Pride was a protest: The Black Cat

On December 31st, 1966, patrons of the Black Cat in Los Angeles joyfully waited to ring in the new year with their loved ones. At the stroke of midnight, the crowd erupted into celebration and two men kissed. Members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had been disguised in plain clothes and waiting for such a moment. They began to violently attack and arrest people at the bar. They broke furniture, bones, and ruptured organs. Several people had to be taken to the hospital. The two men who kissed were arrested and convicted as sex offenders.

In response to this and every other instance of police brutality, the organization Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE) organized the first protest for queer rights in the history of the United States on February 11th, 1967. Hundreds of people made the courages choice to stand up against all odds for themselves and their loved ones. Our world was done a great service that night, and that struggle should never be forgotten.

Photographs courtesy of ONE Archives at USC