There was a fire, the minister of the Metropolitan Community Church – a gay man named Dexter Brecht – preached to his small flock of gays and lesbians. Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks with Fieseler ( about the book. (Jack Thornell/AP) This article is more than 3 years old.Īuthor Robert Fieseler's book ' Tinderbox' looks at the 1973 fire at the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans, which killed 32 people and put prejudicial beliefs against gay men in sharp relief. Most of the victims were found near the windows in the background.
A view inside the UpStairs Lounge following an arson on June 25, 1973.
