I just learned that today, June 24th, is the fortieth anniversary of the worst massacre of gay people in American history. In 1973, the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans was firebombed, killing over thirty people. The arsonist poured lighter fluid on the door and entrance to the club, blocking the only exit. People tried to make their way through fourteen inch bars on the windows, with some getting stuck and burning to death.
What sickens me most about this attack is not the horrific violence and suffering involved, but the fact that people at the time reacted with contempt for the victims. The attack may or may not have been motivated by homophobia (a mentally ill man who sometimes visited the club claimed responsibility, but no investigation was done to confirm one way or the other), but the vitriol that followed certainly was. Churches refused to bury the victims, and families refused to claim their relatives' bodies. An Episcopal minister was even censured for holding a prayer service for the victims.
The other horrifying aspect of the attack is how it's been forgotten. I did not know of it until today, when I read about it on the Friendly Atheist website. This is a tragedy that needs to be remembered.
What sickens me most about this attack is not the horrific violence and suffering involved, but the fact that people at the time reacted with contempt for the victims. The attack may or may not have been motivated by homophobia (a mentally ill man who sometimes visited the club claimed responsibility, but no investigation was done to confirm one way or the other), but the vitriol that followed certainly was. Churches refused to bury the victims, and families refused to claim their relatives' bodies. An Episcopal minister was even censured for holding a prayer service for the victims.
The other horrifying aspect of the attack is how it's been forgotten. I did not know of it until today, when I read about it on the Friendly Atheist website. This is a tragedy that needs to be remembered.
Great blog too