A ‘fotten tragedy’ at a New Orleans gay bar and a new effort to honor victims’ remas | PBS NewsHour

Contents:

• NEW ORLEANS GAY BARS
• FORTY FIVE YEARS AGO A FIRE NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR TOOK 32 LIV – AND WAS MET WH APATHY
• 50 YEARS AGO, THE FIRE AT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE GAY BAR NEW ORLEANS KILLED 32
• A ‘FOTTEN TRAGEDY’ AT A NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR AND A NEW EFFORT TO HONOR VICTIMS’ REMAS
• GAY HISTORY – JULY 21, 1958: NEW ORLEANS LNCH RAIDS AGAST FRENCH QUARTER GAY BARS AND “DEVIANTS”.
• BT GAY CLUBS NEW ORLEANS
• MOMENTS GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY
• ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER, ADLY ATTACK AT NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR REMAS UNSOLVED
• IN 1973, AN ARSON KILLED 32 PEOPLE AT A GAY BAR. FOR YEARS, IT WAS FOTTEN
• NEW ORLEANS GAY MAP
• THE BT 10 GAY BARS NEAR FRENCH QUARTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA
• GAY NEW ORLEANS
• GAY BARS THE FRENCH QUARTER

NEW ORLEANS GAY BARS

New Orleans has always been a cy that champned the arts and celebrated culture, which has fostered a lively gay social scene and drew many LGBTQ artists and performers to the French Quarter, home to Café Lafte Exile, one of Ameri’s olst gay bars. The longt nng gay event, the Fat Monday Luncheon, kicked off 1949, and the olst gay social anizatn, the Steamboat Club, was lnched 1953.

FORTY FIVE YEARS AGO A FIRE NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR TOOK 32 LIV – AND WAS MET WH APATHY

Mardi Gras fostered s own gay tradns wh the Krewe of Yuga, the first gay Carnival club formed 1958. Notable gay lols and rints clud Tennsee Williams, who me here 1938 and wrote “A Streetr Named Dire” om his home at 1014 Dumae St.

A climate of change across the Uned Stat fomented gay activism the early 1970s New Orleans as well, wh groups like the Gay Liberatn Front of New Orleans, a lol chapter of the natnal lbian anizatn, Dghters of Bilis, gay pri events and the foundg of the Tulane Universy Gay Stunts Unn. The Gert Ste Society, which began 1975, brought together a group of men and women who were stmental velopg an active muny astcture the 1980s: the Louisiana Gay Polil Actn Cc (1980), the State Gay Conference (1981), the New Orleans Gay Men’s Chos and a lol chapter of P-FLAG (both 1982), and the NO/AIDS Task Force (1983).

LGBT rights were (fally) regnized by New Orleans Cy Council 1991, wh the passg of a gay non-discrimatn ordance. The le between gay and straight bars is a blurry one New Orleans, a place where diversy is a given and differenc of perspective are celebrated ftivals like Southern Dence. There are gay and gay-iendly bars all over town, but the most famo are on the French Quarter’s “Lavenr Le, ” a stretch of St Ann Street that bisects Bourbon – cludg Café Lafte’s Exile, legendary as the olst ntuoly operatg gay bar the Uned Stat.

50 YEARS AGO, THE FIRE AT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE GAY BAR NEW ORLEANS KILLED 32

An oasis for the cy’s sizeable but, for the most part, strictly closeted gay male populatn, a lack of visibily was many ways s most valuable 1973 when the club was set ablaze an act of arson that st a staggerg 32 liv, that lack of attentn endured, the news barely makg to the papers or, seemed, even to the nscns of the lol muny. “An ordary reactn New Orleans society would have been effive sympathi and a large outpourg, ” said Robert Fieler, whose new book Trbox: The Untold Story of the UpStairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn, chronicl the blaze and s aftermath. “Homosexualy was not supposed to be talked about openly, and when was thst to the open ma a lot of people panic, ” he told the Guardian an the time, New Orleans was a place of strange dualy for LGBT people.

“A gay man uld, 1973, live a very full life that he might not be able to enjoy other plac. Acrdg to Fieler, unrver police would regularly nduct stg operatns to tch gay men solicg for sex public spac, and if ught and arrted on a dread “crim agast nature” charge, the ramifitns the wir world were absolute. You’d lose your job, your home, everythg, ” Fieler the time, a rince occupied by two spected gay men (or two “spsters”) uld be clared a hoe of ill-repute and seized wh ltle to no due the relatively safe space of the UpStairs lounge, a quietly well-known place where gay men (Fieler not that durg this era, the lbian scene was polilly and socially isolated om the gay scene) uld openly be themselv.

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

“It almost highlights even more the gree of opprsn that many homosexuals lived this time perd. ” Fieler were reports 2016 that, like Nunez, the Pulse shooter was a sexually nflicted man who may have been engaged gay relatnships prr to his rampage.

In honor of the cy's biggt gay party -- Southern Dence, happeng now -- we asked lol gay historian Frank Perez to tell about four of the cy's most unfettable gay landmarks.

Ann streets -- The Bourbon Street Awards and Gay CarnivalThis tersectn is the se of a popular feature of gay rnival New Orleans: the Bourbon Street Awards, which is a ntt featurg elaborate Carnival stum.

GAY HISTORY – JULY 21, 1958: NEW ORLEANS LNCH RAIDS AGAST FRENCH QUARTER GAY BARS AND “DEVIANTS”.

The morn rnatn of gay Carnival began 1958 when Doug Jon and a group of his iends formed the Krewe of Yuga --KY -- as a spoof of the mastream krew. On the night of the ball, the Metairie suburban beme somewhat alarmed when they noticed dozens of gay men streamg to the school. Of the mayhem, Albert Carey, a historian of the gay Armei krewe, wr, "One story has the Queen hidg the bh as the troopers me through wh their flashlights.

On Sunday eveng, June 24, 1973, the adlit crime agast gays and lbians the history of the Uned Stat, until this year's Orlando massacre, occurred here. Many people, then and now, mistakenly believe the fire was a hate crime motivated by homophobia.

-- Cafe Lafte ExileCafe Lafte Exile is the olst gay bar New Orleans and arguably the olst ntuoly operatg gay bar North Ameri. Back then, gay bars as we know them now did not exist, as homosexualy was illegal, but the owners of Cafe Lafte (one of whom was a lbian) were open-md and weled their gay clientele.

BT GAY CLUBS NEW ORLEANS

The letter is on permanent and proud display on the wall jt si the ont PEREZ is a wrer who has thored two books: In Exile: The History and Lore Surroundg New Orleans Gay Culture and Its Olst Gay Bar (wh Jefey Palmquist) and Treasur of the Vix Carre: Ten Self-Guid Walkg Tours of the French Quarter. He and Palmquist are edors of My Gay New Orleans: 28 Personal Remiscenc on LGBT+ Life New Orleans. Wns saw him buy lighter fluid at a nearby allegedly threw the ntaer ont of the stairwell that went to the entrance to the bar and journalist and thor of Trbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn Robert Fieler explaed to The Advote, the fire ially was ntaed the stairs until the door to the bar was opened, g somethg like a tidal wave of fire to crash to the lounge.

NEW ORLEANS – For nearly a half-century, the remas of gay World War II veteran Ferris LeBlanc have been hidn away an overgrown potter’s field on the far east si of New Orleans.

MOMENTS GAY NEW ORLEANS HISTORY

Fifteen people, mostly men, were also jured at the popular New Orleans gay bar, which served as one of the cy’s ma LGBTQ safe spac at the time. Until the Pulse nightclub shootg 2016, the UpStairs Lounge fire was the adlit known attack at a gay club U. “The entire intifitn [of the remas] was summarily dismissed by cy ernment bee they simply did not want to go through the effort of notifyg his fay and also bee they simply didn’t re about another ad gay man, ” Morrell said.

“We are a cy that is seen as one of the most welg ci to the LGBTQIA+ muny, but we were also a cy that was horrifilly homophobic, ” he add. Robert Fieler, journalist and thor of “Trbox: The Untold Story of the UpStairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn, ” chronicled the tragic event not jt his book but to the cy uncil and “anyone who would listen.

ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER, ADLY ATTACK AT NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR REMAS UNSOLVED

His book tails the aftermath of the fire, which was no ls trmatic – fai ashamed to claim loved on, the church this eply Catholic cy refg proper burial rights, and a botched vtigatn all reflected a world of toxic prejudice and rampant homophobia that thrived after the fire.

In New Orleans, lol verage has been scribed as sensive, llo, and homophobic wh ltle foc on the vtigatn. He tracked down survivors of the fire and relativ and iends of those killed to pile an acunt of a fotten moment gay history his book, “Let the Faggots Burn: The UpStairs Lounge Fire.

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

The Cy of New Orleans, Louisiana might be known as he Big Easy today but as many ci throughout the untry durg the 1950s, members of the homosexual muny New Orleans were often victims of vlence and were often arrted bee of their sexualy.

”) mdset didn’t extend to the cy’s gay cizens, and much like other major ci across the natn, anti-gay mpaigns often heated up ahead of lol electns.

In n 1958, cy uncilmen plaed that the police were stg on their hands while the French Quarter was beg vad by rovg bands of homosexuals, allegedly om other ci sce, apparently, such a thg was unheard of there, the cy’s storied tolerance for sexual eccentrics mic, lerature and the arts notwhstandg. Durg January of 1959, his assailants were charged but acquted unr the “gay panic” fense, and the urtroom cheered. Callg New Orleans gay-iendly is like sayg red beans and rice is a good ia for Monday supper.

NEW ORLEANS GAY MAP

Although Dence, aka gay Mardi Gras, is ground zero for off-the-charts partyg, there are gay and clive bars and clubs that ter to the queer set year-round.

If 's leather lords you seek, The Phoenix on Elysian Fields is the premier statn for the gay, bear, pup and leather muni. One of the olst gay bars the untry and once equented by Tennsee Williams and Tman Capote, this unassumg spot remas a welg neighborhood hangout home to iendly bartenrs, a wonrfully mixed clientele, some of the bt drk pric the cy and great dance mic. Remend for Gay Clubs bee: There's always somethg gog on at Lafte's, om karaoke to a balny for people-watchg upstairs.

Photo urty of John MOne of the most popular gay clubs New Orleans has to offer, Oz is a French Quarter enzy of bar-top go-go boys, high-energy mic and a laser show that adds to the electrifyg atmosphere. Remend for Gay Clubs bee: Oz is a favore spot for drag shows, dancg and cheap potent cktails. Photo urty of Bourbon Pub and ParaBourbon Pub and Para is loted the clter of gay bars on Bourbon.

THE BT 10 GAY BARS NEAR FRENCH QUARTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA

There is ually a mixed bag of queer patrons, om gay men to lbians and straight iends and upl too. Remend for Gay Clubs bee: Bourbon Pub and Para is the place to be for amazg stum on Mardi Gras day. Remend for Gay Clubs bee: The Corner Pocket is a lively spot wh eye-ndy dancers and lots of R-rated fun.

Remend for Gay Clubs bee: Good Friends and Queens Head Pub draw an olr mellow crowd and offer a nice break om Bourbon. The rtrant bar has roots as a gay staytn spot, and still attracts a strong LGBTQ crowd to the geo salt water pool out back.

GAY NEW ORLEANS

Remend for Gay Clubs bee: The Country Club is a fun place to gather wh all flavor of iends for pool time or drks at the bar. 300 Years of Lol LGBT+ History1724 – First wrten reference to homosexualy New Orleans 1805 – Sodomy outlawed Louisiana 1848 Walt Whman liv New Orleans 1848 – Gaston Pontalba signs st-ironwork on Pontalba Buildgs 1876 Tony Jackson born 1922 – William Spratlg mov to New Orleans 1930 – Gee Dure born 1933 – Café La tte opens 1939 – Jam Booker born 1940 – Franc Benjam Johnston mov to New Orleans 1946 – Tennsee Williams wr A Streetr Named Dire 1949 – Dixie’s Bar of Mic relot to Bourbon Street 1953 – Steamboat Club found 1955 – NOPD Supertennt clar homosexuals “Number 1 vice problem” 1958 Krewe of Yuga found; birth of Gay Carnival 1958 – Fernando Rs murred Pirate’s Alley 1958 – Mayor Morrison creat “Commtee on the Problem of Sex Deviat” 1958 Tony Baco’s raid six tim 1960 New Orleans chapter of Dghters of Bilis found (year is approximate) 1961 – Krewe of Petroni found 1962 Tee Corrne attends Newb College Instute 1963 – John Rechy’s Cy of Night published 1965 – Krewe of Amon Ra found 1967 Claw Shaw charged the JFK assassatn 1968 – Krewe of Armei found 1970 Gay Liberatn Front lol chapter found 1971 – GLF holds a “Gay-In” at Cy Park 1971 – Barbara Stt ns for Hoe of Reprentativ 1971 – New Orleans Metropolan Communy Church found 1972 – First Southern Dence party 1972 Tulane Universy Gay Stunt Unn found 1973 – Up Stairs Lounge arson 1973 – Gay People’s Coaln found 1974 Gay Servic Center found 1975 – Gert Ste Society found 1977 Ana Bryant prott and march 1977 Charlene’s opens 1977 – Impact found 1977 – Serial killer murrs four gay men 1978 – Fbourg Marigny bookstore opens 1978 – Pk Triangle Alliance hosts cy’s rst Gay Pri rally 1979 – Gayft found 1980 – Louisiana Lbian and Gay Polil Actn Cc (LAGPAC) found 1980 – First Gay Pri Para New Orleans 1981 – First Louisiana State Conference held at the Country Club 1982 – Ambh found 1982 – New Orleans chapter of PFLAG found 1982 – New Orleans Gay Men’s Chos found 1983 – NO/AIDS Task Force found 1983 Lords of Leather found 1983 – Celebratn found 1985 – Lazas Hoe opens 1987 – Krewe of Queenateenas found 1988 – AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed New Orleans 1989 – Fom for Equaly found 1990 ACT UP New Orleans shuts down Loyola Ave.

To prott lack of AIDS fundg 1991 – Cy Council pass non-discrimatn ordance 1991 – Women Wh a Visn found 1992 Lbian and Gay Communy Center of New Orleans found 1993 – Belle Reve opens 1993 – Oz opens 1994 – New Orleans Bears and Bear Trappers Social Club found 1995 – Louisiana State Mm sponsors panel on gay and lbian culture 1997 J. But bee the Up Stairs Lounge was a gay bar and all but one of the ad were gay men, the police vtigatn of the arson was sual and plete. The crime remaed ath toll om that June 24, 1973, arson -- the adlit crime agast gays the U.

That’s when, durg natnal Gay Pri week, the ath toll was surpassed at Pulse, a gay bar Orlando, Florida. A plaque the siwalk at the former entrance to Up Stairs Lounge New Orleans memorat the victims of an arson attack on the gay bar on June 24, 1973.

GAY BARS THE FRENCH QUARTER

But the Up Stairs Lounge arson 1973 occurred before there was a natnal gay pri day, week or month, and when homosexual activy was a crime.