Tuesday, August 19, 2014

The Advocate,

January 20, 1971, Advocate, Vol. 4 Issue 24, page 11, Fire destroys bar in L.A.,
Reports on the fire accident at the Buckboard bar in Los Angeles, California.
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July 18, 1973, The Advocate, page 1, Triumph, Gay Pride Day, Tragedy,



Isn't this splendid? You know, homosexuals really do have better taste, and the simpler things get, the harder it gets---but boy, does it ever show when it's done right. Some paper restoration would deal with the condition issues, then I'd frame it and hang it exactly at eye level, someplace I have to pass frequently, but never stay too long at.

This must be the 70mm Cinerama shot of the Reverend and the Cop, because I've never noticed that little box sitting outside on the ledge before. I didn't want to go there, I waited until I was very sure the first three letters of the second word are NECA.....and not NECO...but be warned! I'm planning a major necrophilia riff in the very near future....

Ladies and gentlemen! The choice is yours! I hope you choose life! L'Chaim!
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August 1, 1973, The Advocate, page 1, New Orleans toll 32; arson evidence cited, by Bill Rushton,



August 1, 1973, The Advocate, Issue 117, Editorial, Death lurks still,



August 1, 1973, Advocate, Issue 117, page 1, New Orleans toll 32; arson evidence cited, by Bill Rushton,
Provides updates on the fire incident in the Up Stairs bar in New Orleans, Louisiana. Names of the victims; Formation of a gay activist group; Citation of arson evidence in connection of the incident.

August 1, 1973, Advocate, Issue 117, page 6, Bar's funky decor, clutter created instant firestorm,
Provides updates on the fire incident at the Up Stairs bar in New Orleans, Louisiana. Description of the bar after the incident; Citations of the bar decors that were not damaged by the fire.

August 1, 1973, Advocate, Issue 117, page 17, Fire victims: more than just names,
Presents a list of the victims of the fire in the Up Stairs bar in New Orleans, Louisiana. Personal background of each victim.

August 1, 1973, Advocate, Issue 117, page 26, Editorials,
Editorial. Comments on the fire incident in the Up Stairs bar in New Orleans, Louisiana. Criticism against the structure of the building; Responsibility of bar owners and managers to inspect the premises of their establishments for any dangerous conditions or deficiencies; Factors to consider...
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August 15, 1973, Advocate, Issue 118, page 2, New Orleans officials still silent on fire, by Bill Rushton,

NEW ORLEANS---The "official" investigation of the Up Stairs Lounge fire continues to drag along without any announced findings, despite widely quoted evidence here about a lighter fluid can being found in the stairway of the bar.

"They're keeping a lid on things," said a New Orleans Fire Department spokesman, "until they have a definite conclusion."

Participating in the investigation are the Fire Prevention Division of the NOFD, the state fire marshall, and the New Orleans Police Department.

Meanwhile seven survivors remain hospitalized, most of them in serious condition, at six hospitals in three states.

Sidney Espanache: Southern Baptist Hospital, New Orleans; satisfactory. Espanche, 50, whose family comes from suburban New Orleans, lost a companion in the fire. He is expected to leave the hospital within one month.

Eugene "Earl" Thomas: Gulfport Memorial Hospital, Gulfport, Miss.; fair. Thomas' family is from Gulfport, and he is with his companion in the hospital. Thomas, who is 42, suffered third-degree burns over 90 percent of his back.

Fred Ohway: Gulfport Memorial Hospital, Gulfport, Miss.; fair. Progressing well in spite of third-degree burns over 90 percent of one arm. He is 22.

Jean Gosnell: U.S. Public Health Services Hospital, New Orleans; serious. Girlfriend of one of the victims of the fire, she has one son in New Orleans and is in the most serious condition of all the survivors. Cards and letters, particularly from women, are especially needed. She is 36.

Eddie Gillis: Veterans Hospital, Boston, Mass., grave condition. Gillis' family is from Boston, and his future prospects are termed fair. He is 26.

Michael Scarborough: Our Lady of the Lakes Hospital, Baton Rouge, La., serious. Scarborough's family is from Baton Rouge, and he lost his companion in the fire. He is 27.

The newly-organized GPC is meeting weekly now a core group of about 40 and a variety of projects planned or underway. Active projects include a gay men's VD clinic opened July 27; a political push to have the city government's [Continued on Page 22]



August 15, 1973, The Advocate, Issue 118, National Outpouring; Aid mounts for New Orleans,

August 15, 1973, The Advocate, Issue 118, page 22, Fund nudges $5000 mark, by Sara Miller Llana,
Provides an update on the amount of contributions for the National New Orleans Memorial Fund, an memorial fund for the Up Stairs Lounge fire in Louisiana.


August 15, 1973, Advocate, Issue 118, page 2, New Orleans officials still silent on fire, by Bill Rushton,
Reports that local officials are still silent regarding the investigation of the Up Stairs Lounge fire in New Orleans, Louisiana. Names and condition of the fire survivors; Formation of Gay People's Coalition, a local gay group.

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November 7, 1973, Advocate, Issue 124, page 3, Los Angeles baths blaze kills patrons,
Reports that a man died during a fire in L.A. Tubs bar in Los Angeles, California.
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November 15 2013, The Advocate, Remembering the Worst Mass Killing of LGBT People in U.S. History, by Diane Anderson-Mitchell,
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May 31 2014, The Advocate, New Film Documents Worst Mass Killing of Gay People in U.S. History, by Diane Anderson-Minshall,

Thirty-two people were killed and Upstairs Inferno will be the first to interview a number of the survivors who have been silent all these decades.

Forty-one years after the largest gay mass murder in U.S. history, a new filmmaker Robert Camina's eagerly awaited documentary, Upstairs Inferno, tackles the topic. The first trailer for the film has been released (watch below) and the Camina (whose previous documentary was the much-awarded, Meredith Baxer-narrated Raid of the Rainbow Lounge) has launched an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign to help cover the remaining production costs.

On June 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to a gay bar in New Orleans called the Up Stairs Lounge. Thirty-two people were killed and some bodies were never identified because their families were ashamed that the victims were gay. No one was ever charged with the crime.

Read our feature on the tragedy, and the recent works documenting what happened in New Orleans and the failure of nearly every politician to help in the aftermath. Our feature,"Remembering the Worst Mass Killing of LGBT People in U.S. History," is currently a finalist in the56th Annual California Journalism Awards, which honor the best in broadcast, print and online media.

Watch the video for UPSTAIRS INFERNO, in HD here on Vimeo.
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