Biography of Worst Mass Killing of Gays in U.S. History Named 2015 Book of the Year

Many have still never heard about what happened that night in New Orleans in 1973 — until now.

BY  Diane Anderson-Minshall

March 02 2015 7:27 PM ET 

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In 1973, dozens of people were trapped inside a New Orleans gay bar as it burned down, most of them dying trying to escape. Both a new book and a new film tackled the tragedy recently, and the former has just been given top honors. The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities has chosen the amazing LGBT true crime history tome, The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar June 24, 1973, by Clayton Delery-Edward, as the 2015 Book of the Year. Achilling tale of arson, homophobia, and the deaths of 32 people, the book takes a look at the harrowing night that became the largest mass killing of LGBT people on American soil. But it also reveals the truly horrifying level of homophobia that turned a tragedy into something far worse by exposing the level of hatred, disdain, and sheer dehumanization that festered in the hearts of New Orleans’ religious and civic officials.
Delery-Edward, a faculty member at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches, Louisiana,  examines the aftermath of the fire, when fire fighters joked about burning faggots and left corpses in plain sight, church leaders refused to bury the dead, and families wouldn’t claim their gay relatives. Wven survivors were afraid to tell anyone they had been there in the fire; many recovered silently or returned to work the next day as if nothing had happened for fear of being outed, losing their jobs, or being ostracized from family. The impact of the fire on LGBT activism was swift, says Delery-Edwards, nearly snuffing the Big Easy’s nascent gay rights movement.
While the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities  has been recognizing the individuals and organizations that make "invaluable contributions to the culture of Louisiana," but The Up Stairs Lounge Arson marks the first time a book about LGBT life in New Orleans has ever been recognized by the organization. Delery-Edward will be honored at an April awards ceremony alongside journalist Cokie Roberts, who has been named LEH’s 2015 Humanist of the Year.
 Delery-Edwars isn't the only chronicler of the Upstairs Lounge tragedy. Robert L. Camina's  highly emotional documentary about the killings, Upstairs Inferno has found an audience in Washington, D.C. The film has made its way to the office of the White House and the Justice Department and it's already being planned for educational events as well as LGBT film festivals. The very personal film looks at the impact of the fire on the survivors, witnesses, and loved ones. The most comprehensive and authoritative film on the fire, Upstairs Inferno talks with survivors and witnesses who have never discussed the fire until now, especially on camera. It's noteworthy to mention that it includes a heart wrenching interview of a survivor who lost her lover, Reggie Adams in the blaze.   As part of her long healing process, she legally changed her name to "Regina Adams" in honor of her "one true love."