Compton's Cafeteria Riots -- The First Transgender Riot

San Francisco's Tenderloin district is the location of one of the first recorded transgender riot in the United States, preceding the more famous Stonewall riots of New York City by three years.

In 1965 a youth gay liberation group called Vanguard was formed in San Francisco. It consisted mostly of working-class and homeless youth, including prostitutes and transgender people. This was a time when police harassment of gay and transgender people was common. Sodomy laws were in effect and cross-dressing or "impersonating a woman" was illegal. One of the activities that Vanguard engaged in was picketing local businesses which refused service to transgender individuals. Compton's Cafeteria was one such business.

One evening in August 1966 the cashier at Compton's Cafeteria insulted members of Vanguard and then called the police when they refused to leave. Police were used to harassing these individuals with little resistance and attempted to arrest one of the trans women. When she resisted being arrested mayhem broke out. Other patrons and members of Vanguard started throwing dishes and furniture and the windows of the cafeteria were broken. Police called for backup and the rioters moved into the street attacking police cars and newsstands before dispersing.

The next night saw a large picket of Compton's Cafeteria and their brand new windows broken yet again. In the aftermath of the riot a number of Transgender support services were set up.

Today the location of Compton's Cafeteria was 101 Taylor Street at Turk Street and today there is a memorial plaque which reads

Here marks the site of Gene Compton's Cafeteria where a riot took place one August night when transgender women and gay men stood up for their rights and fought against police brutality, poverty, oppression and discrimination in the Tenderloin: We, the transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual community, are dedicating this plaque to these heroes of our civil rights movement.