The Crescent City, NOLA, The Big Easy, The City that Care Forgot, Paris of the South.New Orleans is known by many names, and its reputation as a city rich in history with a love for nightlife is common knowledge.
The story of the city is an unlikely one — a historically Catholic city in the heart of the Protestant Bible Belt and a spot of blue in a sea of red.It comes as no surprise the norms in the city are different. The city’s unique history and diversity have allowed for the development of an American subculture unlike any other.Central to the city’s decadent culture is Bourbon Street, known for wild and crazy debauchery.Fittingly, on the final day of the city’s wildest week, part of this infamous street was turned into one of the wildest costume contests in the country.The 47th Annual Bourbon Street Awards Show — hosted by Oz, a Bourbon Street gay club, and sponsored by Bud Light — saw both men and women dressed in all sorts of out-of-this-world costumes in hopes of claiming one of five titles, including Best of Show, Best Drag, Best Group, Best Leather and Best Overall Costume. The annual show is a must-see event for any Mardi Gras reveler. The costumes are over the top, which lends itself well to the atmosphere brought about by Mardi Gras.Some of the more memorable included a 12-foot-tall rendition of the Chinese New Year and a massive recreation of the old French Opera House in flames.Some people might be shocked by the show, but the view looking out across the crowd was far more surprising to me.Spectators for the event were a diverse group. As expected, many young people, gays and drag queens could be seen.Yet, intermixed was a surprising amount of older couples, families and even children. Even the entrants to the show were a diverse group, most notably a 79-year-old grandmother from Metairie.I couldn’t help but think about the crowd as I watched the show. Only in New Orleans, in this atypical American subculture, would it be normal for children to be at such an event.Even in New York, L.A. or San Francisco, this wouldn’t happen so freely. The idea that a costume contest sponsored by a gay bar and featuring a host of drag queens could be an affair for the whole family is a scene not typically found in American culture, especially not in the South.The scene is a testament to the tolerance and charm of the city, a city devastated by natural disasters but blessed with culture far richer than most places.To truly understand the uniqueness of this event, one must examine 1963, the first year the event was held. Arthur Jacobs, the owner of Clover Grill at the time, started the event to revitalize the Lower Quarter around Dumaine Street.The Civil Rights Movement was at its peak, and homosexuality was widely taboo. All states except Illinois had anti-sodomy laws and laws criminalizing homosexual acts, even between two consenting adults in private residences.The awards predate much of America’s sexual revolution and even the Stonewall riots of 1969, largely seen as the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement in the U.S.The event has become nationally recognized and cherished during the New Orleans Carnival festivities.This year’s celebrations certainly lived up to the event’s reputation as “The Best Free Show of Mardi Gras.”An event like this would unfortunately probably not be greeted with hospitality in much of even modern-day America, but the fact the city and citizens of New Orleans have embraced it for almost half a century, turning it into an event even for families, is a true testament to the tolerance of this city and the uniqueness of one of America’s most treasured subcultures.Stephen Schmitz is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas. Follow him on Twitter at TDR_Schmitz.—-Contact Stephen Schmitz at [email protected]