Southern Decadence started in 1973 as a casual going-away party among friends. Over the past five decades, it expanded into a major New Orleans tradition, surviving hurricanes, political fights, and the AIDS crisis. To launch this year’s festivities, map-based cruising app Sniffies hosted Cruising Revival: Southern Decadence Then & Now, bringing hundreds of attendees inside The Church at Hotel Peter & Paul for a single night focused on local queer history and hookup culture.
Creative lead Brett LaBauve curated the center of the space, mounting archival photographs alongside contemporary portraits on physical chain-link fences lit by neon tubes. The installation pulled the harsh, raw visual elements of outdoor cruising spots into the sanctuary.
Images sourced from the archive of Rip and Marsha Naquin via The Historic New Orleans Collection sat alongside work by Southern Decadence founding member Robert Laurent. Recent photographs by Monwell Frazier, Tyler Rosebush, and Bradley Roberge rounded out the gallery, connecting early organizers with the current generation throwing parties across the city.
A Pulpit for Queer Memory
The program shifted from static gallery viewing to live performance as an a cappella group featuring Rayshaughn, Whitney Mixon, Kirkland Green, and Patrick Smith took the stage. Writer and activist Leo Herrera followed with the debut of his written piece, The Ark and the Arc.
“Cruising, in its purest form, is a love and protection for your neighbor, whether in a park or on a digital map,” Herrera told the crowd. “Decadence becomes more than a party; it’s a vessel built to carry a community through the storm.”
Herrera then led a panel discussion with local figures Michael Hickerson, Quinn Bishop, and Farrow Stephenson. The group talked through historic hardships, including the 1973 Upstairs Lounge arson fire and the ongoing legislative pressures facing modern LGBTQ+ spaces in the South.
Dancing in the Sanctuary
The panel grounded the event in historical context, but the night quickly turned back into a party. New Orleans DJ phlegm took over the decks for a two-hour closing set, turning the church nave into a packed dance floor.
“Cruising has always been about connection. It’s part of the history of Southern Decadence and it’s at the heart of Sniffies. Last night was about celebrating that shared spirit and bringing people together,” said Eli Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at Sniffies.
To extend the event’s reach past the venue doors, Sniffies released a limited-edition Cruising Revival tank top. The brand is donating $5 from every shirt sold directly to the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, helping fund the preservation of local history.
