Page 8 - Adelante Magazine January 2023

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By: Joe Castel

Jose Sarria, a World War II Veteran cabaret platform served as a podium
and drag performer for more than 50 to teach his closeted customers to
years, was awarded Palm Springsʼ not only believe in his slogan, ʻGay
453rd Star on its Walk of Stars, is Good,ʼ he rallies them to support
December 12. Palm Springsʼ Mayor his political campaign.
Lisa Middleton unveiled the star
alongside Gene Brake, founder of Jose loses the election, receiving
the Jose Sarria Foundation, at a 6,000 votes, but he proves for the
public ceremony in celebration of first time that the gay community has
what would have been Joseʼs 100th a voting bloc. Through the 1960s,
birthday. Sarria died at the age of 90 the LGBTQ community courts and
in 2013. votes for “gay friendly” officials into
office and then ultimately, Joseʼs
Joseʼs Story historic campaign paves the way for
LGBTQ politicians like Palm Springsʼ
From 1955 to 1963, Jose performed Mayor Middleton. Middleton is the
opera parodies at the Black Cat third transgender person in U.S.
Café, a bohemian hangout for local history to serve as Mayor of an
artists, beatniks and gays in a American city, and the first trans-
section of San Franciscoʼs North gender person to serve as Mayor in
Beach area. From a stage made of the state of California. “For all of us
four tables shoved together, Jose who are members of the LGBTQ
not only entertained his audiences community, who are standing here
with gay operatic story-lines, he today, we stand on the shoulders of
galvanized a disenfranchised Jose Sarria,” said Middleton at the
community with such slogans as unveiling of Joseʼs star. Middleton
“United we stand, divided theyʼll spoke of how Jose returned from
catch us one by one.” World War II and was ready for a
new fight on the home front by
Jose inspired his patrons to stand up confronting the homophobic estab-
for their rights by teaching them how lishment that made him, a decorated
to defy and circumvent unjust laws soldier who had help defeat Nazism,
that deprived them of their basic feel like a “second class citizen”.
rights. Whenever undercover
officers entered the café to entrap Joseʼs claim to fame doesnʼt end
patrons, the queen bee exposed his with the title of the first openly gay
antagonists by having his customers man to run for office. Jose also
stand up and sing, “God, Save Us started one of the first and largest
Nelly Queens,” a clever rendition of LGBTQ nonprofit in the world. In
Britainʼs national anthem, as the vice 1965, Jose founded the Imperial
shamefully retreated from the café. Court System, in which he
proclaimed himself Empress I, Jose.
When San Francisco politicians Every year, San Francisco elects a
threatened to shut down all the gay new Empress and Emperor to
bars in 1961, Sarria ran as an openly fundraise all year long. The organi-
gay candidate for City Supervisor, 11 zation has grown to more than 70
years before Harvey Milk. Joseʼs chapters throughout North America.

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