Fire at the Upstairs Lounge Kills 32

[Rick336]

Thirty five years ago today ( June 24, 1973 ) a gay bar in New Orleans was firebombed. Thirty-two people died, most of whom were MCC Church members who had gathered at the Upstairs Lounge to celebrate gay pride.

In the early evening of June 24th, a firebomb was tossed into the bar's stairwell and a fire quickly consumed the Upstairs Lounge. People inside the bar frantically tried to escape but many suffered a horrible death.

Some families, when discovering that their sons had died at a homosexual bar, never claimed the corpses. Some churches, when finding out the victims were homosexual, refused to preform the funeral services. Three bodies were never identified.


I was 21 years old at the time of this tragedy and living in North Carolina. I heard about the fire on the CBS Evening News the next day. I remember the news reporter kept referring to the Upstairs Lounge as a "homosexual hangout." The news story was about 30 seconds long.

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I googled the story to find out exactly what happened that awful night in 1973.

Here's a link to a story about the tragedy:
http://outandaboutnewspaper.com/article.php?id=2022

This post is in memory of those who lost their lives. Below are the names of those who died:

In Memory

Partners, Joe William Bailey & Clarence Josephy McCloskey, Jr. perished together. McCloskey's sisters and two neices attended the Memorial Service. His neice, Susan, represented McCloskey in the Jazz Funeral.

Duane George "Mitch" Mitchell, assistance pastor at MCC, died trying to save his partner, Louis Horace Broussard.

Mrs. Willie Inez Warren died with her sons, Eddie Hosea Warren and James Curtis Warren.

Pastor of the MCC, Rev. William R. Larson, formerly a Methodist lay minister.

Dr. Perry Lane Waters, Jr., a Jefferson Parish dentist. Several victims were his patients and were identified by his x-rays.

Douglas Maxwell Williams

Leon Richard Maples, a visitor from Florida.

George Steven Matyi

Larry Stratton

Reginald Adams, Jr., MCC member, formerly a Jesuit Scholastic. Partner of entertainer Regina Adams.

James Walls Hambrick

Horace "Skip" Getchell, MCC member.

Joseph Henry Adams

Herbert Dean Cooley, Upstairs Lounge bartender and MCC member.

Professional pianist, David Stuart Gary.

Guy D. Anderson

Luther Boggs

Donald Walter Dunbar

John Thomas Golding, Sr., member of MCC Pastor's Advisory Group.

Professional linguist, Adam Roland Fontenot, survived by Douglas , who led a group to safety.

Gerald Hoyt Gordon

Kenneth Paul Harrington, Federal Government employee.

Glenn Richard "Dick" Green, Navy veteran.

Robert "Bob" Lumpkin

Four men were buried in Potter's Field, Ferris LeBlanc, Unknown White Male, Unknown White Male, Unknown White Male, the City refused to release these bodies to the MCC for burial.


The arsonist was never caught.

Rick

[Gennee]

I read this story a year or so ago. It shows what bigotry is in the worst scenario. The sad thing is that it is still happening to LGBT people all over the world.

Gennee

[keltic63]

I referenced this story when dealing with "Donny" a few weeks ago. Donny, of course, was claiming that churches have been burned for their stand against homosexuality, but the real story is this one: lgbt people burned to death just for existing.

[nmwolfboy]

Our associate rector, Fr. Chris, who was previously the rector of St. George's in NOLA, referenced the Upstairs Lounge tragedy during a sermon last year. He was talking about our spiritual heritage and the people we think of as mentors and "spiritual ancestors". One of Fr. Chris' "spiritual grandfathers" was Father William "Wee Willie" Richardson. Here's an excerpt from the sermon:

This past Monday <Oct. 1, 2007>, The Rev. William P. Richardson, 98, rector of St George's, New Orleans, from 1953-1976, died peacefully in his sleep.

Among the gay community in the United States, Fr. Richardson is honored as a hero. I remember being in New York and mentioning to a group that I was the rector of St. George’s, New Orleans to which the immediate question was, is Fr. Bill Richardson still alive? Let me tell you why. On June 24, 1973, fire broke out in a gay bar called the Upstairs Lounge, at Iberville and Chartres in the Vieux Carré (French Quarter). It was a hate crime involving a Molotov cocktail tossed at the bottom of the stairs. The patrons were trapped behind barred doors and windows of the second-story lounge. Thirty-two died in the fire, and many others were injured. Only a very few survived being led out a back exit by some of the staff.

In a tribute to Fr. Bill this last week, the retired Archdeacon Ormonde Plater wrote these words about the life and witness of Fr. Bill Richardson.

"Against the orders of his bishop, Fr. Bill held a burial service at St George's for the victims, their families, and their friends. No other member of the <Episcopal Church's> clergy in New Orleans dared to do this. Bill was already out as a gay male. He was small in size, enormous in stature. Year after year, at Louisiana’s diocesan convention, Wee Willie (as he was affectionately called) introduced resolutions and spoke out in support of gays and lesbians and their full-inclusion in the life of the church. The resolutions always failed. Bill never failed."

Fr. Bill was also a strong supporter of racial integration and old-timers at St. George’s can still recount the time that Fr. Bill prevented the Vestry from barring blacks from Sunday worship.

I had never heard of the Upstairs Lounge tragedy or Fr. Bill before hearing them referenced in this sermon. But it illustrates to me that we have many spiritual ancestors in our mission to non-violently challenge the religious and political oppression of LGBT people.

Pax,
scott

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

Related to the tragedy of the Upstairs Lounge fire--a United Methodist Bishop and a United Methodist congregation in the French Quarter also had a part to play in the aftermath of the disaster.

http://www.integrityusa.org/voice/1991/Spring1991.htm (See the article titled "Closeted Gay Bishop dies of AIDS.)

Finis Crutchfield's first post as a Methodist bishop was the Louisiana Conference. Even in his new role, one of enormous visibility and influence, Crutchfield was determined to continue his double life.

Early in his tenure in New Orleans, Crutchfield took the most daring and uncharacteristic step of his career.

On June 24, 1973, a fire broke out in the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar in the French Quarter. Thirty people were killed; among them was a minister of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, a denomination founded in 1968 by the Rev. Troy Perry to minister to the gay community.

As soon as Perry was told of the fire he flew from his headquarters in Los Angeles to New Orleans to oversee a memorial service for the victims. But every church he approached for permission to hold such a service in its sanctuary turned him down. Then Perry heard that there was a small Methodist church in the French Quarter whose minister was willing to hold the service.

On July 1 Perry conducted the memorial service, attended by more than 200 people, among them Finis Crutchfield. At the service Perry met Crutchfield, who had sanctioned use of the church.

Perry recalled: "He said, 'I just wanted to let you know not everyone in Louisiana is a redneck. I wanted you to know there are people who care.' Then he said, 'Several people killed in the fire were my friends.' And the way he said 'my friends,' I knew he was saying something more to me."

After Perry returned to Los Angeles, he received a call from a Metropolitan Community church minister who was temporarily presiding over the New Orleans congregation. Someone had seen Bishop Crutchfield at a gay bar and was threatening to report him to Methodist authorities, the minister had heard. Perry immediately called Crutchfield with the news.

Crutchfield replied in a weary voice, "I guess it's time for me to change my bar."

Bishop Crutchfield was finally "outed" many years later after his death from AIDS. That's an whole other story!!

Steven Webster

[BenL]

Originally Posted by Steven E. Webster

Bishop Crutchfield was finally "outed" many years later after his death from AIDS. That's an whole other story!!

Steven Webster

Steven,

I had never heard that story. Thanks for posting it. I will add Bishop Crutchfield to my gay necrology prayer list. Ditto, Scott, for Father Richardson.

People back then did what they had to do, and I am not one to judge them. I can't help but think, though, that the silence and hiding forced on the gay community has done as much harm as the violent attacks. Being forced into hiding is a spiritual violence that may take longer to do its damage but is every bit as destructive. The only motive has been the comfort level of those who refuse to accept us. It's an unlegislated Jim Crow law of homophobia. That's where this is truly a civil rights struggle.

[Rick336]

The fact that some churches in New Orleans refused to hold services for the victims because they were gay is a shameful tragedy in itself. It's such an unloving and cruel thing to do.

And the fact that the families of some of the victims of the fire refused to claim the bodies because they died in a "homosexual hangout" is heartless and inhumane.

After the deadly fire made news, an anonymous group of homophobes in New Orleans called the police and cheered the deaths and claimed responsibility for the fire. Then they threatened to firebomb more homosexual bars in the city.

But I think the saddest part of all was the burial of the three unidentified corpses. These three people simply disappeared that night never to be seen or heard from again. Nobody knew who they were and few people cared.

Homophobia is such a cruel and ugly thing.

Rick

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by BenL

People back then did what they had to do, and I am not one to judge them.

Ben,

I know you're probably coming from a Christian viewpoint of love and forgiveness but I believe people do have a choice.

I think most people are a product of their environment. But I also believe they have a choice when making decisions. Even though it may be very difficult, they can choose understanding and compassion over hate and cruelty. The churches that refused to allow services for the dead victims of that fire chose hate and cruelty, the same choice of many churches today.

So these people didn't do what they had to do. They did what they chose to do.

Rick

[BenL]

Originally Posted by Rick336

Ben,

I know you're probably coming from a Christian viewpoint of love and forgiveness but I believe people do have a choice.

I think most people are a product of their environment. But I also believe they have a choice when making decisions. Even though it may be very difficult, they can choose understanding and compassion over hate and cruelty. The churches that refused to allow services for the dead victims of that fire chose hate and cruelty, the same choice of many churches today.

So these people didn't do what they had to do. They did what they chose to do.

Rick

Rick,

I agree with you.

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I was thinking about gay people and how they weren't empowered, even by our own community, to stand up and be counted, socially and politically ... not about the people who put us down.

Thinking about myself in the early days post-Stonewall, I was so promiscuous that if I hadn't been partnered by the time AIDS came along I would certainly have been a victim. Somehow, tricking became a way to find self-esteem, since no or very little was available from the larger society. I don't excuse that in myself, but I won't judge others on those kinds of decisions, lest others turn and judge me even more harshly.

[RedneckDyke]

I wonder if Eric Rudolf was the arsonist. He bombed a bar in Atlanta and also was responsible for the olympic bombimgs in Atlanta. He's in Supermax now I think.

[Steven E. Webster]

Originally Posted by RedneckDyke

I wonder if Eric Rudolf was the arsonist. He bombed a bar in Atlanta and also was responsible for the olympic bombimgs in Atlanta. He's in Supermax now I think.

I don't think it likely that a six or seven-year-old Eric Rudolf was bombing much of anything in 1973. Eric Rudolf was born in September of 1966.

Steven W.

[Steven E. Webster]

Originally Posted by BenL

Steven,

I had never heard that story. Thanks for posting it. I will add Bishop Crutchfield to my gay necrology prayer list. Ditto, Scott, for Father Richardson.

People back then did what they had to do, and I am not one to judge them. I can't help but think, though, that the silence and hiding forced on the gay community has done as much harm as the violent attacks. Being forced into hiding is a spiritual violence that may take longer to do its damage but is every bit as destructive. The only motive has been the comfort level of those who refuse to accept us. It's an unlegislated Jim Crow law of homophobia. That's where this is truly a civil rights struggle.

Ben,
Yes, I agree. It would be easy to condemn a closet queer like Bishop Finis Crutchfield. The man did not even tell the truth about his sexual orientation or how he aquired the AIDS virus even on his death bed! And yet he was a man who came of age in the 1940's and 1950's and learned to live a "double life." That was how he coped with the "unlegislated Jim Crow law of homophobia" as you so aptly put it.

It was a very brave and decent thing that he did making the Methodist Church in the French Quarter available and himself attending the memorial service! It showed the actual decent human feeling that he had for his "friends."

Steven Webster

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by BenL

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear.

Ben. After re-reading your post, I now see what you were referring to. Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.

Rick

[RedneckDyke]

Originally Posted by Steven E. Webster

I don't think it likely that a six or seven-year-old Eric Rudolf was bombing much of anything in 1973. Eric Rudolf was born in September of 1966.

Steven W.

You should see some of the little hellions that wander around Wal Mart or Piggly Wiggly. It's easy to imagine them bombing something

[ColeWake]

I wrote the article mentioned in the first post and I wanted to stick my head in and say a few things. I came across the Upstairs Lounge tragedy when I was researching New Orleans gay history for my first annual Southern Decadence article. I was surprised that I, someone with a relatively deep knowledge of gay history, had never heard about it. Turns out most gay people, including activists and leaders, know nothing about it. The information out their about the fire is sparse and largely anecdotal. Some of it is even contradictory or flat out wrong (like the idea that a 'Molotov Cocktail' was used to start the fire).

I did some research of source material at the NOLA archives and dug up as much secondary material I could find but being in Nashville limited my access and I wasn't able to give the incident that attention it deserved. The good news is, however, that interest in the fire seems to have spiked over the last year. I've been contacted by several people doing college projects and a Louisiana based documentary film maker is working on a film about it. The fire will also be featured in a major art exhibit in NOLA later this year.

I firmly believe that the Upstairs Lounge fire is an important part of our history as GLBT persons and am eager to help anyone get the word out and educate people about it.

Here is the news video I was able to dig up about the fire:

[Rick336]

ColeWake,

Thanks for the CBS News story and your article in Out and About News.

I remember when the fire happened in 1973. I came out of the closet a year later in 1974 and over the past 34 years I've heard many stories about LGBT history but never heard anyone mention the fire at the Upstairs Lounge.

In 2006 I started researching the tragedy on the internet and came across several links about it. Then a couple of weeks ago I found your article.

I'm glad to see that people have taken an interest in the story because it is a part of LGBT history and should be remembered.

Rick

[NathanATX]

Thanks for a great thread guys... now I want to know more about lgbt history here in my hometown.

Have a safe & fun holiday, everyone.
Nate

[Harveymilk]

Hi friends,

My friend Skylar Fein of New Orleans mounted a very moving exhibit about the Upstairs Lounge tragedy. Thought the exhibit itself has closed, you can see more about the exhibit here:


Skylar Fein's exhibit about the upstairs lounge.

[matyi]

George Steven Matyi may have been a member of the gay community but non the less had been married (and divorced) to two seperate women. He had three terrific kids, which this tradgedy robbed them all of their father. My father was robbed of his brother, his mother and father lost their son, his grandchildren lost their grandfather and I lost my uncle. The ignorance of hate has hurt so many....All who knew him-loved him. We miss you Uncle Buddy!