BEEN A LATEST.
THE PANDEMIC H FORCED
COUNTLESS NUMBER OF EVENTS TO
COUNSEL.
SOUTHERN DECADENCE IS ONE OF
THEM.
THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENT
USUALLY BREAK IT -- BRINGS IN
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO NEW
ORLEANS.
AUBRY KILLION IS LIVE TO EXPLAIN
THE MASSIVE EXIT GNOMIC --
ECONOMIC LOSS.
AUBRY: SOUTHERN DECADENCE BRINGS
A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE NEW
ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER.
IT IS A MAJOR LOSS FOR THE CITY.
WE HAVE FRANK PEREZ JOINING US
LIVE, AN EXPERT WITH SOUTHERN
DECADENCE.
ECONOMIC IMPACT, HOW MUCH IS THE
CITY LOSING?
 TYPICALLY ABOUT 250,000
PEOPLE SHOW UP.
THEY SPEND FOUR OR FIVE DAYS
HERE.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS TYPICALLY
OVER $300 MILLION FOR THE
WEEKEND.
AUBRY: EXPLAIN HOW HEARTBREAKING
THIS IS FOR THE BUSINESSES AND
THE BARS.
A LOT OF THEM RELY ON IT.
 IT IS ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE REALIZE THAT A
LOT OF THE GAY BARS DEPEND ON --
A GOOD PORTION OF THEIR ANNUAL
REVENUE COMES FROM SOUTH --
SOUTHERN DECADENCE AND MARDI
GRAS.
WITHOUT THAT, IT IS DEVASTATING.
NOT TO MENTION THE BAR STAFF,
THE SECURITY PEOPLE AND WHATNOT
WHO TYPICALLY MAKE A LOT OF
MONEY THIS WEEKEND, THAT’S JUST
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
AUBR DO YOU THINK SOME OF
THESE BARS AND BUSINESSES WILL
NOT COME BACK AFTER THIS
PANDEMIC?
>> YES, UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS
ALREADY HAPPENING.
A BAR ANNOUNCED THE DAY BEFORE
THAT IT WAS CLOSING.
ONE OF THE GAY BARS CLOSED
EARLIER THIS MONTH.
I AM AFRAID THAT THAT WILL NOT
BE THE LAST OF THEM.
AUBRY: TOUCH ON THE HISTORY
BEHIND THIS EVENT, HOW LONG IT
HAS BEEN GOING ON.
IT HAS ONLY HAD TO CANCEL ONE OR
TWO TIMES BEFORE THIS.
>> SOUTHERN DECADENCE WAS
CANCELED IN 2005 AND 2008
BECAUSE OF HURRICANES.
THE EVENT ITSELF DATES BACK TO
1972.
IT STARTED AS A HELP OUR --
HOUSE PARTY AND GRADUALLY
EVOLVED INTO THE FIVE-DAY LGBT
EXTRAVAGANZA.
IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS NOT A
GAY EVENT, IT WAS JUST A HOUSE
PARTY.
AUBRY: WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR MEETING US ON
BOURBON STREET.
YOU HEARD ADVAIR, 300,000 PEOPLE
CAN COME TO THE EVENT ON THE
GOODYEAR -- GOODYEAR.
-- G
