Elmo Avet as the Marquis de Vaudreuil and other Carnival celebrants on Royal Street. New Orleans Magazine, January 2015. Historic New Orleans Collection, Gift of Mr. Clay Watson. http://www.myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Magazine/January-2015/IN-THE-KINGDOM-OF-QUEENS/
Every year, parades, balls, and other festivities during the #mardigras /#carnival season in New Orleans are hosted by official, recognized organizations called Krewes. The Krewe of Yuga was the first Carnival #krewe formed by and for members of the #LGBT community, although it was never granted an official charter. The gay culture was vibrant in the 1950s, in spite of criminalization and the intolerance under McCarthyism, and it was out of this culture and community that the idea for an exclusively gay Carnival krewe developed. The first ball of the Krewe of Yuga was held in 1958, featuring extravagant costumes, plenty of glitter, sequins, and jewels, and a crowning of Yuga royalty. Unfortunately, there are no available images of the Yuga balls themselves, but the picture above gives an idea of what some of the costumes may have looked like (except they were probably much more fabulous). However, at the 1962 Yuga ball, as Elmo Avet was about to be crowned the fifth Yuga Regina, the police raided the event—calling it a “lewd stag party.” Almost 100 people were arrested and crowded into prison cells, and others were forced to flee into the nearby forest, chased by attack dogs. This #policebrutality meant the end of the Krewe of Yuga, but a strong legacy was left behind. The original founders persisted, and the Krewe of Petronius was formed, this time obtaining an official charter. Other members went on to found other LGBT-specific Krewes, including the Mystic Krewe of Celestial Knights, the Krewe of Amon-Ra, the Krewe of Armeinius, and the Lords of Leather. These krewes, along with newer krewes such as Satyricon, Queenateenas, Mwindo, and Narcissus, continue to hold balls and to form a strong gay Carnival tradition to this day.
Smith, Howard Philips. “The Royal Krewe of Yuga and the Birth of Gay Carnival in New Orleans.” Advocate.com, Here Publishing, 11 January 2018. https://www.advocate.com/books/2018/1/11/royal-krewe-yuga-and-birth-gay-carnival-new-orleans
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