Black Cat Tavern

The raid and subsequent protests inspired publication of The Advocate, which began as a newspaper for the group PRIDE.^[14] The January 1967 raid on the Black Cat Tavern and the August 1968 raid on The Patch together inspired the formation of the Metropolitan Community Church (led by Pastor Troy Perry).^[15][16]

For some time "the Stonewall riots became central to gay collective memory while other events did not."^[17] By pointing to critical moments in LGBT history that took place before 1969, historians continue to challenge the notion that the events at the Stonewall Inn marked the very first time LGBT folks "fought back instead of passively enduring humiliating treatment."^[17] Indeed, the 1959 Cooper Donuts Riot^[18] and the 1966 Compton's Cafeteria riot predate the incidents at The Black Cat.

On November 7, 2008, the Black Cat site was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.^[9][19]

In 2014, queer Chicana artist Alma López and students in her "Queer Art in LA" class at UCLA painted a mural depicting the protests. The mural is located in the LGBTQ Studies offices in Haines Hall on the UCLA campus.^[20]

On November 14, 2017, the KCET documentary series Lost L.A. included interviews, footage, news coverage, and primary documents about the raid and protests in its episode "Coded Geographies", which situates the November 1966 incident and subsequent protests within the broader LGBTQ culture of Los Angeles.^[21] In 2017, a reenactment of the original protest took place on the 50th anniversary of the original protest. There were over one hundred participants, including LA mayor Eric Garcetti, and Alexei Ramanoff who was involved in the original organization of the 1967 protests. People brought signs that reproduced the original signs from the protest.^[22] The Black Cat Tavern has recently received state recognition as an official cultural history site.^[23]

After the Black Cat's 1967 closure, the location operated as several other gay bars:

• The Bushwacker (1982)^[24]
• Tabasco's (1983–1984)^[25]
• Basgo's Disco (1984–1993)^[26]
• Le Barcito (1993–2011)^[27]

In November 2012 the site became a restaurant and bar named The Black Cat in memory of the earlier establishment. The new Black Cat caters to a general clientele, and there are photographs of the events of 1967 displayed inside.^[28] In 2008, the city of LA Cultural Heritage Commission installed a plaque on the building where the original Black Cat Tavern resided, recognizing it as the site of the first LGBTQ civil rights demonstration in the nation.^[29] In 2021, the ANSWER Coalition organized a march that started at the original Black Cat Tavern. The march advocated for an end to police brutality, racism, homophobia and transphobia and for gay rights. The Tavern was chosen for the starting point because it is widely considered to be the first site of protest for gay rights.^[30] On October 1, 2023, the Black Cat Tavern became California Historical Landmark #1063, with a marker designating it as such being unveiled, which made it the first marker for a California Historical Landmark associated with LGBTQ history.^[31]

In 2022, Shake Shack opened a location in the adjoining unit and placed three large signs on the historic duplex, dominating much of the Art Deco building with its branding. As photos of the new restaurant began circulating on social media, many voiced their frustration regarding the tension between queer communities and corporations. Silver Lake Neighborhood Councilmember Maebe A. Girl called the changes "a slap in the face", noting the company's links to anti-LGBT politicians.^[32] The Silver Lake Shake Shack location ultimately closed in 2024.^[33]