August 1966: Compton's Cafeteria Riot.

[JackBeck]

On Wednesday night, I caught a showing on PBS of the documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria. This lesser known riot in San Francisco's Tenderloin district precedes Stonewall by about three years, yet rarely, if ever to be honest, gets mentioned in recalling our LGBT history.

Too many people erroneously believe that Stonewall was the beginning of the Gay Rights movement. As we continue to discover and write our own history, remember that many things were bubbling underneath the surface many years before that beautiful eruption on Christopher Street.

1924: Henry Gerber Starts Society For Human Rights in Chicago

http://www.gayhistory.com/rev2/factfiles/ff1924.htm

1950: Harry Hay and some friends form the Mattachine Society

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattachine_Society

1955: Daughters of Bilitis is formed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daughters_of_Bilitis

I'm sure there are countless other examples of our brothers and sisters standing up for equality that may never get the recognition they earned by bucking the conventional wisdom of their era. So if for just a moment this weekend, as Pride month comes to a close, please think of all those that came before us, for without them, we would not be where we are today.

On edit: Here's a link to the Compton's Cafe Riot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compton%27s_Cafeteria_riot

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Stonewall was not the first spark; it was simply the first spark that caught

That is why it is important. But you are right: there is a lot of ignorance over the many incidents that pre-date Stonewall, and Stonewall has overshadowed other events which were at least as important.

[JackBeck]

2. My 30-something generation barely recognizes any event before Stonewall.

If we fail to embrace it, why should future generations?

My fear is that before we know it, our history will be lost.

Who is educating the ones after us about what came before them?

Is "Queer as Folk" all that they have to work with?