The Black Cat in Silverlake:
According to Wikipedia, the gay bar was established in November of 1966. Two months later, on the
night of New Year's 1967, several plain-clothes police officers
infiltrated the Black Cat Tavern. After arresting several patrons for
kissing as they celebrated the occasion, the undercover police officers
began beating several of the patronsand ultimately arrested thirteen
patrons and three bartenders. This created a riot in the immediate area
that expanded to include the bar across Sanborn Avenue called New Faces
where officers knocked down the owner (a woman) and beat two bartenders
unconscious.
Several days later, this police action incited a
civil demonstration of over 200 attendees to protest the raids. The
demonstration was organized by a group called PRIDE (Personal Rights in
Defense and Education).The protest was met by squadrons of armed
policemen.Two of the men arrested for kissing were later convicted under
state law and registered as sex offenders. The men appealed, asserting
their right of equal protection under the law, but the U.S. Supreme
Court did not accept their case.
It was from this event that
the publication The Advocate began as a newspaper for PRIDE (Personal
Rights in Defense and Education). Together the raid on the Black Cat
Tavern and later the raid on The Patch in August 1968 inspired the
formation of the Metropolitan Community Church (led by Pastor Troy
Perry).
These events pre-dated the Stonewall riots by over two years.
On November 7, 2008, the site was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
After operating as a gay bar under several names, on November 30, 2012
the site became a restaurant named The Black Cat. It is no longer a gay
bar, but it has photographs of the events of 1967. — at The Black Cat.
According to Wikipedia, the gay bar was established in November of 1966. Two months later, on the night of New Year's 1967, several plain-clothes police officers infiltrated the Black Cat Tavern. After arresting several patrons for kissing as they celebrated the occasion, the undercover police officers began beating several of the patronsand ultimately arrested thirteen patrons and three bartenders. This created a riot in the immediate area that expanded to include the bar across Sanborn Avenue called New Faces where officers knocked down the owner (a woman) and beat two bartenders unconscious.
Several days later, this police action incited a civil demonstration of over 200 attendees to protest the raids. The demonstration was organized by a group called PRIDE (Personal Rights in Defense and Education).The protest was met by squadrons of armed policemen.Two of the men arrested for kissing were later convicted under state law and registered as sex offenders. The men appealed, asserting their right of equal protection under the law, but the U.S. Supreme Court did not accept their case.
It was from this event that the publication The Advocate began as a newspaper for PRIDE (Personal Rights in Defense and Education). Together the raid on the Black Cat Tavern and later the raid on The Patch in August 1968 inspired the formation of the Metropolitan Community Church (led by Pastor Troy Perry).
These events pre-dated the Stonewall riots by over two years.
On November 7, 2008, the site was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
After operating as a gay bar under several names, on November 30, 2012 the site became a restaurant named The Black Cat. It is no longer a gay bar, but it has photographs of the events of 1967. — at The Black Cat.
