Though the UpStairs Lounge Fire came at the tail end of a year of arson attacks against LGBT institutions - including Rev. When Townsend asked Perry about it, the preacher "told me to my face that he made most of it up." Though this revelation shocks those of us who otherwise admire Troy Perry, it is indicative of Townsend's determination to discover the truth.
Perry's account of the blaze in his 1990 autobiography, "Don't Be Afraid Anymore," is full of inconsistencies and made-up characters. Not all of the literature written about the UpStairs Lounge Fire was accurate or reliable. He'd been 'editing' it." To learn more about the victims, Townsend "talked to their friends and family, and partners who survived (who may not even have been at the bar that night with them)." I asked why there was no cause of death in the report, saying that my information was that he'd committed suicide, and the librarian reluctantly went back to retrieve the rest of the report. I remember when I asked for the coroner's report for Rodger Nunez, the main suspect, the librarian gave me only part of it.
He also "read every article I could find on the fire, plus I read the fire investigation report and the coroner's reports. A friend led me to the bar owner, Phil Esteve, who led me to the bartender on duty that night, Buddy Rasmussen, and things took off from there."įor his book, Townsend interviewed Esteve (who was not present during the fire), Rasmussen and other survivors. I wanted to read more about the fire and discovered there was nothing written, so I decided to do the research myself. "I didn't realize at that early age that the UpStairs was a gay bar, and when I came out years later and learned that fact, I was struck all over again by the horror of it all. "I was 11 when the fire took place, and I remember being horrified by the pictures in the paper the next morning," Townsend says. In Let the Faggots Burn author Johnny Townsend restores this tragic event to its proper place in LGBT history and reminds us that the victims of the blaze were not just "statistics," but real people with real lives, families, and friends. Perry's memoirs - the event had to wait 38 years for its first full-length study: Let the Faggots Burn: The UpStairs Lounge Fire (Booklocker $17.95). Though the UpStairs Lounge Fire was written about in several histories of the period - as well as in Rev.
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Show off that sexy sweaty jock strap, and enjoy Happy Hour prices ‘til closing! Need a little help getting going on a Sunday morning? Bartender Will can make you a delicious Absolut Bloody Mary for just $5, or Korbel Mimosa for just $3. Friday & SaturdayĮach weekend, join us for a beer bust on the patio hosted by one of our affiliated clubs - The Lords of Leather, NOLA Pups and Handlers, Renegade Bears, Knights d’Orleans, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, or Crescent City Leathermen! $5 buy-in for all you can drink draft beer plus $1 per refill.
The Phoenix Pool Tournament is hosted by Jesse every Tuesday night! $5 buy in, winner takes all. Dress code: No backpacks, purses, or bags of any kind.