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)
