7. Southern Fried True Crown covers cases that are not suitable for young listeners, and

there may also be some explicit language used.

Listener discretion is advised.

On Pride Day, June 24, 1973, a New Orleans gay bar called the Ubsters Lounge became

engulfed in flames within a matter of two or three minutes.

It was the work of an arsonist.

29 people died in the fire, and three letters succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

It is the deadliest fire in the history of New Orleans.

But in the immediate aftermath, survivors found no support from city officials, the Louisiana

governor or even churches.

There were no condolences offered, and in fact, many churches refused to bury the dead.

But the gay community rallied around the survivors, and what is often considered the beginning

of the gay rights movement in New Orleans.

Though there was an official investigation by police and the fire marshal, no one was

ever arrested, and the case was closed by 1980, and despite the enormous tragedy, the

fire was all but forgotten to history for decades.

But in recent years, historians have fought to bring light and understanding to this event

that has caused so much pain for the LGBTQ community in New Orleans.

Welcome to episode 55, The Ubsters Lounge Fire.

Situated on the bend of the Mississippi River, New Orleans, Louisiana has been the Gulf

of Mexico's busiest port since the early 1700s.

It was nicknamed the Crescent City, because the original town of Vucaray was built on a

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