18 Beautifully Queer Images From New Orleans's Mardi Gras 2023

Well, Easter may have just passed, but we're reminded of the days of gay Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It's one of the city's queerest times — the other being the city's Pride festival, Southern Decadence, of course. This Mardi Gras event has been celebrating the LGBTQ+ community for decades, building on the renowned spectacle of the city's Carnival.

The queer aspect of the city's celebrations date back to the 1960s, with balls that ended in police raids.

New Orleans is a very different city than it was then, and these photos prove it. Here's a throwback to some of the wonderful celebrations in Louisiana back in February.

Check out the images below.

(All photos courtesy of Tim Snow.)