Volume 27. Number 5
Serving the Carolinas For Over 25 Years!
March 3,2006
Gay Mardi Gras Smaller but Spirited
Story & Photos by Rex Wockner
Contributing Writer
NEW ORLEANS — It was a much
smaller Mardi Gras in the gay area of
the French Quarter this year but spirits
were clearly high and some people said
they preferred not being crushed by tire
crowds.
'Td say it's about a third as many
people, but we only have 25 percent of
our hotel rooms," said New Orleanian
Volney Hill. "Also, most people usually
crash with their friends and 80 percent
of die houses are gone, so their friends
aren't here either.
"So, I think this is actually very
promising," Hill said. 'People are going
to get here one way or another. I have
more people staying with me this year
than ever. I pretty much Serve as a hotel
OII1II Mill
Rafael Maldonado, who came in
from Mobile, Ala., for his 15th Mardi
Gras, agreed that "it's a lighter crowd.
It's usually packed full of people
throwing beads here [in front of the gay
bar Cafe Lafitte In Exile]," he said.
Local resident Reuben said he didn’t
mind the smaller crowd.
"It's more tolerable. You can get
around, you don't have to worry about
all the crampedness," he said. 'It's bet
ter to me with a small crowd."
Local drag queen D.L. Broadway
agreed.
"Sizewise, I'm loving it" she said. '1
like to spread out. I like my little space.
I'm loving it because the city's making
its money back.”
It was Broadway’s 26th Mardi Gras.
"It's bringing New Orleans back," she
Said. 'It’s a great party, I love to party
and I love to have a great time and I see
people are smiling and getting into the
celebration, so it's a blessing to me."
Broadway spent three months exiled
in Pascagoula, Miss.
"Now I'm back at my job at Head
Start," she said. '1 have a FEMA trailer;
it's just my brother and L and it's fabu
lous."
Paul Landry of Houston was at
continued on page 6
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