11/24/2009
City of Atlanta, Police Chief, and 48 Officers Sued for Gay Bar Raid
On behalf of 19 individuals forcibly searched and detained by Atlanta police on September 10 at the Atlanta Eagle gay bar, Lambda Legal is suing the City, the Chief of Police, and 48 officers, the group said in a press release:
"Dan Grossman, co–counsel in the case, has been working with victims of the raid since that night. "I’ve listened to dozens of stories from patrons who were mistreated by police at the Atlanta Eagle that night," said Grossman. 'The Atlanta Police Department is not above the law. They do not get to search and detain people who are not suspected of any crime.'
On September 10, the Atlanta Police Department dispatched about twenty to thirty officers to the Atlanta Eagle, including its 'Red Dog Unit' dressed in SWAT team gear, but inside the bar the APD found no public sex, no drugs, or illegal weapons. During the raid, patrons of the bar were forced to lie facedown on the floor while background checks were run on everyone. Eagle bar patrons heard antigay slurs; were forced to lay in spilled beer and broken glass; and one was forced to lie on the floor even though he had injured his back in the Iraq War. Not a single patron was charged with any crime."
Said Supervising Senior Staff Attorney Greg Nevins: "The illegal activity going on in the Atlanta Eagle that night was committed by the APD. If it is APD procedure for elderly men and wounded veterans to be thrown to the floor and harassed simply for being in a bar having a drink after work, then the APD should change its procedures."
Posted 11:55 AM EST by Andy Towle in Atlanta, Gay Bar, Law Enforcement, News | Permalink
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Welcome to Jesusland, aka Dumbfuckistan where the southern white trash love to bash us faggots when and where they can. They got their Negro prez and they are furious so they take out their hate on us. The New South is a total myth.
Posted by: bostonian queer in dallas | Nov 24, 2009 12:06:20 PM
Atlanta is a backward town with pretensions of being an international city.
Posted by: Christopher | Nov 24, 2009 12:20:52 PM
This is great news! Even if it only helps a little. You can't stand by and do nothing when this type of homophobic treatment and excessive force is used by the APD.
I hope they get 'em good!!!
Posted by: Jake | Nov 24, 2009 12:30:55 PM
wow!this is a good example of the straights
disrespecting us for who we are. woho!!!!go
gays!!! i hope this teaches them a lesson. in the real world, when you mess with people who have not done anything, they mess back. GAYS FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: audie cantrell | Nov 24, 2009 12:42:26 PM
Hard to believe that Stonewall happened 40 years ago and that in 2009 these officers that are sworn to protect the citizens of Atlanta instead decide to take out their hatred,bigotry,intolerance and insecurity on a handful of innocent GAY citizens enjoying a drink in a bar. I hope the city of Atlanta,the Police Chief and those 48 incompetent and violent officers learn how the law works in the United States and that justice is served. I guess if Atlanta has the resources to put 48 officers on this kind of bullshit powertrip then crime must be non existant in Atlanta. Nice to see abused citizens demand fair treatment.
Posted by: SFshawn | Nov 24, 2009 1:21:32 PM
"They got their Negro president." i have no idea what that comment means in the context of this issue.
but i'm commenting on the 'elderly' comment in the article itself. i think of elderly as mid 70s and up. are you telling me that the Eagle was full of octogenarians? or is this just another example of ageism in the gay community? i'm 52 and would hardly consider myself elderly, and if i make it another 10 years, i wouldn't consider myself elderly either. i have friends in their 60s that bike everyday and hike weekends. in fact they do everything except go to gay bars, where we're never welcomed after the age of 40-45.
good to hear about the lawsuit, hope it doesn't get thrown out in court or dismissed with acquittals all the way around, but what are the chances a jury of their southern 'peers' would convict them?
Posted by: casey | Nov 24, 2009 1:32:10 PM
@ Casey
I think they mean elderly like 70's to 80's..
In the UK it is completely different. You get people of ALL ages in classic gay pubs-which to me it seemed like this set up is, instead of a bumping disco bar that wouldn't even let in people over the age of 35 but if in 40's have to look amaaazing.
Posted by: Rowan | Nov 24, 2009 1:50:35 PM
@ casey: you can get the senior discount at IHOP if you're 55+
Posted by: Daniel | Nov 24, 2009 4:02:14 PM
Bostonian Queer doesn't know what he's talking about. The PD of Atlanta is 50 percent Black, and almost all of the cops involved in this harassment were Black as well. Which is why most gay activist groups don't want to touch this story.
Posted by: TelltheTruth | Nov 24, 2009 5:48:46 PM
Casey,
I'm with you on that one in ref to the "Negro" comment and to TelltheTruth They should be able to touch the story and most of the cops were black???
The pics I saw on Southern Voice and The Atlanta Journal Constitution showed Black and White Cops.
So please lets not make this what our community loves to blame alot and that is "Black Homophobia" That had nothing to do with this case.
They are suing and let them for that is their right and they should.
However, This is NOT a Black/White issue.
Posted by: Chris | Nov 24, 2009 7:26:52 PM
Chris - Yes it is, unfortunately, a case of that. If you go to the blogs covering the case you'll see that. I agree, some Whites might be to blame too, but they're mostly Black in this case. And Black Police Chief Pennington just resigned, possibly because of this case.
Posted by: TelltheTruth | Nov 24, 2009 7:38:17 PM
@bostonian queer in dallas - do you really thinking spiting that kind of dumb racist non-sense will EVER help the gay community get black support or make black gays feel comfortable? I'm sure that you don't care and I'm also sure that you're the first one to call white homophobes ignorant while being unaware of your own. Your comment makes Sarah Palin look smart. Please STFU
@christopher - homophobia kind of exists everywhere and is really not only in "backwards towns".
Posted by: David | Nov 24, 2009 8:19:54 PM
Oh snap !!!
Posted by: ty | Nov 24, 2009 11:55:34 PM
First, this wouldn't have happened in New Orleans, but had it happened there the cops would have probably gotten their asses handed to them!
Posted by: Drew | Nov 27, 2009 10:21:17 PM