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Loading ...Fort Worth rally protests police raid on gay bar
06.29.2009 9:42am EDT
(Fort Worth) Protesters upset with the way police conducted a raid on a gay nightclub rallied in downtown Fort Worth.
Seven people were arrested for public intoxication during the raid on the Rainbow Lounge early Sunday. Protesters said one person was seriously injured and excessive force was used.Police disputed the accusation of excessive force and said the department would thoroughly investigate any allegations. The raid was one of three bar checks conducted by police and agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Police said two intoxicated individuals made sexually explicit moves toward officers and a third grabbed a TABC agent’s groin. Several patrons told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the officers weren’t assaulted.
About 100 protesters gathered Sunday night.
@MavsFan–and isn’t that the point? If you’re attached to a place, why should you have to leave? Why shouldn’t you have the inalienable right to just be? If you’re gay and you grew up in a small town, or in the South, or in the barrio, or anywhere else, why is it that the primary option presented to you is to pick up and move to the nearest homo ghetto? Yeah–I left Tennessee 21 years ago because it was too hot, too humid and too churchy for me, but if someone else is happy there, why shouldn’t I back their right to be there and do it without criticism? If they make it easier for me to go back, even just for a visit, then what’s it hurt to support them?
Fort Worth isn’t much more of a “hick town” in my book than San Diego, and it can’t begin to compare to Cincinnati, the most gay-hostile city in the US. So if we’re pointing fingers, not only do we get nowhere, but we leave each other unsupported, and we let stand stereotypes which have nothing to do with reality.
Let’s do what we can to support our people in Fort Worth. It DOES make a difference when City Hall gets e-mails from half the planet (they get scared about convention and tourist traffic).
I live in Dallas and I have family in Fort Worth. I will never leave. I will not change for the system. If anything is going to happen, it will be the system changing for me. Those who wanna tuck tail in run, fine. But who will be left to fight?! Me, that’s who!
All of you could help us out here by sending a note letting them know how you feel about this.
The email for the Fort Worth Police Department is:
fwpdweb@fortworthpd.com and their internal affairs # is (817)392-4270
The Mayor’s email:
mike.moncrief@fortworthgov.org
Please post the email address on your blogs or anyplace else you can think of.
Thanks!!!
drewski…Yeah…Texas does have a large gay population. If you count all of us that are in Austin, Dallas areas, Houston and San Antone..its a pretty large group. I have lived in Houston all my life and since I was out in bars…I have seen 3 raids. Usually it involves a SWAT team rushing in and knocking people down. I have pretty much had officers push me against a wall and after that, got the hell outta there.
Lay off the emotion for a minute. Do the Fort Worth Police have a regular practice of staging bar raids? How many bars have they raided in the past year? How many complaints are filed against gay bars in Fort Worth? Does Texas ABC condone this kind of action in enforcement of state law? Are there similar patterns in Dallas, or Houston, or Austin, or San Antonio, or in any other cities?
I’ve never been, but I do know that Texas has more of a gay scene in its cities than Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania do in theirs, so I won’t be the bonehead who points the hypocritical finger. I’m more interested in knowing how often this happens, how representative these actions are, and why it continues to happen if it is considered routine. Any more Texans in the house?
People who are police officers from “red-neck and backward” Taxas as such assholes and cunts!!!!!
I hope someone had a camera to capture the abuse. These so called Police should be put on displayed for everyone to see.