NEW ORLEANS -- The wet Jockey shorts contest will be followed by drag queen fashion shows, the Mr. Louisiana Leather 2004 Contest and thousands of gay men drinking a whole lot of alcohol.The Southern Decadence Festival started in the French Quarter for the 32nd straight year on Wednesday and will draw an estimated 110,000 people, mainly gay men, from around the world. To the participants, Decadence is the ultimate Bourbon Street blowout, full of good, not-so-clean fun.
But to a growing number of religious leaders, it's a sinister affair. The city's Roman Catholic Archbishop condemned it for glorifying gay sex. A group of Protestant leaders see the party as little more than five days of indecency, urination and sex acts on Bourbon Street.
The Protestant groups have scheduled protests for Friday and Sunday to demand that the city's government shut the festival down.
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Rev. Colin Mercer | 11/19/2012
