“It almost highlights even more the degree of oppression that many homosexuals lived in in this time period.”ĭespite copious physical and circumstantial evidence, Nunez was never arrested for the crime. “That’s part of the more complex and really terrible and fascinating nature of the fire,” Fieseler notes. Within minutes, the entrance had been doused in lighter fluid bought from a nearby pharmacy and sparked into flames. As he was dragged out, his jaw broken, Roger Dale Nunez is reported to have yelled: “I’m going to burn you all out.” The likely perpetrator: a troubled and violent patron who had been ejected from the bar moments earlier after a fight. The likely perpetrator was a troubled and violent patron who had been ejected from the bar moments earlier. It was the deadliest US incident of violence against an LGBT population until the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. That safety came crashing down violently on 24 June 1973 when the lounge, which only had one public entrance/exit became a fiery tomb for 32. You’d lose your job, your home, everything,” Fieseler said.Īt the time, a residence occupied by two suspected gay men (or two “spinsters”) could be declared a house of ill-repute and seized with little to no due process.Įnter the relatively safe space of the UpStairs lounge, a quietly well-known place where gay men (Fieseler notes that during this era, the lesbian scene was politically and socially isolated from the gay scene) could openly be themselves. “Your name would be associated with what was considered a despicable, morally licentious behavior and you would become a pariah in the society you loved.
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“A gay man could, in 1973, live a very full life that he might not be able to enjoy in other places.”īut the city was also still mired in the sexually repressive dogma of the heavily Catholic population.Īccording to Fieseler, undercover police would regularly conduct sting operations to catch gay men soliciting for sex in public spaces, and if caught and arrested on a dreaded “crimes against nature” charge, the ramifications in the wider world were absolute. “It was the queer capital of the south in 1973,” said Fieseler. Thought New Orleans ‘was the queer capital of the south in 1973’ it was also a place of duality for LGBT people. Had to like the coming attractions.Firemen giving first aid to survivors of the fire. The Bucs need about four more Barbers next season, and a revamped line. This is how a running game has to work if you intend to be any good. This is how a running game is supposed to work. He picked up several blocks and easily made a first down.
In the second quarter, on third down and 2 yards to go, Bucs runner Peyton Barber took a pitch from Winston and ran left. But he also threw three awful interceptions, the second one despite having all the time in the world, the third one into the New Orleans. Anyway, Winston had some good moments, including maybe his best rushing performance, and even managed to not fumble as he stretched for a second-quarter TD. We don't know when his fourth NFL season will begin. Winston finished his third NFL season Sunday. Sometimes it's just two men playing with all they have and making something happen. Sometimes it isn't about the state of a franchise, where it's going, where it's not going. Robinson stripped New Orleans punt returner Tommylee Lewis deep in New Orleans territory, and Johnson picked up the ball and ran it in for a 20-17 Bucs lead. Think the Bucs didn't want this one? Look at the play of special teams guys Josh Robinson and Isaiah Johnson. The third-round draft pick out of Penn State is one of the brightest lights heading into next season. Godwin has been one of the bright young faces on the Bucs this season. It was the biggest catch of a decidedly lost season, but here's to Godwin, who beat Saints cornerback Ken Crawley and hauled in the game-winner from Winston. So were most of Koetter's players on Sunday.
Nothing epitomized it more than when Bucs Will Clarke and Kwon Alexander crunched Saints kicker Wil Lutz on a fake. Hey, we got on Koetter when he didn't have his team ready (not even close in Arizona), so let's hear it for Sunday. Despite all the noise in the system, he had his team ready to play a game that had no bearing on anything.
No, Dirk Koetter wasn't coaching for his job, but his seat is already hot going into next season. Let it be known that Koetter's crew did not quit after the season was lost.