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Although often characterized as apolitical, “Los Angeles has provided the setting for many important chapters in the struggle for gay and lesbian community, visibility, and civil rights." Moreover, Los Angeles' LGBT community has historically played a significant role in the development of the entertainment industry.
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History
LGBT culture in Los Angeles has deep roots in the Counterculture Movement of the 1960s. Although San Francisco is frequently imagined to be the epicenter of the mid-century Counterculture Movement, “Los Angeles endured the countercurrents of the 1960's as much as any other city in the country [...]” More specifically, LA’s Queer culture became visible and highly politicized in response to a string of violent bar raids that took place on Sunset Strip in the 60s.
The riots and protests subsequent to the raids on Sunset Strip in 1966 were preceded by a long history of violent outbursts between the Los Angeles Police Department and the public - also known as the Sunset Strip Curfew Riots. Draconian police tactics eventually led the LAPD to seek out and aggressively monitor bars with predominately gay clienteles, including the Black Cat Tavern and The Patch.
Protests reacting to these police raids - organized by P.R.I.D.E. (Personal Rights in Defense and Education) and SCCRH (Southern California Council on Religion and Homophile) - are still considered to be "the first gay protests in America to attract significant numbers," preceding the Stonewall Riots by two years.
In addition, The Advocate - the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the nation – was created in response to the riots on Sunset Strip as a tool to further ignite LGBT activism in LA and across state lines.
Other landmark achievements for the LGBT community in Los Angeles’ history that pre-date Stonewall include (but are not limited to):
Contemporary examples of LGBT culture and history in Los Angeles include (but are not limited to):
Demographics
According to one study in 2007, 3.7% of adults in Los Angeles County identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. By race, the percentages were 5% of whites, 4% of African-Americans, and 2.8% of Latinos.
Geography
The City of West Hollywood is the thriving core of the LGBT community and nightlife, and as of 2014 its population was about 40% LGBT. It had the nickname "Gay Camelot." In addition it is known as "Boys Town". LGBT businesses opened in West Hollywood because it was under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department; the Los Angeles Police Department had a reputation of raiding LGBT businesses. In addition the presence of the design community also attracted LGBT culture. It was affected by AIDS in the 1980s. By 2014, as LGBT individuals had faced increasing acceptance in society, the city's identity has slowly shifted from being exclusively LGBT.
Today, “West Hollywood symbolizes gay and lesbian political strength.” However, “the labeling of the area as ‘the gay city’ by locals and the media carries multiple meanings, not all of them positive." As a result, LGBT folks continue to debate West Hollywood’s role as the political, cultural, and social center of the community.
Another LGBT community is located in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. There are large numbers of LGBT residents of Venice, Los Angeles and the City of Santa Monica. Other communities with LGBT residents include Elysian Park, Hollywood, North Hollywood, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and Van Nuys. Areas outside of the City of Los Angeles with LGBT residents include Newport Beach and Riverside.
Politics
LGBT participation in city politics began in the 1980s. In 1993 5% of the Los Angeles voters identified as gay or lesbian.
During the mayoral elections, Tom Bradley was elected due to support from a left-leaning coalition that included LGBT groups. The 1992 Los Angeles Riots caused the coalition to disintegrate. In 1993, Michael Woo, who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council, was the preferred choice since Bradley did not seek re-election as Mayor of Los Angeles. Woo got 40% of the votes from those who identified as gay or lesbian, compared to a third candidate who received 27% and Richard Riordan, who received 11%. In the runoff election, Woo received 72% of the votes from those who identified as gay and lesbian. In 1997, Tom Hayden, a member of the Senate of California, had received 54% of the gay and lesbian vote while Riordan had 41%. The lesbian and gay voters and the African-American blocs were the only ones that voted over 50% in favor of Hayden, and Hayden had made strong efforts to attract gay and lesbian votes.
Institutions
The Los Angeles LGBT Center is in the community.
The ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California holds LGBT-related archival materials. It maintains an archives and museum in West Hollywood.
The Gay Women's Service Center, the first U.S. social center for lesbians, was founded in 1971.
Harry Hay established the Mattachine Society in Los Angeles in 1950; the organization moved its headquarters from to San Francisco in the 1950s.
Night Life
Bars were the “primary social institution of homosexual life after WWII." They provided places for queer folks to meet friends and find potential partners. Moreover, queer bars in LA were considered to be the most public aspect of homosexual life in the mid-20th century: The spaces themselves helped shape burgeoning individual and collective identities. However, the newfound visibility of gay bars frequently led to violent raids by the Los Angeles Police Department. In fact, “In 1969 alone the Los Angeles Police Department made 3,858 arrests under the category of crime it used to persecute homosexuals."
Moreover, the police raids and subsequent protests at The Black Cat Tavern and The Patch in 1967 are often credited with igniting the mainstream LGBT Movement (prior to the protests at Stonewall). In honor of the Los Angeles LGBT community, The Black Cat Tavern was deemed a “Historical-Cultural” monument by the Los Angeles City Planning Department in 2008.
Other noteworthy gay bars in Los Angeles include:
Media
ONE Magazine, the first U.S.-wide LGBT publication, was established in Los Angeles.
The popular Logo gay reality series RuPaul's Drag Race is set in Los Angeles.
L.A. Gay Pride
The Los Angeles gay pride parade and festival is a large event held every June in West Hollywood. L.A. gay pride annually attract over 400,000 people.