Seattle’s The Stranger reports:
Marching into a gay bar to issue citations feels a bit vintage in 2024. Nevertheless, over the weekend, the Joint Enforcement Team (JET), which is a coalition of Seattle Police, Fire, the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), and others, entered two gay bars, The Cuff Complex and The Seattle Eagle, and started looking around.
And what did they find? A bartender’s exposed nipple and a few people wearing jockstraps, offenses that law enforcement can cite you for in Washington if you’re also selling alcohol.
At 12:30 on Saturday morning, a 10-member JET crew filed into Cuff, according to owner Joey Burgess. They came in with flashlights, scaring some patrons who left in a hurry. Inside, they saw the offending nipple, a violation of state law the JET may penalize in some way.
Capitol Hill Seattle reports:
A group of Capitol Hill gay bars and clubs are teaming up with neighborhood queer community leaders Dan Savage and Terry Miller in calling for the state’s liquor control board and Seattle Police officials to explain what they say was a weekend crackdown reminiscent of historical harassment of Seattle’s LGBTQ friendly venues.
Ownership at the bars including The Cuff, Queer/Bar, Massive, and The Eagle along with Savage and Miller say that citations issued over weekend over clothing and decency violations at a handful of clubs recorded by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and so-called Joint Enforcement Team inspectors were targeted.
The group is asking for the community to demand the liquor control board explain its actions.
A coalition of law enforcement officials raided two Seattle gay bars and found nipples and jockstraps in close proximity to booze. Bar owners at Cuff and the Eagle say they may face citations.
What year is it, again? https://t.co/URy2zdT9zl
— The Stranger 🗞 (@TheStranger) January 30, 2024
Ummm…Seattle, this appears suspect?! Definitely deserves a detailed explanation!
‘Lewd conduct’ — Capitol Hill gay bars and clubs band together to push back on liquor board inspections – https://t.co/rWc5DsYWeT
— Patrick Quinn (@PatrickQuinnTV) January 30, 2024
There’s a lot gay men will take lying down. But raids on gay bars? In SEATTLE in 2024. No fucking way.https://t.co/tCD1SnTlxo
— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) January 29, 2024