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88-705: The UpStairs Lounge arson attack , sometimes called the UpStairs Lounge Fire , occurred on June 24, 1973, at a gay bar called the UpStairs (or Up Stairs) Lounge located on the 2nd floor of the 3-story building at 604 Iberville Street in New Orleans , Louisiana , in the United States. Thirty-two people died and 15 were injured as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. The official cause is still listed as "undetermined origin". The primary suspect,

176-404: A Unitarian church and St. Mark's United Methodist Church , headed by Louisiana's Methodist bishop Finis Crutchfield and led by MCC founder Reverend Troy Perry , who came from Los Angeles to participate. Mourners exited through the church's main door rather than an available side exit, a demonstration of a new willingness to be identified on camera. Several families did not step forward to claim

264-516: A January 27, 1973, arson at the church's headquarters in Los Angeles (resulting in the destruction and collapse of the building with no injuries) and another 1973 arson at an MCC church in Nashville, Tennessee (also with complete destruction of the church and its furnishings but no injuries). On June 24, 1973, the regular "beer bust" drink special attracted its usual blue-collar gay crowd to

352-637: A body blow. If you are merely looking for sex or a date, the Web is now the first stop for most gay men". June Thomas explained the decline by noting that there is less need for gay-specific venues like bars because gay people are less likely to encounter discrimination or be made unwelcome in wider society. Entrepreneur magazine in 2007 included them on a list of ten types of business that would be extinct by 2017 along with record stores, used bookstores and newspapers. Some commentators have argued there has been some recent decline in gay-specific venues mainly due to

440-526: A centre for gay culture in the 19th century, making the city a queer capital during the early 20th century, when the Montmartre and Pigalle districts were meeting places of the LGBTQ+ community. Although Amsterdam , Berlin , and London had more meeting places and organizations than Paris, the latter was known for the "flamboyance" of LGBTQ+ quarters and "visibility" of LGBTQ+ celebrities. Paris retained

528-546: A civil ceremony they had 2 years previously), Louis Horace Broussard. Both died in the fire, their remains found clinging to each other. Mitchell's children were visiting from out of town and watched the same movie 7 times as they waited for their father's return. Eventually, a friend took them to the airport and sent them home to their mother without telling them what happened to their father and his partner. Firefighters stationed 2 blocks away found themselves blocked by cars and pedestrian traffic. One fire truck tried to maneuver on

616-653: A combination of dance and film that celebrate the Lounge, its patrons, and the strides taken towards Human Rights since the incident. In 2015, Melange Dance Company of New Orleans presented an extended performance of 'The UpStairs Lounge' show originally performed as part of the 2014 New Orleans Fringe Festival. In 2017, an Off-Broadway musical called The View Upstairs about The UpStairs Lounge opened at The Lynn Redgrave Theater in New York City. In 2014, McFarland & Company released Clayton Delery-Edwards' account of

704-452: A common feature in many gay bars, even men-only spaces. Some gay bars and clubs which have a predominantly male clientele, as well as some gay bathhouses and other sex clubs , may offer occasional women-only nights. A few gay bars attempt to restrict entry to only gay or lesbian people, but in practice this is difficult to enforce. Most famously, Melbourne 's Peel Hotel was granted an exemption from Australia's Equal Opportunities Act by

792-423: A conversation, where they didn't feel like sexual freaks or somehow not part of the larger social fabric; from that came culture, politics, demands for equal rights." Gay bars traditionally preferred to remain discreet and virtually unidentifiable outside the gay community, relying exclusively on word of mouth promotion. More recently, gay clubs and events are often advertised by handing out eye-catching flyers on

880-474: A documentary about the fire ( Upstairs Inferno ), said in 2013, "I was shocked at the disproportionate reaction by the city government. The city declared days of mourning for victims of other mass tragedies in the city. It shocked me that despite the magnitude of the fire, it was largely ignored." In 2013, Royd Anderson wrote, directed, and produced the first film (a documentary) about the tragedy titled The UpStairs Lounge Fire. In 2015, Upstairs Inferno ,

968-741: A documentary entitled Prejudice & Pride: Fire at the UpStairs Lounge. The documentary won the Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) and was a finalist for the Mosaic Award from The Deadline Club. A TAPS group in episode 15, Season 8 of Ghost Hunters visited the lounge to encounter alleged ghosts of

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1056-528: A feature-length documentary written, directed, and produced by Robert L. Camina, had its World Premiere in New Orleans at the historic Prytania Theatre. The film's narration was provided by best selling author Christopher Rice (son of novelist Anne Rice ). Upstairs Inferno was invited to screen at the Library of Congress on February 16, 2017. In 2018, the national ABC News investigative unit released

1144-536: A few gay bars in the first quarter of the 20th century. The best known was The Empire  [ nl ] , in Nes , which was first mentioned in 1911 and existed until the late 1930s. The oldest that still exists is Café 't Mandje , which was opened in 1927 by lesbian Bet van Beeren . It closed in 1982, but was reopened in 2008. After World War II , the Amsterdam city government acted rather pragmatic and tolerated

1232-889: A gay bar in the 1950s. It now claims to be one of the oldest gay bars in Europe. The main Copenhagen gay district is the Latin Quarter . The very first gay bar in Europe and probably in the world was the Zanzibar in Cannes on the French Riviera. The Zanzibar was opened in 1885 and existed for 125 years, before it was closed in December 2010. Among its visitors were many artists, like actor Jean Marais and comedians Thierry Le Luron and Coluche . Paris became known as

1320-479: A gay bar is the nature of its clientele. While many gay bars target the gay and/or lesbian communities, some (usually older and firmly established) gay bars have become gay, as it were, through custom, over a long period of time. The serving of alcohol is the primary business of gay bars and pubs. Like non-gay establishments they serve as a meeting place and LGBTQ+ community focal point, in which conversation, relaxation, and meeting potential romantic and sexual partners

1408-474: A gay man with a history of psychiatric impairment named Roger Dale Nunez who had been ejected from the bar earlier in the day, was never charged and died by suicide in November 1974. Until the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting , in which 49 people were murdered, the UpStairs Lounge arson attack was the deadliest attack on a gay club in U.S. history. The club was located on the 2nd floor of a 3-story building at

1496-413: A gay reporter questioned him about the “homosexual angle” to the tragedy affecting community response. Landrieu stated that he was “not aware of any lack of concern in the community.” New Orleans Archbishop Philip Hannan, silent for weeks, offered brief remarks at the end of a column about human rights in the archdiocesan newspaper The Clarion Herald in mid-July 1973. As Robert L. Camina, writer/director of

1584-519: A haunt for the wealthy, aristocratic and bohemian. Its creator Frida Strindberg née Uhl set it up as an avant-garde and artistic venture. The club provided a solid model for future nightclubs. After homosexuality was partially decriminalized in the UK in 1967, gay bar culture became more visible and gradually Soho became the centre of the London LGBTQ+ community, which was "firmly established" by

1672-575: A place of refuge and support for gay men and the HIV-affected community impacted by the virus. Cure fundraising, testing, support group, and free condom events have been present at gay bars. Some commentators have suggested that gay bars are facing decline in the contemporary age due to the pervasiveness of technology. Andrew Sullivan argued in his 2005 essay "The End of Gay Culture" that gay bars are declining because "the Internet dealt them

1760-522: A rarity around the world. Many articles have been published discussing possible reasons as to why lesbian bars struggle to exist despite a growing lesbian population. Like most bars and pubs, gay bars range in size from the small, five-seat bars of Tokyo to large, multi-story clubs with several distinct areas and more than one dance floor. A large venue may be referred to as a nightclub , club , or bar, while smaller venues are typically called bars and sometimes pubs . The only defining characteristic of

1848-623: A shebeen in Soweto , for example, was used as a meeting place for black gay men who were part of the Gay Association of South Africa (GASA) but did not feel welcome in the GASA offices. With the establishment of the post-apartheid 1996 constitution that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation as well as race, South Africa's gay night life exploded, though many bars continued to be segregated by race, and fewer blacks than whites go to

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1936-466: A small prayer service for the victims on June 25. Approximately 80 people attended the event. The next day, Iveson B. Noland , the Episcopal bishop of New Orleans, rebuked Richardson for hosting the service. Noland received more than 100 complaints from parishioners concerning the service, and Richardson's mailbox filled with hate mail. Soon after two additional memorial services were held on July 1 at

2024-444: A state tribunal, on the grounds that the exemption was needed to prevent "sexually-based insults and violence" aimed at the pub's patrons. As a result of the decision, the pub is legally able to advertise as a "gay only" establishment, and door staff can ask people whether they are gay before allowing them inside, and can turn away non-gay people. Iveson B. Noland Iveson Batchelor Noland (September 10, 1916 – June 24, 1975)

2112-424: A statement of regret that his predecessor, Archbishop Philip Hannan , and the local church leadership ignored the arson attack. Aymond wrote to Time magazine that "In retrospect, if we did not release a statement we should have to be in solidarity with the victims and their families ... The church does not condone violence and hatred. If we did not extend our care and condolences, I deeply apologize." Coverage of

2200-587: Is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender or queer ( LGBTQ+ ) clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities. Gay bars once served as the centre of gay culture and were one of the few places people with same-sex orientations and gender-variant identities could openly socialize. Other names used to describe these establishments include boy bar , girl bar , gay club , gay pub , queer bar , lesbian bar , drag bar , and dyke bar , depending on

2288-553: Is not unusual for gay bars to sponsor teams in local sports/game leagues, and many otherwise traditional gay pubs are well known for hosting post-game parties—often filling with local gay athletes and their fans on specific nights or when major professional sporting events are broadcast on TV. Some of the longest established gay bars are unofficial hosts of elaborate local 'Royal Court' drag pageants and drag-related social groups. Gay bars and nightclubs are sometimes segregated by sex. In some establishments, people who are perceived to be of

2376-697: Is the Half-and-Half, which in 2004 had been open over ten years. The first lesbian bar in China (also in Beijing) was Maple Bar, opened in 2000 by pop singer Qiao Qiao . The On/Off was a popular bar for both gay men and lesbians. The increase in China's gay and lesbian bars in recent years is linked to China's opening up to global capitalism and its consequent economic and social restructuring. The bar Centralhjørnet in Copenhagen opened in 1917 and became

2464-474: Is the primary focus of the clientele. Historically and continuing in many communities, gay bars have been valued by patrons as the only place closeted gay men and lesbians can be open and demonstrative about their sexuality without fear of discovery. Gerard Koskovich of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society explains that "[Gay bars] were a public place where gay people could meet and start to have

2552-498: The French Quarter . A friend later told investigators that Nunez confessed on at least four occasions to starting the fire. He told the friend he squirted the bottom steps with Ronsonol lighter fluid, bought at a local Walgreens , and tossed a match. He did not realize, he claimed, that the whole place would go up in flames. Nunez died by suicide in November 1974. In 1980, the state fire marshal's office, lacking leads, closed

2640-524: The Schöneberg district around Nollendorfplatz there were many cafes, bars and clubs, which also attracted gay people who had to flee their own country in fear of prosecution, like for example Christopher Isherwood . The gay club Eldorado in the Motzstraße was internationally known for its transvestite shows. There was also a relatively high number of places for lesbians. Within a few weeks after

2728-476: The "wrong" sex (for example, a man attempting to enter a women's club) may be unwelcome or even barred from entry. This may be more common in specialty bars, such as gay male leather fetish or BDSM bars, or bars or clubs which have a strict dress code . It is also common in bars and clubs where sex on the premises is a primary focus of the establishment. On the other hand, gay bars are usually welcoming of transgender and cross-dressed people, and drag shows are

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2816-464: The 17th century record the existence of bars and clubs that catered to, or at least tolerated, openly gay clientele in several major European cities. The White Swan (created by James Cook and Yardley, full name unknown) on Vere Street , in London , England, was raided in 1810 during the so-called Vere Street Coterie . The raid led to the executions of John Hepburn and Thomas White for sodomy . The site

2904-525: The 18th century, molly houses were clandestine clubs where gay men could meet, drink, dance and have sex with each other. One of the most famous was Mother Clap's Molly House. The first gay bar in Britain in the modern sense was The Cave of the Golden Calf , established as a night club in London . It opened in an underground location at 9 Heddon Street, just off Regent Street , in 1912 and became

2992-460: The 1980s made Munich "one of the four gayest metropolises in the world" along with San Francisco, New York City and Amsterdam. In particular, the area around Müllerstraße and Hans-Sachs-Straße was characterized by numerous gay bars and nightclubs. One of them was the travesty nightclub Old Mrs. Henderson , where Freddie Mercury , who lived in Munich from 1979 to 1985, filmed the music video for

3080-443: The 1980s, police raids on white gay clubs lessened as the apartheid government forces found itself dealing with more and more resistance from the black population. In the black townships, some of the shebeens , unlicensed bars established in people's homes and garages, catered to LGBTQ clients. During the struggle against apartheid, some of these shebeens were important meeting places for black gay and lesbian resistance fighters. Lee's,

3168-626: The Carlton Hotel in downtown Johannesburg in the late 1940s, catering exclusively to men of wealth. In the 1960s, other urban bars began to open that drew more middle and working class white men; lesbians were excluded. The language of Gayle had its roots in the Cape Coloured and Afrikaans -speaking underground gay bar culture. In 1968, when the government threatened to pass repressive anti-gay legislation, queer culture went even further underground, which meant clubs and bars were often

3256-687: The Church of the Holy Comforter in Charlotte, North Carolina . In 1950 he transferred to Lake Charles, Louisiana as rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, a post he held until 1952. He also served as chairman of the diocesan Department of Christian Relations between 1950 and 1953. Noland was elected Suffragan Bishop of Louisiana in May 1952. He was the first suffragan of Louisiana. Noland

3344-750: The Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and the Louisiana Literary Award from the Louisiana Library Association. For his research, Fieseler was named the 2019 National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) "Journalist of the Year.” In 2019, The New York Times featured Bill Larson, a victim of the UpStairs Lounge arson attack, in their obituary feature Overlooked . On June 14, 2021,

3432-504: The LGBTQ+ capital image after the end of World War II , but the center of the meeting place shifted to Saint-Germain-des-Prés . In the 1950s and 1960s the police and authorities tolerated homosexuals as long as the conduct was private and out of view, but gay bar raids occurred and there were occasions when the owners of the bars were involved in facilitating the raids. Lesbians rarely visited gay bars and instead socialized in circles of friends. Lesbians who did go to bars often originated from

3520-620: The MCC removed an air conditioning unit from the bottom of one of the floor to ceiling windows and was attempting to get out when the upper pane of glass fell on top of him, pinning him to the window frame half in the building and half out. His charred remains would be visible to onlookers for hours afterward, recorded in many pictures taken of the front of the building in the aftermath of the 16-minute fire. MCC assistant pastor George "Mitch" Mitchell managed to escape, but returned in an attempt to rescue his partner (they considered themselves married based on

3608-744: The Nazis took over government in 1933, fourteen of the best known gay establishments were closed. After homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, many gay bars opened in West Berlin , resulting in a lively gay scene. In Munich , a number of gay and lesbian bars are documented as early as the Golden Twenties . Since the 1960s, the Rosa Viertel (pink quarter) developed in the Glockenbachviertel and around Gärtnerplatz , which in

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3696-406: The New Orleans community representing the victims. Carter then led a jazz funeral procession to the building on the corner of Chartres and Iberville Streets, the site of the club, and members of the local MCC laid a memorial plaque and wreaths at the grave. Among the attendees was the niece of victim Clarence McCloskey. The official investigation failed to yield any convictions. The only suspect in

3784-622: The Pimpernel), Inge Meysel and Hildegard Knef . The oldest continuously operating Japanese gay bar, New Sazae, opened in Tokyo in 1966. Most gay bars in Tokyo are located in the Shinjuku Ni-chōme district, which is home to about 300 bars. Each bar may only have room to seat about a dozen people; as a result, many bars are specialized according to interest. Because of a raid on a Mexico City drag ball in 1901, when 41 men were arrested,

3872-437: The UpStairs Lounge. That night's beer bust, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, attracted approximately 110 patrons. After the drink special ended, about 60-90 patrons remained; they listened to pianist George Steven “Bud” Matyi perform and discussed an upcoming MCC fundraiser for the local Crippled Children's Hospital. At 7:56PM, a buzzer from downstairs sounded, and bartender Buddy Rasmussen, an Air Force veteran, asked Luther Boggs to answer

3960-520: The alert for bullying and attacks. In 2013, Moscow's largest gay bar, Central Station, had its walls sprayed with gunfire, had harmful gas released into a crowd of 500 patrons, and had its ceiling nearly brought down by a gang who wanted to crush the people inside. Nonetheless, gay nightlife is increasing in Moscow and St. Petersburg, offering drag shows and Russian music, with some bars also offering discreet gay-only taxi services. The first recorded use of

4048-665: The arson, The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973. The book was selected as one of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities 2015 Books of the Year. In 2018, Liveright Publishing released historian Robert W. Fieseler’s debut book Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation , which received multiple prizes including

4136-416: The attack was Roger Dale Nunez, who had been ejected from the bar earlier in the evening after fighting with another customer. Police attempted to question Nunez shortly after, but he was hospitalized with a broken jaw and could not respond. When questioned later, police records show, he did not appear nervous. Nunez had a witness who claimed that he had been in and out of the bar during the 10–20 minutes before

4224-578: The bodies of the deceased. A few anonymous individuals stepped forward and paid for the three unknown men's burials, and they were buried with another victim identified as Ferris LeBlanc in a mass grave at Holt Cemetery . LeBlanc's family would not learn of his death in the arson attack until January 2015. In 2018, Robert L. Camina, director of the UpStairs Inferno documentary, announced in The Advocate that, after extensive research, one of

4312-466: The book The Mayor of Oak Street , written by Vincent Traughber Meis, was published by NineStar Press. It is dedicated to the victims of the UpStairs Lounge arson attack. In 2021, Casey McQuiston published One Last Stop , which features the UpStairs Lounge arson attack. Elizabeth Dias and Jim Downs published an article, "The Horror Upstairs", in Time magazine, July 1, 2013 Gay bar A gay bar

4400-527: The case. The space on the second floor formerly known as the UpStairs Lounge now contains business offices and a kitchen for the Jimani Lounge (established 1971), which is located on the first floor. The current owner, Jimmy Massacci, and his father, the former owner, personally witnessed the fire and its aftermath. The third floor, then owned by the UpStairs Lounge, remains unused and partially damaged. The building itself dates back to at least 1848, when

4488-496: The corner of Chartres and Iberville Streets. Members of the Metropolitan Community Church , a pro-LGBT Protestant denomination, were there after service. The MCC was the United States' first national gay Christian fellowship, founded in Los Angeles in 1968; the local congregation had held services in the UpStairs Lounge's theatre for a while. The fire was the 3rd arson attack to affect the MCC, following

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4576-779: The coroner as reason for Frost to remain “a possible Up Stairs Lounge victim or even a probable one with an asterisk.” In June 1998, the 25th anniversary of the fire, as part of Gay Pride celebrations, a memorial service was organized by Rev. Dexter Brecht of Big Easy Metropolitan Community Church (also known as Vieux Carre MCC) and Toni J. P. Pizanie. It was held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Grand Ball Room and attended by New Orleans Councilman Troy Carter, Rev. Carole Cotton Winn, Senior Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn of Temple Sinai, Rev. Kay Thomas from Grace Fellowship in Christ Jesus, Rev. Perry, and 32 members of

4664-436: The door, anticipating a taxi cab driver. Boggs opened the door to find the front staircase engulfed in flames, along with the smell of lighter fluid. Rasmussen immediately led some 20 patrons out of the back exit to the roof, where the group could access a neighbouring building's roof and climb down to the ground floor. Others saw the floor to ceiling windows as the most promising means of escape. However, there were safety bars on

4752-452: The earliest-known sale of the building is documented. In 1998 the reconstituted MCC congregation in New Orleans ( Big Easy Metropolitan Community Church , since renamed again to MCC of New Orleans) held a 25th anniversary service to commemorate the arson and its 32 deaths. This event is significant because, unlike the one it memorialized, the 300 members of the congregation refused to hide their faces and instead insisted on entering and leaving

4840-709: The early 1990s. Gay bars, cafes, restaurants and clubs are centred on Old Compton Street . Other cities in the UK also have districts or streets with a concentration of gay bars, like for example Stanley Street Quarter in Liverpool, the Merchant City in Glasgow, Canal Street in Manchester and the Birmingham Gay Village . There are many institutions in the United States that claim to be

4928-541: The early 2000s, the human rights of gays and lesbians in Taiwan improved significantly. The gay nightlife entertainment scene shifted from being a scene opened by gays and only having gay customers. Some non-gay-only nightclubs were considered gay nightclubs because they gathered a large number of gays. Representative stores are TeXound and 2F. Starting in 2007, gay bars began to move into the Ximen Red House, which

5016-405: The event through the church's front doors. In 2003, a memorial plaque was placed in the sidewalk on the site of the fire; in 2019 it was refurbished. In April 2024, the plaque was stolen. In 2008 The North American Convocation of Pro-LGBT Christians planned to hold its "Many Stories, One Voice" event in New Orleans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the conference (and the 35th anniversary of

5104-491: The existence of gay bars. In the 1960s their number grew rapidly and they clustered in and around a number of streets, although this was limited to bars, clubs and shops and they never became residential areas for gays, like the gay villages in the US. Since the late 1950s the main Amsterdam gay street was Kerkstraat , which was succeeded by Reguliersdwarsstraat in the early 1980s, when the first openly gay places opened here, like

5192-538: The famous cafe April in 1981, followed by dancing Havana in 1989. Other streets where there are still concentrations of gay bars are Zeedijk , Amstel and Warmoesstraat , the latter being the center of the Amsterdam leather scene , where the first leather bar already opened around 1955. The Queen's Head is a gay bar located at Zeedijk 20 in the centre of Amsterdam. Because of the high prevalence of homophobia in Russia, patrons of gay bars there often have had to be on

5280-400: The fire by news outlets minimized the fact that LGBT patrons constituted the majority of the victims, while editorials and talk radio hosts made light of the event. No government officials or major religious figures made mention of the fire for several days, if not weeks. After returning from a trip in Europe, New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu held a routine press conference on July 11, 1973, where

5368-482: The fire's casualties. The episode identified the event as the "Jimani Lounge Massacre." Also in 2013, Wayne Self (a playwright and composer from Natchitoches, Louisiana ), first presented a musical called Upstairs about the tragedy. In 2014, Melange Dance Company of New Orleans performed a tribute show as part of the New Orleans Fringe Festival. 'The UpStairs Lounge' show aimed to uplift with

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5456-461: The fire, and that he had seen nobody enter or leave the building. Because police observed that the witness was stressed, they dismissed the witness as a liar. Nunez was diagnosed with " conversion hysteria " in 1970 and visited numerous psychiatric clinics. He was released from a treatment facility in the year before the fire. After his arrest, Nunez escaped from psychiatric custody and was never picked up again by police, despite frequent appearances in

5544-455: The foreign zones, which were traditionally more tolerant. One male bar patron said Korean bar culture was not as direct as in the United States, with customers indicating their interest in another customer by ordering him a drink through a waiter. The oldest lesbian bar in Seoul is Lesbos, which started in 1996. Under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1975, homosexuality

5632-407: The modern effects of gentrification . But despite the decline, gay bars still exist in relatively strong numbers and thrive in most major cities where male homosexuality is not heavily condemned. They also asserted many gay men (especially men new to gay nightlife) still find some value in gay-specific venues and being in the company of other gay men. Unlike gay bars, lesbian bars have become

5720-508: The niche communities that they serve. With the advent of the Internet and an increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people across the Western world, the relevance of gay bars in the LGBTQ+ community has somewhat diminished. In areas without a gay bar, certain establishments may hold a gay night instead. Gathering places favoured by homosexuals have operated for centuries. Reports from as early as

5808-537: The number 41 has come to symbolize male homosexuality in Mexican popular culture , figuring frequently in jokes and in casual teasing. The raid on the "Dance of the 41" was followed by a less-publicized raid of a lesbian bar on 4 December 1901 in Santa Maria. Despite the international depression of the 1930s and along with the social revolution overseen by Lázaro Cárdenas (1934–1940), the growth of Mexico City

5896-431: The oldest gay bar in the country. Since Prohibition ended in 1933, there are a number of notable gay bars that have opened. In alphabetical order: Gay bars have been heavily impacted by the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS with both potential risk and crucial community support and education. San Francisco had over 100 gay bars when the epidemic first hit in the early 1980s; by 2011 there were only about 30 remaining. During

5984-678: The oldest lesbian bar in Singapore. Today, many gay bars are located on the Neil Road stretch, from Taboo and Tantric, to Backstage Bar, May Wong's Café, DYMK and Play. Mega-clubs like Zouk and Avalon are also a big draw for the gay crowd. The history of gay and lesbian bars in South Africa reflects the racial divisions that began in the Apartheid era and continue, to some extent, in the 21st century. The first white gay bar opened in

6072-402: The only places to meet. These bars were often the targets of police raids. The decade of the 1970s was when urban gay clubs took root. The most popular gay club of Johannesburg was The Dungeon, which attracted females as well as males, and lasted until the 1990s. The 1979 police assault on the New Mandy's Club, in which patrons fought back, has been referred to as South Africa's Stonewall . In

6160-599: The owners paid bribes . A fairly visible presence was developed in large cities such as Guadalajara , Acapulco , Veracruz and Mexico City. Today, Mexico City is home to numerous gay bars, many of them located in the Zona Rosa , particularly on Amberes street, while a broad and varied gay nightlife also flourishes in Guadalajara, Acapulco, in Cancun attracting global tourists, Puerto Vallarta which attracts many Americans and Canadians, and Tijuana with its cross-border crowd. However, there are at least several gay bars in most major cities. In Amsterdam , there were already

6248-458: The sidewalk but crashed into a taxi. They arrived to find bar patrons struggling against the security bars and quickly brought the fire under control. Source: 28 people died at the scene of the 16-minute fire, and one died en route to the hospital. Another 18 suffered injuries, of whom 3, including Boggs, died. Many churches refused to hold funerals for the dead. Reverend William P. Richardson of St. George's Episcopal Church agreed to hold

6336-498: The song Living on My Own at his 39th birthday party. Other gay venues include Pompon Rouge , Mandy's Club , Pimpernel nightclub, the bar Mylord , the Ochsengarten , which was "Germany's first bar for leather men ", as well as the gay hotel-pub Deutsche Eiche . Regulars in many of these bars and nightclubs include, for example, Freddie Mercury, Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Walter Sedlmayr (who met his later murderer in

6424-595: The street, in gay or gay-friendly shops and venues, and at other clubs and events. Similar to flyers for predominantly heterosexual venues, these flyers frequently feature provocative images and theme party announcements. While traditional gay pub-like bars are nearly identical to bars catering to the general public, gay dance venues often feature elaborate lighting design and video projection, fog machines and raised dancing platforms. Hired dancers (called go-go girls or go-go boys ) may also feature in decorative cages or on podiums. Gay sports bars are relatively unusual, but it

6512-624: The term "gay bar" is in the diaries of homosexual British comedian Kenneth Williams : "16 January 1947. Went round to the gay bar which wasn't in the least gay." At the time Williams was serving in the British Army in Singapore . In the 1970s, straight nightclubs began to open their doors to gay clients on designated nights of the week. In the 1980s, a lesbian bar named Crocodile Rock opened in Far East Plaza, which remains to this day

6600-467: The three unknown victims could finally be identified as 32-year-old Larry Norman Frost. This announcement and its underlying research received a negative peer review in The Advocate from fellow UpStairs Lounge scholars Clayton Delery and Robert Fieseler. These scholars pointed to a lack of forensic evidence, the omission of historic materials contradicting Camina’s case and the absence of comment from

6688-550: The tragedy), but eventually canceled the conference for the year due to Hurricane Gustav . In 2008 local artist Skylar Fein constructed an art installation titled Remember the Upstairs Lounge . The New Orleans Museum of Art has since acquired Fein's art exhibit, which includes a reproduction of the bar. In 2013, noting the 40th anniversary of the fire, the Archbishop of New Orleans , Gregory Michael Aymond , issued

6776-576: The urban bars. The 2005 inaugural gay shebeen tour was advertised as a gay pub crawl that would provide an opportunity for South Africans and foreigners to "experience true African gay Shebeen culture". In Seoul, most gay bars were originally congregated near the Itaewon area of Seoul , near the U.S. military base. But in recent years, more clubs have located in the Sinchon area, indicating that "safe spaces" for Korean LGBTQ+ people have extended beyond

6864-481: The windows with a 14-inch gap between them to prevent dancers from breaking through the glass. Several people managed to squeeze through, some still burning when they reached the ground below. Luther Boggs was one who came through the window in flames after pushing his female friend through the gap. The flames on Boggs were extinguished by the owner of a neighbouring bar, but he died 16 days later on July 10, from 3rd degree burns to 50% of his body. Reverend Bill Larson of

6952-630: The working class. Chez Moune , opened in 1936, and New Moon were 20th-century lesbian cabarets located in Place Pigalle , which converted to mixed music clubs in the 21st century. Since the 1980s, the Le Marais district is the center of the gay scene in Paris. In Berlin , there was gay and lesbian night life already around 1900, which throughout the 1920s became very open and vibrant, especially when compared to other capitals. Especially in

7040-524: The worst years of the epidemic (before affordable and effective treatment), millions of gay men around the world died; consequently fewer persons owned or patronized gay bars. A 2009 study revealed a correlation between gay bar attendance and certain high-risk sexual behaviors. Specifically, the research indicated that individuals who frequented gay bars were more likely to engage in insertive unprotected anal intercourse, including with partners whose HIV status differed from their own. Gay bars have always been

7128-731: Was accompanied by the opening of gay bars and gay bathhouses . During the Second World War , ten to fifteen gay bars operated in Mexico City, with dancing permitted in at least two, El África and El Triunfo. Relative freedom from official harassment continued until 1959 when Mayor Ernesto Uruchurtu closed every gay bar following a grisly triple-murder. But by the late 1960s several Mexican cities had gay bars and, later, U.S.-style dance clubs . These places, however, were sometimes clandestine but tolerated by local authorities, which often meant that they were allowed to exist so long as

7216-591: Was an American prelate who served as the Bishop of Louisiana from 1969 to 1975. Noland was born on September 10, 1916, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana , the son of Ives Batchelor Noland and Camille Reynaud. He attended Louisiana State University and graduated with a B.A. in 1937. In 1940 he graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity from Sewanee: The University of the South and with a Doctor of Divinity in 1952. Noland

7304-805: Was consecrated on October 1, 1952, by Bishop Girault M. Jones in Christ Church Cathedral . As suffragan he was responsible for youth and college work and for the layman's program in the Diocese. He was elected to succeed Bishop Jones as Coadjutor in 1961 and succeeded as Diocesan on September 1, 1969. Noland was one of the 113 people who died in the Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 plane crash on June 24, 1975, on its way to New York. Noland married Nell Killgore Burden on February 3, 1936, and together had three sons. This article about an American Episcopal or Anglican bishop

7392-655: Was illegal. However, in 1962, Spain's first gay bar, Tony's, opened in Torremolinos and a clandestine gay bar scene also emerged in the 1960s and early 1970s in Barcelona . In Taiwan, Gay bar culture was first brought to Taiwan by the US military stationed in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the first gay bar "Take" appeared in Taipei. At the same time, lesbians often held activities in American military bars and gay bars. It

7480-515: Was not operating well at that time. Relying on the gay customer base, this place gradually gathered a lot of popularity and became the first openly gay business district in Taiwan. Nowadays, Ximen Red House Bar Street is a must-visit attraction for gays from all over the world when visiting Taiwan. Currently, the representative gay bars include Abrazo Bistro, Bacio Taipei, Belle's, Commander D, Fairy Taipei, G-Star, Ganymede, Hunt and Locker Room. There are also many small gay bars in Ximen Red House. In

7568-467: Was not until 1985 that the first lesbian bar "Forgettable Valley" appeared. After the mid-1980s, Gay bars and T-bars sprouted up like mushrooms after a rain. In addition to Taipei, they also began to appear in Taichung and Kaohsiung. The style has also become diversified from simply drinking and chatting. For example, Funky in the 1990s divided its business hours into singing hours and dancing hours. In

7656-667: Was ordained deacon in November 1939 by William Mercer Green , and served as curate in St James' Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . After his ordination to the priesthood in October 1940, he was appointed rector of Trinity Church in Natchitoches, Louisiana . He also served as U.S. Army Chaplain between 1941 and 1946 and subsequently served as priest-in-charge of St Paul's Church in Winnfield, Louisiana . In 1946 he became rector of

7744-717: Was the scene of alleged gay marriages carried out by the Reverend John Church . It is not clear which place is the first gay bar in the modern sense. In Cannes , France, such a bar had already opened in 1885, and there were many more in Berlin around 1900. In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands gay bars were established throughout the first quarter of the 20th century. The oldest gay bar in Beijing

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