It’s been years since the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board has raided a Seattle Gay Bar, this past weekend they raided 4 bars, and an additional 11 straight bars.
According to The Stranger:
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 The Cuff Complex and started looking around. LCB officials entered The Seattle Eagle and did the same thing. 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.
Saturday night, two LCB officials entered the Eagle at 11:30 pm and inspected the premises, owner Keith Christensen said. He’s waiting on a call from them about the jockstraps and a potential citation.
According to a “JET Agenda,” officials hit Neighbours on Friday and “observed” a “lewd conduct violation.” They hit The Lumberyard on Saturday and registered no violations. Of the 15 places enforcement inspected over the weekend, four were gay clubs, two were hookah lounges, one was a college bar, one was a hot dog stand, one was a music venue, one was a dive bar, another one was a bowling alley, another was a bar & grill, one was a roller rink, another was some weird lounge that has no internet presence, and they strafed the people who sell clothes on Pine Street.
Both bars have been cited for similar reasons before. Christensen said the LCB chased out 70 percent of his business over citations in February 2008.
The Stranger asked the LCB about the incident, and the agency said it was still gathering information. On Tuesday, a spokesperson released a statement saying the agency wanted to acknowledge the alarm and concern its enforcement actions caused but also to assure the LGBTQ+ community that it does not target their spaces. The spokesperson added that the agency contacted letter-signatories to clarify its actions and intent. “There is no emphasis on patrolling activity at LGBTQ+ establishments or any crackdown on lewd conduct violations,” read the statement. “The actions of the weekend were the result of routine work by LCB and other agencies.”
The Seattle Police Department said someone filed a complaint about the situation with the Office of Police Accountability, and so they can’t comment while it’s under investigation. The Seattle Fire Department and Bruce Harrell’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.
