Memorial Plaque
This file appears in: Upstairs Lounge Fire, 1973: In Memoriam
In 2003, the city of New Orleans dedicated this plaque to the memory of the victims of the Upstairs Lounge.
The inscription reads: "At this site on June 24, 1973 in the Upstairs Lounge, these thirty-two people lost their lives in the worst fire in New Orleans. The impact went far beyond the loss of individual people, giving birth to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Movement in New Orleans."
The names of the victims are inscribed along the sides of the triangle, and in the bottom corners are two fleur-de-lis, the quintessential symbol of New Orleans.
Photo, Jennifer Conerly
This file appears in: Upstairs Lounge Fire, 1973: In Memoriam
Upstairs Lounge Fire, 1973: In Memoriam
The Upstairs Lounge had served as the home of a religious denomination, the Metropolitan Community Church; however, no church would allow a prayer service for those who died, except for the pastor of…