In 1951 the Court ruled in favor of the Black Cat and ordered that their liquor license be reinstated. An early decision that declared LGBTQ+ people had rights to be protected. The case made it all the way to the California Supreme Court. In 1949 the Board of Equalization indefinitely suspended the Black Cat’s liquor license because it was “a hangout for persons of homosexual tendencies.” Owner of the bar and Holocaust survivor, Sol Stoumen, fought this decision and hired an attorney named Morris Lowenthal. He argued that LGBTQ+ people had the right to assemble. It was the early fifties. José was the first person to ever tell me that I was okay, that I wasn’t a second-class citizen.” That’s how I found the Black Cat and José. It told LGBTQ+ military personal exactly where to go if they wanted to be with their community. A veteran, and fan of Sarria’s said: “The Navy would publish a list of bars that were forbidden and why. In many cases distinguishing the bar in this way actually attracted curious soldiers to the bar. The Black Cat was also required to put an “off limits” sign in their window. This meant that any military personnel was barred from visiting the Black Cat in or out of uniform. The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board put the Black Cat on its list of “off limits and out of bounds” establishments. The military did not want its service members visiting LGBTQ+ establishments. Image courtesy of The José Sarria Foundation Black Cat Cafe José Sarria stands on stage in a black dress and curly blonde wig. He brought tremendous business to the Black Cat, using his vocal talents and quick wit to make people feel comfortable and entertained. I became the Black Cat.” Sarria performed alongside Hazel the pianist. As more service members came into San Francisco during the war, the Black Cat started to draw a more LGBTQ+ oriented crowd. José Sarria said, “I was more of a hostess, greeting people, and I would sing a song now and then. I started performing more, and I started doing female impersonation. In its early days it was frequented by artists and activists. The Black Cat first opened in 1906 and for a long time was considered a “bohemian haven”. José Sarria began working at the Black Cat Cafe as a waiter and host. In the restroom another man began to flirt with Sarria, and two undercover police officers arrested both men. Sarria had not reciprocated the other man's advances, but it did not matter. Due to his arrest, he could not get a teaching credential and the opera wouldn’t hire him. One day, Sarria spent his night sitting at a bar. Sarria was discharged from the military when he returned to San Francisco in 1947. Afterwards he continued his plan to become a teacher, using his skills in language and music. Sarria used his GI Bill to return to school, and to support himself he became a waiter. I couldn’t bring home.” Honorable Discharge “I was going to stay in Berlin with Andre, but there was no way I could explain to the colonel or to the Army that I needed to stay. He found himself in a newly bustling LGBTQ+ scene. He formed a relationship with a famous opera costume designer and cabaret performer named Andre. He was stationed in Berlin after the German surrender. There was a stigma against being rejected from the military, especially for homosexuality. The challenges Sarria faced upon enlisting however stemmed from his Latinx heritage in an all white military unit.Īfter first serving at the Cooks and Bakers school, Sarria was assigned to drive Major Mataxis around, and the pair became good friends. Eventually Mataxis was promoted to colonel, providing both men with respect from their company. Sarria went to Europe with the colonel and was promoted to staff sergeant. Though it was never outwardly spoken, Sarria’s family was always accepting of his sexuality and partners. Sarria planned to become a teacher, until December 7th 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Army, forced the United States to enter World War II. Entering military service to protect your country became a widely held feeling amongst young men. José Sarria was born in 1922 in the Bay Area to a single mother from Colombia. Sarria was bilingual and became proficient in language when he began learning German and French in high school. Military history, LGBTQ+ culture, immigrant stories, and much more make up its roots. For José Sarria, a LGBTQ+ activist in San Francisco, all the above applied. San Francisco has many overlapping histories.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |