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."

Oldest Gay Bar West of the Mississippi Torn Down?

Salt Lake City's FOX 13 takes a look at The RC Lounge, which they claim was the oldest gay bar in the western U.S. until it was torn down a few weeks ago.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

John Mayer: 'If You Are a Man in Life and You Haven't Gone to a Gay Bar, You Haven't Really Danced'

In an interview with The 7pm Project, John Mayer discusses his outing to a Palm Springs gay bar, after which Radar Online reported that he had been kissed by a man, "and seemed to enjoy it."

Says Mayer: “If you are a man in life and you haven’t gone to a gay bar, you haven’t really danced. Because you’re talking about a bar full of men without that dumb, alpha-male, ego, pushing, shouldering… you can actually have a great time without worrying in this sort of alpha-dog defensive position of like, who's over here, who's gonna try and come up, and who's gonna talk shit, and who's gonna do this and do that. You can actually just go and have a great time. We did have such a great time, to hear that somebody had written a story that I was getting kisses planted on me, it just sort of reduces it to that real stereotypical...you know that's why I wrote, after that I was like nobody's more aggressive than drunk white chicks. They're terrible.”

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Boyzone honored by UK gay rights group Stonewall: "The late singer and his Boyzone bandmates were hailed as entertainers of the year at the high-profile gay event. Mr Cowles fought back tears as he collected the award on behalf of the band – and received a standing ovation from the crowd. He said: 'Hi everyone, I'm Stephen's man, husband, whatever. You know what I mean. Thank you everyone for voting.' He said that the Irish group had always 'loved and supported' his husband in everything he did."

Fort Worth Officers Receive Inadequate Suspensions for Gay Bar Raid

 

At a press conference yesterday, Fort Worth police chief Jeff Halstead announced that a chapter was being closed in discussing investigations related to the June raid on the Rainbow Lounge:

"Speaking at a news conference across from the bar, chief Jeffrey Halstead acknowledged officers were overaggressive, creating an atmosphere of 'fear and confusion' in the bar. But he said none crossed the line in how they handled people or went into the bar because of its clientele. 'It was very clear from this inquiry that there was no malice or ill will on the part of any officers who entered the Rainbow Lounge,' he said."

In August, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission fired three agents for their participation in the raid. Halstead's discipline to the Fort Worth force can only be described as insulting to those targeted in the raid:

The Dallas Morning News:

Suspended for a variety of policy violations were Fort Worth police Sgt. R.M. Morris, and Officers K.Q. Gober and J.M. Back.

• Morris, who joined the force in 1995, received a one-day suspension for "poor judgment" in the way he conducted the bar check on the Rainbow Lounge. "The decision to utilize a total of nine law enforcement officers to check a newly established club was excessive," his suspension letter states. The investigation also found that he failed to follow procedures, such as checking liquor licenses or other permits.

• Gober, a nearly three-year veteran, received a one-day suspension after he arrested two bar patrons for public intoxication but failed to complete his police reports by the end of his shift. "This negative media attention could have been averted had Officer Gober completed the required offense report," his suspension letter states.

• Back, a nine-year veteran, received a three-day suspension after he arrested a bar patron for having a "drunk look," which does not meet requirements for a public intoxication arrest. Back released the patron to a friend after learning the friend was Fort Worth police employee. Back violated department policy by not issuing a citation to the patron before releasing him. "Officer Back’s conduct in releasing the patron gave the appearance of favoritism and that he did not have sufficient cause to arrest the person," his suspension letter states.

Watch Halstead's press conference, AFTER THE JUMP...

Still Angry Over Eagle Bar Raid, Atlantans Hold Underwear Protest

(image  jim burress pba online)

Between six and ten people attended a protest at the corner of 10th street and Piedmont in Atlanta yesterday to demonstrate lingering anger over the September 10th raid on the Atlanta Eagle gay bar. Most wore visible underwear, some only underwear.

PBA Online reports: "Dressed in a T-shirt and boxer shorts on the corner of 10th & Piedmont, Laura Gentle says she's in her underwear to remind passers-by of what happened on September 10th at the Atlanta Eagle: 'The number one thing is they didn't find any sexual activity and they didn't find any drugs. People still seem to not know that they only arrested people on license and permit charges that had to do with underwear, essentially.'"

The Southern Voice reports: "Eagle co-owner Robby Kelley, holding a sign that read, “Where was the warrant?” said awareness of the raid need to continue. Kelley was one of the eight arrested and faces a Nov. 3 arraignment date in Municipal Court. The case is being prosecuted by the Solicitor’s office and a plea agreement is attempting to be reached before Nov. 3. If one is not reached, the employees will go to trial in January. 'We need to keep the focus on this so it doesn’t happen again,' Kelley said, wearing an Atlanta Eagle t-shirt and blue swim trunks. Business has been hampered as well by the raid, he acknowledged, because people are afraid to come into the bar thinking it might be raided again by the APD. 'It’s kind of understandable, but they have to understand they didn’t have the right to come in the first time and they are not going to come in again,' he said. Kelley also said his charge of not having a license for go-go dancers who were wearing attire to what he was wearing on the street was 'absurd.' ... 'I think it’s stupid that you need an adult entertainment license to have people dance on your bar in their underwear … it would be different if I was having people naked on the bar,' he said."

Image below: Atlanta Journal Constitution.