Bashing became a sport, and after several publicized incidents gay men were more cautious than ever.
Undercover cops were numerous, and even a simple gesture could result in an arrest.
Hundreds of gay men were arrested, and where there had been relative security, a sense of danger reigned. The mayor and district attorney wanted to clean up the so-called moral corruption for the tourists, and a crackdown ensued. However, by the end of the 1950s, police harassment and entrapment had become rampant.
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Robinson further illustrated this openness with another series of stark photographs depicting gay couples in their apartments and artists in their studios, a strong collection of subtle portraits that revealed a decidedly gay world within the confines of the French Quarter. Even John Rechy, in his seminal City of Night, devoted a large portion of his narrative to New Orleans’ gay Carnival, mentioning the old Bourbon House and a gay bar nearby with a side courtyard, cloaked under the guise of the Rocking Times bar.ĭespite the intolerance of McCarthyism in the 1950s, especially for homosexuals depicted as a threat to national security, gay culture somehow found a way to thrive. He mentioned several bars, such as the Starlite Lounge, Mack’s, the Rendezvous and Miss Dixie’s, and how effortlessly he moved within this group of intimate friends. He noted his day-to-day friendships, bar hopping and liaisons with a candor that underscored the openness of the period. Tennessee Williams, a frequent visitor to New Orleans, wrote about the gay scene in his recently published Notebooks. Most clubs in the Old Quarter knew the drill and learned to survive and prosper. These clubs were allowed to exist despite the harsh laws against homosexuality because of payoffs and back-door deals. In the French Quarter, this close-knit society was already frequenting gay clubs along Bourbon Street such as Miss Dixie’s and Bourbon House. These incredibly candid photographs presaged the creative force and drive that would soon come together to form the first gay Carnival krewe in New Orleans. This was a time when costumes were allowed and the rigid mores of society were loosened somewhat, allowing a larger space for gay expression. JoJo Landry as Lady Godiva paraded around the streets with an abandon only possible during Carnival, and Douglas Jones, in fashionable Pierrot garb, sipped whiskey from a flask. Further on is Clay Shaw, costumed as Socrates with a false beard and toga, chatting with friends in the courtyard. Looking closely, one can recognize Elmo Avet, the last Queen of Yuga, in his mermaid costume with sailor attached. The future founders of gay Carnival were already something of a legend within this community, and here he captured in exciting detail the relaxed atmosphere on the sidewalks and inside Miss Dixie’s back courtyard. Jack Robinson, who lived in the French Quarter in the early 1950s and would later go on to become an important fashion photographer in New York City, began to photograph his friends as they celebrated Mardi Gras day in the French Quarter. The French Quarter came alive with the sound of these celebrations and was further colored by elaborate and surprising costumes. On Mardi Gras Day the laws against costumes and masking were waved, and this served as a call to arms to leave behind all restrictions. They enjoyed a protective environment where they could be themselves, and within this rarefied society, gay men especially thrived and were becoming more and more visible. There, everyone knew each other and recognized kindred spirits with the same sensibilities and cultural references. An important meeting place was Miss Dixie’s Bar of Music.
Gay men and their friends gathered at various bars sprinkled throughout the old section of the city to gossip, drink and socialize. The early part of the decade had seen the birth of a vibrant gay community in the French Quarter. Creating their own krewe in a similar vein allowed this group to codify their grand intentions in response to the great spirit of Carnival unique to New Orleans. However, the great leap of faith that occurred at this auspicious moment was a shift from a loose-knit party to a more formalized costumed ball with a Captain, Queen, King, maids and debutantes, mimicking, and at the same time mocking, the traditional old-line krewes and their presentation of royalty. Over the years, Jones had thrown parties to celebrate Carnival and view the Krewe of Carrollton parade. A mock ball was held in ’58 at the Uptown home of Douglas Jones, located at 1120 S. The first known gay Carnival krewe was the Krewe of Yuga, formed in the late 1950s.