Photobucket

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Remembering Our History Yet Again

I have blogged about the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot before. Well now there is a film, Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria . Watch this clip of an interview with a smart tough woman;



She’s wonderful, notice that she makes a very strong argument for why gender identity and presentation so desperately need to be included in any federal ENDA or hate crime laws.

Many of the participants in the were members of Vanguard, a organization of gay hustlers, street queens, ‘hair fairies’, trans women and runaway youth that formed in May of 1966. They were politically active holding demonstrations protesting the discrimination they faced. They also held dances and published a beautifully illustrated news zine.



They were one of the first queer youth groups and the first to welcome trans folk. The group survived until the 1970’s before fading away. I honor them for their pioneering work.

No comments: