Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Fort Worth police chief shows his homophobia
If you saw Boys Don’t Cry, it’s difficult to forget the scene when Brandon Teena is recounting his rape to the town police. They surround him and the officer asking questions wears the standard shades and talks to Teena as if he is a suspect. The officer’s day has been interrupted and his disdain for Teena can only be missed by those who accept the myth that the police are always your friends.
It should surprise no one that scene came to me when I read about the aftermath of a raid on a Fort Worth, Texas gay bar. On Sunday, the Rainbow Lounge was under siege from Fort Worth police and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. These authorities stormed the establishment, as has been reported by bar patrons, and Chad Gibson continues to be in the hospital with a serious brain injury, an injury caused by either the TABC representatives or Fort Worth officers. How does the city’s police chief Jeff Halstead explain harm coming to a guy who had the nerve to think he could go to a bar and drink without being harassed by arms of the state?
“You’re touched and advanced in certain ways by people inside the bar, that’s offensive,” he said. “I’m happy with the restraint used when they were contacted like that.”
I’ll leave the translation of this line to Dan Savage. He does it better than me. By the way: Halstead’s version of what happened to Gibson has been called a bold face lie by many witnesses.
Apparently someone has informed the chief about the big stinking mess that came out of his mouth and now he is all about reconciliation and community dialogue. Says he will appoint a LGBT liaison and have his officers go through training in how to deal with the gay community (I know a police chief who needs to be sitting in the front of that class). There is also an internal investigation and calls for an independent committee to find out what happened that night.
Hopefully Gibson will pull through this and the residents of Fort Worth will continue to keep the heat on a police chief who sees a brain clot as “restraint.”
PS: RIP Karl Malden.
UPDATE: Gibson was injured while in the custody of TABC agents. Two have been assigned to desk duty pending an investigation.
This is horrible… the other side not only rejects our common decency, but now they downright assault us? Again?!?! WITHOUT REPERCUSSIONS?!?!?! Outrage… that should be our community’s response, nothing short of outrage for what happened to the people in Forth Worth.
http://www.citizenzero.us
The Fort Worth Police Department must be severely punished for their violent homophobic behavior. I suggest firing all the officers involved (both police officers and ABC agents) as a first step, then a barrage of lawsuits aimed at them, the Fort Worth police chief, and the City of Forth Worth itself. Then they need to look at overturning the backward State of Texas’ outrageous law that allowed this outrage to occur in the first place.
There’s a link to a Dan Savage article, and that article includes links to the councilmen and mayor who are not backing a the investigation called for….
I’ve sent them all an email telling them they have no business being in the positions their in if they sit on the fence instead of backing an effort to bring the truth out. I also acknowledged that while I understand this is Texax, they are still part of America and it’s time they acted like it…
and so I shall never have reason to refer to them as nothing but
“Fekking Pigs”
Why is anyone shocked here? This is Texas for crying out loud…In fact the only thing that’s mildly surrpising is that they didn’t raid the bar with guns blazing.What do you expect from this state? It should just go back to Mexico and make everyone happy. Except Texans. They should all just be shot.
That’s a great point Jay. I’m planning a trip there too, and should do the same thing!
I was planning a trip to Texas. I have family in the area and have found the state to be a fun place to visit. However, after seeing this I have postponed my trip for this year. Anti-gay violence is rising EVERYWHERE, why risk going to a hot spot? My website link is a link to the Governor’s tourism website. I contacted them and let them know about my concerns. Even if you still plan on visiting the area, you should still let them know. Some parts of the state are incredibly homophobic and its only gonna get worse.
I think anyone who may be planning a trip to Fort Worth cancel it and let the chamber of commerce, tourism bureau, and police department know why. The Police Chief needs to be fired.
I feel physically sick over this. I had lived in Texas for 12 years and only recently moved back to NYC. Yes, there are some ignorant people in Texas, but I see them here in NYC too. Unfortunately, wherever humans exist, there will be a certain percentage of ignorance.
Please do not disparage all people who live in Texas by calling them hicks. Texaphobia is as low as Homophobia.
As long as our Congress and President refuse to repeal anti-gay laws and promote DOMA this “legal” harassment will continue. The police (of whatever department) are emboldened.
Obama4TheWin,
You’ve been banned.
Sincerely,
James
Does this mean I can beat the crap out of women in Fort Worth who makes advances no me? Cooooool. not.
James Withers needs an editor to help with grammar.
This is sickening. Being it Fort Worth though I’m not surprised. They are just a bunch ignorant hicks who have no tolerance for others.
The picture going around they are saying that ONLY the TABC officers were visible. Then I say the one TABC officer is a mutant, because there is more than one person holding down the guy. Look at the guys head, there is a visible part of another beside him in a dark uniform (not a TABC one).
Could the injury be from a “fall” after outside, maybe, but if witnesses stated he (Gibson) was thrown against the wall and then thrown to the floor from FW officers then the TABC officers came in. So, if he was drinking water as few have stated, and the FW threw him against the wall and floor, would that not explain the “behavior” outside. Also, why would a TABC officer be holding him down outside??? Would they not just put him the patty wagon that people stated that was where the cops came from?
Too many story changes from the cops, just a convenient to use TABC as the ones so the FW police don’t take major heat from this. TABC is not the ones out on the streets all the time, and don’t want normal TX’s to start to question if they will be beaten or something from the FW cops when they get pulled over/etc.
1 – for that first comment the Chief should be investigated if not fired for that type of statement.
2 – I hope people in FW that were there that night call the IA and make sure ALL of you are heard to prove these “cops” wrong on ALL their lies.
3 – Keep the pressure on the city for investigating, don’t let them slide this through the cracks.