Police celebrate Stonewall anniversary by raiding gay bar

Police celebrate Stonewall anniversary by raiding gay bar

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Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and Nancy Goldstein has a good piece up explaining how far gays and lesbians have come since then, and how far they have to go. She cites bans on gay marriage, higher poverty rates, lack of health care, and DADT as examples.  Sadly, 40 years after the Stonewall raid that led to riots from gays who were completely fed up with the way the cops targeted gay clubs for harassment, gays and lesbians still have to face police raids of bars based on flimsy excuses that result in police brutality.

Is it a coincidence that the Ft. Worth police chose the anniversary of the Stonewall riots to raid a gay bar called the Rainbow Lounge and arrest 7 people (hospitalizing one, who may have bleeding on the brain, according to the Dallas Voice) for public intoxication?  Did you even know it’s a crime to be drunk in a bar?

Update: Instead of apologizing, the Ft. Worth police department has now issued a press release stating that two patrons made "sexually explicit movements" while a third grabbed the groin of one of the officers.  This "gay panic" defense has been refuted by every witness in the bar, including Todd Camp, a former reporter for the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.  One of the people arrested remains hospitalized with a critical brain injury.

Update: Over a hundred protesters rallied on the steps of the county courthouse to demand an investigation into the conduct of the officers involved in the Rainbow Lounge raid.  Afterwards, many marched up and down Main Street carrying signs.  Another protest is scheduled for next Sunday.

Update: Dan Savage is all over this now.  Not only is his synopsis of the events outstanding, but his readers have drummed up names, phone numbers, emails and mailing addresses for almost everyone involved in any way.  This is also where I learned the Rainbow Lounge Raid has its own Facebook page.

Update: There's so much happening on this front now, I may have to make this be the last update, or I'll never stop writing stuff here.  But Chief Halstead has suspended operations between his department and the TABC until his investigation into the Rainbow Lounge raid is completed.