging on the French Quarter in some years.
Since usual standards of decorum in New Orleans
(at least on this side of Canal Street) are never very high to
begin with, especially where alcohol is involved (and what kind
of celebration in New Orleans
doesn't involve alcohol?), you can expect things to get pretty
wild
over Decadence weekend. First-time visitors to New Orleans are
almost invariably surprised by two of our most notable civic
institutions: 24 hour bars and permissive open container laws,
which not only means that you'll never hear the words "last
call", but that you'll be able to take the party (and your
drinks) with you wherever you choose to wander.
No tickets necessary
to enjoy the party
Unlike most gay and lesbian party weekends, Southern Decadence
doesn't revolve around one single ticketed party, although multiday
passes are sold by the two main gay dance bars (the Bourbon Pub
and Oz) which flank either side of Bourbon Street and Saint Ann.
If the weekend has a signature event, though, it's the Southern
Decadence parade which begins at the Golden Lantern on Royal
Street on Sunday afternoon and winds its way through the French
Quarter on the whim of whoever happens to be the Grand Marshal
that year. Since the Grand Marshals tend to be eminent figures
from the city's bar and nightlife scenes, you can expect the
parade to hit most of the main watering holes in the Lower Quarter
before dispersing just as informally as it began. Even if you
choose not to pack your favorite wig and pair of seven-inch showgirl
pumps and be on display yourself (and you are highly encouraged
to do so), the costumes worn by the Grand Marshall and his (or
her) retinue are not to be missed.
Leave your prudish
friends and family at home
Parades and non-stop parties aside, Southern Decadence may be
most famous (or infamous) for the displays of naked flesh which
characterize the event - which is only fitting, since New Orleans
in early September is generally the closest thing you'll ever
experience to walking around in a steambath outside of a health
spa. While police have started to crack down on public lewdness
and pressure from a local conservative religious organization
has caused the five-day festival to become a little more sedate
than it was in years past, the atmosphere of Southern Decadence
has stayed true to its name and public displays of sexuality
are pretty much everywhere you look. Like I said, you might want
to leave your more prudish friends and family at home. However,
if you're open-minded enough to plan on joining the crowds this
year, it's not too late to find a place to stay; New Orleans
is built around the hospitality industry, and there are usually
plenty of accommodations available over Labor Day weekend in
and near the French Quarter to suit every taste and budget. Don't
just limit yourself to looking for places to stay in the French
Quarter; there are plenty of lodgings available in the Central
Business District and Faubourg Marigny, and you'll appreciate
having somewhere quiet yet nearby to retire to when you need
a break from the crowds.
After all, the party in New Orleans never
really stops - during Southern Decadence weekend or any time
of year.
Southern Decadence - August 30 - September 4, 2006.
Writer John d'Addario lives in New Orleans
with his significant other, three dogs and a cat.
