Many gay bars have been the site of protests, riots and acts of violence. Some are well known across the country and around the globe. This is the story of one tragic event that almost slipped through the cracks.
THE UPSTAIRS LOUNGE
604 Iberville Street, New Orleans At a time when the U.S. was welcoming Richard Nixon as its new leader and the gay community was adjusting to the aftermath of the Stonewall Riots, Philip Esteve was pursuing his dream. Although New Orleans was already home to several gay bars Phil dreamed of a safe space for working class gay men, free of hustlers, drugs and (initially) drag queens. In 1970 he acquired a 2nd floor space above Jimani Liquors at the corner of Chartres and Iberville. It was an edgy part of town known for nuisance crimes like muggings and drug use. The upstairs bar space had an awkward entrance on Iberville opening to an uninviting winding staircase to the second story. Floor plans indicate the bar was a sizeable 3000 square feet but the décor was severely lacking. Nonetheless, Phil was not discouraged. He saw the possibilities. After installing a canopy above the door he took to sprucing up the interior. Red fabric was draped over exposed pipes; red carpeting covered the floors and stairs; flocked red wallpaper decorated the walls with a Cosmopolitan centerfold of Burt Reynolds finishing the look.
A white baby grand piano anchored the main room. The UpStairs Lounge opened on October 31, 1970 and quickly became a popular hangout. The local MCC church even held Sunday services there for a while. After church, a $1 “all you can drink beer bust” kept the space full for a couple of hours of revelry and song, often attracting more than 100 patrons. A rousing rendition of the bars de facto anthem, “United We Stand”, marked the end of the special and the crowd would begin to thin out. Sunday June 24, 1973 was no different. While gays in Atlanta, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and other cities engaged in fledgling PRIDE festivities marking the 4th anniversary of Stonewall, New Orleans had no such events. A crowd of about 120 people had attended the UpStairs beer bust that afternoon. By 7:30 pm about half of them had left. Minutes before 8 pm the buzzer sounded incessantly. Unexpectedly a wall of fire burst into the room, fueled by a fresh supply of air when a door was opened onto the second floor. In an instant, the bar was engulfed in flames and smoke, trapping 5 dozen people inside. Some were led to a rear fire exit and escaped. Others, like MCC Reverend Bill Larson, attempted to escape through the bar’s 9’ tall windows. The reverend was trapped by a fallen window sash and burned to death. Others squeezed through the wrought iron window grates and jumped to the sidewalk, their bodies aflame. 5 engine companies responded and the blaze was extinguished in 16 minutes, yet dozens perished. The total death count was 32; the deadliest fire in New Orleans history and the deadliest attack on a gay bar in the U.S. until 2016. Local response was appalling. Families refused to claim the bodies of their gay relatives due to homophobia. Police and fire investigators failed to apprehend the arsonist. Eventually the prime suspect committed suicide. Eventually a bronze plaque commemorating the victims was installed outside the former UpStairs Lounge location. To this day the 2nd floor remains vacant.