Police raid a gay bar in Texas on anniversary of Stonewall

[Dominus Atheos]

Think Progress

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, police raided a gay bar in Fort Worth, TX, and arrested seven customers for public intoxication. (One man was reportedly taken to the hospital "with bleeding in his brain after officers threw him to the ground and used zip-ties to handcuff him.") Police said they were simply conducting an "alcohol beverage code inspection" when several customers made sexual advances toward the officers. However, the owner of the Rainbow Lounge, J.R. Schrock, said that claim was a "lie." "The groping of the police officer - really? We're gay, but we're not dumb," Schrock said. Todd Camp, the founder of Q Cinema and former reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, was at the Rainbow Lounge when the police showed up:

"I have friends who are cops and I know what to do when officers are working," Camp said. "No one was acting aggressive to officers."

Camp said that he has been attending bars for years in Fort Worth when TABC conducts raids.

"Usually, they're very orderly and respectful –- they work with the bar staff and check IDs, it's quick and painless and then it's over and then they're out," Camp said. "This was not that. This was harassment, plain and simple."

The Rainbow Lounge incident came on the 40th anniversary of the famous Stonewall uprising that sparked the modern LGBT movement, when police also raided a gay bar in New York City. Today, protesters rallied in downtown Forth Worth over the weekend's raid. (HT: Pam's House Blend)

[Force Lord]

Shouldn't this be in News and Politics?

[Crossroads Inc.]

I would hazard a guess this IS News. I'd also say, cops have no sense of Irony, raiding a Gay Bar on the 40th anniversary of the most famous raiding of a gay bar... Except somehow I doubt any of the cops even know what 'Stonewall' was

[Morilore]

I would hazard a guess this IS News. I'd also say, cops have no sense of Irony, raiding a Gay Bar on the 40th anniversary of the most famous raiding of a gay bar... Except somehow I doubt any of the cops even know what 'Stonewall' was

Or they did know what Stonewall is, and did it for precisely that reason.

[Lagmonster]

Force Lord, notify the staff about threads that need to be moved if you wish, but don't gum up threads with backseat modding, especially if you intend to offer zero commentary on the subject of the thread.

I'd also say, cops have no sense of Irony, raiding a Gay Bar on the 40th anniversary of the most famous raiding of a gay bar... Except somehow I doubt any of the cops even know what 'Stonewall' was

Or they did know what Stonewall is, and did it for precisely that reason.

A good rule of thumb is to wait for evidence before you start assigning motive over coincidence. While it's impossible to rule it out, I'd be more surprised at the step upwards in villany that would be implied by some bigoted cops actually being aware of the historical importance of the date to the gay community, and then concluding that a re-enactment would be swell.

[Dominus Atheos]

Shouldn't this be in News and Politics?

I was under the impression that human interest stories such as this one go in Off-Topic.

[Edi]

Shouldn't this be in News and Politics?

I was under the impression that human interest stories such as this one go in Off-Topic.

Not if they can be considered politically significant enough. "Heroic dog rescues family from fire" is purely human interest, whereas this has a lot more explosive issues linked to it, which makes it N&P fodder.

[Frank Hipper]

Considering that this "raid" was out of the ordinary, and then there's the ridiculous accusations of these heroes of law enforcement were being groped and molested by teh dirty gays during it, I'm not giving any benefit of the doubt as to whether they knew it was the Stonewall anniversary or not.
The cops' unusual actions, as compared to past "raids", cast doubt on their motives.

It's not like anytime even the smallest LGBT story makes the news, it isn't spread from here to Timbuktu by Extremist Right Activists and Concerned Christians, knowledge of the date of the Stonewall Riots can't be dismissed out of hand.

[The Yosemite Bear]

I would hazard a guess this IS News. I'd also say, cops have no sense of Irony, raiding a Gay Bar on the 40th anniversary of the most famous raiding of a gay bar... Except somehow I doubt any of the cops even know what 'Stonewall' was

Why yes, these are good old boys from texas, the only Stonewall is the one who would have won the civil war for them If he hadn't been shot by one of there own.

[Surlethe]

Even if they were groped, I wonder what the officers' reactions would have been if they'd been alcohol-checking a non-gay bar and several women had started to come on to them.

[The Yosemite Bear]

handcuffs, blowjobs, and alternate uses for nightsticks?

[White Haven]

handcuffs, blowjobs, and alternate uses for nightsticks?

Well yes, but what would the police do in response?

[The Yosemite Bear]

probably enjoy it until a cougar shows them the prostate trick.

[Kamakazie Sith]

Even if they were groped, I wonder what the officers' reactions would have been if they'd been alcohol-checking a non-gay bar and several women had started to come on to them.

Hard to say with each individual officer, and this IS Texas. However, I can tell you what we do when we go on bar checks. We don't let anyone touch us. I don't even let people enter my personal bubble if at all possible. The reason we don't allow this is because alcohol tends to attract criminals.

If a female grabbed my crotch I'd probably place her under arrest mostly to avoid any civil issues.

Also, in Utah at least touching another persons crotch area, buttocks, breasts, etc without their permission is a crime.