 The Black Cat re-opened in 1933 and operated for another 30 years.During its second run of operation, it was a hangout for Beats and bohemians but over time began attracting more and more of a gay clientele, and becoming a flashpoint for what was then known as the homophile movement, a precursor to the gay liberation movement that gained momentum in the 1960s.The Black Cat was at the center of a legal fight that was one of the earliest court cases to establish legal protections for gay people in the United States.