The Turk x Taylor Initiative was sparked when a group of graduate students from UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design attended a presentation given by Dr. Susan Stryker about her article, “At the Crossroads of Turk and Taylor: Resisting Carceral Power in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District” (2021). During the talk, Dr. Stryker expressed interest in envisioning a future for the former Compton’s Cafeteria building. The students reached out and were subsequently connected to historians, activists, and other graduate students interested in the site’s future.

A working group was formed that was originally called Transecological Imaginations: Spatial Theory and Transformative Practices, and was funded by the Townsend Center for the Humanities and Center for Race and Gender at UC Berkeley. The group’s aim was to investigate aspects of the site through a theoretical lens and collaborate in coming up with actionable ideas. The group’s approach was framed by transecological ethics (Stryker, 2021): embodying relation to place and attuning to histories of difference in all forms, especially those that challenge binaries such as nature/culture, female/male, rural/urban, grassroots/institutional, inside/outside, theory/practice, and so on. The transecological framework aims to resist a planetary future centered on human exceptionalism that imposes hierarchies on life according to colonial, racial, and gendered forms of violence and perpetuates precarious living. Thinking with this framework means conjuring up new realities to contribute to building a future where justice dwells.

The group currently operates as an open assemblage formed by autonomous individuals without traditional leadership. We use a collaborative decision-making process to share power and responsibility based on mutual trust.

Our mission at the Turk x Taylor Initiative is to liberate the landmark building at 101-121 Taylor Street in the Tenderloin, the historic site of the Compton’s Cafeteria riot of 1966, currently owned and operated as a halfway house by the private prison company GEO Group. We are interested in physically and symbolically re-envisioning the legendary queer and trans site and ultimately creating a just future for the historic structure.

Our vision is to imagine an alternative future for 101-121 Taylor Street, away from its current carceral condition. We consider the public memory of this space as a catalyst for challenging oppressive structures and advocating for social and environmental justice. Thus, our vision incorporates anti-carceral work as a cornerstone. As such, ousting a private for-profit prison from the site is an essential strategy in dismantling systems of oppression, especially in historic queer and trans spaces.

We understand our role as facilitators mediating the dialogue between the different stakeholders while prioritizing listening and mutual learning over imposing a unilateral perspective. We strive to be conscientious and thoughtful and to develop a sensitivity that enables us to navigate complex power imbalances and hierarchies while, at the same time, sharing our skill sets. Though mistakes are inevitable, we apply queer methods that embrace unlearning, breaking down expectations, and sometimes failing, in order to reconfigure capitalist social structures and norms both inside and outside the working group.

By honoring our collective tools to connect with one another, our goal is to share the site’s story in various creative ways with diverse audiences to re-script its present of carceral dispossession, encourage dialogue, and raise awareness from a place of listening. In doing so, we aim to build a robust coalition that can drive action within and outside of City Hall. We also aspire to use this coalition to collaborate and synthesize the best way forward for the building’s management and its future functions. In all our efforts, we aim to build a coalition that not only upholds the site’s legacy of resistance but also reimagines its future.

We strive for our internal dynamics to reflect the pursuit of justice. To achieve this, we distance ourselves from traditional hierarchical systems and challenge binary paradigms, advocating instead for an internal sociality that centers fairness, inclusivity, and profound respect for the varied manifestations of life. This ethos finds expression in our active efforts to dismantle conventional power structures within our internal politics, promoting equality and giving voice to all members.

Group roles are fluid rather than rigid, and welcome each member’s interests and skill set. Each member can self-select and propose a role they are interested in. During group meetings, we rotate facilitators who set the agenda, note-takers, and time-keepers. Our ground rules ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, even if that means passing. For example, if someone brings up a grant that seems to be a good fit, they can invite others to join in writing the application. If that person gets the grant, they can take situational leadership in managing funds or directing that specific project because of the responsibility they hold and the work they have put into the application. If someone is interested in a project or event, they can also apply for grants to fund their specific project.

We actively incorporate the guidance and advice of individuals with knowledge and experience into our collective decision-making processes to learn from our actions. That said, we are still working through the dynamics of integrating advisor roles into a non-hierarchical decision-making process.

In order to create a coalition intent on liberating and reimagining the building at 101-121 Taylor Street, a set of guiding principles to navigate the complexities of the site and its broader context is essential. These principles aren't merely theoretical frameworks or flexible suggestions but are non-negotiable commitments that we adhere to rigorously. They directly inform our actions and strategies and reflect our consistent respect for the site's multifaceted history, cultural significance, and diverse constituent communities.

1. Transparency and Reflexivity: Our actions are guided by transparency and reflexivity, understanding the need for self-examination, open communication, and accountability to ourselves and the communities we work with.

2. Ethical and Political Grounding: While we encourage including diverse opinions and perspectives, our core commitment lies in maintaining a strong ethical stance and upholding feminist and abolitionist politics. We strive to create an environment that respects differences and encourages dialogue, yet remains grounded in the principles of equality and justice. This dedication to feminist and abolitionist ideals is central to our work, guiding our actions and decisions within the coalition and in our interactions with the broader community.

3. Resistance to Market Logics: We stand against the encroachment of market logic, such as gentrification and capitalist exploitation, that disregard the lived experiences and histories of the communities connected to the building and neighborhood.

4. Centering Trans Experiences: We commit to centering trans communities meaningfully, ensuring that their representation is authentic and not harmful, exploitative, performative, or superficial. Trans voices will guide our actions.

5. Ecological Awareness: We maintain a deep awareness of the interdependent relationship between human and more-than-human worlds. Our actions and decisions are informed by a consciousness of the intricate multi-species relations that comprise our shared ecosystems. We acknowledge the urgency of the climate crisis and the detrimental effects of environmental destruction and understand that structural power dynamics that oppress queer and trans people are the same as those that exploit the Earth.

6. Anti-carceral work: We consider anti-carceral work to be efforts and actions aimed at dismantling systems of incarceration and punishment, as well as advocacy for transformative approaches over punitive measures. Anti-carceral work addresses the underlying causes of crime while working towards a more just and equitable society. We support abolitionist perspectives that encompass the complete elimination of prisons, police, and other systems of punishment. From this perspective, we advocate for systemic changes that address the root causes of crime while reimagining new systems that prioritize justice and community empowerment. We see the police as an institution perpetuating systemic violence, racial oppression, and social control, which must also be dismantled. We are against reformist approaches because when applied, carceral power ends up extending to the community.

7. Protection against Real Estate Development: We aim to safeguard the building from being used for raising prices for real estate ventures. To accomplish this, we explore mechanisms such as land trusts that can preserve community access and affordability while reducing the risk of displacement and fostering long-term community stewardship.

8. Collective Action and Mutual Aid: We embrace the power of collective action and principles of mutual aid. We value collaborative efforts and the sharing of resources and support among members. Mutual aid, rooted in reciprocity and interdependence, guides our commitment to working together and addressing challenges collectively. We cultivate a sense of solidarity and mutual respect, amplifying our collective impact and advancing our shared goals.

9. Queer Decolonial Solidarity: We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities and support decolonizing and contesting dominant colonial structures. As queer and trans settlers, we recognize our positionality and complicity in disproportionately benefitting from the material landscapes where we reside. We strive to vigorously challenge oppressive structures while navigating the complexities of our own identities within heteronormative and colonial frameworks.

10. Acknowledging the Housing Crisis: With a keen awareness of the housing crisis exacerbated by gentrification in downtown areas, we commit to confronting the pressing challenges faced by marginalized communities including the unhoused. We prioritize the urgent need for reconfiguring existing structures to address affordable and accessible housing to counteract the displacement of vulnerable populations.