Remembering the Upstairs Lounge

Recently, I went to New Orleans for the annual bathhouse conference. While I was there, I learned about one of the biggest tragedys in queer history that seemingly nobody that I talk to knows about.

This is the door to what used to be "The Upstairs Lounge."

This was a gay bar in NOLAs French Quarter. As the name suggests, it occupied the upstairs portion of the building. On June 24, 1973, someone deliberately set a fire at the entrance of the lounge.

The fire is believed to have been started using lighter fluid, which was poured on the stairs leading up to the bar’s only entrance. Once ignited, the flames spread rapidly, trapping many of the patrons inside. The door was made of glass and metal, and once the fire started, it heated up quickly, making it difficult to open.

Due to the placement of the fire near the entrance, many people were unable to escape. There were barred windows, and people trying to flee were either blocked by flames or unable to jump to safety. 32 people died.

The fire wasn’t widely mourned or recognized in national media, and churches refused to hold funerals for the victims. Families were ashamed and embarrassed and refused to come identify and collect their dead queer loved ones. 

One church held a service for the victims. About 80 people attended. Most people wore disguises or sat in the back for fear of being "outed."

Local newspapers either downplayed the situation or treated it with insensitivity with headlines like "Homos Burning." One radio DJ made a comment suggesting that the burned bodies should be buried in fruit jars. 

I went to that spot to take a picture of a small memorial that had been installed into the sidewalk in 2019 but it looks like it's gone already so you just get a picture of a door.