But, while the large majority of UpStairs’ patrons were white, they made a point to welcome African Americans (as well as lesbians, which was also uncommon at the time). Like elsewhere in the country, Blacks and whites tended to frequent different establishments - even in the gay community. The bar was also more inclusive than other gay bars in the Quarter. UpStairs Lounge stood out by drawing regulars in with dancing, singing, live piano and a modest theater where small plays and musicals were staged. On the second floor at that time was a popular gay bar called the “UpStairs Lounge.”Īt that time, nearly two dozen gay bars could be found around the French Quarter. The Jimani is on the first floor of a three-story building, just like it was in 1973. If you walk through the French Quarter, you might be familiar with The Jimani - a bar at 141 Chartres St., on the corner of Chartres and Iberville.
It was four years later, however - on the final day of Pride Weekend in 1973 - that one of the deadliest attacks on a gay club in American history took place in New Orleans.
June is LGBT Pride Month each year to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of the month in 1969.
