Comments on: The Ft. Worth Police Department Has A Gay Panic Problem

By: Christopher Waldrop

Christopher Waldrop — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:09:14 +0000

Last night I heard that, among other things, the cops said in their “defense” that they’d “inspected” three other bars prior to going to the Rainbow Bar. Even if it’s true–even if they were conducting routine inspections–that doesn’t begin to justify their behavior.

By: Sacgary

Sacgary — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:39:51 +0000

Until we collectively, as an entire nation, stand up and let it be known this is no longer acceptable, the status quo will never change.

March on Washington in October. Let them SEE how many of us there are. Tell this country we are not going to take this treatment any more.

By: Arthur Corbin

Arthur Corbin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:22:57 +0000

To fully understand the open-ended nature of liquor laws in Texas, peruse the Peace Officers Guide from TABAC at
http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/laws/other/PeaceOfficersGuide.pdf

You will note that inspections do not require notice or process. Any peace officer can inspect at will. There is no clear definition of observe.

And (my favorite) is the Appendix III, Special Programs Available from TABAC, see Cops in Shops and COPS which are gussied up terms for entrapment.

The ACLU will have a field day with this information.

Fast and loose in Texas. Final item is a direct quote
Sec. 104.01. LEWD, IMMORAL, INDECENT CONDUCT. No person authorized to sell beer at retail, nor his agent, servant, or employee, may engage in or permit conduct on the premises of the retailer which is lewd, immoral, or offensive to public decency, including,(there is more)

Joe McCarthy returns. “offensive to the public decency,” the raid is offensive to the public decency.

By: aratina

aratina — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:04:06 +0000

This story just gets sicker and sicker. They police who carried out this attack are a bunch of Ft. Worth thugs.

By: David Roberts

David Roberts — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:43:01 +0000

I can't find the article which is referenced (Yahoo News takes them down quickly it seems), but this random blog post seems to indicate that there is at least some history of this sort of "sting" operation in Texas. The post is from 2006 and appears to be unrelated to GLBT issues. It also appears that the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission do call themselves "State Police," so it is reasonable to suspect that they were the ones wearing uniforms bearing that title. The stories about being groped by patrons or even flirted with sound oh so bogus. I'm sure that was the last thing on anyone's mind after a bunch of cops came busting in with an attitude. So that they did the "raid" may be defensible in the long run (if they indeed are doing this all over), even if incredibly insensitive considering the date, but I suspect it was also an excuse for these officers to be bullies.

By: jim

jim — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:50:36 +0000

Yup. They are wrong and won’t admit it. I know when I’m wrong and admit it.

“If I have to eat crow, it’s better fresh.”

Did someone else say that or can I claim it as my own?

Thanks, Jim.

ps. What were our police doing there in the first place? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW!

By: Ben in Oakland

Ben in Oakland — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:45:44 +0000

Even when I was young and hot, or even not so young and hot, I don’t think I was ever groped in a gay bas but once– and that was by a guy I had been talking to for an hour.

Gay panic is exactly what it sounds like, with about as much truth value.

I hope there is a massive lawsuit by the victims of this raid.