The Times-Picayune describes the city at the time as "extremely homophobic." Police would raid gay bars frequently and employment discrimination against gays was "de rigeur." Homosexuality was considered a psychiatric disorder. Everett says the bars would have come off if pulled inward, but people didn't know that at the time.
Patrons who tried to get out through the windows couldn't - the windows had bars on them. There were about 60 people inside the bar when the fire started, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. So I just started walking - I walked right out the door that I came back in through."Įverett returned to safety, to find his boyfriend had also escaped the deadly fumes and flames. "And all of a sudden I just had total peace and I knew it was God. So he went back inside.Īt that point, the flames were "circling all around" but he felt as if he had a blanket covering him. "He actually leaped over the bar and yelled, 'Follow me, follow me!' When he got alongside of me, he grabbed me by the arm - because I was just sitting there, like: This can't be happening," Everett says.Įverett says he thought his boyfriend was following him out, but turned back and the man wasn't there. World After Crackdown, Egypt's LGBT Community Contemplates 'Dark Future' The heat made carpeting rise off of the floor.Įverett got out by following Buddy Rasmussen, a bartender and manager, out of a back door, which turned out to be the only escape route. People sitting at the bar were "engulfed in those flames," he says. The flames just shot straight across the whole length of the bar," Ricky Everett, who survived the fire, told NPR's Michel Martin on All Things Considered. The fire started in the stairwell, trapping people on the building's second floor, where the bar was located. Much of the history was swept from memory due to homophobia. No one was ever charged or convicted of the crime. On June 24, 1973, a fire ripped through the Up Stairs Lounge - a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was 45 years ago this Sunday that one of the worst attacks on the LGBTQ community left 32 people dead. Most of the victims were found near the windows in the background.ĭecades before the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 that claimed 49 lives, another deadly attack on LGBTQ Americans took place. Learn more about the rally, the other awardees, and the virtual event here.A view inside the Up Stairs bar following a fire that left 32 dead and several more injured, seen on June 25, 1973. Instagram: will be honored at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, July 16, 2021. Moe and the MO’s Universe family has teamed up with organizations such as The Center, San Diego Pride, HRC, and Red Dress Project to provide funds, time, space, and, of course, FUN for our community. She has always been an active member of her community and has used her platform to help raise awareness and money for a variety of nonprofits and fundraisers donating and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.ġ2 years and a few more restaurants later, Moe, along with her business partners, are now opening another Female Forward space Barrel & Board, a next-level Restaurant & Bar. Moe believes in the importance of giving back, being an activist, and standing up for what you believe in. She competed in a reality show called Barmageddon, where she came out on top as the winner. Moe has received 6 Nicky awards including Business Woman of the Year in 2017 and has been featured in numerous documentaries and magazines including OUT, The Advocate, and Curve Magazine. She is passionate about putting values first and continues to provide a safe space for Women & the LGBTQ+ Community. Highly accredited, Gossip has gone forward and achieved new heights, winning the Nicky Award for Bar of the year in 2019, the first time for a Women’s Bar. Over the years, she grew within the company and eventually opened up the World Famous Women’s Bar Gossip Grill, becoming a partner in the MO’s Universe Restaurant Group and a pillar for the community. The Flame sold in 2004, and she transitioned to be a part of the opening team with Baja Betty’s. She also was named Miss Gay San Diego in 2003. Moe Girton started her career in 2000, where she started as a door girl/security and bar back at The Flame eventually working her way up to Bartender and Manager.
Community Grand Marshal: An individual or group that has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the LGBTQ community over an extended period of years and/or has made an exceptional contribution in the past year.