Some of the victim’s families were ashamed refused to claim the bodies. No politician had a word to say about the tragedy and the Archbishop forbade Catholic funerals for the victims. The public reaction to the tragedy reflected the homophobia of the time. No one was ever arrested and Nunez, who drunkenly admitted to starting the fire, committed suicide about a year and a half after the fire. In the aftermath, the bartender, Buddy Rasmussen, identified Nunez to authorities, but the police were not interested in questioning him.
Three more died from their wounds in the days that followed. Within twenty minutes, twenty-nine people were dead. But he was.Ībout thirty minutes later, someone, presumably Nunez, set the stairwell leading to the bar on fire. As he was being escorted out of the bar, he angrily threatened to come back and “burn you all out.” No one thought he was serious. On Sunday, June 24, 1973, a troubled young man, Roger Dale Nunez, was ejected from the bar for being belligerently drunk and harassing customers. Rawhide2010 is a down to Earth gay leather bar known for its daily happy hours, pool tournaments, and Another Fcking Karaoke Night. The New Orleans MCC had once held worship services in the bars entertainment area before securing a place of its own. On Sundays, the UpStairs Lounge hosted its weekly beer bust which was attended by many members of the newly formed Metropolitan Community Church, a gay-friendly denomination. Despite the French Quarter’s “anything goes” reputation, gay bars were routinely raided in the early 1970s and being out of the closet was unthinkable to many in the LGBTQ community. There are many bars and clubs that are especially geared toward the LGBTI community where everyone can go and have a good time. The French Quarter has a long tradition of embracing diversity. It was a friendly, neighborhood bar that afforded gay men a safe space to gather and enjoy each other’s company. Whether youre looking for a raucous dance club or a laidback watering hole, theres something for everyone in the Quarter. The UpStairs Lounge was a gay bar that occupied the second floor of a building at the corner of Chartres and Iberville Streets in the French Quarter. Paper Monument Project #025: Despite the French Quarter’s “anything goes” reputation, gay bars were routinely raided in the early 1970s and being out of the closet was unthinkable to many in the LGBTQ community.