On Saturday, April 20, outgoing SDGMs Jimmy Gale, Monica Synclaire-Kennedy, and Nicole Dubois will name their successors. In recent years, the annual announcement party has become a highly anticipated event in the New Orleans queer calendar, but that wasn’t always the case.
In the beginning, there were no Grand Marshal announcement parties. In fact, when Southern Decadence began, there wasn’t even a Grand Marshal because there was no parade. The group of friends who hosted the first Southern Decadence party (actually, two of them), had no idea they were starting a tradition that would evolve into one of the largest LGBT+ events in the nation. Rather, in 1972, they were just celebrating the end of summer and having a going away party for one of their own.
The following year, 1973, Robert Laurent, one of the original “Decadents,” suggested they start the party at Matassa’s bar and “parade” back to the house party. Laurent recalls, “I thought it would be outlandish for all of us to first meet at Matassa’s in full costume and then parade back to Belle Reve for the party. To my surprise, everyone was in complete agreement. They thought it would be a sensation.”
And a sensation it was, so much so they decided to repeat it in 1974. But this time, the Decadents decided to name a Parade Marshal. That honor went to the late great Frederick Wright. Founding Decadent Maureen Block remembers:
“Frederick simply had to be the first Grand Marshal. There was no question about it … he would always make time for a stopover in New Orleans for his job travels … everyone fought to pick him up at the airport. He was the guiding spirit of the group, a natural force. No one knew what he’d do next, the life of the party, but with a huge heart. Just a lovely man.”
Wright was not even asked to be Grand Marshal; rather, he was informed quite by surprise. Laurent, who had a degree in graphic design, had created and sent out invitations to the previous Southern Decadence parties. The 1974 invitation resembled a newspaper and under the headline that read “Costume Parade Once Again Dances Down Esplanade” appeared a brief article:
“The select few who will truck up the Avenue should gather at Matassa’s Bar, St. Phillip [sic] and Dauphine, between 2—3pm in costume.
“The pavement parade will begin when Frederick Wright, the Parade Marshal, blows his whistle.
“The route is subject to Mr. Wright’s whim.
“The Belle Reve party officially commences as soon as the parade arrives.”
Wright had no idea he had been selected as the Grand Marshal until he received the invitation in the mail and read the article. Wright embraced the role with enthusiasm and costumed as Uncle Sam. It is unclear whether he had this in mind when he chose his costume, but having a gay black man lead a parade through the Quarter in 1974 was quite subversive.
Throughout the 1970s, Grand Marshals were selected more or less by group consensus. In the 1980s, outgoing Grand Marshals began selecting their successors, but without fanfare or formal announcement parties.
Much has changed since those early years, however. The spontaneity of the parade, indeed all things Decadence, was lost when the whole affair became formalized in 1997 when the first parade permit was issued by the city. It was perhaps inevitable that SDGM Announcement Parties would become a fixture. Today they also serve as fundraisers to help pay for the parade, which isn’t cheap.
This year’s announcement party will take place on Saturday, April 20, at Oz.
