The Black Cat (by Jared Johnson)

The Black Cat (pictured right) was constructed at first as a grocery market in the 1930s, but in the 1960s, it was turned into a laundromat and gay bar popular with working class LGBTQ people (1). The Black Cat is located in Los Angeles, California on Sunset Boulevard. It was here that in 1966 and 1967 one of the first acts of police brutality against LGBTQ people occurred on New Years Eve of 1966, and again on February 11th of 1967 (2).

A brief explanation of the events that happened at The Black Cat

The Black Cat was the site of a New Year’s party where innocent LGBTQ people were arrested for doing nothing but “being gay.” During the 1960s, a lot of gay bars were opening up and during these times being gay wasn't really accepted by a lot of people like it is today. Police targeted these bars because they thought it was against the law to be gay or apart of the LGBTQ community. These police raids were usually set up like Black Cat where the police hid in the crowd and waited for the attack. Police felt that it was necessary to the public safety to rid the area of the gays because they weren't allowed to be who they wanted to be. Some people were even hit on the head with bottles and other objects; one man was bashed in the head with a pool stick which split his ear open (3). Five weeks after the raid, over 600 LGBTQ people came together to peacefully demonstrate their views on the police brutality that occurred at the Black Cat. The Black Cat remained a key part of  LGBTQ history for the next decades, but it wasn't until 2008 that  the Black Cat was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument for its early and significant role in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. Based on the pioneering work of LA native Wes Joe, the  bar became the first of its kind in California to become designated as an historic landmark based solely on LGBTQ history. The Black Cat reopened under its famous name again in 2012 (4). 

Why should you know about this event?

In the late 1960s, police raids of gay bars occurred frequently. (Photograph from one of the many police brutality protests held by the LGBTQ). At first, after the raid and subsequent protest , the LGBTQ community was blamed for starting a riot with the cops during a party. This evidence was believed by a lot of people who weren't closely involved in the LGBTQ community until the Pride Newsletter came out with the headline “Cops start bar brawl” almost 5 weeks after the incident happened at the Black Cat (5). This reporting illustrates that in the 1960s, the police were portrayed more favorably, as at first, the LGBTQ community was perceived as “rioting” against the police.  In fact, they were partying at a bar, and undercover officers were present waiting to raid the premises (6). The events that happened during the New Year’s party shook the public and the LGBTQ community. They held a peaceful demonstration later in the year in front of the Black Cat on February 11th of 1967. It was here that the people involved, including organizer and gay activist Jim Kepner, made sure that if they dropped a piece of paper it was picked up right away because they didn't want more arrests during the peaceful protest. Why was dropping a piece of paper important? Because any law that was broken gave them police an opportunity to arrest the protesters on the spot. This would make their peaceful protest useless because they wouldn't be able to finish what they started. Jim Kepner was one of the leaders and he was on everyone's case about following every law to a tee so their protest would come out a success.  The community demanded that the police force stop raiding gay bars and change their ways on how they arrested gay men and women for kissing in public (7). The raiding of gay bars has been a big part of LGBTQ History, and The Black Cat was where it all started. This bar was one of the first nasty outcomes of police brutality and sparked the next decades marches of trying to stop it. Without Black Cat a lot of LGBTQ past wouldn't be the same because Black Cat sparked the revolution to protest against police brutality and the community came together in large numbers because they knew that this was wrong, and they knew if they showed the public what really went on behind the scenes of the news, that they would switch to the side of the homosexuals' and police brutality would come out as it always should have been, a crime.

Important People Involved with the  Black Cat 

One of the main leaders of the Black Cat protest in February of 1967 was Jim Kepner (pictured left). He has been quoted to have said a lot of things about what happened even clearing up the LGBTQ names because they were deemed to have started the “riots” at Black Cat but in his issue of Concern which was a periodical he wrote in a lot, he was noted with blaming the police and saying “Perhaps it was the reeking mass brutality of this raid that did it,” (8). He has done a lot for the LGBTQ community but he is best known for his contributions in leading the peaceful demonstration outside of Black Cat in 1967.

UCLA lecturer Alma López led students in creating a mural through her “Queer Art in LA” course. She had been known for her roles of feminism and activism the LGBTQ community. She and her students created a mural on the events which happened at Black Cat in 1967. This was done during one of her classes and thus she is credited with a revival of this LGBTQ sites history because as a activist, she knew how important the results of Black Cat were and she didn't want anyone to forget them (9).

Wes Joe is an LA native. For the past several years he's been active with Silver Lake community organizations and in the area of LGBT historic commemoration. He worked very hard to make the site of Black Cat become this LGBTQ historic landmark that it is today. Without him and his morals most of the achievements here would cease to exist (10).

Alexei Romanoff, is one of the only known survivors of the events of Black Cat to this day. Alexei wants people to know the history of LGBTQ sites and wants people to say ‘That’s where my civil rights started' ' (11). Alexei has lived through a lot of LGBTQ events including Stonewall and survived them all. He has been a strong activist to this day and say that he got his will to be a gay activist from a man who he has said he doesn't know his name but only by that of what they called him back in the 60s, Mother Bryant.

Notes

(1)

“Los Angeles Conservancy.” The Black Cat | Los Angeles Conservancy. Accessed November 15, 2020. https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/black-cat.

(2)

Goldberg, Eve. 2012. “Riot at the Black Cat.” Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide 19 (3): 10–12. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=86277683&site=ehost-live.

(3)

Bedwell, Michael. “The 'Black Cat Gay Riot' Is Well-Known... It's Also a Myth.” LGBTQ Nation. LGBTQ Nation, October 6, 2019. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/10/black-cat-gay-riot-well-known-also-myth/.

(4)

Dominguez, Laura. “LGBTQ Activism Started Here: L.A. and the Black Cat Protests of 1967.” KCET, July 14, 2017. https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-black-cat-harbinger-of-lgbtq-civil-rights.

(5)

Bedwell, Michael

(6)

Ibid

(7)

Dominguez, Laura

(8)

Goldberg, Eve. “Riot at the Black Cat.” The Gay & Lesbian Review, October 19, 2015. https://glreview.org/article/riot-at-the-black-cat/.

(9)

“Alma Lopez Gaspar De Alba - Faculty - LGBTQ Studies.” UCLA, November 13, 2020. https://lgbtqstudies.ucla.edu/person/alma-lopez-gaspar-de-alba/.

(10)

Scott, Henry. “L.A.'s Black Cat, Where the Fight for Gay Rights Got Its Start.” WEHOville, July 11, 2019. https://www.wehoville.com/2014/06/05/l-s-black-cat-fight-gay-rights-got-start/.

(11)

Ibid

 

Bibliography

 

“Alma Lopez Gaspar De Alba - Faculty - LGBTQ Studies.” UCLA, November 13, 2020. https://lgbtqstudies.ucla.edu/person/alma-lopez-gaspar-de-alba/.

 

Bedwell, Michael. “The 'Black Cat Gay Riot' Is Well-Known... It's Also a Myth.” LGBTQ Nation. LGBTQ Nation, October 6, 2019. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/10/black-cat-gay-riot-well-known-also-myth/.

 

Dominguez, Laura. “LGBTQ Activism Started Here: L.A. and the Black Cat Protests of 1967.” KCET, July 14, 2017. https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-black-cat-harbinger-of-lgbtq-civil-rights.

 

Goldberg, Eve. 2012. “Riot at the Black Cat.” Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide 19 (3): 10–12. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=86277683&site=ehost-live.

 

Goldberg, Eve. “Riot at the Black Cat.” The Gay & Lesbian Review, October 19, 2015. https://glreview.org/article/riot-at-the-black-cat/.

 

“Los Angeles Conservancy.” The Black Cat | Los Angeles Conservancy. Accessed November 15, 2020. https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/black-cat.

Scott, Henry. “L.A.'s Black Cat, Where the Fight for Gay Rights Got Its Start.” WEHOville, July 11, 2019. https://www.wehoville.com/2014/06/05/l-s-black-cat-fight-gay-rights-got-start/.