ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 129
BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOX
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the 1973 Up Stairs Lounge fire in the French
Quarter in New Orleans.
WHEREAS, in 1973, the city of New Orleans experienced a devastating fire that
remains the deadliest in the city's history; this tragic event unfolded at 604 Iberville Street,
in the heart of the French Quarter, at the Up Stairs Lounge; and
WHEREAS, serving as a sanctuary of love and acceptance in New Orleans, the Up
Stairs Lounge was tragically transformed into a symbol of sorrow and exclusion in a mere
nineteen minutes; the fire claimed the lives of thirty-two individuals, hospitalized fifteen
others, and left an indelible mark on the city's LGBTQ+ community that forever altered its
course; and
WHEREAS, regrettably, local police at the time did not respond to the fire with the
urgency it deserved, and elected officials remained publicly silent about the unnecessary
tragedy; adding further anguish, Archbishop Philip Hannan denied the victims Catholic
funerals, compounding the pain experienced by the LGBTQ+ community; and
WHEREAS, the 1973 arson at the Up Stairs Lounge remains unsolved, despite being
the deadliest crime perpetrated against the LGBTQ+ community in American history until
the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the 1973 Up Stairs Lounge fire in the French
Quarter in New Orleans; does hereby express profound regret and immense sorrow for the
suffering caused by this horrible tragedy and official responses to it, and does hereby express
sincerest wishes that we continue to grow as a state in our acceptance and support of our
fellow Louisianians.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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