With Gay Pride Day around the corner, the Tenderblog reminds that one of the first instances of militant queer resistance went down three years before Stonewall, when transgendered people fought police at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria in the Tenderloin. In short, transgendered people congregated at Compton’s because they were not welcome in gay bars in 1966. Cross-dressing was illegal at the time, and police could use their presence as an excuse for raids and closures. When cops came to raid Compton’s one night, an officer manhandled a transwoman who threw her coffee in his face, sparking a riot that left the restaurant in shambles, a police car’s windows broken out, and a newsstand burned down. Why this never took off as a rallying point, we can’t say, but you have to admit that “Compton’s Cafeteria Riot” just doesn’t roll off the tongue. Check out the video documentary clip after the jump. [Via Tenderblog]
Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria clip from Frameline Distribution on Vimeo.
Photo via Wikipedia
