![]() ![]() ![]() “The transgender community’s debut on the stage of American political history…” – Stryker. Happening three years prior to the well-recognized Stonewall Inn Rebellion in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1969, what occurred at Compton’s in San Francisco is a remarkable event in LGBT history for members of the community beyond just gay men, particularly for those who identify as trans and gender nonconforming. “It was the first known instance of collective militant queer resistance to police harassment in United States history.” – Susan Stryker, historian and director of Screaming Queens, to NPR This section can be used to share all relevant info regarding the topic that does not fit elsewhere, but make sure to properly source it.This August marks the 52nd anniversary of San Francisco’s Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in the Tenderloin District, when brave members of the queer community revolted against harassment by law enforcement. ![]() Aftermath ĭetail the aftermath of the event, things that may or may not have changed because of it. Give the relevant info and history relating to the event. On July 18, 1966, the LGBTQIA+ youth organization Vanguard staged a picket line at Compton's in protest, but the restaurant ignored them. Since the Gene Compton's Cafeteria at Turk and Taylor was open 24/7, it became a popular gathering spot despite the management's discriminatory behavior. Many trans residents could not find legal employment and engaged in sex work, drug dealing, or other illegal activities for their survival, working primarily during late night hours. Names used during the time period included butch, hustler, female impersonator, queen or drag queen, sissy, and hair fairy. Late night diners at Gene Compton's Cafeteria, sometime in the 1960sīy 1966, the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco had become a haven for various gender non-conforming youth, gay men, drag queens, and transgender women. Despite how it was ignored at the time, the riot is now seen as a turning point for trans civil rights and a significant moment in trans resistance to police violence. The event was mostly ignored by the media, even in the publications run by the gay community, and no arrest records remain in SFPD archives. Locally, the riot was not originally seen as significant to the community members who were focused on their own survival and did not have the time or resources for political organizing. The riot spread onto the surrounding Turk and Taylor Streets and the cafeteria was also damaged. It has been said but not proven that a trans woman sparked the riot when she threw a cup of coffee in an officer's face. Frustrated by constant police harassment and profiling, patrons resisted and started throwing silverware, cups, plates, and trays at the SFPD officers. On that particular night, SFPD was called to remove a table of noisy diners. The homophobic and transphobic management at Gene Compton's Cafeteria frequently called the San Francisco police (SFPD) to remove and arrest queer customers. The Compton's Cafeteria riot took place on an evening in August 1966 at Gene Compton's Cafeteria, an all-night restaurant in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California. ![]()
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