When the New York Tim’ Roy Reed reported on New Orleans’ Up Stairs Lounge ferno of 1973, which killed 32 people, he was the first journalist to intify as a gay bar.
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- A NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR INFERNO KILLED 32. ROY REED WAS FIRST TO REPORT THE TTH.LEADING THE WAYJACK THORNELL/APWHEN THE NEW YORK TIM’ ROY REED REPORTED ON NEW ORLEANS’ UP STAIRS LOUNGE FERNO OF 1973, WHICH KILLED 32 PEOPLE, HE WAS THE FIRST JOURNALIST TO INTIFY AS A GAY BAR.ROBERT W. FIELERUPDATED JUL. 28, 2021 3:59PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 05, 2021 1:29AM EDT THE LATE JOURNALIST AND NEW ORLEANS RINT ROY REED, WHO PASSED AWAY 2017, IS PERHAPS BT KNOWN FOR HIS ENTERPRISG CIVIL RIGHTS-ERA VERAGE THE NEW YORK TIM, CLUDG A MARCH 1965 ATTACK OF STATE TROOPERS ON UNARMED MARCHERS SELMA, ALABAMA AT THE EDMUND PETT BRIDGE. IN HIS ONT-PAGE TIM STORY OF THE ENSUG RNAGE, KNOWN AS BLOODY SUNDAY, REED BOLDLY WROTE OF WHE TROOPERS WHO “TORE THROUGH LUMN OF NEGRO MONSTRATORS WH TEAR GAS, NIGHTSTICKS AND WHIPS.” THE NEW ORLEANS TIM-PIYUNE, BY PARISON, PAIRED NEWSWIRE VERAGE OF THE SELMA ATTACK WH A SYMPATHETIC STORY OF OFFENDG LAWMAN SHERIFF JAM G. CLARK, WHO PLAED OF ATH THREATS ON HIMSELF AND HIS FAY BY “NEGRO EXTREMIST GROUPS.”ROY REED’S SPECIAL REPORT OF BLOODY SUNDAY AT SELMA WOULD IGNE SYMPATHY FOR BLACK FREEDOM AND HELP SPEED POLIL PASSAGE OF THE 1965 VOTG RIGHTS ACT. REVEREND DR. MART LUTHER KG, JR. WOULD JO THE NEXT TWO SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH ALONGSI THE YOUNG ACTIVIST JOHN LEWIS. REED’S JOURNALISTIC NTRIBUTN TO QUEER HISTORY, NVERSELY, REMAS UNKNOWN TO MOST AMERINS. IT’S SO UNJTLY OBSCURE THAT EVEN REED’S VERY WORTHY NEW YORK TIM OBUARY FAILED TO MENTN . LIKE SELMA, REED WOULD WRE THE FIVE BREAKG NEWS STORY ON THE ASSLT OF ANOTHER MARGALIZED MUNY. IN THE LATE HOURS OF SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 1973, ROY REED WAS JOLTED ALERT BY A PHONE LL OM THE TIM ANNEX NEW YORK CY TO HIS HOME ON UPPERLE STREET UPTOWN NEW ORLEANS, TWO BLOCKS OFF ST. CHARL AVENUE. HIS NIGHT EDOR ON THE NATNAL SK RMED HIM OF A ADLY FIRE DOWNTOWN, WH MULTIPLE AD. REED RACED HIS R TOWARDS A SMOLRG, SEND-STORY BAR PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF THE FRENCH QUARTER. THERE, BEFORE A SRCHED NOPY BEARG THE CURSIVE WORDS “UP STAIRS,” REED FOUND A MOB OF DNKEN SPECTATORS AND MORE THAN 100 POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS, WHO WERE PACKG AWAY HOS AND CRANG DOWN BODI OM A BOMBED-OUT BUILDG.THIS WAS THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE FIRE, A NOTOR ARSON ATTACK ON A GAY BAR THAT WOULD CLAIM 32 LIV. “THE FIRST THG THAT HS YOU WAS THE ODOR, BURNG FLH,” REMEMBERED REED ONE OF HIS LAST LIVG TERVIEWS FOR MY BOOK TRBOX: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE FIRE AND THE RISE OF GAY LIBERATN, A NONFICTN ACUNT OF THE FIRE. “THEN THE SIGHT OF THE MAN THE WDOW, THE EXPRSN OF HORROR ON HIS FACE.” THAT ASHEN FIGURE THE WDOW WAS REVEREND BILL LARSON, PASTOR OF THE LOL GAY-IENDLY METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH. THOUGH REED ARRIVED WELL AFTER THE EMERGENCY WAS HAND, HE STILL WNSED LARSON HIS ATH POSE BEE THORI WOULD LEAVE THE MAN’S BODY DANGLG OUT OF THE BUILDG FOR HOURS.SUPPRSG HIS NATURAL SHOCK, CLICKG TO ACTN, THE VETERAN REPORTER TERVIEWED GAY UP STAIRS LOUNGE BARTENR BUDDY RASMSEN AND PIECED TOGETHER A NARRATIVE OF A BLUE-LLAR GAY HAVEN CERATED WH THE AID OF LIGHTER FLUID. SOME REPORTERS OF THE DAY WOULD HAVE FLCHED AT THE NOTN OF TERVIEWG ANY OPENLY GAY MAN. REED PRSED AHEAD, SENSG WHAT MAY HAVE SPARKED THIS ADLY FIRE: EXPLOSIVE ANGER. “I TRIED TO PUT MYSELF THE MD OR MDS OF THOSE GUYS,” HE RELLED S LATER. “THOSE FEW MUT OF UNMANAGEABLE RAGE WHEN THEY IMPULSIVELY L THAT FIRE.” HISTORIANS NOW REGNIZE THAT THE BLAZE WAS MOST LIKELY SET BY A DISTURBED SEX WORKER NAMED RODGER DALE NUNEZ, WHO FELLOW PATRONS OVERHEARD THREATENG TO “BURN” THE TABLISHMENT WHEN HE WAS FORCIBLY EJECTED BY BAR STAFF SEVERAL MUT BEFORE THE START OF THE FIRE. REED’S SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT ASSSMENT THAT THIS NFLAGRATN WAS TENTNAL, AND THAT ANGER L THE MATCH, HAS THEREFORE PROVEN PRCIENT. ADVERTISEMENT MAKG EFFICIENT E OF HIS APPROXIMATELY 30 MUT AT THE SE, REED EVEN SPOKE TO A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO’D BEEN PERMTED TO THAT UPSTAIRS BAR TO DOCUMENT THE PIL OF BODI. DASHG TO HIS TYPEWRER TO TRY TO MEET A 10:30 P.M. ADLE FOR NEXT DAY VERAGE, REED SELECTED HIS QUOT AND CRIED WHILE OUTLG A STORY ON HIS QUICK TRIP TO THE TIM’ DOWNTOWN OFFIC ON CARONLET STREET. IN HIS MD, HE KEPT SEEG THAT BURNT MAN THE WDOW. THE GROTQUE RNAGE, MEN MARKED BY SMOKE AND CRYG OUT THE NAM OF THE MISSG, REMD HIM OF THE SCENE AT THE BRIDGE SELMA AFTER THE HORS CHARGED THE CROWD AMIDST THE TEARGAS. THEN DAWNED ON REED, AS HE RELLED OUR TERVIEW: “THIS WAS THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT I EVER RECEIVED NCERNG THE AMERIN HOMOSEXUAL MUNY.” REED FIGURED THAT THE SEXUALY OF THE VICTIMS WAS AN UNRCURRENT THAT ELUD THE EDOR WHO TASKED HIM TO REPORT THE FIRE. HAD THIS EDOR KNOWN, REED SPECTED THAT HE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED THE STORY.NEWSROOMS AND REARS OF THE ERA WOULD EXPRS ALMOST UNIVERSAL REVULSN WHEN ALG WH THE TOPIC OF “VIATE” SEXUALI, AND NO LEADG PAPER THE UNTRY WOULD PRT THE RADIL WORD “GAY” WHOUT ENCLOSG PATRONIZG QUOTATN MARKS. AS POT OF FACT, THE NEW YORK TIM WOULD NOT REVISE S STYLE GUI TO ALLOW THE WORD “GAY,” STEAD OF “HOMOSEXUAL,” UNTIL 1987.QUEER BEHAVR BY ANY NAME TEND TO BE AVOID WHOLALE BY THE PRS UNLS S MENTN WAS PART OF EXONERATG AN ANTI-QUEER ATTACKER. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIM’ 1969 VERAGE OF THE STONEWALL RT, HEADL LAMENTED THE “4 POLICEMEN HURT ‘VILLAGE’ RAID,” WHILE THE STORY SLD THE “HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN ON A RAMPAGE,” WHO NOCENT POLICEMEN WERE PELLED TO NONT. THE SAN FRANCIS CHRONICLE DIDN’T EVEN VER THE 1966 COMPTON’S CAFETERIA RT, AN UPRISG OF GENR MORI WHO FORCIBLY REPELLED ARRTG POLICE OM A TENRLO DISTRICT EATERY. THE MIAMI HERALD’S 1954 VERAGE OF THE MURR OF “HANDSOME EASTERN AIR L STEWARD” WILLIAM T. SIMPSON DIDN’T MENTN SIMPSON’S SEXUALY UNTIL THE 19-YEAR-OLD “YOUTH” WHO NFSED TO SHOOTG AND KILLG SIMPSON ACCED THE MAN OF “IMPROPER ADVANC.”A WHE, MARRIED, HETEROSEXUAL, SELF-PROFSED “HICK-TALKG ARKANSAWYER,” ’S REMARKABLE THAT ROY REED 1973 DID NOT RRY SUCH MON PREJUDIC. REED KNEW HE WOULD BE BOUND BY HIS DUTY AS JOURNALIST TO WRE DOWN AN UNAMBIGUO FACT, A PROVOTIVE WORD SO UNPOPULAR OFFEND HIS EDORS BACK NEW YORK: THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE BAR SERVED “HOMOSEXUAL” PATRONS. IT WAS A FACT, REED RELLED OUR TERVIEW, THAT “ULD POT TO MOTIVE THE EVENT OF A CRIME.” ADVERTISEMENT REED MA HIS ADLE. HIS 700+ WORD, ONT-PAGE STORY THE NEW YORK TIM, ENTLED “FLASH FIRE NEW ORLEANS KILLS AT LEAST THIRTY-TWO BAR,” WOULD BE THE ONLY SPECIAL REPORT ON THE TRAGEDY TO RM THE PUBLIC OF THE BAR’S “HOMOSEXUAL” CLIENTELE THE NEXT MORNG. OTHER MAJOR MARKET PUBLITNS IGNORED OR OBSCURED THE REALY THAT THE STCTN OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE WAS AN TENTNALLY SET BLAZE THAT KILLED GAY MEN. THOUGH A SYMPATHETIC, CLOSETED GAY LOL JOURNALIST NAMED JOHN LAPLACE -REPORTED ONE OF THE NEW ORLEANS TIM-PIYUNE’S ONT-PAGE STORI ON THE FIRE THAT MONDAY, NO ONE HIS NEWSROOM WOULD TAKE THE RISK OF PRTG THAT DANGERO WORD. LIKEWISE, THE TIM LONDON EXCLUD HOMOSEXUALY OM THEIR STORY. NEHER THE CHIGO TRIBUNE NOR THE LOS ANGEL TIM MENTNED THE LIKELY ORIENTATN OF THE VICTIMS THEIR ONT-PAGE VERAGE, STEAD LLG THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE “A POPULAR PLACE ON SUNDAYS,” HTG AT A N OF UNSIRABL UP TO TROUBLE ON THE PROVERBIAL LORD’S DAY.ROY REED WAS, SENCE, A LONELY REPORTG VOICE WHO GOT THE MSAGE PAST A BLOCKA. HIS SGLE MENTN OF THE PATRONS’ SEXUALI—“A NEIGHBORG BARTENR SAID THE PLACE WAS EQUENTED BY HOMOSEXUALS”—TROUBLED TIM EDORS SO PROFOUNDLY THAT THEY SHUFFLED THE MENTN OFF THE NEWSPAPER’S ONT PAGE AND BURIED 10 PARAGRAPHS EP TO THE STORY AFTER A 65-PAGE JUMP.YET REED’S MONDAY MORNG STAND PRAGED A DRAMATIC SHIFT LOL VERAGE. HE WAS, AFTER ALL, A NOTABLE NEW ORLEANS WRER WHO’D JT SHATTERED TABOOS BY PORTRAYG HOMOSEXUALS NOT AS PERPETRATORS BUT AS VICTIMS THE NATNAL NEWSPAPER OF RERD. THE NEW ORLEANS STAT-ITEM, AN AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER SHARG OWNERSHIP AND A NEWSROOM WH THE TIM-PIYUNE, PRTED THE WORD “HOMOSEXUALS” S ONT-PAGE FIRE VERAGE LATER THAT MONDAY. THEY ALSO QUOTED NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT MAJOR HENRY M. MORRIS AS STIGATG THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE BY SAYG, “SOME THIEV HUNG OUT THERE, AND YOU KNOW THIS WAS A QUEER BAR.”THE NATNAL CBS NEWS SK, AS WELL AS THE LOL AFFILIATE WWL-TV, AIRED EVENG NEWS PIEC THAT LLED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE A “HANGOUT FOR HOMOSEXUALS.”. DECISIVELY, THE NEW ORLEANS TIM-PIYUNE AMEND S REPORTG THAT TUDAY MORNG TO FOLLOW SU WH THE STAT-ITEM, AND AN ALT-WEEKLY THE FRENCH QUARTER LLED THE VIX CARRé COURIER VERED THE FIRE EXCLIVELY OM A HOMOSEXUAL ANGLE. ADVERTISEMENT NOHELS, ALL OF THIS ANXIETY SURROUNDG A BASIC WORD THAT ONE OF THE MOST LEGENDARY JOURNALISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY EMED “A CCIAL TAIL” REVEALED BIAS WARPG THE PUBLIC PERCEPTN OF AN TERNATNAL NEWS CINT, REPORTED AS FAR AWAY AS LONDON AND ATRALIA. MOST AMERIN NEWSREARS LEARNED ABOUT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE, THE ADLIT FIRE ON RERD NEW ORLEANS HISTORY AND THE WORST MASS KILLG OF QUEER CIZENS 20TH CENTURY AMERI, AS A RANDOM BAR FIRE WHOUT SOCIAL NTEXT—AND FOT A BLIP. INED, THE IAL MEDIA “STRAIGHT-WASH” RULTED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE ALL BUT DISAPPEARG OM DISURSE WH DAYS. REED ATTEMPTED TO NTUE HIS VERAGE OF THE FIRE BUT ONLY SUCCEEDG PUBLISHG A SGLE FOLLOW-UP STORY, WHICH ALARMED EDORS WH A HEADLE THAT BEGAN “ARSON SPECTED…,” BEFORE BEG FORCIBLY REASSIGNED TO TAMER MATERIAL.AS EVEN LOL TERT WANED, PUBLIC OFFICIALS NEW ORLEANS WORKED HARD TO PIVOT UP STAIRS LOUNGE VERAGE TO A BATE ABOUT THE NECSY FOR STALLG DOOR FIRE SPRKLERS, AND CLOSETED GAY NSTUENCI REJECTED ATTEMPTS TO PUBLICIZE OR POLICIZE THE TRAGEDY, FOR FEAR OF POLICE REPRISALS.“WHILE I N UNRSTAND THE VAR GAY LEARS OM AROUND THE UNTRY G HERE TO HELP, I DO NOT WANT MY BAR OR THIS TRAGEDY TO BE ED TO FURTHER ANY OF THEIR ,” UP STAIRS LOUNGE OWNER PHIL ESTEVE TOLD THE PHILALPHIA INQUIRER WHILE STANDG THE S OF HIS BAR. LOLS LIKE ESTEVE WOULD NOT RAISE IRE WHEN POLICE CLOSED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE VTIGATN THAT AUGT WHOUT TERVIEWG THE CHIEF SPECT. ADVERTISEMENT THOUGH TECTIV REVERED A LIGHTER FLUID NISTER THE LOTN WHERE THE FIRE BEGAN, THEY CLARED THE FIRE TO BE OF “UNTERMED ORIG.” CHIEF SPECT NUNEZ WOULD DIE BY SUICI ABOUT A YEAR LATER HAVG NEVER BEEN TERVIEWED BY NEW ORLEANS POLICE. THE FIRE AT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE IS STILL, OFFICIALLY, AN UNSOLVED CRIME. “ROY REED SERV CRED FOR REPORTG A SEMAL EVENT QUEER HISTORY AS AN ALLY OF ACCURACY.” THOUGH ROY REED’S REPORT OF BLOODY SUNDAY AT SELMA WOULD BEE A RALLY CRY FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, REED’S UP STAIRS LOUNGE STORY WAS NOT PART OF A SIAR LL TO ACTN FOR “GAY LIBERATN” THE 1970S SOUTH. DES LATER, HOWEVER, THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE DID VELOP SUCH A LEGACY WHEN QUEER ACTIVISTS NEW ORLEANS CED THE TRAGEDY TO SECURE ANTI-DISCRIMATN PROTECTNS FOR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR INTY 1991 AND 1998, RPECTIVELY. SCE THOSE ACTIVISTS, LED BY FIRE SURVIVOR STEWART BUTLER, DARED TO SPEAK THE WORDS “UP STAIRS LOUNGE” THEIR 1980S AND 1990S MPAIGNS, LOL VERAGE OF THE FIRE EVOLVED TO PORTRAY THE EVENT AS A HUMAN RIGHTS TRAGEDY, WH THE VICTIMS AND THEIR SEXUALI AS CENTERPIECE. NATNAL PUBLITNS NOW ELEGIZE THE FIRE THE NEW CENTURY. TODAY, THERE IS A PERMANENT MEMORIAL AT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE SE, AND QUEER GEN-Z ACTIVISTS WEAR T-SHIRTS BEARG THE PHRASE, “REMEMBER THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE.”ROY REED SERV CRED FOR REPORTG A SEMAL EVENT QUEER HISTORY AS AN ALLY OF ACCURACY—ON A DAY AND AT AN HOUR WHEN THE PUBLITNS LIKE THE TIM-PIYUNE WOULD NOT. HE SEED A QUEER TTH THAT BLOSSOMS TODAY ANNIVERSARY MEMORIALS HELD FOR THE FIRE VICTIMS NEW ORLEANS. REED’S VERAGE OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE SHOULD BE HAILED ALONGSI HIS WORK AT SELMA, REVEALG NNECTIVE TISSUE BETWEEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS FOR BLACK AND QUEER AMERINS, FOR WHOM GREAT TRAGEDY PROVOKED HARROWG TRANSFORMATN. THE REPORTG FEATS NOW REVERBERATE THROUGH TIME AND REVEAL AN EVER-PRENT NEED FOR ALLI OUR UNRELENTG STGGLE TO REALIZE A “MORE PERFECT UNN.” ADVERTISEMENT I THK ABOUT MY NVERSATN WH ROY REED, WHO HE WAS, HOW HE DIDN’T POLISH HIS OWN STAR, HOW HE’D TAKEN THE TEAR GAS WH THE SELMA PROTTERS. I’M SURE I’LL THK ABOUT MY TALK WH HIM FOR THE RT OF MY LIFE. AND I SEE HIS LEGACY TODAY DIVIDUALS LIKE DARNELLA FRAZIER, WHO DOCUMENTED THE BTAL MURR OF GEE FLOYD AND WHO, FOR THAT URAGEO RERDG, RECEIVED A SPECIAL CATN PULZER. REED’S EXAMPLE LIV EVERY UNBIASED CIZEN REPORTG TTH THE FACE OF STATE-SANCTNED VLENCE. HOW MANY FAIL TO DOCUMENT SUCH VLENCE? HOW MANY IGNORE ? FROM SELMA TO STONEWALL, MNEAPOLIS TO THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE, THE PRICE OF SUCH VLENCE MT NOT BE ERASED. ROBERT W. FIELER
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A NEW ORLEANS GAY BAR INFERNO KILLED 32. ROY REED WAS FIRST TO REPORT THE TTH.LEADING THE WAYJACK THORNELL/APWHEN THE NEW YORK TIM’ ROY REED REPORTED ON NEW ORLEANS’ UP STAIRS LOUNGE FERNO OF 1973, WHICH KILLED 32 PEOPLE, HE WAS THE FIRST JOURNALIST TO INTIFY AS A GAY BAR.ROBERT W. FIELERUPDATED JUL. 28, 2021 3:59PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 05, 2021 1:29AM EDT THE LATE JOURNALIST AND NEW ORLEANS RINT ROY REED, WHO PASSED AWAY 2017, IS PERHAPS BT KNOWN FOR HIS ENTERPRISG CIVIL RIGHTS-ERA VERAGE THE NEW YORK TIM, CLUDG A MARCH 1965 ATTACK OF STATE TROOPERS ON UNARMED MARCHERS SELMA, ALABAMA AT THE EDMUND PETT BRIDGE. IN HIS ONT-PAGE TIM STORY OF THE ENSUG RNAGE, KNOWN AS BLOODY SUNDAY, REED BOLDLY WROTE OF WHE TROOPERS WHO “TORE THROUGH LUMN OF NEGRO MONSTRATORS WH TEAR GAS, NIGHTSTICKS AND WHIPS.” THE NEW ORLEANS TIM-PIYUNE, BY PARISON, PAIRED NEWSWIRE VERAGE OF THE SELMA ATTACK WH A SYMPATHETIC STORY OF OFFENDG LAWMAN SHERIFF JAM G. CLARK, WHO PLAED OF ATH THREATS ON HIMSELF AND HIS FAY BY “NEGRO EXTREMIST GROUPS.”ROY REED’S SPECIAL REPORT OF BLOODY SUNDAY AT SELMA WOULD IGNE SYMPATHY FOR BLACK FREEDOM AND HELP SPEED POLIL PASSAGE OF THE 1965 VOTG RIGHTS ACT. REVEREND DR. MART LUTHER KG, JR. WOULD JO THE NEXT TWO SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH ALONGSI THE YOUNG ACTIVIST JOHN LEWIS. REED’S JOURNALISTIC NTRIBUTN TO QUEER HISTORY, NVERSELY, REMAS UNKNOWN TO MOST AMERINS. IT’S SO UNJTLY OBSCURE THAT EVEN REED’S VERY WORTHY NEW YORK TIM OBUARY FAILED TO MENTN . LIKE SELMA, REED WOULD WRE THE FIVE BREAKG NEWS STORY ON THE ASSLT OF ANOTHER MARGALIZED MUNY. IN THE LATE HOURS OF SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 1973, ROY REED WAS JOLTED ALERT BY A PHONE LL OM THE TIM ANNEX NEW YORK CY TO HIS HOME ON UPPERLE STREET UPTOWN NEW ORLEANS, TWO BLOCKS OFF ST. CHARL AVENUE. HIS NIGHT EDOR ON THE NATNAL SK RMED HIM OF A ADLY FIRE DOWNTOWN, WH MULTIPLE AD. REED RACED HIS R TOWARDS A SMOLRG, SEND-STORY BAR PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF THE FRENCH QUARTER. THERE, BEFORE A SRCHED NOPY BEARG THE CURSIVE WORDS “UP STAIRS,” REED FOUND A MOB OF DNKEN SPECTATORS AND MORE THAN 100 POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS, WHO WERE PACKG AWAY HOS AND CRANG DOWN BODI OM A BOMBED-OUT BUILDG.THIS WAS THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE FIRE, A NOTOR ARSON ATTACK ON A GAY BAR THAT WOULD CLAIM 32 LIV. “THE FIRST THG THAT HS YOU WAS THE ODOR, BURNG FLH,” REMEMBERED REED ONE OF HIS LAST LIVG TERVIEWS FOR MY BOOK TRBOX: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE FIRE AND THE RISE OF GAY LIBERATN, A NONFICTN ACUNT OF THE FIRE. “THEN THE SIGHT OF THE MAN THE WDOW, THE EXPRSN OF HORROR ON HIS FACE.” THAT ASHEN FIGURE THE WDOW WAS REVEREND BILL LARSON, PASTOR OF THE LOL GAY-IENDLY METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH. THOUGH REED ARRIVED WELL AFTER THE EMERGENCY WAS HAND, HE STILL WNSED LARSON HIS ATH POSE BEE THORI WOULD LEAVE THE MAN’S BODY DANGLG OUT OF THE BUILDG FOR HOURS.SUPPRSG HIS NATURAL SHOCK, CLICKG TO ACTN, THE VETERAN REPORTER TERVIEWED GAY UP STAIRS LOUNGE BARTENR BUDDY RASMSEN AND PIECED TOGETHER A NARRATIVE OF A BLUE-LLAR GAY HAVEN CERATED WH THE AID OF LIGHTER FLUID. SOME REPORTERS OF THE DAY WOULD HAVE FLCHED AT THE NOTN OF TERVIEWG ANY OPENLY GAY MAN. REED PRSED AHEAD, SENSG WHAT MAY HAVE SPARKED THIS ADLY FIRE: EXPLOSIVE ANGER. “I TRIED TO PUT MYSELF THE MD OR MDS OF THOSE GUYS,” HE RELLED S LATER. “THOSE FEW MUT OF UNMANAGEABLE RAGE WHEN THEY IMPULSIVELY L THAT FIRE.” HISTORIANS NOW REGNIZE THAT THE BLAZE WAS MOST LIKELY SET BY A DISTURBED SEX WORKER NAMED RODGER DALE NUNEZ, WHO FELLOW PATRONS OVERHEARD THREATENG TO “BURN” THE TABLISHMENT WHEN HE WAS FORCIBLY EJECTED BY BAR STAFF SEVERAL MUT BEFORE THE START OF THE FIRE. REED’S SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT ASSSMENT THAT THIS NFLAGRATN WAS TENTNAL, AND THAT ANGER L THE MATCH, HAS THEREFORE PROVEN PRCIENT. ADVERTISEMENT MAKG EFFICIENT E OF HIS APPROXIMATELY 30 MUT AT THE SE, REED EVEN SPOKE TO A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO’D BEEN PERMTED TO THAT UPSTAIRS BAR TO DOCUMENT THE PIL OF BODI. DASHG TO HIS TYPEWRER TO TRY TO MEET A 10:30 P.M. ADLE FOR NEXT DAY VERAGE, REED SELECTED HIS QUOT AND CRIED WHILE OUTLG A STORY ON HIS QUICK TRIP TO THE TIM’ DOWNTOWN OFFIC ON CARONLET STREET. IN HIS MD, HE KEPT SEEG THAT BURNT MAN THE WDOW. THE GROTQUE RNAGE, MEN MARKED BY SMOKE AND CRYG OUT THE NAM OF THE MISSG, REMD HIM OF THE SCENE AT THE BRIDGE SELMA AFTER THE HORS CHARGED THE CROWD AMIDST THE TEARGAS. THEN DAWNED ON REED, AS HE RELLED OUR TERVIEW: “THIS WAS THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT I EVER RECEIVED NCERNG THE AMERIN HOMOSEXUAL MUNY.” REED FIGURED THAT THE SEXUALY OF THE VICTIMS WAS AN UNRCURRENT THAT ELUD THE EDOR WHO TASKED HIM TO REPORT THE FIRE. HAD THIS EDOR KNOWN, REED SPECTED THAT HE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED THE STORY.NEWSROOMS AND REARS OF THE ERA WOULD EXPRS ALMOST UNIVERSAL REVULSN WHEN ALG WH THE TOPIC OF “VIATE” SEXUALI, AND NO LEADG PAPER THE UNTRY WOULD PRT THE RADIL WORD “GAY” WHOUT ENCLOSG PATRONIZG QUOTATN MARKS. AS POT OF FACT, THE NEW YORK TIM WOULD NOT REVISE S STYLE GUI TO ALLOW THE WORD “GAY,” STEAD OF “HOMOSEXUAL,” UNTIL 1987.QUEER BEHAVR BY ANY NAME TEND TO BE AVOID WHOLALE BY THE PRS UNLS S MENTN WAS PART OF EXONERATG AN ANTI-QUEER ATTACKER. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIM’ 1969 VERAGE OF THE STONEWALL RT, HEADL LAMENTED THE “4 POLICEMEN HURT ‘VILLAGE’ RAID,” WHILE THE STORY SLD THE “HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN ON A RAMPAGE,” WHO NOCENT POLICEMEN WERE PELLED TO NONT. THE SAN FRANCIS CHRONICLE DIDN’T EVEN VER THE 1966 COMPTON’S CAFETERIA RT, AN UPRISG OF GENR MORI WHO FORCIBLY REPELLED ARRTG POLICE OM A TENRLO DISTRICT EATERY. THE MIAMI HERALD’S 1954 VERAGE OF THE MURR OF “HANDSOME EASTERN AIR L STEWARD” WILLIAM T. SIMPSON DIDN’T MENTN SIMPSON’S SEXUALY UNTIL THE 19-YEAR-OLD “YOUTH” WHO NFSED TO SHOOTG AND KILLG SIMPSON ACCED THE MAN OF “IMPROPER ADVANC.”A WHE, MARRIED, HETEROSEXUAL, SELF-PROFSED “HICK-TALKG ARKANSAWYER,” ’S REMARKABLE THAT ROY REED 1973 DID NOT RRY SUCH MON PREJUDIC. REED KNEW HE WOULD BE BOUND BY HIS DUTY AS JOURNALIST TO WRE DOWN AN UNAMBIGUO FACT, A PROVOTIVE WORD SO UNPOPULAR OFFEND HIS EDORS BACK NEW YORK: THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE BAR SERVED “HOMOSEXUAL” PATRONS. IT WAS A FACT, REED RELLED OUR TERVIEW, THAT “ULD POT TO MOTIVE THE EVENT OF A CRIME.” ADVERTISEMENT REED MA HIS ADLE. HIS 700+ WORD, ONT-PAGE STORY THE NEW YORK TIM, ENTLED “FLASH FIRE NEW ORLEANS KILLS AT LEAST THIRTY-TWO BAR,” WOULD BE THE ONLY SPECIAL REPORT ON THE TRAGEDY TO RM THE PUBLIC OF THE BAR’S “HOMOSEXUAL” CLIENTELE THE NEXT MORNG. OTHER MAJOR MARKET PUBLITNS IGNORED OR OBSCURED THE REALY THAT THE STCTN OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE WAS AN TENTNALLY SET BLAZE THAT KILLED GAY MEN. THOUGH A SYMPATHETIC, CLOSETED GAY LOL JOURNALIST NAMED JOHN LAPLACE -REPORTED ONE OF THE NEW ORLEANS TIM-PIYUNE’S ONT-PAGE STORI ON THE FIRE THAT MONDAY, NO ONE HIS NEWSROOM WOULD TAKE THE RISK OF PRTG THAT DANGERO WORD. LIKEWISE, THE TIM LONDON EXCLUD HOMOSEXUALY OM THEIR STORY. NEHER THE CHIGO TRIBUNE NOR THE LOS ANGEL TIM MENTNED THE LIKELY ORIENTATN OF THE VICTIMS THEIR ONT-PAGE VERAGE, STEAD LLG THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE “A POPULAR PLACE ON SUNDAYS,” HTG AT A N OF UNSIRABL UP TO TROUBLE ON THE PROVERBIAL LORD’S DAY.ROY REED WAS, SENCE, A LONELY REPORTG VOICE WHO GOT THE MSAGE PAST A BLOCKA. HIS SGLE MENTN OF THE PATRONS’ SEXUALI—“A NEIGHBORG BARTENR SAID THE PLACE WAS EQUENTED BY HOMOSEXUALS”—TROUBLED TIM EDORS SO PROFOUNDLY THAT THEY SHUFFLED THE MENTN OFF THE NEWSPAPER’S ONT PAGE AND BURIED 10 PARAGRAPHS EP TO THE STORY AFTER A 65-PAGE JUMP.YET REED’S MONDAY MORNG STAND PRAGED A DRAMATIC SHIFT LOL VERAGE. HE WAS, AFTER ALL, A NOTABLE NEW ORLEANS WRER WHO’D JT SHATTERED TABOOS BY PORTRAYG HOMOSEXUALS NOT AS PERPETRATORS BUT AS VICTIMS THE NATNAL NEWSPAPER OF RERD. THE NEW ORLEANS STAT-ITEM, AN AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER SHARG OWNERSHIP AND A NEWSROOM WH THE TIM-PIYUNE, PRTED THE WORD “HOMOSEXUALS” S ONT-PAGE FIRE VERAGE LATER THAT MONDAY. THEY ALSO QUOTED NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT MAJOR HENRY M. MORRIS AS STIGATG THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE BY SAYG, “SOME THIEV HUNG OUT THERE, AND YOU KNOW THIS WAS A QUEER BAR.”THE NATNAL CBS NEWS SK, AS WELL AS THE LOL AFFILIATE WWL-TV, AIRED EVENG NEWS PIEC THAT LLED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE A “HANGOUT FOR HOMOSEXUALS.”. DECISIVELY, THE NEW ORLEANS TIM-PIYUNE AMEND S REPORTG THAT TUDAY MORNG TO FOLLOW SU WH THE STAT-ITEM, AND AN ALT-WEEKLY THE FRENCH QUARTER LLED THE VIX CARRé COURIER VERED THE FIRE EXCLIVELY OM A HOMOSEXUAL ANGLE. ADVERTISEMENT NOHELS, ALL OF THIS ANXIETY SURROUNDG A BASIC WORD THAT ONE OF THE MOST LEGENDARY JOURNALISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY EMED “A CCIAL TAIL” REVEALED BIAS WARPG THE PUBLIC PERCEPTN OF AN TERNATNAL NEWS CINT, REPORTED AS FAR AWAY AS LONDON AND ATRALIA. MOST AMERIN NEWSREARS LEARNED ABOUT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE, THE ADLIT FIRE ON RERD NEW ORLEANS HISTORY AND THE WORST MASS KILLG OF QUEER CIZENS 20TH CENTURY AMERI, AS A RANDOM BAR FIRE WHOUT SOCIAL NTEXT—AND FOT A BLIP. INED, THE IAL MEDIA “STRAIGHT-WASH” RULTED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE ALL BUT DISAPPEARG OM DISURSE WH DAYS. REED ATTEMPTED TO NTUE HIS VERAGE OF THE FIRE BUT ONLY SUCCEEDG PUBLISHG A SGLE FOLLOW-UP STORY, WHICH ALARMED EDORS WH A HEADLE THAT BEGAN “ARSON SPECTED…,” BEFORE BEG FORCIBLY REASSIGNED TO TAMER MATERIAL.AS EVEN LOL TERT WANED, PUBLIC OFFICIALS NEW ORLEANS WORKED HARD TO PIVOT UP STAIRS LOUNGE VERAGE TO A BATE ABOUT THE NECSY FOR STALLG DOOR FIRE SPRKLERS, AND CLOSETED GAY NSTUENCI REJECTED ATTEMPTS TO PUBLICIZE OR POLICIZE THE TRAGEDY, FOR FEAR OF POLICE REPRISALS.“WHILE I N UNRSTAND THE VAR GAY LEARS OM AROUND THE UNTRY G HERE TO HELP, I DO NOT WANT MY BAR OR THIS TRAGEDY TO BE ED TO FURTHER ANY OF THEIR ,” UP STAIRS LOUNGE OWNER PHIL ESTEVE TOLD THE PHILALPHIA INQUIRER WHILE STANDG THE S OF HIS BAR. LOLS LIKE ESTEVE WOULD NOT RAISE IRE WHEN POLICE CLOSED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE VTIGATN THAT AUGT WHOUT TERVIEWG THE CHIEF SPECT. ADVERTISEMENT THOUGH TECTIV REVERED A LIGHTER FLUID NISTER THE LOTN WHERE THE FIRE BEGAN, THEY CLARED THE FIRE TO BE OF “UNTERMED ORIG.” CHIEF SPECT NUNEZ WOULD DIE BY SUICI ABOUT A YEAR LATER HAVG NEVER BEEN TERVIEWED BY NEW ORLEANS POLICE. THE FIRE AT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE IS STILL, OFFICIALLY, AN UNSOLVED CRIME. “ROY REED SERV CRED FOR REPORTG A SEMAL EVENT QUEER HISTORY AS AN ALLY OF ACCURACY.” THOUGH ROY REED’S REPORT OF BLOODY SUNDAY AT SELMA WOULD BEE A RALLY CRY FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, REED’S UP STAIRS LOUNGE STORY WAS NOT PART OF A SIAR LL TO ACTN FOR “GAY LIBERATN” THE 1970S SOUTH. DES LATER, HOWEVER, THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE DID VELOP SUCH A LEGACY WHEN QUEER ACTIVISTS NEW ORLEANS CED THE TRAGEDY TO SECURE ANTI-DISCRIMATN PROTECTNS FOR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR INTY 1991 AND 1998, RPECTIVELY. SCE THOSE ACTIVISTS, LED BY FIRE SURVIVOR STEWART BUTLER, DARED TO SPEAK THE WORDS “UP STAIRS LOUNGE” THEIR 1980S AND 1990S MPAIGNS, LOL VERAGE OF THE FIRE EVOLVED TO PORTRAY THE EVENT AS A HUMAN RIGHTS TRAGEDY, WH THE VICTIMS AND THEIR SEXUALI AS CENTERPIECE. NATNAL PUBLITNS NOW ELEGIZE THE FIRE THE NEW CENTURY. TODAY, THERE IS A PERMANENT MEMORIAL AT THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE SE, AND QUEER GEN-Z ACTIVISTS WEAR T-SHIRTS BEARG THE PHRASE, “REMEMBER THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE.”ROY REED SERV CRED FOR REPORTG A SEMAL EVENT QUEER HISTORY AS AN ALLY OF ACCURACY—ON A DAY AND AT AN HOUR WHEN THE PUBLITNS LIKE THE TIM-PIYUNE WOULD NOT. HE SEED A QUEER TTH THAT BLOSSOMS TODAY ANNIVERSARY MEMORIALS HELD FOR THE FIRE VICTIMS NEW ORLEANS. REED’S VERAGE OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE SHOULD BE HAILED ALONGSI HIS WORK AT SELMA, REVEALG NNECTIVE TISSUE BETWEEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS FOR BLACK AND QUEER AMERINS, FOR WHOM GREAT TRAGEDY PROVOKED HARROWG TRANSFORMATN. THE REPORTG FEATS NOW REVERBERATE THROUGH TIME AND REVEAL AN EVER-PRENT NEED FOR ALLI OUR UNRELENTG STGGLE TO REALIZE A “MORE PERFECT UNN.” ADVERTISEMENT I THK ABOUT MY NVERSATN WH ROY REED, WHO HE WAS, HOW HE DIDN’T POLISH HIS OWN STAR, HOW HE’D TAKEN THE TEAR GAS WH THE SELMA PROTTERS. I’M SURE I’LL THK ABOUT MY TALK WH HIM FOR THE RT OF MY LIFE. AND I SEE HIS LEGACY TODAY DIVIDUALS LIKE DARNELLA FRAZIER, WHO DOCUMENTED THE BTAL MURR OF GEE FLOYD AND WHO, FOR THAT URAGEO RERDG, RECEIVED A SPECIAL CATN PULZER. REED’S EXAMPLE LIV EVERY UNBIASED CIZEN REPORTG TTH THE FACE OF STATE-SANCTNED VLENCE. HOW MANY FAIL TO DOCUMENT SUCH VLENCE? HOW MANY IGNORE ? FROM SELMA TO STONEWALL, MNEAPOLIS TO THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE, THE PRICE OF SUCH VLENCE MT NOT BE ERASED. ROBERT W. FIELER
* gay club inferno *
There, before a srched nopy bearg the cursive words “Up Stairs, ” Reed found a mob of dnken spectators and more than 100 police and firefighters, who were packg away hos and crang down bodi om a bombed-out was the Up Stairs Lounge fire, a notor arson attack on a gay bar that would claim 32 liv. “The first thg that hs you was the odor, burng flh, ” remembered Reed one of his last livg terviews for my book Trbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberatn, a nonfictn acunt of the fire.
” That ashen figure the wdow was Reverend Bill Larson, pastor of the lol gay-iendly Metropolan Communy Church. Supprsg his natural shock, clickg to actn, the veteran reporter terviewed gay Up Stairs Lounge bartenr Buddy Rasmsen and pieced together a narrative of a blue-llar gay haven cerated wh the aid of lighter fluid.
Some reporters of the day would have flched at the notn of terviewg any openly gay man. Then dawned on Reed, as he relled our terview: “This was the first assignment I ever received ncerng the Amerin homosexual muny. Newsrooms and rears of the era would exprs almost universal revulsn when alg wh the topic of “viate” sexuali, and no leadg paper the untry would prt the radil word “Gay” whout enclosg patronizg quotatn marks.
“IN THIS PART OF THE CY, ALL THE FELLOWS ARE GAY”: EXPLORG THE HISTORY OF LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE AT ST. LOUIS’S GRAND AND OLIVE [1/3]
Immersive documentary INFERNO lv to the fantastil world of artist Gui Taccetti, whose eply personal work channels the anxiety of growg up gay stnchly… * gay club inferno *
As pot of fact, The New York Tim would not revise s style gui to allow the word “Gay, ” stead of “homosexual, ” until behavr by any name tend to be avoid wholale by the prs unls s mentn was part of exoneratg an anti-queer attacker.
Reed knew he would be bound by his duty as journalist to wre down an unambiguo fact, a provotive word so unpopular offend his edors back New York: The Up Stairs Lounge bar served “homosexual” patrons. His 700+ word, ont-page story The New York Tim, entled “Flash Fire New Orleans Kills at Least Thirty-Two Bar, ” would be the only special report on the tragedy to rm the public of the bar’s “homosexual” clientele the next morng. Other major market publitns ignored or obscured the realy that the stctn of the Up Stairs Lounge was an tentnally set blaze that killed gay men.
Though a sympathetic, closeted gay lol journalist named John LaPlace -reported one of the New Orleans Tim-Piyune’s ont-page stori on the fire that Monday, no one his newsroom would take the risk of prtg that dangero word. Likewise, The Tim London exclud homosexualy om their story. His sgle mentn of the patrons’ sexuali—“A neighborg bartenr said the place was equented by homosexuals”—troubled Tim edors so profoundly that they shuffled the mentn off the newspaper’s ont page and buried 10 paragraphs ep to the story after a 65-page Reed’s Monday morng stand praged a dramatic shift lol verage.
GAY MOVI NOW
He was, after all, a notable New Orleans wrer who’d jt shattered taboos by portrayg homosexuals not as perpetrators but as victims the natnal newspaper of rerd.
The New Orleans Stat-Item, an afternoon newspaper sharg ownership and a newsroom wh the Tim-Piyune, prted the word “homosexuals” s ont-page fire verage later that Monday. ”The natnal CBS news sk, as well as the lol affiliate WWL-TV, aired eveng news piec that lled the Up Stairs Lounge a “hangout for homosexuals.
Decisively, the New Orleans Tim-Piyune amend s reportg that Tuday morng to follow su wh the Stat-Item, and an alt-weekly the French Quarter lled the Vix Carré Courier vered the fire exclively om a homosexual angle.
THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
Reed attempted to ntue his verage of the fire but only succeedg publishg a sgle follow-up story, which alarmed edors wh a headle that began “Arson Spected…, ” before beg forcibly reassigned to tamer even lol tert waned, public officials New Orleans worked hard to pivot Up Stairs Lounge verage to a bate about the necsy for stallg door fire sprklers, and closeted gay nstuenci rejected attempts to publicize or policize the tragedy, for fear of police reprisals. “While I n unrstand the var gay lears om around the untry g here to help, I do not want my bar or this tragedy to be ed to further any of their , ” Up Stairs Lounge owner Phil Esteve told the Philalphia Inquirer while standg the s of his bar. ”Though Roy Reed’s report of Bloody Sunday at Selma would bee a rally cry for the Civil Rights movement, Reed’s Up Stairs Lounge story was not part of a siar ll to actn for “Gay Liberatn” the 1970s South.
The Chigo Hellfire Club is a club Chigo, Illois for gay and kky men. From the mid-1930s to end of the 1970s, there was an almost ntuo prence of lbian and gay tablishments here.
Several popular lbian and gay hangouts are visible: Shelley’s Midway Bar, Act IV Coffeehoe, and the Goln Gate Bar (left to right).