Well, it was that time of year again when bicycle enthusiasts set to bring awareness to the safety of cyclists in New Orleans. The goal is to make automotive vehicle drivers more conscious of the fact that they share the city streets with bicyclists and not run over them when making a hard right turn. The tactic used to bring this awareness to drivers is simple but effective...
GET NAKED!
The global World Naked Bike Ride event started in 2004 and eventually made its way to New Orleans in 2009. New Orleans was a natural fit for this risque event because the Big Easy is known for its decadent spectacles. And let's be honest; residents of New Orleans will find any excuse to be naked in public without consequence. It's just how we roll... or in this case, "ride".
However, this year's Naked Bike Ride was extra colorful as the date and the time the event was scheduled coincide with this year's NOLA Pride Parade. Yep, just a few blocks away from Mickey Markey playground where the Naked Riders gathered, members of the LBGTQ+ community were bringing awareness to a cause of their own.
It all worked out perfectly for both camps. Not only did the rainy weather hold out just long enough for the Bike Ride and the Parade to conclude, but the overcast provided the perfect comfort level for the naked riders and the LGTBQ+ community to gather back at Markey playground for a celebration.
No matter how you personally feel about public nudity or the LGBTQ+ lifestyle, you have to admit that it's refreshing to see something going on in the city that didn't involve carjackings or gun violence. These decadent events may not be your Cup-of-Tea, but it's clear that the people involved mean no harm and their goal is to be seen, be safe, and be accepted.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Just for the record, in order to put this article into circulation, I had to make sure that there was no visibly exposed genitals in any of the photos used. That means I had to literally go through each photo, actively search for the twigs and berries, buns and boobs with a fine tooth comb. I had to zoom in on each pic and scour the backgrounds, looking in-between everyone's legs to make sure their junk was properly covered before publishing. May we please take a moment to appreciate my hard work and dedication as looking at strange phalli was an unexpected aspect of the job I hadn't considered when filling out the job application?