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Do you have questions about Pride & Progress or the LGBTQ Victory Hall of Fame, or want to suggest a historic moment in LGBTQ history to add on the next update? Let us know below.
Jose Julio Sarria, aka “the Widow Norton,” a famous drag performer at Black Cat Café and founder of the Imperial Court, ran for San Francisco Supervisor in 1961. He was the first out LGBTQ person to ever run for public office. Sarria garnered roughly 6,000 votes in a citywide election with thirty-four candidates, demonstrating to shocked politicians that there was a consolidated LGBTQ constituency. Although he lost, he inspired a new generation of LGBTQ people to consider a run for office.
Candidate for San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1961)
