Mattachine Steps

{{short description|Outdoor staircase in Silver Lake, Los Angeles}}

{{Infobox urban feature

| name = Mattachine Steps

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| place_type =

| other_names =

| ind_name_lang =

| ind_name =

| nickname =

| former_names =

| image_place = The Mattachine Steps 2017.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = The steps in 2017

| image_oth =

| features =

| designer =

| builder =

| construction =

| complete =

| open =

| cost =

| steps =

| height =

| length =

| dimensions =

| amenities =

| area =

| surface =

| architectural_style =

| dedicated_to =

| owner =

| manager =

| location = Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| address1 =

| address2 =

| image_map =

| mapsize =

| map_alt =

| map_caption =

| pushpin_map = California

| pushpin_map_alt =

| pushpin_mapsize =

| pushpin_relief =

| pushpin_image =

| pushpin_label_position =

| pushpin_label =

| coordinates = {{Coord|34.0951|N|118.2608|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map_caption =

| coor_pinpoint =

| coor_type =

| coordinates_footnotes =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

The Mattachine Steps, also known as the Cove Avenue stairway, is an outdoor staircase in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, dedicated to the Mattachine Society in 2012 in memory of Harry Hay, who cofounded the gay rights group.{{cite web |author=Victor Salvo |url=https://legacyprojectchicago.org/person/harry-hay |title=Harry Hay |publisher=Legacy Project Chicago |date= |accessdate=2020-04-29 |archive-date=2020-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922225038/https://legacyprojectchicago.org/person/harry-hay |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|url=http://blogs.presstelegram.com/outinthe562/2014/03/21/gay-history-silver-lake-steps-dedicated-to-pioneering-los-angeles-gay-rights-group-mattachine-society/|title=Gay History: Silver Lake steps dedicated to pioneering Los Angeles gay rights group Mattachine Society|date=2014-03-21|work=Out in the 562|access-date=2018-06-17|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617042855/http://blogs.presstelegram.com/outinthe562/2014/03/21/gay-history-silver-lake-steps-dedicated-to-pioneering-los-angeles-gay-rights-group-mattachine-society/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://la.curbed.com/2016/6/1/11836978/silver-lake-mattachine-society-steps-hay|title=How Steps in Silver Lake Honor LA's LGBT Movement|work=Curbed LA|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617015413/https://la.curbed.com/2016/6/1/11836978/silver-lake-mattachine-society-steps-hay|url-status=live}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zpnOaFgMTa8C&pg=PA222|title=Land of Smoke and Mirrors: A Cultural History of Los Angeles|last=Brook|first=Vincent|date=2013-01-22|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=9780813554587|language=en|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-date=2021-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217072408/https://books.google.com/books?id=zpnOaFgMTa8C&pg=PA222|url-status=live}} The stairs are on the hillside where Hay founded the Society on November 11, 1950.

The stairs are not painted and the historical plaque with the Mattachine Society’s history was removed.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=The Steepest Ways to Climb to the Top in Los Angeles |url=https://www.governing.com/community/the-steepest-ways-to-climb-to-the-top-in-los-angeles |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Governing |language=en}}

There are 52 historic public stairways in Silver Lake.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Kristina |date=2021-08-01 |title=Adopt a Stair Program |url=https://www.silverlakenc.org/post/adopt-a-stair-program |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=SilverLakeNC |language=en}}