Compton's Cafeteria. Photo of transgender woman with raised fist in front of a protest sign reading "Drag it out in the open!" during 1969 San Francisco protest. 

Berkeley Tribe clipping, Raymond Broshears papers (1996-03)
Courtesy of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society

April 9, 2025 · Season 1 · Episode 1

Compton’s Cafeteria

25 Min, 13 Sec · By The Dot Femme Podcast

It didn’t start at Stonewall.

In this debut episode of Dot Femme, hosts Danielle Gonzalez and Claire Michelle rewind to 1966 San Francisco, where a 24-hour diner in the Tenderloin became the unlikely spark for the first militant uprising for LGBTQ rights in U.S. history.

We dig into the story of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots, tracing the lives of trans women and gender-nonconforming folks who gathered at Compton’s for safety, community, and survival in the face of criminalization, police violence, and targeted murder. Learn about the the chilling reality of what passed as “law enforcement,” and how a group of queer street youth and drag queens said: enough.

🔗 Research assistance provided by the GLBT Historical Society of San Francisco
glbthistory.org


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Music by Master Planned Music.