ABOUT THE BOOKS
Out for Queer Blood:
The Murder of Fernando Rios
and the Failure of New Orleans Justice
(Exposit 2017).
ISBN 978-1-4766-6884-0 (softcover).
ISBN 978-1-4766-2987-2 (ebook)
On a September night in 1958, three New Orleans
college students went looking for a gay man to
assault. They chose Fernando Rios, who died
from the beating he received. In perhaps the
earliest example of the "gay panic" defense, the
three defendants argued that they had no choice
but to beat Rios because he made an "improper
advance." When the jury acquitted the three,
the courtroom cheered.
"A riveting and important work of grassroots LGBT history that
reveals the connections and fissures between homophobia and
anti-Latino prejudices in U.S. History. Delery unmasks the origins of one
of the most sinister legal and cultural foundations of anti-gay oppression:
the false accusation of desire and how it has been used to excuse injustice." -- Sarah Schulman, award-winning writer and gay rights
activist.
"The author draws upon contemporary, as well as historical information, and personal experience to expose a larger cadre of
disturbing issues than just a rampant homophobia and violence against homosexuals in 1950s-1960s New Orleans. Out for Queer Blood also exposes an inequitable justice system that favored outdated perceptionsof sexuality viewing homosexuals more as deviants than human beings. As both an objective historian and true crime author, I can recommend Delery's Out for Queer Blood as an integral contribution to the true crime as well as historical genres." -- Alan Gauthreaux, co-Author Dark Bayou: Infamous Louisiana Homicides.
"Author Clayton Delery can be confident that he has done his community proud by recording one of those moments in history that so many municipalities strive hard to forget, the recollection of which is a painful, healing victory for everyone." -- Tom Cardamone, Lambda Literary.
The Up Stairs Lounge Arson:
Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans
Gay Bar, June 24, 1973
(McFarland 2014).
ISBN 978-0-7864-7953-5 (softcover)
ISBN 978-1-4766-1510 (ebook)
On June 24, 1973, a fire in a New Orleans gay bar
killed 32 people. This still stands as the deadliest
fire in the city's history. Though arson was
suspected, and though the police identified a likely
culprit, no arrest was ever made. Additionally,
government and religious leaders who normally
would have provided moral leadership at a time of
crisis were either silent or openly disdainful of the
dead, most of whom were gay men. Based upon
review of hundreds of primary and secondary
sources, including contemporary news accounts,
interviews with former patrons of the lounge, and
the extensive documentary trail left behind by the
criminal investigations, The Up Stairs Lounge Arson
tells the story of who used to go to this bar, what
happened on the day of the fire, what course the investigations took, why an arrest was never made, and what the lasting effects of the fire have been.
"...returns to a tragic moment to deliver new insights into the social history of New Orleans." -- Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
"A chilling 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...."--Diane Anderson-Minshall, Advocate.com
"The Up Stairs Lounge Arson is an amazing and emotional read for anyone wanting to learn more about New Orleans history."--
Anna Guerra, The New Orleans Advocate.
"...an essential read, especially for young gay people who have no idea how deep the homophobia of the late 20th century ran."---Kit van Cleve, Out Smart Magazine.
