The Cooper Do-nuts Riot: A Forgotten Chapter in Transgender History

When we think of pivotal moments in LGBTQ+ history, the Stonewall Riots of 1969 often take centre stage. But ten years prior, another act of resistance brought together the bravery and resilience of transgender individuals and their allies in a fight for visibility and equality.

The Backdrop of the Riot

As you probably already know, the 1950s were marked by profoundly ingrained homophobia and transphobia. Police methodically targeted LGBTQ+ people by frequently raiding clubs, bars and social venues that provided them sanctuary.

But don't be fooled into thinking that arrests were simply a matter of spending a night in jail. Nope! Arrest meant embarrassment and an outing by local publications, which caused job loss, social ostracism, and lifetime stigma.

The Riot That Sparked a Revolution

Cooper Do-nuts, a modest 24-hour café in Los Angeles' Skid Row area, was known as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ customers, particularly transgender people.

Yet, even a haven was not safe from the LAPD and their active harassment, systematic discrimination and unbridled arrests. During these raids, gay and transgender individuals were often arrested if their appearance didn't align with the gender marker on their ID - a discriminatory tactic thinly veiled as "law enforcement."

One May evening in 1959, two LAPD cops entered the café and began demanding identification from patrons. Five people - two transgender women, two gay males, and a hustler - were singled out after their IDs were judged "improper."

When officers tried to cram the five into a police car, one resisted.

And it was this small act of defiance that sparked a wave of courage in the onlooking crowd.

Patrons and passersby alike transformed the little café into the hub of a complete uprising. Transgender women, homosexual men, lesbians, and drag queens flooded the streets, hurling doughnuts, coffee cups, rubbish, and everything else they could find at the police, driving them to flee.

By the time reinforcements arrived, the resistance had grown, spilling into the adjacent streets and spreading to nearby LGBTQ+ bars.

John Rechy, one of the participants and later a celebrated gay author, would go on to describe the night as "the street bustling with disobedience" and LGBTQ+ individuals "dancing about the cars."

Indeed, the atmosphere was one of joy, tenacity, and unrelenting defiance against a system meant to obliterate them. Though the protest was finally calmed, the message was unmistakable – this community would not go quietly.

This event, overshadowed by Stonewall and the Black Cat Tavern demonstration, was a precursor to the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement and demonstrates the essential role that transgender individuals played in pushing back against oppression.

Because, although they were among the most disadvantaged in 1959, transgender women were at the front lines of this uprising. Their bravery to speak up and battle still attests to the strength of visibility in producing enduring transformation. The riot reminds us that the LGBTQ+ movement's origins are not just one event or group but numerous moments of collective rebellion.

Moments in Trans History

From bold acts of resistance to quieter forms of advocacy, trans history is rife with impactful moments that shaped our collective progress.

The Compton's Cafeteria Riot (1966)

Three years before Stonewall, another revolutionary event took place in San Francisco's Tenderloin area. This moment not only challenged societal norms but also heralded the rise of transgender activism.

San Francisco's Tenderloin neighbourhood became a hub for transgender and queer individuals. It was a precarious refuge packed with working-class people and those on the fringes. Among its businesses was Gene Compton's Cafeteria - a 24-hour café where trans women, drag queens, and other marginalised members of the LGBTQ+ community congregated. The cafeteria provided a rare public venue where gay people could discover a semblance of community.

However, the management at Compton's routinely called the police on transgender customers, branding them harmful to business. Often, these calls led to violent police confrontations and arrests for "female impersonation."

Tensions simmering for years erupted on a summer night in late August 1966. That night, when Compton's Cafeteria staff once again called the police on a group of transgender customers, an officer attempted to arrest one of the women. Her response? To throw a cup of hot coffee in his face.

What came next was nothing less than an explosion. Like the Cooper Du-not riot seven years prior, customers decided enough was enough. From coffee cups, sugar shakers, purses, and even high heels, everything became a weapon, and the café became a battleground.

Soon, the uprising spilt onto the streets.

The crowd grew as more members of the Tenderloin community joined in solidarity. Trans women, drag queens, street hustlers, and others who had undergone years of systematic abuse gathered in the revolution. Police cars were wrecked, tables were overturned, windows were broken, a newsstand was set on fire, and the violence wouldn't be contained. Though police broke up the initial crowd, the will of resistance could not be snuffed out.

The following night, protests resumed outside the Compton's Cafeteria. The building, which had since replaced its broken windows, saw them destroyed again. This wave of disobedience signalled a turning moment in the battle for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights in San Francisco and abroad.

Although the riot didn't attract much media notice then, its effect was strongly felt among the local LGBTQ+ community. The night's action spurred the creation of projects and groups meant to assist queer and transgender people.

The establishment of the National Transsexual Counselling Unit (NTCU) in 1968 was among the most remarkable outcomes. Offering tools and counselling by and for trans people, it is thought to be the first transgender peer-run support programme in the world.

S.T.A.R.

In 1971, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson founded S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries). S.T.A.R. sought to offer information, assistance, and housing for homeless queer and trans adolescents in New York City, a demographic usually overlooked even inside LGBTQ+ communities. Their work emphasises not just the need for trans leadership but also a continuous intersectional approach to action.

The Gazebo 

Years before online social networks dominated our lives, Gwendolyn Ann Smith created The Gazebo, an online chat room for trans people. Launching in 1995, The Gazebo was not just a space for chatting but a revolutionary way to foster connection and community for transgender individuals who often felt isolated.

On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we owe it to the heroes of 1959 and every pioneer before and after us to continue the fight for equality. We can ensure that visibility results in systematic change so that future generations do not have to toss doughnuts so they can live in peace.