Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the tragic events at the Upstairs Lounge in New Orleans, which was firebombed on June 24th 1973 and resulted in the death of 32 people. It’s the largest gay mass murder in US history, but despite that, few people know about the tragedy. That’s partly because it went under-reported at the time, and subsequently swept under the carpet.
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. While the Stonewall Riots in New York City only four years earlier united a community, the fire caused many in the New Orleans gay community to stay in the closet.
Camina Entertainment, Inc. has now announced that production has begun on a documentary about the fire, Upstairs Inferno, directed by Robert L. Camina.
The director comments, “It is crucial to acknowledge, preserve and honor our history as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. The LGBT dialogue has changed so much in the past few years. As popular attitudes shift on LGBT issues, we risk losing the stories of the struggles that got us where we are today. It’s our responsibility to honor the memories of those who came before us, including those who died at the Upstairs Lounge. The men and women who experienced this tragedy paved the way for the freedoms enjoyed by the New Orleans LGBT community of today, as well as the overall LGBT movement. Upstairs Inferno intends to honor their forgotten stories.”
An IndieGoGo fundraising campaign was launched last week to help cover production costs for preserving the Upstairs Inferno tragedy on film. People can donate to the film by following the link on www.upstairsinferno.com or directly at http://igg.me/at/UpstairsInferno/x/83651.
Camina’s full length documentary aims to tell the story primarily through emotional interviews with survivors, families of victims and key players involved with the aftermath. Upstairs Inferno will also feature interviews with historians, experts and current leaders of the New Orleans LGBT community.
Camina’s previous documentary, Raid of the Rainbow Lounge, recounted the widely publicised and controversial June 28th, 2009 police raid of a Fort Worth, Texas gay bar that resulted in multiple arrests and serious injuries. Over the past 15 months, the documentary has screened over 35 times, including 29 mainstream and LGBT film festivals across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The film has won several awards including 3 Best Film and 3 Audience Choice Awards.
If you want to find out more or help fund Upstairs Inferno, head over to Indiegogo. [Read more…]
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