• Log in
    Out.comFashionEntertainmentDesignLifestyleTravel & NightlifeOut ExclusivesNewsPrintWeddingsVideo
    ADVOCATEPrideOut TravelerPLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    Email NewsletterSubscribeSubscriber Services
    CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    Out MagazineOut Magazine

    The UpStairs Lounge Fire Exhibit Revives What Must Never Be Forgotten

    Christopher Harrity
    07/26/18
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    The UpStairs Lounge Fire Exhibit Revives What Must Never Be Forgotten

    The UpStairs Lounge Fire Exhibit Revives What Must Never Be Forgotten

    As part of the New Orleans Museum of Art's exhibit "Changing Course: Reflections on New Orleans Histories," artist Skylar Fein's installation Remember the UpStairs Lounge commemorates the 1973 arson at the UpStairs Lounge, a popular gay bar in the French Quarter, while also continuing the conversation around ongoing violence against LGBTQ communities, locally and nationally.

    Little attention was paid to the event at the time. Until the mass shooting in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub, the UpStairs Lounge fire was the biggest mass killing of LGBT people at 31 men and one woman, according to The New York Times.

    "For patrons of the UpStairs Lounge, the place wasn't just a bar. It was a theater, a place of worship, and a community center all in one; most important, it was a place for folks to call home when the rest of New Orleans wasn't so welcoming," wrote Diane Anderson-Minshall in her 2013 article on our site about the mass killing.

    TheNew York Times referred to the bar as a "seedy dive," but to anyone who frequented gay bars in the 1970s, the bar looked very average. It featured disco music, Burt Reynolds pinups, photos of icons Joe Dallesandro, Peter Berlin, and Mark Spitz, and other campy items adorning the walls. Skylar Fein perfectly captures the look and feel of the time with his fragments and re-creations.

    Time passing has brought renewed interest to the fire. There are two documentaries, two musicals, and three books keeping the memory of the tragedy alive. Even though there was a likely suspect, no one was arrested for the crime.

    To read an extensive account of the fire and its aftermath, see "Remembering the Worst Mass Killing of LGBT People in U.S. History" by Diane Anderson-Minshall.

    "Changing Course" will be on view at NOMA through September 16. See more on Instagram and Facebook. Additonal photography by Dave Johnson.

    close button
    Art & Books
    Replay Gallery

    More Galleries

    Taylor Swift
    Music
    Badge
    gallery

    All the Unexpected Songs We'd Love to See at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

    1h
    Ewan McGregor in 'Halston'; Natasha Lyonne in 'Orange Is the New Black'; Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Brokeback Mountain'
    Film
    Badge
    gallery

    10 Straight Actors Whose Gay Roles We Actually Loved

    11h
    Miami Dolls
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Meet the Cast of 'Miami Dolls,' OUTtv & Daddy TV's Newest Reality Show

    March 16 2023 1:18 PM
    Theo James; Jonathan Sadowski; Jesse Williams
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    20 Male Celebs Who Did Full Frontal Scenes

    March 15 2023 4:29 PM
    Law Roach: A Short Timeline of a Legendary and Historic Career
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    Law Roach: A Short Timeline of a Legendary and Historic Career

    March 15 2023 1:48 PM
    Rupauls-drag-race-queens-with-onlyfans-accounts-milk-sasha-belle-v2_0
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    All the U.S. 'Drag Race' Queens on OnlyFans (& What They're Showing)

    March 15 2023 11:30 AM