Police Raid Texas Gay Bar, Arrest Patrons, Seriously And Unnecessarily Injure One!
Filed under: Icky Icky Poo > Gay Gay Gay
In Fort Worth, Texas, police conducted a raid this past weekend on a newly opened gay bar, utilizing excessive force to essentially harass and arrest patrons, all on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, demonstrating that though we've come a long way, there is still much to be done.
The Rainbow Lounge had been open only a week when police entered the establishment to perform a routine ordinance check, but they utilized unnecessary aggression toward patrons, arresting seven people for public intoxication (In a bar?) and sending one man to the hospital with bleeding from the brain.
Not surprisingly, the cops have defended their actions, claiming to have been sexually harassed by patrons. Oh really?
The LGBTQ community isn't buying it and witnesses contend that the police encountered no such hostility.
On Sunday night protestors demonstrated in downtown Fort Worth and Fort Worth councilman Joel Burns has called for accountability.
[ Image via Unite the Fight. ]
Re: SlickWilley – #87 WHAT THE U TALKIN MAN???
Bullshit! I've always hated southerners - ESPECIALLY Texans! Fucking narrow-minded hicks!!
Can you honestly speak against the defamation of gays when you yourself, "a proud gay american" choose to use disgusting gay slurs, publish photos of a private moment between two gay men and then lie about people who support the "No H8" cause. Honestly, insulting and creating lies a cause that you claim to believe in just for web hits, is disgusting and pathetic. Just like you.
Re: turquoise1 – So the other straight bars they raided THE SAME NIGHT - was all a coverup… even though they do the same type of inspection and arrest of straight people… yeah. Believable. It's comments like yours and Perez that set the rights movements back. "Make exceptions for us." "It's all about us." "Everyone's against us." Even straight people with a thread of common sense are called homophobes because the way that Perez and comment like yours and that blog perpetuate that not only does equal rights matter, but you need special rights above and beyond the rest of us. It's not about equality, it's about special treatment.
Re: turquoise1 – Hmm.. I guess the official police blotter showing arrests before they ever entered that bar was lying! You're right, it's all a big conspiracy cover-up!
Re: katbug – NGHS alum here! Shout out to Garland!
OMFG I was supose to go there that night!!! I know the owners. Thats fucking crazy.
Re: Christianj911 – Texas DOES NOT have a sodomy law. The US Supreme Court overturned it in 2003. Google Lawrence vs. Texas.
Re: imsoregistered – Because it does not apply to you does not make it 'special rights'. Because someone asks what the problem is to an officer does not imply they are asking for 'special rights.' Any person from Texas (I am, by the way…grandparents all from Ft. Worth) can easily imagine a group of state police taking it upon themselves to teach a new bar full of patrons a thing or two.
Just to let all of ya'll know, I was born and raised in Fort Worth Texas, and I am truley disgusted with the actions that took place. That's the type of evil that gives us Texans a bad name. Just know we're not all like that. What club was it? I'd like to check it out.
Re: halo_girl02 – that is true … i'm noticing this a lot more in his post.
Thanks for posting this Perez.
stfu
Re: b a t k i s s – It's amazing how many places people live whenever the story applies to them. They are protesting the raid and how "wrong" it was, even though it's standard practice and happened to straight bars EXACTLY the same way. Why haven't they been protesting the last YEARS worth of it happening to straight bars then? That's called SPECIAL treatment. Demanding apologies only when it matters to them, but not when it happens to others.
Why do straight guys always think every gay guy wants them? They DO have preferences and aren't more promiscuous than the rest of us. The only thing different is that they prefer to date other males. The police are using a ridiculous excuse to cover up for their own agendas.
I recent that Texas comment We have an entire street dedicated to the gay community in Dallas including parks that gay couples take their children to and meet other same sex families those jerks were typical of homophobic people EVERYWHERE look at your same sex protesters in California they can be just as bad.
Re: PCdrama – Sounds pretty heavy handed. Chasing business away like that will only cause more establishments to close down, so more jobs lost. I think all active policemen should have to have a university degree. Imagine law enforcement that can reason through a situation with minimal force.
How civilized might that be.
Texas is a redneck cesspool of scumbags and a backwards republican hell-hole. Homophobic animals who can get away with this this kind of fascist big government behavior because it's in an evil-gelical trailerpark called Texas.
Perez…were you at the Stonewall raid in 69? I assure you there is much to be done by all, not just heterosexuals. Why don't you start promoting peace instead of your standard bullshit. I'm a bisexual female and I know people who WERE THERE and they will tell you the same…YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! Uninformed or bias reporting is ruining our country…get your act together.
Texas is a redneck cesspool of scumbags and a backwards republican hell-hole. Homophobic animals who can get away with this this kind of fascist big government behavior because it's in an evil-gelical trailerpark called Texas. Austin is the oasis in a shitty backwards hell that goes by the lone star state. Will that toupee wearing governor freak keep his word and secede and make Texas become their own country,please keep your word Gov Perry freak and that way you can keep the anti-semetic,racist,homophobic other freak Ron Paul there too. Oh Ron Paul the rightwing republican asshole bigot is made fun of in the new movie Burno.
Re: dontnome – You need a nose job and to stop flashing your tits,it's all really disgusting every sinlge inch of you,oh and your posts too,do you live in a humid place because your hair looks like you stuck your finger in an electric socket. yikes.
Re: b a t k i s s – haha i go to NGHS
haha thats whats up
Re: cassandradancer – He's a gay man, and it's his blog not yours. You choose to read it. No one makes you. If you don't like it, stop coming here. It really is that simple.
I made a profile just so I could comment on this story.
This goes to all the people bashing Texas, the best state in the country (by the way).
First off, I am 100% for gay rights, and hate crimes are one of the worst crimes possible. We do not yet know the whole story.. WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS. It would be great if people would get the story right before we bash Texas. And I have a few questions.. If Texas is just a state full off country hicks.. Why do we have one of the strongest economies in the entire nation. Where do you think Neiman Marcus, Chilies, At&t, American Airlines, South West Airlines, etc. come from? That's right, TEXAS. I would just like to point out that Cali was the state that just outlawed same-sex partnerships, not Texas. Cali is going broke, not Texas.
Oh, yeah.. Perez.. Get your facts straight too. The bar has been open for two weeks, not one..
Re: knowitall – Pleas explain how your state is better. I have a feeling it sucks… I would also like to point out that every stae has its share of racist homophobes.. It's not my the states fault that YOU don't know the cool areas of the state to hang out in. North Dallas happens to be VERY nice and open-minded. If Texas was so homophobic, why would we have the Oak Lawn area, Cedar Springs? Uptown? Hmm.. If we are so trashy why on earth would we have every store you could every think of? Are you calling Neiman Marcus trashy? Neiamns starte din Dallas, but you probably did not know that since your not able to shop there..
Re: Lizzie1983 – Yes, Lizzie. We have car bombs going off every day. Women must cover their faces, and gay people are put to death on the spot.. Give me a break! How can you even make statements like that? You don't know what happened. You don't know if he tripped and fell over hitting his head, or if the police office hit hime in the back of the head. YOU DON'T KNOW!! So stop making stupid comments about a place and situation you know nothing about.
Re: omgggg – Beleive what you want, but the country coul dnot function without Texas. We have the strongest economy in the entire US, we give more in taxes than we receive from the fed, and we house some of the nations best schools (Both secondary and higher learning). Look it up.
this makes me want to vomit so bad..i am fortunate enough to live in a town where the police are very gay friendly (many of which are my friends…one is my greatest friend)….however…i know for a fact that if they were not friendly…this would still never happen…..they still have respect for people…and lets be real…a cop never wants to go thru IA….he would never do something as stupid as im sure these cops did…disgusting..ugh
I worked in a topless bar in FtWorth during the early and mid 90's. The Ft.WOrth police were ALWAYS in there harassing the patrons and staff..They used the SAME LAME ASS excuse of checkin the permits once a month..Yeah..they really needed SWAT to do that. The owner of the bar sued them and WON!! He not only won his case…but 10 mil bux from City of Ft worth PD.. They also had the stipulation that they could not come back to bar unless it was to legitimately check the permits OR for a 911 call.. It was 1 yr to the date the stipulation ended..that they sent in undercover. Their police dept is KNOWN for these kind of tactics. I hope the owners of this bar sues their asses and freakin wins. We ALL DESERVE EQUALITY NO MATTER WHAT RACE, RELIGION OR SEXUAL PREFERENCE. I am sick of all the damn biggots!!
Re: xojess – you spelled "piece" wrong. Bored
Re: misterfister – See you at the Boiler Room
Thats what happens when your police forse if full of backwards hill billies… I hope these scumbags get arse raped someday!!
Sorry, Perez. But as someone who instigated a physical altercation with someone, on purpose, using hate slurs, and you're as of now trying to sue *THEM*, you have absolutely no right to get on a high horse and talk about gay rights. You lost your membership card. Everyone I know wants nothing to do with you, and most of them already didn't. You're done. Test yourself with a fork.
Get Texas out of the Union!
TEXAS SUCKS!
Rainbow Lounge?
Who in Texas (that doesn't want a beating) would go there?
Ft worth is not open minded about gay bars or the gay community. Mostly is done in Dallas and the ft worth police dept are assholes!
Texans have this big ego like tx is a country not a state.
Re: imsoregistered – Prove to me there was no excessive force. How many people were sent to the hospital at the straight bars? Just because And dare you not question where I have lived or what I experienced there the way your first sentence seems to do.
Re: katbug – It's a small world, but aren't you glad you don't have to paint it! My niece goes to NGHS now; my Mom retired from NGHS in February '09. Go Raiders!
Re: imsoregistered – It's not the gay community's role to protest situations that did not happen to them. If there are problems with the way the Texas State Police handle inspections in straight bars then the straight bars patron ought to be ones to protest the treatment.
This is absolutely ridiculous! "Routine Ordinance check"…please! the only reason the cops went in there is to harass those people and make sure they knew that their presence wasn't wanted there. How ridiculous! Makes me sick to my stomach that people continue to be ignorant!!!!! EQUALITY PEOPLE!!! GEEZ!!!!!! Urgh makes me so mad!
Re: jimmyjazz –
Do you all really think that a bunch of "redneck" TABC officers even KNOW what Stonewall was all about? I highly doubt it. The only reason I, a straight female in my 20s, knows about it is from my History of Journalism class…
This is not a gay issue… the TABC and cops in Ft. Worth are known for this. My sweet little sister was arrested for PI at Billy Bob's (a country venue in Ft. Worth) along with her friends because they were shnockered…she was not. - just in the wrong place and the wrong time. She was unneccesarily handcuffed and roughly thrown into the paddywagon. She was bruised up considerably and pictures were taken by our family to document the situation, just in case.
I get so tired of every time someone of any minority or group has something happen to them it turns into a gay issue, or a latino issue or an african american issue. Why can't it just be an ISSUE? While there is a lot of unfairness towards minorities, this just holds them back further.
OH! And one more thing…to all of you who think Texans are just a bunch of backassward rednecks, think again. You are no better than those who sterotype any other group of people.
Re: openyoureyes28 – I was born and raised in North Dallas. I worry about my families safety in Dallas because it has the THIRD highest crime stats in the country according to most reports. I am safer in New York!
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Oak Lawn / Uptown / Turtle Creek and the gay residents it attracts are targets for crime constantly, simply check the stats. Just because there is a gay community, and every major city has it's gay neighborhood, does not mean that the community is treated with the same respect and care other communities.
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In February a hate crime was committed in Oak Lawn (the perps were from Garland, sorry to say) which was considered one of the most violent in recent history. While the Dallas DA decided to report the crime to the FBI as a hate crime the office decided not prosecute it as such because it would yield excessive penalties. How does that decision reflect upon the esteem with which the Dallas gay community is held?
Okay, i live in fort worth. And this is not something that happens everyday. there must have been a different reason they went in and arrested people. not because they are gay. MY GOD! Someone must have called the cops because maybe people were fighting. And maybe these gays were being rude and not corroporating with the police. Texans dont take that kind of shit.
Re: xojess – shut the fuck up.. this is just a blip on a blog for pete's sake. why dont you read a blog about starving dying children then you fucking skank?
Re: Mickey9661 – haha poor gay people, seriously theres still more important things in this world, this is my oppinion, obviously yours is different on what's important.
Re: xojess – shut the fuck up.. this is just a blip on a blog for pete's sake. why dont you read a blog about starving dying children then you fucking skank?Re: halo_girl02 – shit like this wouldn't happen in a straight bar either ya dumb bitch..
Re: heyitsmetoo – fuckoff ya bigot bitch!
Re: Mickey9661 – the moral is my focus is elsewhere on much bigger problems. don't be all pissy if not everyone's focus is on you guys.
Re: MorganBrittny – yeah morgan, but for aroutine checkup, wouldn't TABC have to go behind the bar and inspect? That was never done and for a routine check, why was there a "paddy wagon" involved? Sounds fishy to me..
Re: effdub – shit like that happens everywhere not just to you people, GET OVER YOURSELVES, you think the world is out to get you, you know if some of you didn't flaunt yourselves maybe we would be able to adapt easier.
Re: KITTY_KITTY_33 – isn't that how you kept your virginity?
Re: imsoregistered – yeah, but the gaysaren't stupid enough to harras an officer with plastic handcuffs, and for your information, the peaceful protest, had about 200 ppl. get YOUR facts str8.
Holy shit! Are you kidding??? This is horrible!
yes, perez. you can get arrested for public intoxication in a PUBLIC bar. that's why bars kick you out when you've had too much, duh.
Re: b a t k i s s – EXACTLY MY POINT. "It's not the gay communities responsibility for human rights, just gay ones." You are only stating MY side of the argument. If they want "basic human rights", then why not protesting HUMAN rights instead of only when something happens to them. If they (not all gays, but people making comments like yours) TRULY believed in equality for all, then it's a HUMAN rights issue, not a gay rights issue. "If it doesn't pertain to us, we don't care." But you DEMAND straight people pay attention to gay's issues - by your own logic then, since I'm straight, I shouldn't give a damn about this or any other gay issue because it doesn't pertain to me, right? I'm so sick of that self-righteous attitude, and the "me me me" of people like you, that end up setting my friends and true gay rights leaders and movements back so far, by your hatred, and your intolerance for others, while demanding tolerance. This double standard crap you spout is pure BS.
Re: b a t k i s s – I took your "advice" and checked the stats. Actually, everything you said about stats were incorrect, and giving a single case account isn't exactly the smartest thing to do to prove "rampant" problems. According to the FBI, Texas one if the approx. 30 states to institute the classification of sexual orientation to hate crime lists and did so in 2002. In states with hate crime classifications, Texas ranks in the bottom 8, while California ranks in the top 5, with concentration in the San Francisco area. So maybe before you try to crusade for your "gays only matter" stance, YOU should check the stats.
Re: cotejade – In case you have not found the address, the new bar is located at 651 S. Jennings, not far from the intersection of 30 and 35W. I hope all of the D/FW Metroplex gay community and their supporters will stop by for a cold beverage soon.
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If the bar has addressed the need, how nice would it be if the community at-large could pitch in and buy bartender controlled video surveillance equipment to document future encounters with law enforcement?
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Drink responsibly and drive safely.
Re: effdub – My facts came from 3 news outlets in the area. Not some random blog. In fact, the 100 people number is repeated through several personal blogs from people that were there. So yeah, I do my fact checking before spouting off at the mouth like some people. I choose EDUCATION over rude, cussing, lying and random stats made up to make a point.
Gay bar or straight bar…. cops need to stop acting like roided out teenagers and beat the crap out of whomever "offends them" Just cause you have a badge and a night stick doesnt mean all rules go out the window. Stop accepting dumb fuckin meat heads into the academy who are out to prove they are tough and better than everyone.
I live in Fort Worth. Im not a racist, redneck or white trash. It is very disappointing that this incident occured but i don't think u should group one group of assholes with the rest of us.
Re: imsoregistered – Never mind your use of quotations suggesting I said something I did not. Never mind your sloppy slip from special rights to human rights. What did I say to you that was hateful? What did I say to you that was intolerant? More over, if I am not looking out for my community and its interest, you think I should expect you too?
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It's rather disconcerting to hear of something like this happening someplace where I have an emotional connection. Your reply to me only adds insult to injury. And you call me hateful?
Re: openyoureyes28 – I should correct the statement I made earlier concerning crime stats in Dallas. From The Dallas Morning News article dated 5/27/09 I learn the following.
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Dallas has shed its title as the U.S. city of more than 1 million with the highest crime rate.
The city is poised to announce that the No. 1 rank, which Dallas held for at least 10 years, now goes to San Antonio.
Based on an analysis of population growth and crime numbers released last week by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas will drop to the No. 2 spot, and Houston will rank third.
Come on, guys, Texas is not a bad place! I live in Texas, and I`m not a redneck and I have nothing against gay people. Just because there are people in this state who think different, dosen`t mean that EVERYBODY is like that! Don`t be so quick to judge. Some of you haven`t even BEEN to Texas, so don`t start talking when you don`t know. I`m not going to talk about some state and people there when I never even been there. Oh, and just because you`re from Texas, that makes you a redneck? Please!! You people seriously need to grow up!!!!!!!!
i say it's stupid to say things one way or the other before placing judgement. There has to be probable cause and real facts before the police can conduct raids.
the cops are innocent until proven guilty. dont act like a gay guy never leered at a straight guy before, come on. they love doing that. they're guys after all!
Re: b a t k i s s – Okay, Dallas is vey large. I agree, SOUTH DALLAS is not safe, haha. That's why you don't go over there. I was born and raised in Dallas, and I have NEVER once been scared for my family's life. Plano, Frisco, and Allen are pretty freaking safe. As for the story you are talking about:
It would be very hard to prove it was a "hate crime". The thugs said that they "thought it would be easier to rob a gay man". As bad as that is, I don't know if that is a hate crime (Stereotype, yes. Hate crime, no). That's like saying when women get robbed it's a hate crime. No, it's because they are easier to steal from (generalization). They got pretty fair sentences. One got 30 years in Prison, and the other may get life in prison.
Re: imsoregistered – I know that you are a homophobic white trash republican that takes every chance to post something nasty or anti-gay. Hope that cancer karma finds your family you fucked up nazi southern piece of violent bigoted shit.
Re: xojess – Listen you uneducated lowlife.you don't even know the difference between your and you're ,if you don't want to sound like a trailer-park or ghetto drop-out I would suggest learning that difference for starters. Secondly you uneducated hatemonger,it's the republican southern fundie fascist party of redneck haters that are attacking gays and spending money against gays,if they would just mind their own business it would be a non-isssue. So again your posts are not only filled with grammatical errors but factual ones as well. You are the typical scumbaag homophobe.
rediculousssss. even if they did get hit on its a fucking gay bar they probably thought the cops were strippers…everyone loves a man in uniform
Re: openyoureyes28 – So…from you we learn quality of life is evidenced by high end retail. High crime areas are humorous, haha. And, seems you would rather trade in stereotypes and generalizations than testimony concerning violent crime. Glad to hear you feel safe in Plano too because teen heroin addiction is so comforting. You are indeed a sterling spokesperson for Texas! PUKE
Those cops should be shot in the face……
I think, like most homophobic men, the cops "thought" they were being hit on. Most men think they're god's gift to women, and that all gay men want them. Most men would never step foot into a gay bar for fear that they will be hit on. I think the cops had the same mentality. They're assholes and deserve to be punished for their huge egos, and their unnecessary brutality. FUCK THE POLICE!!! haha, that's a direct quote from NWA.
I agree with CA90069… C'mon Perez! Just call them F*cking F*aggots! That'll do it!!
Re: CA90069 – Amen!
Dude Perez Seriously, All I see On your Websites are about Gay This Gay That
wtf?
Are you In LOVE WITH THAT WORD!?
MAN WTF?