I am also getting of the age where Stonewall and the struggles of the past are more than just a history lesson for me and those I have known. It was life back then. It made the community at large stronger and focused and maybe that will be one of the results of this seemingly unprovoked action.

It is imperative that a complete investigation be done as tranparently as it can be conducted and the results publicized to the citizens of Ft. Worth and N. Texas.

Another question might be why the limited local TV coverage? Is there not some very good investigative reporter who might take this story and expand it to see what is the truth about the mindset of the politicians/police force as it relates to hate crimes and the LGBT community? I bet if we use the power of the internet to raise the issues to news media, it will be hard to ignore.

In the meantime, I will offer up healing energy for Chad and his family and friends, that the Universal Power in all of Us protect him and return him to his families (bio and chosen).

That being said…

I have read the first hand experiences from the patrons of the rainbow Lounge which is now in the location that used to Hot Shots. The stories describe individual police officers that used their authority in a way that was illegal and excessive under the color of law.

These officers did not conduct their inspection in a professional manner. It is appallling that this raid took place on a very important anniversary for the Gay Rights movement. It is actually embarrassing to me that these officers were most likely not briefed about the importance of the date.

These are my friends. As for the public intoxication rationale. There are certain physical clues that an officer looks for to determine if someone appears intoxicated as a danger to themselves or others. These officers did not take the time to assess the clues before rounding up people. A reporter from the Dallas Voice on a progressive radio show today stated that Chad Gibson was holding hands with another man and was walking to the bathroom when their ahnds were seperated by force and he was forced against a wall. His shoes made it hard for the officers to spread his legs apart and they forced him to the ground where he lost consciousness. Chad Gibson is now in a hospital suffereing from hemmoraging in his brain. He was not combatant, he was not resisting.

Other accounts state that the officers started pushing men on top of pool tables, pulling people outside and binding their hands with plastic zipties.

I have several questions and points to make:

1. If two other bars were also “inspected” that night, where are their strories of being restrained and detianed? If the same thing happen to them even if it was a moslty heterosexual bar, there would still be upset people.

2. Is there anyone that believes a patron made sexual advances to a fully uniformed police officer during all this chaos? I think it is a ploy to get sympathy from ignorant and homophobic people that still exist in this metroplex.

3. Do the officers truly believe it is “our word against theirs” with upstanding individuals there such as Todd Camp.

4. I am proud of my city for banding together and showing support. I am proud that Joel Burns was productively reactive to this sad situation.

5. Whether it was an intentional raid on a “gay bar” or the officers decided to take their authority too far once they entered, I believe it was discriminatory and a hate crime and the officers should be thoroughly prosecuted.

I expect justice.

My thoughts are with Chad. My condolences to Ft. Worth for this ugly stain brought on by what is probably a small group of ignorant law enforcement ‘officers’.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7205836201#/pages/LGBT-Equality-March-on-Washington-DC-Oct-10-11-2009/84093097030