- Black Cat Tavern
"for the San Francisco bar of the same name, see
Black Cat Bar "The Black Cat Tavern was an
LGBT bar formerly located at 3909 W. Sunset Blvd. in the Silverlake section ofLos Angeles, California .History
In 1967, the night of New Years, several plain clothed police officers infultrated the Black Cat Tavern [ [http://www.johnrechy.com/so_adel.htm Speaking Out ] ] . After arresting several patrons for kissing to celebrate the occasion [ [http://www.tangentgroup.org/history/Timeline/Timeline1961.html Timeline of Homosexual History, 1961 to 1979 ] ] , the self-unidentified police officers began beating several of the patrons [ [http://www.tangentgroup.org/history/BlackCat.html The Tangent Group: Press Release regarding the 1966 raid on the Black Cat bar ] ] and ultimately arrested 16 more bar attendees which included 3 bartenders. [ [http://www.tangentgroup.org/history/BlackCat.html The Tangent Group: Press Release regarding the 1966 raid on the Balck Cat bar ] ] The bar was established only two months prior. This created a riot in the immediate area, ultimately bringing about a more civil demonstration of over 200 attendees several days later protesting the raids. [ [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15163409_ITM L.A., 1/1/67: the Black Cat riots. | The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide (March, 2006) ] ] The protest was met by squadrons of armed policemen. [ [http://www.johnrechy.com/so_adel.htm Speaking Out ] ] It was from this event that the publication
The Advocate and organizationMetropolitan Community Church (lead by Pastor Troy Perry) was born. [ [http://www.camprehoboth.com/issue09_14_07/past_out.htm Letters from Camp Rehoboth - September 14, 2007 - PAST Out ] ]These events pre-dated the
Stonewall riots by over two years.The Black Cat Tavern has since closed and is now a gay Latin bar called [http://www.lebarcito.com Le Barcito] . [ [http://gridskipper.com/travel/los-angeles/you-gotta-fight-for-your-right-to-party-206872.php Los Angeles: You Gotta Fight For Your Right to Party ] ]
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