In honor of Trans Week of Visibility the HUB Cultural Center screened the documentary “Screaming Queens”. This film discussed the very first transgender riot that took place in a part of San Francisco known as the Tenderloin in 1966. Many are unaware that the Compton Cafeteria riot took place three years prior to the widely known Stonewall riots. The HUB showed this film to educate students on this lesser known event, as it is integral to understanding the ongoing battle against trans discrimination. 

The HUB’s main focus is creating an inclusive environment regardless of an individual’s background, hence their push to educate SSU students on important topics, and their coordination of the Trans Week of Visibility. “The HUB stands for Honoring the past, Uniting the present, and Building the future.”, as seen on the HUB homepage. After the documentary screening, there was a discussion facilitated by Dr. Lauren Charles Stewart, who works as a HUB programmer. This time allowed for students to ask questions and discuss their opinions on the film. Stewart also offered her thoughts on the documentary, “One of the things I like most about this film is the discussion of what it means to say ‘trans people have a right to exist.’ Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are supposed to be guaranteed to every American under capitalism.” 

Stewart went on to say, “If people aren’t able to work, buy food, and have places to live, then they don’t have a chance to make it in America. I think this film does a really great job of showing collective action in the name of trans people. This is a huge part of LGBTQ+ history that is often overlooked.”

Susan Stryker is a trangender professor, writer and filmmaker who directed “Screaming Queen’s”. When she was conducting research about transgender history, she stumbled upon a document that discussed the Compton Cafeteria riot; this event allowed drag queens and trans people to join together and protest against police brutality in the Tenderloin. 

This inspired Stryker to continue researching this event, and she was able to interview multiple women who recounted the riot. In the documentary Stryker describes the Compton Cafeteria riot as “…the first known instance of collective, militant, queer resistance to police harassment in United States history.”

Trans Week of Visibility is all about the recognition of the discrimination that trans people face on a daily basis. The screening of “Screaming Queens” allowed students to learn more about the experiences trans people faced during the late 1960’s in San Francisco. Trans women were denied basic rights and rejected from certain institutions (i.e. housing and jobs). In the Tenderloin, trans women and drag queens were being aggressively policed because they were going against the gender binary. 

This event offered a new avenue to meet fellow students also interested in LGBTQ+ history. Group discussions accompanied by free food and drinks made for a good experience for students looking to expand their knowledge and meet new people.The entire event lasted around two hours, and if students did not want to partake in the discussion they were able to just sit back and listen. A weekly event that the HUB hosts is a Friday support group for trans and gender questioning SSU students.

The HUB is located on the second floor of the Student Center. They have an office space, a living room area, as well as a mini kitchen equipped with a microwave and refrigerator.