New Orleans's big
gay party another step in the return from devastation

Gays and lesbians from across the country are painting the city of New Orleans pink and green this weekend, just days after the ceremonies that marked the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Jonathan Bray, an organizer of Southern Decadence, and others see the festival--a weekend-long gay and lesbian tradition known for its parties and parade featuring flamboyant costumes--as a step forward in the rebirth of a city deluged by floodwaters one year ago.

"This time last year, we didn't know whether the city was going to survive; nobody knew," Bray said. "It's been a tremendous uphill battle to exist here in New Orleans, and this is a significant achievement to have Southern Decadence again."

As the event kicked off on Thursday night, tens of thousands of people were expected to attend over the course of the weekend. Last year Southern Decadence attracted a small number of die-hards in spite of the flooding in much of New Orleans, Bray said. The French Quarter, the anchor of the festival, was untouched by floodwaters.

Before Katrina, Bray estimated Southern Decadence attracted about 100,000 people. A spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau did not have attendance figures.

In the past the event also has drawn protests. Grant Storms, of the Reformer Church in Marrero, said he expected a few street preachers in the area but did not plan to attend personally. "We're more concerned about building the city of New Orleans on a moral foundation," he said Thursday.

For Bray, who also manages a pub in the French Quarter, the biggest challenge this year has been letting people know the Quarter and other tourist attractions are open for business. That challenge is shared by local tourism officials, eager to let people know New Orleans is "almost like a tale of two cities"--with devastated, or rebuilding, outlying neighborhoods, and a tourist district open and ready for customers, said Kelly Schulz of the tourism bureau.

"Yes, the drinking water is safe to drink. Yes, there's food to eat. No, you don't have to wear a mask on your face," Bray added. There's crime, but people need to be aware of their surroundings, he said, as they would in any big city.

Chuck Robinson, co-owner of the Napoleon's Itch bar, is producing a concert for the event and said the year after Katrina has been very difficult. He recalled leaving the city with his pets, thinking he'd be gone three days, and winding up in lines for food, water, and clothes before returning to a damaged home. Recovery, he said, "really starts with people saying, That's it. You have to dust your hands off and get after it." People love the city and the French Quarter, he said, "and we're fighting to bring it back."

Ine Waters of Atlanta said he didn't have to think twice about coming to Southern Decadence this year. He said he's been coming to the event for 20 years and considers it a "pilgrimage." He believes many people will come to show their support for the city.

Then there's the partying. The dancing. The singing. And the parade. The costumes worn by participants may be festive or flamboyant, depending on the point of view--"and you get an eyeful," said Bray. From drag to "macho" and hats to masks, the costumes have run the gamut, he said.

And though the colors for this year's event are pink and green, Bray said he expects some Katrina-inspired garb. He's thinking of donning a blue hat, to signify the blue tarps still covering some wind-ripped roofs in the hurricane-hit area. (AP)