Although the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969 was a defining moment in the fight for gay liberation, it wasn’t the first time the LGBT community literally fought back against police harassment.
We take you back to 1966 in San Francisco. Although it hadn’t yet become the free-wheeling, anything-goes capital of the world, many transsexuals had migrated to the seedy Tenderloin District. Since cross-dressing was forbidden by law, it could get them arrested. In fact, police had been habitually harassing the local transgendered men and women at will, with tensions mounting by the day.
But on a hot August night in 1966, the powder keg exploded.
All this week, we’ll take a close look at The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot – the riot practically lost to history.
In recognition of the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, “The Rainbow Minute” is committed to bringing to light the often under-represented history of the transgender community by featuring 10 new episodes during the month of November. “The Rainbow Minute,” a radio show on WRIR, Richmond Independent Radio, is produced by Judd Proctor and Brian Burns and airs on 97.3 FM every Weekday at 9:03am, 12:30pm and 4:30pm. Listen to the WRIR’s audio stream here.
