A New Orleans Gay Bar Inferno Killed 32. Roy Reed Was First to Report the Tth.

gay bar arson attack

Nearly a half-century after arson killed 32 people a New Orleans gay bar, the Cy Council has renewed the search for the remas of four victims — three of them never intified.

Contents:

A DEADLY ARSON AT A GAY BAR WAS NEVER OFFICIALLY SOLVED. A NEW PODST EXAM WHY.

Until the mass shootg Orlando, the adlit attack on LGBT people the U.S. belonged to New Orleans. A 1973 gay bar arson attack killed 32. * gay bar arson attack *

Bettmann via Getty ImagThirty-two people died and 15 were jured a vastatg arson fire at the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, on June 24, 1973. Compoundg the tragedy was the cy’s failure to properly vtigate or even publicly acknowledge the fire once beme known that the victims were gay. The man spected of startg the fire, Roger Dale Nunez, was himself believed to be gay and a equent visor to the UpStairs Lounge.

Inditns of this disregard were seen almost immediately after was unrstood the UpStairs was a gay bar.

Whether we attribute that to a behd-the-tim culture of homophobia and bigotry, paired wh shame that may have been ternalized by queer folk which likely kept them quiet and trapped a proverbial closet ― the UpStairs Lounge was not a loud moment queer history, as we’ve e to thk of Stonewall, but no ls pivotal.

IN 1973, AN ARSON KILLED 32 PEOPLE AT A GAY BAR. FOR YEARS, IT WAS FOTTEN

* gay bar arson attack *

Chargg anyone for this crime — pecially someone who for all tents and purpos was the clear perpetrator, was scribed as havg ma a threat to burn the bar down that night upon his expulsn, who matched the scriptn of someone who purchased a large n of lighter fluid at a nearby Walgreens mut before the fire was started (the exact same n which was later found at the scene of the crime), and who is alleged to have ma multiple nfsns to iends the aftermath — would have brought more attentn to the fire and to the liv of the gay men who perished . While the alleged arsonist’s motiv and ame of md will forever be unknown, he was still someone who existed wh this muny and wasn’t an outsir attackg this place based solely on the fact that was a gay bar.

NEW ORLEANS SEARCH FOR REMAS OF 4 VICTIMS OF 1973 GAY BAR FIRE THAT KILLED 31

After nearly 50 years, New Orleans issued a formal apology for s rponse to an arson at the popular gay bar UpStairs Lounge and renews the search for the remas of four victims. * gay bar arson attack *

Several acunts of the UpStairs Lounge have likened to a “gay Cheers, ” a real place that you uld go where everybody knew your name. They hoed Sunday church servic for the gay-clive MCC when they had no other place to worship, they staged theatril plays and held chary events for the lol children’s hospal, and they had drag shows and sg-a-long nights.

And I thk part of the magic of queer spac (gay bars, dance clubs, etc. A history of attacks on gay nightclubs.

SEARCH RENEWED FOR REMAS OF 4 VICTIMS OF 1973 GAY BAR FIRE

On June 24, 1973, a flash fire tore through a gay bar New Orleans' French Quarter, killg 32 people * gay bar arson attack *

A June 24, 1973, arson attack on the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar, killed 32.

A fire termed to be arson tore through the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar the French Quarter, killg 32 people.

REVISG A DEADLY ARSON ATTACK ON A NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR ON ITS 42ND ANNIVERSARY

He wasn’t there at the Up Stairs Lounge on June 24, 1973, when igned lighter fluid a stairwell unleashed hell on New Orleans’ gay muny. One patron featured Cama’s film said those the bar beme his fay; he no longer felt fortable wh his own bee he was gay. Lnched 1968, was the world’s first Christian church to offer an clive mistry to the gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr muny.

A ‘FOTTEN TRAGEDY’ AT A NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR AND A NEW EFFORT TO HONOR VICTIMS’ REMAS

Three years before the Up Stairs Lounge arson attack, Perry helped plan the first Gay Pri Para Los Angel. On December 31, 2013, an attempted arson attack at a Seattle gay nightclub threatened to burn 750 people alive.

Three men threw chunks of ncrete to a gay bar Galvton, Texas, March 2009. A man opened fire a Roanoke, Virgia, gay bar September 2000, killg one and jurg six. Eric Rudolph, the famo Olympic Park bomber, was behd a Febary 1997 bombg of a gay and lbian nightclub Atlanta.

And the woman he married soon after the attack later told the fire marshal their relatnship had never been nsummated and that he’d admted he was gay. On June 24, 1973, a fire ripped through the Up Stairs Lounge — a gay bar the French Quarter of New Orleans. Much of the history was swept om memory due to homophobia.

A NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR INFERNO KILLED 32. ROY REED WAS FIRST TO REPORT THE TTH.

The Tim-Piyune scrib the cy at the time as "extremely homophobic. " Police would raid gay bars equently and employment discrimatn agast gays was " rigr.

FIGHTG DRAG BANS? LISTEN TO BENDELACREME & LSONS FROM A GAY BAR MASSACRE

" Homosexualy was nsired a psychiatric disorr.

" The man spected of startg the fire, Roger Nunez, was gay himself and had been kicked out of the bar earlier. The Tim-Piyune said the fire was "a turng pot for the cy's gay muny. "By early fall, there was creasg evince that the tragedy had roed a dre of gay New Orleanians ways unthkable jt a season before, " thor Robert Fieler wr Trbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn.

About was six months after the adly fire, December 1973, the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn clared homosexualy was not a mental disorr. Nearly a half-century after arson killed 32 people a New Orleans gay bar, the Cy Council has renewed the search for the remas of four victims, cludg three who were never intified. Nearly a half-century after arson killed 32 people a New Orleans gay bar, the Cy Council has renewed the search Thursday, Aug, 4, 2022, for the remas of four victims, cludg three who were never intified.

BEFORE ORLANDO SHOOTG, AN ANTI-GAY MASSACRE NEW ORLEANS WAS LARGELY FOTTEN

Rooted pervasive anti-gay sentiment" ma sufferg worse for victims' fai and iends, stat the motn wrten by Councilmember J.

The blaze was the 20th century's largt mass killg of gays, the Cy Council's apology and Thursday's motn noted. LeBlanc was tranged om his fay California — not bee of his homosexualy but bee he hadn't paid money owed to his grandfather, Fieler wrote "Trbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn.

FOTTEN VICTIMS OF 1973 GAY BAR ARSON ATTACK

The other replied, g a slur for homosexuals, "Let 'em burn. NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly a half-century after arson killed 32 people a New Orleans gay bar, the Cy Council has renewed the search for the remas of four victims, cludg three who were never intified. Rooted pervasive anti-gay sentiment” ma sufferg worse for victims’ fai and iends, stat the motn wrten by Councilmember J.

”The blaze was the 20th century’s largt mass killg of gays, the Cy Council’s apology and Thursday’s motn noted.

LeBlanc was tranged om his fay California — not bee of his homosexualy but bee he hadn’t paid money owed to his grandfather, Fieler wrote “Trbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn. The other replied, g a slur for homosexuals, “Let ’em burn. ”___Follow AP news about gay rights at.

THE UPSTAIRS LOUNGE FIRE: WHEN DOZENS OF GAY PEOPLE WERE KILLED 1973

Sillen Glenn, who moved to New York om Florida 2015, said the fire had ma them thk of the mass shootg at Pulse, a gay nightclub Orlando, Fla., where a gunman wh an asslt rifle and a pistol killed 50 people and wound 53 more 2016. Photograph: Marie Le Ble/Zuma Wire/Rex/ShutterstockThis week, New York Cy’s mayor, Eric Adams, posned the cy as a welg place for queer people ntrast to plac like Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis jt signed a “don’t say gay” law.

New York Cy’s most well-known cint is the police raid at Stonewall Inn that sparked the 1969 Stonewall Uprisg – and helped lnch the morn gay rights movement.

COLORADO GAY BAR SHOOTG SPECT FACG MURR, HATE CRIME CHARG

Sunday marks the 45th anniversary of the UpStairs Lounge arson, a flash fire that killed 32 people the New Orleans gay bar on June 24, 1973. ”But the UpStairs wasn’t jt a space for the New Orleans gay muny to e together and socialize.

Some of those who were intified went unclaimed by fai who were too ashamed to llect the remas of their gay sons and brothers.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY BAR ARSON ATTACK

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Bellamy-Walker</span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">A bar servg LGBTQ New Yorkers has closed after an arson attack over the weekend, the New York Cy Police Department nfirmed Wednday. </p><p class="">At approximately 9 p.m. on Sunday, a man walked to the Rash Bar Brooklyn’s Bhwick neighborhood wh a bottle of flammable liquid, poured on the bar’s floor, l a match and set the venue ablaze, acrdg to the NYPD. Police said the spect fled as the bar beme engulfed flam.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">Jake Sillen, one of the bar’s owners, told NBC News on Wednday that they are still shock. </p><p class="">“It’s so hard to believe and procs,” said Sillen, 26, who is nonbary and they/them pronouns. “It’s more nfg than anythg.” </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_small__5hUB_ styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="The Rash Bar Brooklyn’s Bhwick neighborhood." height="1080" width="718"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">The Rash Bar Brooklyn’s Bhwick neighborhood.</span><span class="ptn__source">Rash Bar / via NBC New York</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Three people — a bartenr, DJ and secury guard — were si when the venue was set on fire. A 25-year-old female was transported to nearby Wyckoff Heights Medil Center wh mor burns, while another victim was evaluated on the scene for mor burns to the shoulrs, the NYPD said. </p><p class="">Claire Bender, a -owner of Rash, had jt stepped outsi when the fire broke out. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“Everyone shed out,” <a href=">Bender told NBC New York</a>. “The si door has a glass ont, and I looked over and saw flam to the top of ceilg. It was crazy, happened so fast.”</p><p class="">The bar was left unregnizable and torched, NBC New York reported.</p><p class="">Bender, who they/them pronouns, said the spect boldly left behd evince. </p><p class="">“He left the gas nister si. Kd of lmly placed on the bar unter. Wasn’t knocked over or anythg,” they told NBC New York. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Police are reviewg surveillance footage that shows someone fillg up a gas n mut before the fire.</p><h2 class=""><strong>'Easy target'</strong></h2><p class="">Police are still vtigatg a motive for the cint, and no arrts have been ma. The bar’s owner cled to ment on the spect’s tentns but noted that servg a large LGBTQ clientele mak the space vulnerable. </p><p class="">“I don’t want to jump to any nclns, bee we don’t know anythg about the person that did this,” Sillen said. “It uld easily turn out to be a motive that we aren’t expectg.” </p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“It’s easy to see why our space would be an easy target for someone lookg to do harm to the queer muny,” they said, addg that Rash Bar, “people feel safe to be themselv, and ’s a shame that anybody would do anythg to threaten this.” </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Sce the bar opened nearly five months ago, has bee a staple LGBTQ nightlife and a refuge for queer young adults and performers. It is also known for beg packed late to the night, acrdg to NBC New York.</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">This is not the only reported cint<strong> </strong>targetg bars or near the Bhwick neighborhood that are popular wh the cy’s LGBTQ muny: In Febary, someone threw a<a href="> pepper-bomb spray on the dance floor</a> at a party for the Black queer muny at Nowadays, and last summer there was a wave of attacks at <a href=">Happyfun Hiaway.</a> </p><p class="">“We, fely the last year, have seen a rise anti-LGBT vlence,” Sillen said, notg that more people are takg rs to and om parti. “The streets haven’t been as safe as they were three or four years ago.”</p><p class="">As of Wednday afternoon, the bar owners <a href=">had raised $52,000 of their $200,000 goal on GoFundMe</a> to help renstct the damaged buildg and re for the jured employe. Sillen said they are thankful for the outpourg of support. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“What we’re dog is important, and no matter what, we will be reopeng,” Sillen said. “We’ve never once thought about that not beg a possibily.” </p><p class="">Sillen, who is still on edge after the fire, said they have a msage for the arsonist. </p><p class="">“Turn yourself ,” Sillen said. “You’ve harmed so many people. Not jt physilly, but the wav that this is gog to create — between the loss of e, wag and jt the space for as long as ’s gog to be gone. … It’s a lot of loss.”<strong> </strong></p><p class="endmark"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>NBC Out</em></strong></a><strong><em> on </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>Twter</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em> & </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>Instagram</em></strong></a></p><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name">Tat Bellamy-Walker</span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Tat Bellamy-Walker is the sk assistant for NBC News' diversy vertils. </p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="midrponsive" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[700,1],[5,5]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="300" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div><div id="hfs-footer" class="dn-prt" data-activy-map="hfs-footer"><footer class="hfsf" ><div class="ner"><div class="logo"><a href="><svg class="peack" viewBox="578 62 67 39" xmlns=" fill="currentColor"><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M597.563 75.863l9.442 21.613-19.478-13.35c-4.887-3.24-3.896-8.79-1.19-11.237 3.83-3.24 9.245-2.12 11.226 2.97"></path><path class="feather" d="M610.57 70.93l-3.433 24.19-9.772-23c-2.113-5.75 2.64-9.516 5.81-9.583 3.632-.396 8.188 2.38 7.396 8.394"></path><path class="feather" d="M625.494 72.103l-9.707 23.067-3.102-20.82c-.265-3.17 1.716-3.237 2.443-3.832-.133-.463-1.124-.463-1.124-.463h-1.848c-.198-5.42 4.028-7.8 7.462-7.535 3.697.132 7.856 4.428 5.876 9.583"></path><path class="feather" d="M635.338 84.167L615.86 97.584l9.177-21.348c2.775-6.742 9.245-5.42 11.556-2.842 2.51 2.51 3.235 7.6-1.255 10.773"></path><path class="feather" d="M637.448 99.9h-22.515l18.29-12.756c4.49-2.975 9.244-.266 10.498 3.635 1.327 4.36-1.65 9.12-6.27 9.12"></path></g></svg></a></div><nav class="lks"><ul class="lks__wrap" data-l-2="14" data-l-3=15><li><a href=" target="_self">About</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Contact</a></li><li><a href=">Help</a></li><li><a href=">Careers</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ad Choic</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Do Not Sell My Personal Informatn</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CA Notice</a></li><li><a href=">New Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)</a></li><li><a href=">NBC News Semap</a></li><li><a href=">Advertise</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Shoppg</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Personal Fance</a></li></ul></nav><div class="py"><p>© 2023 NBC UNIVERSAL</p><div class="brands"><a href="><svg viewBox="0 0 120 20" fill="none" xmlns=" aria-labelledby="nbc_news_logo"><tle class="nbc_news_logo">NBC News Logo .

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