The Fire Up Stairs

Chapter Four: The Legacy

On this episode, we cover the state of the affairs for the LGBTQ+ people in the United States. What is life like for queer people in 2023 and how does that differ from life in 1973? In what ways have we made progress since the days of the Up Stairs Lounge and in what ways might we be backsliding? To learn more, host Joey Hardy Gray chats with Cathryn Oakley, State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel at the Human Rights Campaign and political strategist Brian Derrick. They discuss the wave of Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that has swept across state legislatures in recent years, the impact these bills will have on the lives of queer people, where we've seen some glimmers of hope in recent days, and how we can best donate our time and resources to help fight for a more equitable world. If you're interested in helping fund HRC's work, you can donate to them HERE. [https://give.hrc.org/page/125646/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=dr_don_mr_searchFY24] To learn more about how you can get involved by using Oath, check out their website [https://oath.vote/]. You can also follow Brian on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/brianderrick_/?hl=en].

Chapter Three: The Community

For the next two episodes of The Fire Up Stairs Podcast, we'll be zooming out to discuss how the themes surrounding the events of the arson at the Up Stairs Lounge are still very much relevant today. On this episode, host Joey Hardy Gray is joined by international drag superstar BenDeLaCreme to discuss the importance of queer spaces. The two chat about the recent drag bans popping across the country, the importance of fostering community, how queer people pass culture down through generations, and why drag is its own form of rebellion. To stay up-to-date on BenDeLaCreme, you can visit her website [https://www.bendelacreme.com/] or follow her on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bendelacreme/?hl=en] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/bendelacreme?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor].

Chapter Two: The History

On this episode, host Joey Hardy Gray talks to journalist Robert Fieseler, author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation. They discuss how the arson fits within the larger arc of queer history, as well as the cultural and societal climate at the time of the attack and how those factors influenced the events leading up to the fire and its aftermath. Visit Robert's website [https://www.rwfieseler.com/] to read more of his work and purchase your copy of Tinderbox.

Chapter One: The Story

On this episode, host Joey Hardy Gray shares the story of The Up Stairs Lounge: the bar, the people who called it home and what it meant to them, and that terrible Sunday night in June when it all came burning down. Guests include: Up Stairs Lounge arson survivor Ricky Everett, journalist Clancy DuBos, and documentary filmmaker Robert L. Camina.

Trailer: The Fire Up Stairs

A PODCAST MINISERIES ABOUT THE 1973 UP STAIRS LOUNGE ARSON, EXPLORING ITS LESSER KNOWN HISTORY AND PRESENT-DAY THEMES. Over the course of the series, we'll be joined by notable members of the queer community to discuss the story of the Up Stairs Lounge; its role in the larger arc of queer history, and themes that are just as relevant to the queer community of today as they were fifty years ago.  Guests include: Drag superstar Ben DeLaCreme, Author Robert Fieseler, HRC's Cathryn Oakley, Political Adviser Brian Derrick, Journalist Clancy Dubos, and Up Stairs Lounge Survivor Ricky Everett.