Christian protesters disrupt Gay Community Center block party
Adapted from reporting by Dave Powell
Several young people calling themselves “preachers in blue jeans” traveled by van to Philadelphia from the suburbs in July 1976 to disrupt a block party given by the Gay Community Center.
About 3 p.m. July 3, during Bicentennial celebrations, the Christian protesters arrived, telling gay people that they would “rot in hell” if they failed to “turn away from [their] sinful ways and give [themselves] to Jesus.”
When the protesters refused to leave, people at the Gay Community Center called police to remove them. The incident came to an end after more than an hour when it began to rain. The block party moved inside the community center and the protesters left.
When the rain cleared, the party re-emerged outside and people continued to enjoy arts and crafts and food.
New Hope lounge gutted by arson
Adapted from reporting by PGN staff
The Prelude Lounge in New Hope sustained extensive damage from a 1976 fire that officials called arson.
The blaze, which hit the West Street establishment about 3:30 a.m. July 19, appeared to be caused by the igniting of gas-soaked rags on the bar’s dance floor, fire officials said.
They added dynamite was also found on the premises, but no blasting caps were found, leading officials to believe it was merely burned with the other contents of the building and did not cause the fire.
The resident of an apartment above the lounge was taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation, PGN learned from neighbors. They added the resident’s cat and dog both died of smoke inhalation.
The lounge was left with an 80 square-foot hole in the roof. Employees of a contractor that began renovation work within days of the fire “removed tons of charred debris from inside,” a neighbor said.
Prelude management said it hoped to reopen the lounge in a matter of weeks.