Krewe of Yuga

Traditional Carnival in New Orleans has a long and well-documented history. Literally, hundreds of books and articles have been written on the subject. However, very few even mention the often hidden world of gay Carnival. Gay men, in particular, would meet during the Carnival season each year at private costume parties to view parades and celebrate as a group. However, by the late 1950s, despite the effort of the mayor and district attorney to clean up the city and the targeting gay men in particular, the first gay krewes were formed and held their own tableau balls.^[1]

The Krewe of Yuga was the first gay Carnival krewe in New Orleans, founded in 1958 by members of the gay community. Costumed parties to view the Krewe of Carrollton parade in Uptown were transformed into a krewe with a Queen reigning over the festivities, a ball captain, and sometimes a King. Emulating the format established by traditional Carnival krewes and their courts, such as the Krewe of Proteus and the Mystick Krewe of Comus, the Krewe of Yuga also declared itself a royal krewe with its Yuga Regina. The queen was always a gay man in drag and these celebrations mark a significant point in the history of the city.^[2]

Homosexuality was against the law at the time, so the tableau balls of the Krewe of Yuga were always clandestine, hidden away, and known only to those invited to participate in the festivities. Due to a police raid in 1962, the krewe dissolved. However, the template for other gay krewes had been set in place, and the Krewe of Petronius, along with the Krewe of Amon-Ra, the Krewe of Ganymede, and the Krewe of Armeinius, boldly continued to declare themselves, albeit always behind closed doors, as a royal krewe.^[3]

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