Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria

Last week, my room mate and I stumbled into a screening for Screaming Queens. I say stumbled, because we had no idea what we were getting into. All I knew was that there was some documentary about transgender women for GLBTQ film month at the library... I had no idea what to expect, but it sounded interesting.
What we watched was a documentary about transgender women living in San Francisco during the late 1960's. These are women who were born male, but lived their lives from a very young age as women.
Before I continue; let me clarify a few things. In this context, gender and sex are not synonymous. Gender, as defined in these terms, has to do with social and behavioral norms that are associated with a specific sex. However, sex is defined as the actual biological anatomy of a person's reproductive organs. People who have a gender identity that differs from their biological sex often use pronouns that correlate with their gender identity (Although not always) (This person would be considered transgender. A person who has undergone operations and procedures to change their biological sex is considered a transsexual.).
These individuals were often shunned from their families and had an impossible time finding respectable work. Many, if not most, of them ended up forced into a life of prostitution or homelessness. Everything about their lives was difficult. Even finding housing during this era was difficult as no one would rent to them. For security, large groups of them often lived together. Often times, they would try to live as men- but could not pass because they were too feminine. When they tried living as women- they were rejected for being transgender. As if all of this was not bad enough; they were also often the subject of harassment, and far too often were directly assaulted. Anyone who is being attacked or harassed should be able to call the police, however, a trans woman fifty years ago did not have that option. This is not because the police were simply absent. Tragically, the police were often the ones initiating or enabling the harassment.
The film highlights The Compton riot, an event that spearheaded significant legal and social progress for trans individuals to hold jobs. The actual riot was not terribly remarkable. The aftermath, however, was. Sergeant Elliot Blackstone, a police chief at the time, was compelled by what caused the riot; which led him to discover the suffrage of this people group. He took it upon himself to initiate the process of creating a peer-run support and advocacy organization that supported trans individuals with medical, psychological and social services. It became easier for trans persons in San Francisco to find jobs, receive proper medical care and be legally more protected from harassment.
The political and social changes that took place the following decade for sexual minorities were also discussed in the film.



Following the screening; director Susan Stryker, spoke about the film creation process and answered questions relating to the topics covered in the documentary. Stryker is a historian, professor, published author, filmmaker and artist who focuses on issues relating to the queer community, gender and sexuality. It was absolutely fascinating hearing her speak.