Jose Sarria (1922-2013) was an activist drag queen who, in his younger years, joined the US Navy because he thought their uniforms were the most attractive of all the armed services. Alas, he was denied those uniforms, as he was rejected by the Navy, so he served in the Army for years. After being discharged, he lost the love of his life, Paul, to a drunk driver, and found himself a bit adrift. Some friends encouraged him to enter a drag competition, which changed his life. The Black Cat, in Oakland, California, became his home, and he proved to be an engaging entertainer as well as an inspiring activist, working on gay rights throughout his life. He was even the first openly gay person to run for office in 1961, and, although he didn’t win, he paved the way for Harvey Milk, who won the same seat Sarria ran for 16 years later. This colorway, now called Black Cat, used to be called Dobby’s Socks.
Two socks are shared here: Slumber Slips, in our Bulky, are a bulky-weight slipper-sock, and Sundae Socks are a simple fingering-weight sock shown in our Sock base. Both patterns are by Shannon Squire.
You can find all of our True Colors on our website, including this week’s releases!