15/08/2025
This August marks 59 years since Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, an early act of resistance in q***r history. In the 1960s, Compton’s Cafeteria staff frequently called the police on transgender customers, believing they were loitering and causing the restaurant to lose business. Management even implemented a service fee targeting transgender patrons and harassed them in attempts to force them to leave.
In 1966, when an officer tried to arrest a trans woman, she threw a cup of coffee in his face, and patrons reportedly erupted—throwing sugar shakers, tables, dinnerware, purses, and even high heels at the police, shattering windows. Outside, the fight continued, with a damaged police car and a burned sidewalk newsstand, as officers struggled to regain control and make arrests.
This fight mirrors many struggles our community has faced throughout history and continues to face today. We honor those who fought for visibility and dignity, recognizing the courage it took to act in a world that often denied their humanity. Their bravery laid the foundation for the ongoing fight for rights, recognition, and safe spaces.
May we honor their struggle by carrying their legacy forward, ever striving for justice and dignity for trans and q***r people.
With love,
CalPride
