Campaign Progress Update – April 22, 2025
Compton’s x Coalition | Towards the Liberation of 111 Taylor Street

Over the past several weeks, the Compton’s x Coalition has accelerated momentum to remove GEO Group from 111 Taylor Street and reclaim this historic site for trans-centered community protection and healing.

Legal & Policy Action
We’ve launched a multi-pronged strategy leveraging zoning law, AB 32, and public accountability tools:

• Submitted a zoning challenge and secured a Board of Appeals hearing for May 7 to contest GEO Group’s noncompliant operations.

• Filed and reviewed public records from CDCR, SF Planning, Cal/OSHA, NLRB, Labor Commissioner, SF Probation, ICE, DHS, SFPD, Sheriffs, Building Inspection and FBOP.

• Developed enforcement strategies and legal documentation with counsel to pursue a complaint against GEO Group for ongoing violations.

Government Engagement
We’ve built direct relationships with key public offices:

• Met with Senator Scott Wiener’s office, which affirmed alignment with our goals and is considering a CDCR oversight hearing.

• Secured a meeting with Assemblymember Mia Bonta (May 8) and conducted briefings with the offices of Asm. Matt Haney, Asm. Catherine Stefani, and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood.

• Coordinated engagement with SF Planning and have requested meetings with Supervisor Jackie Fielder and the City Attorney’s Office.

• Circulated a state sign-on letter urging CDCR not to renew GEO’s contract, with draft language under review.

Research & Power Mapping
We completed a comprehensive investigation of GEO Group’s reentry operations, zoning status, and public contract history—resulting in a legal appendix and power map detailing abuses, discrepancies, and vulnerabilities across jurisdictions.

Movement Infrastructure & Mobilization
We’re expanding the coalition’s reach while deepening political education and trans community power:

• Organized and co-hosted three major mobilizations:

  • DO NOT COMPLY: Rally for Trans Power and Unity

  • Trans Day of Visibility: TransFest 2025

  • Community Listening Forum (April 26)

  • DecrimSexWorkCA March and Rally at Comptons 5/31

• Launched new working groups across legal, media, site protection, and just transition strategies.

Strategic Readiness
To protect the campaign’s momentum and long-term viability:

• We are developing an interim site protection plan to block harmful reoccupation.

• Identified philanthropic pathways and bridge financing options to support acquisition and just transition.

• Created an internal decision-making structure and role coordination system to ensure transparency and effectiveness as the campaign grows.

Together, we’re building a future where 111 Taylor belongs to the trans communities who fought—and continue to fight—for liberation.

The campaign is just getting started. Join us. Hold the line. Protect the site.

For Immediate Release 3/1/25

TRANSGENDER ACTIVISTS AND ALLIES TO HOLD “DO NOT COMPLY” RALLY FOR TRANS POWER & UNITY IN SAN FRANCISCO

At the Site of the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, Trans Community Mobilizes Against State Violence

San Francisco, CA – On Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 2:00 PM, transgender activists, community leaders, and allies will gather at the historic site of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot (Turk & Taylor Streets) for the DO NOT COMPLY Rally for Trans Power & Unity. The event will honor trans lives recently lost to violence—Sam Nordquist, Tahiry Broom, Ra’Lasia Wright and Amyri Dior— protest the banning of LGBTQIA words and the erasure of trans history from Stonewall Inn in New York City, while demanding action from city and state officials and mobilizing the community in resistance against anti-trans policies sweeping the nation.

Thousands of webpages were censored which documented LGBT+ history, healthcare and safety this year. With 390 anti-LGBTQ+ bills currently under consideration nationwide, transgender people—especially trans youth, immigrants, BIPOC, people with disabilities, people who are incarcerated, working class people, servicemembers and athletes—are facing escalating attacks from state legislatures, law enforcement, and federal agencies. From healthcare bans to the rollback of workplace and immigration protections, these policies put lives at risk.

“Trans people have survived police violence, government neglect, and political scapegoating for generations,” said Zander Moreno Lozano, poet and community organizer. “We are here to say: we will not comply with policies that erase us, criminalize us, or attempt to dictate our existence. We are fighting back.”

“San Francisco has always been a battleground for transgender survival and resistance. From the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in 1966 to today, trans people—especially Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, and immigrant trans folks—have fought for the right to exist on our own terms. We’ve been criminalized, erased, and exploited, but we’ve never backed down. This rally is not just about mourning our lost siblings; it’s about making sure their struggles were not in vain. We are here, we are powerful, and we will not comply with policies that seek to erase us.” - Susan Stryker, Historian

“Black and Brown trans people in San Francisco are facing an affordable housing crisis—trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people here are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population, and the numbers are even worse for our Black and Brown trans family. San Francisco has one of the largest TGNC populations in the country, and it’s past time we put real funding behind trans futures. That means more than just access to housing—it means investing in the resources, jobs, and safety that our community needs to thrive. We have the chance to lead by example, but that starts with action, not just words.” - Kazani Finao, Organizer

Event Details

Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location: Compton’s Cafeteria (Turk & Taylor Streets, Tenderloin), San Francisco

Organized by grassroots transgender activists & allies, QTBIPOC-led and supported by the TurkxTaylor Initiative, El/La TransLatinas, TGIJP, Trans March, Gay Shame, and more.

Press Coverage

KQED

Ultraviolet

Golden Gate Express

BFF Radio

Mission Local

Tenderloin Times *Coming Soon!

TurkxTaylor Initiative Hosts Community Progress Update in Tenderloin

The TurkxTaylor Initiative (TxT) is inviting community members to a Community Progress Update on Saturday, April 26, from 2-5 PM at the Ambassador Hotel (55 Mason St, Tenderloin).

This gathering will take place at the Ambassador Hotel, a historic queer site in the Tenderloin. During the height of the AIDS crisis, the Ambassador served as harm reduction housing, providing refuge for those most impacted by the epidemic. Today, it is owned by the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), which has generously allowed TxT to use the space for this event.

As TxT continues to evolve, the initiative has been growing and restructuring around two core projects: Community Envisioning and Campaign Advocacy. These efforts are carried out through nonhierarchical working groups focused on oral histories, neighborhood art collaborations, data-driven surveys at 111 Taylor, outreach and political education, and legislative research. Through these projects, TxT aims to strengthen community ties and advance policies that protect and uplift trans and low-income residents.

TxT has also played a critical role in platforming autonomous organizers, including those who recently led the DO NOT COMPLY Rally for Trans Power and Unity and TDOV Trans Fest. By amplifying these actions on social media, TxT ensures that frontline activists and community members have the turnout they need to overcome systemic oppression, celebrate trans identities, and build collective power.

The gathering will also serve as a space to connect with the ComptonsCoalition, a network of trans-centered and Tenderloin-based organizations and stakeholders working toward shared community goals. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about ongoing projects and find ways to get involved.

The event is open to the public. Whether you’re a resident, advocate, or ally, TxT invites you to plug into the work and help shape the future of the Tenderloin.