Revisiting the tragic fire that killed 32 in a New Orleans gay bar. June 24, 2020 compassq 5 THINGS TO KNOW, HEROES & HISTORY, HISTORY Comments Off on Revisiting the tragic fire that killed 32 in a New Orleans gay bar. Upstairs Lounge (Photo: Screenshot ABC News) Until the Pulse nightclub massacre, the 1973 UpStairs Lounge fire was the deadliest attack on LGBTQ citizens in US history.