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| Staff Sargent José Julio Sarria |
It wasn't long after that he was arrested by police for committing a "morality crime" all because he went to a restroom known for homosexual activity. His attorney advised him to plead guilty without disclosing that the charge would end his aspiration to become a teacher. This didn't deter him as he became a drag performer at the Black Cat.
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| José performing at the Black Cat |
His act quickly became political as police began harassing and arresting patrons of gay bars in the area. His most famous performances were those of Carmen, his version detailing a gay man versus the police, and his finale every night, "God Save the Nelly Queens", his rendition of "God Save the Queen". There used to be a city ordinance against cross-dressing on Halloween, the misguided reasoning was that those men were "intending to deceive" other men. José encouraged his fellow drag queens to wear a button stating that they were a boy as a way of circumventing the law.
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| José's solgan was "Equality!" |
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| José named himself Absolute Empress I José. |
While José's political career ended, his activism did not. He went on to help found multiple organizations. The most notable of them all is the second largest LGBT organization in the world, the International Court System. Sarria's effects on both politics and the LGBT community can be felt worldwide.
José's story is one that really resonates with me. As a Latina, growing up in the US with what felt like a double identity, I felt invisible in media, in politics, and in my own history. I want for the next generation of Latinx to know that we have heroes to look up to, not just in the present but that we have always been there. That Latinx representation has been there from the beginning and have made waves that can be felt today.
To carve a better future, we should look back and remember the past. We should preserve our herstory and give the future generation hope and inspiration to not just be who they are, but to defend the right to do so. Below is a video from a now closed Indigogo campaign looking to finish a documentary about José's life and accomplishments, It features small clips of him speaking frankly about his past and videos of him performing.
Finally, I feel the best way to end this is to leave us all with the words that José lived by:
“You don’t have to conform,
you are what you are and that’s it.
I am what I am, and that’s it.”
Works Cited
Alencastre, Dante. “Nelly Queen : The Life and Times of Jose Sarria.” Indiegogo, 9 Feb. 2015, https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nelly-queen-the-life-and-times-of-jose-sarria#/.
Corbella, Nacho, et al. “The Latino Struggle to Reach Public Office.” Univision, 24 May 2017, https://www.univision.com/univision-news/the-latino-struggle-to-reach-public-office.
Holson, Laura M. “Latinos Are Underrepresented in Hollywood, Study Finds.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Aug. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/movies/latinos-hollywood-underrepresented.html.
“Jose Julio Sarria – Founder.” The International Court System, The International Court System, 25 May 2018, http://internationalcourtsystem.org/people/jose-julio-sarria-founder/.
“José Julio Sarria 1922 - 2013.” Official Obituary, International Court System, 2013, http://internationalcourtsystem.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JoseCommunique.pdf.
“José Sarria.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 5 Sept. 2013, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10289995/Jose-Sarria.html.
Novoa, MJ, and Gene Brake. “Nelly Queen: The Life and Times of Jose Sarria.” Nelly Queen: The Life and Times of Jose Sarria, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.nellyqueenfilm.com/.
Slotnik, Daniel E. “José Sarria, Gay Advocate and Performer, Dies at 90.” The New York Times,
The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2013,
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/us/jose-sarria-gay-advocate-and-performer-dies-at-90.html.
Roxy, your writing about Jose Sarria was interesting and passionate. I have never heard of him before and I loved learning about him! I think that standing up for what he believed in and helping others to do the same is extremely brave, especially considering the time period in which he began this movement. I thought it was interesting how he ran for the Board of Supervisors as an openly gay man, and made sure to showcase the prevalence of gay votes in politics. This is significant because it hopefully was able to show other politicians how important it was and still is to fight for gay rights and to create a society that is more accessible and inclusive to the LGBTQ community. Something else that I really enjoyed about this blog post was your connection to him as a Latina. I hope that society will continue to change, and allow for Latinx to be more represented in media and politics, and as social figures. Your personal connection and expression of this connection really made me respect even more how important it is for people like Jose to be celebrated and recognized for all of their hard work in fighting for basic human rights.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you added numerous different pictures and labeled them, and how you have many different links throughout your writing for more information. I really enjoyed reading about the Black Cat bar!
-Kayleigh
I was not aware of Jose Sarria but it is obvious that he has an amazing story to tell. He was a key mover and shaker during a time period when society as a whole was looking to silence the LGBTQ community and Jose was not afraid to be a voice for his peers. He was able to show the significance of the LGBTQ vote and paved the way for greater representation. I found the personal connection you made with him to be very significant, as society as a whole tends to overlook minority groups and important figures often fade into the background. I enjoyed the video you embedded as it added to the description of his personality and the impact Jose made.
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