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Petronius the "Grande Dame"
The Krewe of Petronius is the oldest active gay Carnival krewe in the world, formed in 1961 and holding its first ball on February 17, 1962, in the suburb of Metairie. This was one week before the Krewe of Yuga, the first gay krewe, held their ball in the same dance hall, which was raided by the police and spelled the end of this pioneering krewe. Petronius took its name from gay history, channeling the bawdy writings of Galius Petronius Arbiter from ancient Rome, another gay icon.
After the police raid on its sister club, the krewe had to decide whether the anti-gay climate and police harassment was worth another ball. The krewe members, composed of William Woolley, JoJo Landry, Ray Cronk and Clyde Webb, found that they could work the system by petitioning the state for a krewe charter, thus making them a legitimate Carnival krewe. Since it was common for an all-male straight club to be granted a charter, such as the Krewes of Endymion and Bacchus, Petronius continued on, presenting some of the most spectacular and creative balls seen on the stages of the city.
In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis wreaked havoc within the clubs and almost wiped out gay Carnival, which had grown substantially over the years. Memberships dwindled as krewe members faded from the landscape. This was the time of the great Golden Age of gay Carnival when over a dozen krewes vied for the top spot. Competition was fierce as each krewe strove to out-gay the others. As a result, these clubs were already in place when AIDS hit at its worst, and they turned their fundraising talents into a grounded community taking care of its own. AIDS hospice houses were founded and members helped with food and other services.
However, the krewe has experienced a few years of dwindling memberships. In 2015 the krewe decided not to present a tableau ball, but did hold a special costumed dinner. Still a major Carnival presence in the city that loves to celebrate, Petronius has survived AIDS and Hurricane Katrina and is one of the most beloved krewes of the city.
After the police raid on its sister club, the krewe had to decide whether the anti-gay climate and police harassment was worth another ball. The krewe members, composed of William Woolley, JoJo Landry, Ray Cronk and Clyde Webb, found that they could work the system by petitioning the state for a krewe charter, thus making them a legitimate Carnival krewe. Since it was common for an all-male straight club to be granted a charter, such as the Krewes of Endymion and Bacchus, Petronius continued on, presenting some of the most spectacular and creative balls seen on the stages of the city.
In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis wreaked havoc within the clubs and almost wiped out gay Carnival, which had grown substantially over the years. Memberships dwindled as krewe members faded from the landscape. This was the time of the great Golden Age of gay Carnival when over a dozen krewes vied for the top spot. Competition was fierce as each krewe strove to out-gay the others. As a result, these clubs were already in place when AIDS hit at its worst, and they turned their fundraising talents into a grounded community taking care of its own. AIDS hospice houses were founded and members helped with food and other services.
However, the krewe has experienced a few years of dwindling memberships. In 2015 the krewe decided not to present a tableau ball, but did hold a special costumed dinner. Still a major Carnival presence in the city that loves to celebrate, Petronius has survived AIDS and Hurricane Katrina and is one of the most beloved krewes of the city.
Sources:
Smith, Howard Philips, Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans, 2017, (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, pp. 25-67).
Sears, James T. Rebels, Rubyfruit, and Rhinestones: Queering Space in the Stonewall South, (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2001).
Calder, Chad. "Petronius, City's Oldest Active Gay Krewe, Cancels 2015 Ball." New Orleans Advocate, February 4, 2015.
Flake, Carol. New Orleans: Behind the Masks of America's Most Exotic City. (New York: Grove, 1994.)
Smith, Howard Philips, Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans, 2017, (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, pp. 25-67).
Sears, James T. Rebels, Rubyfruit, and Rhinestones: Queering Space in the Stonewall South, (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2001).
Calder, Chad. "Petronius, City's Oldest Active Gay Krewe, Cancels 2015 Ball." New Orleans Advocate, February 4, 2015.
Flake, Carol. New Orleans: Behind the Masks of America's Most Exotic City. (New York: Grove, 1994.)