Cooper Do-nuts (by Amber Meli)
Coopers Do-nuts was located on Main Street in Los Angeles, California, between two gay bars: Harold’s and The Waldorf. The cafe was open all night and was frequented by officers from the LA police department and was a popular hangout spot for queer Angelenos. Police in the area frequently stopped into the cafe to check the identification of the patrons. In the 1950s and 60s, it was against the law for an individual’s outward appearance to differ from the sex marker on their identification. If too many items of one’s clothing were what society deemed for the opposite sex, they would be arrested. This was done in an attempt to scare people away from not only the cafe, but their desire to express themselves how they pleased. A person could also be arrested if police suspected they committed any sort of “sexual deviancy,” which could range from wearing a clothing item of the opposite sex to engaging in a same-sex sexual activity.
In 1959, two cops made their way into the Cooper Do-nuts cafe and demanded 5 patrons to show their IDs. They then went on to arrest two drag queens, two gay sex workers, and a gay man on the sole basis of their gender identity and sexual orientation (1). This time, however, one individual, John Rechy, fought back, and a riot broke out (2). As the five individuals were brought out to the police car, one of them objected to having five people packed into the back of a single vehicle. This led customers inside the cafe to flood out into the street with donuts, hot coffee, and whatever else they could get their hands on. They hurled the goods at the two police officers, forcing them to fall back and flee from the scene to call for backup (3). When reinforcements arrived the streets were lively with resistance. Main Street had to be closed down in order to settle the riot (4). This event brought members of the LGBTQ community together in a fierce passion. By fighting against this one instance of injustice, they fought against a greater homophobic and transphobic system. .
At this point in time, the United States was still recovering from the Second Red Scare, a fear of the communist party that spread through the U.S. in the 1950s. Government officials, such as Senator Joseph McCarthy, abused their power and banked on the fear of their constituents to fulfill their own personal or political agenda. This time is also referred to as the McCarthy Era (5). The fear led to the persecution of many members of the LGBTQ community, who lost their jobs and their homes solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The cruelty with which the government persecuted these individuals can be likened to the Salem Witch Trials. In both instances, the persecuted were guilty because the people around them were scared. Any instance of “sexually deviant behavior” could jeopardize an individual's security. During this time, many individuals suffered arrest, and were accused of conspiring with the Communist Party. It was thought that sexual deviance was only one step away from Communism. The legal system was set against homosexuals or anyone who identified as LGBTQ. What started as fear spread to general brutality against queer people and ultimately led to the Cooper Do-nuts riot.
Furthermore, the American Psychiatric Association deemed homosexuality a mental illness in 1952 (6). This decision had a detrimental impact on the LGBTQ community that is still felt today. The APA stunted the progress of any civil rights for homosexuals when they declared homosexuality a sickness. This allowed room for anti-gay organizations and people to try and find a cure, leading to an increase in so-called conversion therapy and other treatments. The APA rescinded their statement in 1974, but the damage was already done.
When combined, the McCarthy Era and the American Psychiatric Association’s position on homosexuality caused a mixture of fear and anger towards the LGBTQ community. Homosexuality and other forms of “sexual deviancy” were considered a choice that could be cured by outlandish forms of treatment or cruelty. The riot at the Cooper Do-nuts 24-hour cafe can be attributed to this volatile mixture of fear and ignorance.
This historical site is important because the determination of the patrons of Cooper Do-nuts predates the Stonewall riots of 1969. It shows that the LGBTQ community fought against injustice long before these battles received mainstream attention. The movement didn’t begin with Stonewall, it was just finally recognized.
Many instances of LGBTQ resistance may not be well known or documented, but each played a part in the eventual occurrence of the LGBTQ Rights Movement. Whether in the form of riots or civil disobedience, people have been fighting for LGBTQ rights for longer than most realize. Cooper Do-nuts gave people hope of a better world. In a time when there were laws in place to keep queer people from gathering, it was a comfortable place for queer people to mingle (7). It was a safe place for those who had reason to fear the police or any bigot that wandered the streets. It allowed members of the LGBTQ community to be themselves when they couldn’t be open to family members or at their place of work. The Cooper Do-uts riot may not have been the first time the LGBTQ community took a stand, but it was the first time they fought specifically against police brutality (8). On that May night in 1959, those rioters made history when they lobbed coffee and donuts at police officers, while dancing around Main Street amidst the chaos.
Footnotes:
1. ARTAVIA, DAVID. 2020. “Our Shared Fight.” Advocate, no. 1110 (July): 60–61. http://search.ebscohost.com.dbsearch.fredonia.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=144913140&site=ehost-live.
2. Baume, Matt. "Queer People Rioted in 1959, a Decade Before Stonewall, at L.A.'s Cooper's Do-Nuts." Hornet. August 31, 2020. https://hornet.com/stories/coopers-do-nuts-riot/.
Bibliography
"The A.P.A. Ruling on Homosexuality." The New York Times. December 23, 1973. https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/23/archives/the-issue-is-subtle-the-debate-still-on-the-apa-ruling-on.html.
"About the Cooper's Donut Riot." Cooper's Donuts. https://cdonuts1959.weebly.com/about-the-coopers-donut-riot.html.
ARTAVIA, DAVID. 2020. “Our Shared Fight.” Advocate, no. 1110 (July): 60–61. http://search.ebscohost.com.dbsearch.fredonia.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=144913140&site=ehost-live.
Baume, Matt. "Queer People Rioted in 1959, a Decade Before Stonewall, at L.A.'s Cooper's Do-Nuts." Hornet. August 31, 2020. https://hornet.com/stories/coopers-do-nuts-riot/.
"McCarthyism." Ushistory.org. https://www.ushistory.org/us/53a.asp.
Outmagazine. "Today in Gay History: 10 Years Before Stonewall, There Was the Cooper's Donuts Riot." OUT. August 04, 2015. https://www.out.com/today-gay-history/2015/5/31/today-gay-history-10-years-stonewall-there-was-coopers-donuts-riot.
Thepridela. "Los Angeles' Cooper Donuts Gay Riots Sparked a Revolution 10 Years before Stonewall." The Pride LA. September 30, 2016. https://thepridela.com/2016/09/los-angeles-cooper-donuts-gay-riots-sparked-revolution-10-years-stonewall/.
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