History of the word Pride has roots in Los Angeles
qvoicenews.comFor the gay patrons of the Black Cat tavern in Silver Lake, it was a rotten way to start 1967. But the horrific events of that night inspired a gay political organization that adopted a defining word for the LGBTQ+ community.
As New Year’s Eve celebratory balloons fell from the ceiling at midnight on Dec. 31, 1966, undercover officers with the Los Angeles Police Department tore Christmas decorations from the walls and brandished their guns.
They attacked and handcuffed 14 people inside the neighborhood gay bar. Two men arrested for kissing were forced to register as sex offenders.
Two Black Cat patrons escaped to another nearby neighborhood gay bar, New Faces. But police officers chased them, assaulted the bar’s owner, and beat her two bartenders unconscious.
