Queer Ghosts: Remembering the Victims of the Upstairs Lounge Arson Attack

Crimes and Witch-Demeanors

Jun 23 2021 • 26 mins

Before the Pulse Massacre in 2016, the UpStairs Lounge Arson Attack was deadliest known assault on a gay club in US history.  Not only was this a horrific event, killing 32 individuals, the apathy and lack of response by the local community illustrates how far queer liberation has brought us and how much further we need to go.

Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors

Submit your feedback or personal stories to crimesandwitchdemeanors@gmail.com

Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors

Episode Transcript: Available below the sources in the show notes

Visit the website: https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com

SOURCES:

32 People Died In The UpStairs Lounge Fire In 1973. Why Was It Forgotten? (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2021, from https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/05/06/upstairs-lounge-fire

A Horrific Haunting in New Orleans’ LGBTQ Community: The Upstairs Lounge Arson Fire – Queer Paranormal. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://moonspenders.com/2018/11/26/a-horrific-haunting-in-new-orleans-lgbtq-community-the-upstairs-lounge-arson-fire/

Dier, C. (2015, June 24). The Upstairs Lounge Fire: The Largest Massacre of Gay People in U.S. History. Chris Dier. https://chrisdier.com/2015/06/24/the-upstairs-lounge-fire-the-largest-massacre-of-gays-in-u-s-history/

Downs, J. (2018, June 22). New Evidence Shows That During the 1973 UpStairs Lounge Arson, Gays Had to Take Rescue Efforts Into Their Own Hands. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/06/upstairs-lounge-arson-evidence-shows-gay-rescue-efforts-amid-official-indifference.html

Duplechien. (2016, September 20). Haunted Nation: Jimani Lounge - New Orleans, LA (A Hate Crime for the Ages). Haunted Nation. https://hauntednation.blogspot.com/2016/09/jimani-lounge-new-orleans-la-hate-crime.html

Paper Monuments, Perez, F., Lerman, L., & Artist. (n.d.). Arson Attack on the UpStairs Lounge. New Orleans Historical. Retrieved June 20, 2021, from https://neworleanshistorical.org/items/show/1431?tour=91&index=37

Prejudice & Pride: Revisiting the tragic fire that killed 32 in a New Orleans gay bar—YouTube. (2018, June 28). ABC News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPWrK9Pu7Gk

says, L. C. (2018, June 20). Fire at the Up Stairs Lounge—Episode #66. Beyond Bourbon Street. http://beyondbourbonst.com/fire-at-the-up-stairs-lounge-episode-66/

The Haunted Jimani Bar in the French Quarter | Ghosts of the Jimani. (n.d.). Ghost City Tours. Retrieved June 21, 2021, from https://ghostcitytours.com/new-orleans/haunted-places/haunted-restaurants-bars/jimani-bar/

The Upstairs Lounge Fire: The Largest Massacre of Gay People in U.S. History – Chris Dier. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://chrisdier.com/2015/06/24/the-upstairs-lounge-fire-the-largest-massacre-of-gays-in-u-s-history/

Times-Picayune, M. D., NOLA com |. The. (2018, June 22). ABC releases documentary on anniversary of deadly UpStairs Lounge fire. NOLA.Com. https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/article_fc4ff24c-b373-5734-8eb4-ab6cda668771.html

Tour | Upstairs Lounge Fire. (n.d.). New Orleans Historical. Retrieved June 20, 2021, from https://neworleanshistorical.org/tours/show/39

UpStairs Lounge arson attack. (2021). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UpStairs_Lounge_arson_attack&oldid=1028713492

You Might Like

History Daily
History Daily
Airship | Noiser | Wondery
Lore
Lore
Aaron Mahnke
Dark History
Dark History
Audioboom Studios
The Ancients
The Ancients
History Hit
History That Doesn't Suck
History That Doesn't Suck
Prof. Greg Jackson
The Rest Is History
The Rest Is History
Goalhanger Podcasts
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities
iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild
Noble Blood
Noble Blood
iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild
Ridiculous History
Ridiculous History
iHeartPodcasts
Tides of History
Tides of History
Wondery / Patrick Wyman
BADLANDS
BADLANDS
Double Elvis
Gone Medieval
Gone Medieval
History Hit
You're Wrong About
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall