Comments on: Five Eyewitness Accounts Of The Rainbow Lounge Raid http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:08:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Christopher Waldrop http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683/comment-page-1#comment-43744 Christopher Waldrop Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:18:59 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=12683#comment-43744 The coincidence is frightening. I hope I'm being overly paranoid, but it makes me wonder if the police aren't preparing a "this was all staged" defense. Stonewall, after all, became a rallying point. The police may claim that gay patrons are trying to turn this into one as well. Please don't misinterpret my remarks, and I sincerely hope I'm wrong. There's plenty of evidence that the bar's patrons had nothing to do with any of this, and I don't believe the young man with the head injury <i>wanted</i> to be thrown to the ground any more than anyone in the bar wanted to be harassed or arrested. Unfortunately I've seen bigots jump on this sort of thing before and blame the victims. I hope that doesn't happen here--I think the bar's patrons have suffered more than enough already--but it won't surprise me. The coincidence is frightening. I hope I’m being overly paranoid, but it makes me wonder if the police aren’t preparing a “this was all staged” defense. Stonewall, after all, became a rallying point. The police may claim that gay patrons are trying to turn this into one as well.

Please don’t misinterpret my remarks, and I sincerely hope I’m wrong. There’s plenty of evidence that the bar’s patrons had nothing to do with any of this, and I don’t believe the young man with the head injury wanted to be thrown to the ground any more than anyone in the bar wanted to be harassed or arrested.

Unfortunately I’ve seen bigots jump on this sort of thing before and blame the victims. I hope that doesn’t happen here–I think the bar’s patrons have suffered more than enough already–but it won’t surprise me.

]]> By: Penguinsaur http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683/comment-page-1#comment-43720 Penguinsaur Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:47:10 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=12683#comment-43720 Decline? this is Texas, we had to be dragged kicking and screaming by the supreme court into decriminalizing homosexuality in <b>2003</b>. Its pathetic I know but the fact that they have to make up a reason to arrest a gay guy is an improvement. Decline? this is Texas, we had to be dragged kicking and screaming by the supreme court into decriminalizing homosexuality in 2003. Its pathetic I know but the fact that they have to make up a reason to arrest a gay guy is an improvement.

]]> By: mark http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683/comment-page-1#comment-43715 mark Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:54:00 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=12683#comment-43715 I'm glad I live in Canada. The U.S. is obviously on the decline. I’m glad I live in Canada. The U.S. is obviously on the decline.

]]> By: Bruce Garrett http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683/comment-page-1#comment-43710 Bruce Garrett Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:48:57 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=12683#comment-43710 I just did some quick checking. The raid at the Stonewall Inn happened at 1:20am the morning of June 28, 1969. The raid a the Rainbow Lounge seems to have happened around 1am. It's surely not impossible that this is a coincidence, but you have to wonder. The Ft. Worth police say they did routine checks of two other bars beforehand with no trouble. Did they do it with the same number of policemen and the paddy wagon and the zip-ties I wonder... I just did some quick checking. The raid at the Stonewall Inn happened at 1:20am the morning of June 28, 1969. The raid a the Rainbow Lounge seems to have happened around 1am. It’s surely not impossible that this is a coincidence, but you have to wonder. The Ft. Worth police say they did routine checks of two other bars beforehand with no trouble. Did they do it with the same number of policemen and the paddy wagon and the zip-ties I wonder…

]]> By: Bruce Garrett http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683/comment-page-1#comment-43709 Bruce Garrett Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:40:04 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=12683#comment-43709 A commenter on the Dallas Voice article by Tammye Nash titled, "What they saw at the Rainbow Lounge" remarks that the raid in Ft. Worth happened at exactly the time that the raid on the Stonewall took place 40 years ago. To the day, to the hour. If that's true, it's a mighty suspicious coincidence. I would also like to know how many "routine" TABC checks involve paddy wagons and lots of zip-tie handcuffs ready and waiting. A commenter on the Dallas Voice article by Tammye Nash titled, “What they saw at the Rainbow Lounge” remarks that the raid in Ft. Worth happened at exactly the time that the raid on the Stonewall took place 40 years ago. To the day, to the hour. If that’s true, it’s a mighty suspicious coincidence.

I would also like to know how many “routine” TABC checks involve paddy wagons and lots of zip-tie handcuffs ready and waiting.

]]> By: Richard W. Fitch http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12683/comment-page-1#comment-43689 Richard W. Fitch Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:15:23 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=12683#comment-43689 Two new statements have been posted to Instant Tea, the blog page for the Dallas Voice, that are worth mention. One is from HCR. A second is from the city council member who represents the district where the Rainbow Lounge is located. http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2009/06/ A phone contact is listed for those who care to become more involved. Two new statements have been posted to Instant Tea, the blog page for the Dallas Voice, that are worth mention. One is from HCR. A second is from the city council member who represents the district where the Rainbow Lounge is located.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2009/06/
A phone contact is listed for those who care to become more involved.

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