Mayor London Breed, center, on August 1 joined elected and city officials and community members to raise the transgender flag at City Hall in honor of San Francisco's Transgender History Month.
"San Francisco has been, and always will be, a place where we embrace our diverse communities to ensure everyone has the freedom to be who they are without scrutiny," Breed stated in a news release. "Last year we declared August Transgender History Month in San Francisco, making it our country's first of its kind. We are setting a new standard that celebrates the history and cultural milestones of transgender people in this city. Today and the entire month of August reflect the resilience of the transgender community and our city's commitment to supporting and protecting the rights of trans people."
Transgender History Month honors the 56th anniversary of the Compton's Cafeteria riots, which occurred in August 1966 in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, marking the beginning of transgender activism in San Francisco. A response to violent and constant police harassment, this incident was one of the first LGBTQ uprisings in United States history, preceding the better-known 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.
The Tenderloin is now home to the Transgender District, created in 2018, which is the nation's first legally recognized district dedicated to the transgender, nonbinary, and intersex community.
Help keep the Bay Area Reporter going in these tough times. To support local, independent, LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.