Queer History is often not talked about prior to the 1969 Stonewall Riots. However, stories of protests and riots for LGBTQ+ rights have been kept alive by queer and trans novelists and historians, like John Rechy and Susan Stryker. A rich history of rebelling against harassment and violence has existed far before the 1970s.
This Timeline of 5 Queer Rebellions in California: 1950-1970 details the events from the Cooper Donuts Riot, the Compton Cafeteria Riots, the Black Cat Tavern Riots, the Patch Bar Flower Protest, and the Biltmore Invasion. Each individual event has helped to build the legacy of Queer acts of rebellion against violence, discrimination, and pathologizing that are still happening today. Tune in next week for our QHM Topic: Resistance, which will highlight some current queer activists and issues.
Links for further reading and lesson plans:
Cooper Donuts: https://one.usc.edu/story/cooper-do-nuts
Compton Cafeteria – Screaming Queens Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-WASW9dRBU
Black Cat Riots: https://www.onearchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/one-archives-foundation-black-cat-riots.pdf
Patch Bar Flower Protest: https://one.usc.edu/archive-location/patch-bar-flower-power-protest
Biltmore Invasion: https://www.onearchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/01lessonplan_the-biltmore-invasion.pdf