Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society, San Francisco CA. This work is made accessible for purposes of education and research. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. Contact the GLBT Historical Society Archivist for more information about reproduction and permission requests and our Take-Down Policy.
Description
Susan Stryker interviews Elliott Blackstone, a retired police officer with the San Francisco Police Department. In 1962, Blackstone became the department's official liaison with the LGBTQ community, and worked extensively with trans women in the Tenderloin, including the group Conversion Our Goal. Stryker speaks with Blackstone about his early life, his career, and the connections that drew him to the community as a straight and cisgender ally. The two also discuss political action surrounding Compton's Cafeteria, including his limited recollections around the famous 1966 riot. Portions of this interview were used for Stryker and Victor Silverman's documentary Screaming Queens.
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