NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Jefferson Parish pastor is gathering the support of conservative churches and political candidates in his campaign to ban an annual gay festival in New Orleans.
The Rev. Grant E. Storms has circulated a videotape of men having sex publicly at the Southern Decadence Festival, arguing that police and city officials ignore lewdness at the gathering. Storms bought an advertisement in The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune on Oct. 9 and began a radio campaign urging city leaders to ban the event.
Storms' supporters include officials from a number of small evangelical churches in the New Orleans area and several state legislators.
He said his campaign is not anti-gay, but gay leaders disagree. They say the tape distorts the nature of the event. They call Storms an extremist who wants to stamp out gay rights and culture.
"It's strictly a homophobic campaign," said Rip Naquin-Delain, the publisher of Ambush magazine and one of the founders of the festival which is held on the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Southern Decadence began about 30 years ago, and now attracts 100,000 visitors.