LGBTQ+ Tourism & Representation in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS HAS LONG BEEN CELEBRATED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST epicenters of culture in the Gulf South, where hearing a jazz tune float in through the open window is just as common as rounding the corner and ending up in the middle of a food festival. It’s a city of parades, music, cuisine, art, and celebration — but it’s much more than all that, too. Most importantly, New Orleans is a place of self expression. The city’s culture is just as much experienced as it is shaped by the people who pass through its streets. The tapestry of interwoven voices and perspectives is constantly evolving, including the way the LGBTQ+ community lives, works, and plays in the city. In 2017 and 2018, New Orleans was named the Second Most Welcoming City in the world by GayCities, while Southern Decadence earned the distinction of Best Weekend in 2019. The shift toward establishing New Orleans as an LGBTQ+ safe-haven in the south is part of a deliberate and ongoing messaging effort. That means embracing, celebrating and growing from our history — the good, the bad, and everything in between. “New Orleans has always been a confluence of cultures coming together, and with that comes a forced recognition that we don't all look alike and act alike, but we all have common interests,” says Mark Romig, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at New
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