History of Gay Carnival and How to Celebrate It In New Orleans Today

Contents:

• THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023
• GAY CARNIVAL
• INFO ABOUT R CARNIVAL 2024 FOR GAYS
• THE LOST HISTORY OF GAY CARNIVAL
• THE NEXT BIG GAY PARTY: R CARNAVAL 2022!WH THE RAISG OF THE VACCATN AGAST COVID, BRAZILIANS ARE EXCED TO HAVE CARNAVAL BACK ON FEBARY 25TH TILL MARCH 2ND OF 2022.FRED COSTA·FOLLOW4 M READ·OCT 5, 2021--LISTENSHAREPHOTO BY BERG SILVA. BOOLO, R, 2019.WHILE ’S TIME FOR THE GAY GUYS HERE THE US TO GET QUIETER AT HOME WAG FOR THE LD WEATHER, BRAZIL, THEY ARE GETTG OUT OF WTER, WARMG UP FOR THE SUMMER, AND THE CARNAVAL, FEBARY. EVEN GOG THROUGH THE UNTRY’S WORST ENOMIC AND POLIL HISTORY MOMENT, BRAZILIANS ARE EXCED ABOUT THE STRONG POSSIBILY OF HAVG OUR BIG POPULAR CELEBRATN BACK.BEE OF THE PANMIC, R AND OTHER CI HAD TO NCEL CARNAVAL 2020 AND 2021. AFTER TWO YEARS WH A HOLE THE NATNAL LENDAR, I BELIEVE ’LL BE ONE OF THE BT. REASONS FOR ? BRAZILIANS LIKE ME ARE THIRSTY FOR A GOOD PARTY WH BEER, MIC, LORFUL STUM WH FUNNY APPEALS, SAMBA, AND LOTS OF KISS. CARNAVAL IS BRAZIL’S BIGGT PARTY, AND WORKS LIKE A “TIME BREAK” OM THE PROBLEMS. OF URSE, THE ISSU WILL STILL BE THERE AFTER THE CARNAVAL, BUT WE N HAVE SOME FUN AND DISTRACTN TO RELAX AND KEEP DOG THE HARD PART.IT’S A GAY PARTYIT’S A POPULAR PARTY FOR EVERYONE, BUT LGBTQA+ PEOPLE ARE THE QUEENS AND KGS OF THE CELEBRATN. DPE THE HOMOPHOBIA THAT WE UALLY SEE BRAZILIAN SOCIETY, ALMOST ALL PARTI AND BLOCKS ARE GAY-IENDLY DURG THE CARNAVAL. THE FUN HAPPENS THE STREETS, WHERE MANY BANDS WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORS PLAYG CARNAVAL SONGS WH HUNDREDS, THOANDS, AND SOMETIM LNS FOLLOWG, SGG ALONG AND HAVG FUN. IT’S A FTIVAL OF THOANDS OF HANDSOME GUYS KISSG EACH OTHER, SOMETIM ONT OF A BEACH, OTHER TIM THE MIDDLE OF THE HISTORIC LONIAL STREETS OF R CENTRAL AREA.BLOCKS LIKE BANDA IPANEMA, CARMELAS, AND BOOLO ARE SOME GOOD GAY-IENDLY OPTNS.PHOTOS BY BERG SILVA. BOOLO, R, 2019.HOW MUCH DO IT COST?
• THE LOST KREW OF GAY CARNIVAL
• 17 HILAR GAY TWEETS TO CELEBRATE GAY PRI
• GAY FURRY HACKERS ARE TARGETG US STAT FOR PASSG ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATN
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• 12 TOP GAY CIS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS 2023 AND 2024
• UNVEILG THE ME: THE LOST HISTORY OF GAY CARNIVAL NEW ORLEANS

THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023

The term – a phemism that dat back to the 1950s – was once ed to dite gay social events on daily cise le programs, whout explicly llg out members of the muny on board. As travel on the high seas ntu to bounce back om the COVID-19 panmic, gay and lbian travelers should nsir settg sail on a fun-filled cise vatn as their next planng a cise, vatners should first nsir what their ial sailg looks like. Some cise operators (thk: Atlantis Events and La Demence) are known for their electrifyg, all-night parti, which may be perfect for gay groups of iends.

GAY CARNIVAL

Cisers should also thk about whether they'd like to travel aboard a gay-iendly mastream le, such as Celebry Cis or Virg Voyag, or opt for an all-gay, full-ship charter wh a third-party vatn pany. Of VACAYA's all-gay charters, he says, "For one magil week, our muny gets to be the majory and live life out loud the blissful utopia VACAYA creat on a gay cise.

This le gets the stamp of approval om prev LGBTQ cisers, who praise the ships' genr-ntral bathrooms, onboard shows wh rint drag queens and diverse Voyag offers gay-specific sailgs through travel pani like Atlantis Events, but s more mastream erari still offer a welg, clive atmosphere that attracts LGBTQ cisers year-round.

INFO ABOUT R CARNIVAL 2024 FOR GAYS

Atlantis EventsThe world's largt gay and lbian travel brand, Atlantis Events was found 1991 and wel more than 20, 000 travelers annually on LGBTQ vatns. For s all-gay cis, Atlantis charters megaships om popular l like Royal Caribbean Internatnal and Norwegian Cise Le, so cisers will have a fully immersive board, travelers n enjoy all the perks the megaships have to offer (thk: pools, hot tubs, sports urts and plenty of dg choic), pl special events like drag performanc, motivatnal speakers, LGBTQ movi on mand each b and high-energy circu parti across the ship. "As an LGBTQ ciser, you're lookg for a ship wh lots of entertament, cludg dance parti and events, " says Mars Martez, founr of Men Who Bnch, a Black gay liftyle blog.

"One of the bt cise [l] for gay cisg is Atlantis, sce you'll be able to meet hundreds of attractive men and party all day and night on the ship. Cisers will also enjoy performanc by drag queens, gay Broadway stars and more, pl more typil river cise perks like sightseeg and lavish meals.

THE LOST HISTORY OF GAY CARNIVAL

Celebry Cis(Courty of Celebry Cis)Celebry Cis sets the scene for an excellent vatn for gay travelers, om s extravagant annual Pri parti to s daily LGBTQ programmg throughout the year.

Although all erari are gay-iendly, nsir bookg a Pri Party at Sea sailg (which tak place each June) for an extra special experience.

THE NEXT BIG GAY PARTY: R CARNAVAL 2022!WH THE RAISG OF THE VACCATN AGAST COVID, BRAZILIANS ARE EXCED TO HAVE CARNAVAL BACK ON FEBARY 25TH TILL MARCH 2ND OF 2022.FRED COSTA·FOLLOW4 M READ·OCT 5, 2021--LISTENSHAREPHOTO BY BERG SILVA. BOOLO, R, 2019.WHILE ’S TIME FOR THE GAY GUYS HERE THE US TO GET QUIETER AT HOME WAG FOR THE LD WEATHER, BRAZIL, THEY ARE GETTG OUT OF WTER, WARMG UP FOR THE SUMMER, AND THE CARNAVAL, FEBARY. EVEN GOG THROUGH THE UNTRY’S WORST ENOMIC AND POLIL HISTORY MOMENT, BRAZILIANS ARE EXCED ABOUT THE STRONG POSSIBILY OF HAVG OUR BIG POPULAR CELEBRATN BACK.BEE OF THE PANMIC, R AND OTHER CI HAD TO NCEL CARNAVAL 2020 AND 2021. AFTER TWO YEARS WH A HOLE THE NATNAL LENDAR, I BELIEVE ’LL BE ONE OF THE BT. REASONS FOR ? BRAZILIANS LIKE ME ARE THIRSTY FOR A GOOD PARTY WH BEER, MIC, LORFUL STUM WH FUNNY APPEALS, SAMBA, AND LOTS OF KISS. CARNAVAL IS BRAZIL’S BIGGT PARTY, AND WORKS LIKE A “TIME BREAK” OM THE PROBLEMS. OF URSE, THE ISSU WILL STILL BE THERE AFTER THE CARNAVAL, BUT WE N HAVE SOME FUN AND DISTRACTN TO RELAX AND KEEP DOG THE HARD PART.IT’S A GAY PARTYIT’S A POPULAR PARTY FOR EVERYONE, BUT LGBTQA+ PEOPLE ARE THE QUEENS AND KGS OF THE CELEBRATN. DPE THE HOMOPHOBIA THAT WE UALLY SEE BRAZILIAN SOCIETY, ALMOST ALL PARTI AND BLOCKS ARE GAY-IENDLY DURG THE CARNAVAL. THE FUN HAPPENS THE STREETS, WHERE MANY BANDS WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORS PLAYG CARNAVAL SONGS WH HUNDREDS, THOANDS, AND SOMETIM LNS FOLLOWG, SGG ALONG AND HAVG FUN. IT’S A FTIVAL OF THOANDS OF HANDSOME GUYS KISSG EACH OTHER, SOMETIM ONT OF A BEACH, OTHER TIM THE MIDDLE OF THE HISTORIC LONIAL STREETS OF R CENTRAL AREA.BLOCKS LIKE BANDA IPANEMA, CARMELAS, AND BOOLO ARE SOME GOOD GAY-IENDLY OPTNS.PHOTOS BY BERG SILVA. BOOLO, R, 2019.HOW MUCH DO IT COST?

Private travel pani like VACAYA also charter Celebry ships for all-gay voyag throughout the (Getty Imag)Specifilly marketed toward lbians and LGBTQ women, Olivia has hosted more than 350, 000 travelers by land and sea over almost five s. The popular cise le equently partners wh Atlantis Events to offer all-gay voyag throughout the year, but even the standard sailgs earn praise. Iterari typilly feature LGBTQ meetups at the begng of each cise for gay travelers to meet likemd passengers.

Outsi of the sailg experience, Royal Caribbean has also publicly mted to support the LGBTQ muny throughout the year, and was the first cise le to earn the tle "Gay Traveler Approved" om GayTravel 2023, nsir a Royal Caribbean voyage that sails to gay-iendly statns. ]The Cise Wh La Demence(Courty of The Cise wh La Demence)Acrdg to past cisers, if you're lookg for one of the bt party scen on the open seas, nsir an all-gay cise wh La Demence.

Powered by a popular gay nightclub Bssels wh the same name, La Demence – French for "the madns" – primarily ters to a European crowd.

THE LOST KREW OF GAY CARNIVAL

Prev cisers had high praise for the erari – which exclively vis gay-iendly lotns – as well as the uy cktails, themed nights (stum strongly enuraged), glamouro entertament, and unique events like drag bgo and high heel Demence sails every summer to statns like Rome; Athens and Mykonos, Greece; Kotor, Montenegro; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and more. Gay Carnival tradns began mid-twentieth-century New Orleans as a genr-bendg parody of ele Mardi Gras tradns, particularly the humorls ronatn balls of aristocratic, segregated clubs like Rex and the Mistick Krewe of Com. After the rise of gay Carnival krew the 1960s and 1970s, queer culture beme a mastay of Carnival New Orleans and a force for LGBTQ+ visibily and muny engagement Louisiana.

One of Mardi Gras Day’s great allur for gay men, therefore, was the abily to exprs onelf stume and, a sense, be seen public whout fear of arrt.

17 HILAR GAY TWEETS TO CELEBRATE GAY PRI

Gay life and maskg beme rrelated ncepts this era, as gay men often lerally masked themselv while Mardi Gras stume and also symbolilly masked themselv as “bachelors” to avoid discrimatn when Carnival end.

“I was raised to be a pole young gentleman, ” relled gay Carnival pneer John Henry Bogie the 2010 documentary The Sons of Tennsee Williams.

GAY FURRY HACKERS ARE TARGETG US STAT FOR PASSG ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATN

This tradnal rtrant bnch for gay iends culmated the reveal of a tiara and the crowng of one gut as “queen” of the luncheon. When the Krewe of Yuga, the first gay Mardi Gras krewe, formed 1958, they took genr-play to a new level by holdg private drag balls, where gay men put on women’s attire and prented themselv as “queens, ” or godss figur. Dixie Fasnacht, owner of Dixie’s Bar of Mic, a popular Bourbon Street gay bar wh a si door “For Male Bachelors Only, ” knew many Yuga members.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

Although Yuga was no more, s spir flourished through former members, and the krew of Petroni (1961), Amon-Ra (1965), Ganyme (1967), Olymp (1970), and Apollo (1970) formed out of whe gay cliqu, mirrorg the racial segregatn of Louisiana. As homosexual associatn remaed illegal, no gay krewe uld risk sponsorg a para or public event that would intify—or “out”—s membership and imperil their safety.

Seekg legal ver 1966, Petroni beme the first gay krewe Louisiana to rporate and obta a state charter to operate a Mardi Gras anizatn. Gog “legimate, ” as Petroni -founr Bill Wooley put , had the effect of gay krew upgradg their balls to formal affairs requirg tuxedos, gowns, and/or upsle drag and tickets mand at the door. ” For example, 1972 Apollo beme the first gay krewe to hold a ball at the Municipal Audorium, where the ele urts of Rex and Com tradnally met.

A typil gay ball New Orleans differed markedly om mastream balls by elimatg tilln-like procsns of upper-cst women and makg gay men the stars of each “table, ” or staged scen wh stume, mic, and dér curated around a theme.

12 TOP GAY CIS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS 2023 AND 2024

Gay ball them ranged om the fantastil, such as “Camelot, ” to the nceptual, such as “Wicked Bch of History.

” The populary and productn value of gay balls creased si by si, and gay krewe members began vtg hundreds, if not thoands, of dollars each year to premier extravagant ball tablex (French for “tables” and the preferred term krewe lgo) to gay society. Startg the mid-1960s gay krew began formally petg for “bt of” tl at the annual Bourbon Street Awards, where rhton and glter led the 900 block of Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras Day.

As the hype beme amplified, tickets to gay balls were veted by celebri like transgenr activist Christe Jenson and Rollg Stone journalist Hunter S. “The gay balls of New Orleans are even more ele than those given by straight society, ” touted the gay New Orleans newspaper Impact 1979. Although primarily social nature, gay krew ocsnally flexed their fluence by takg stanc agast public figur wh anti-homosexual agendas.

UNVEILG THE ME: THE LOST HISTORY OF GAY CARNIVAL NEW ORLEANS

In 1969 Orleans Parish District Attorney Jim Garrison’s famo trial outed ele New Orleanian Clay Shaw by accg Shaw of nspirg to assassate Print Kennedy as a “homosexual thrill killg. Appealg to the gay muny, Connick gave a prentatn at a gay uple’s French Quarter home, where he promised to end the threat of police raids on lol gay bars.

In rponse to a planned 1977 ncert seri at the Municipal Audorium for celebry sger and anti-homosexual spokperson Ana Bryant, all but two gay krew joed a polil aln lled Human Equal Rights for Everyone (HERE). Opposg Bryant’s views and nttg the public funds supportg her vis, HERE anized one of the largt gay rights ralli the early history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement Louisiana at New Orleans’s Jackson Square. Legacy krew such as Amon-Ra and Petroni as well as the more ntemporary Lords of Leather, a leather-liftyle-oriented gay Carnival krewe, crafted or amend bylaws to accept female membership.

The Krewe of Mwdo, a gay Black krewe found 1998, ntu to revel New Orleans and proudly hosts a ball each season. In 1985, gay krew New Orleans worked vertly wh sympathetic Roman Catholic prit Bob Pawell to nvert an empty nvent the Marigny neighborhood to an AIDS hospice lled Project Lazas. “Image kgs and queens of gay Mardi Gras scbbg the floors tryg to make the place prentable, ” relled gay Carnival veteran Albert Carey, who served as rmal archect of the project.