June 28 marks 14 years since the police raid of a Fort Worth gay bar
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Wednesday, June 28 marks 14 years since a Fort Worth gay bar was raided by police and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Several people were arrested, and one man is still suffering from a brain injury.
Coincidently, the incident happened 40 years to the day when police in New York raided the Stonewall Inn sparking protests creating the gay rights movement in America.
Todd Camp was at the Rainbow Lounge that night, "June 28 was my birthday, we were out with a bunch of my friends," said Camp.
14 years later—it's a night Camp never forgets.
"There was someone in front of me and a police officer shoved me aside and grabbed the person in front of me and spun him around told me he was drunk and put him in zip ties and then dragged him off."
Just after midnight, the TABC and Fort Worth police officers conducted what they called a "bar check" for underage drinkers and public intoxication.
But for those who lived the experience, it's remembered as a raid, one that resulted in several arrests and left patron, Chad Gibson, with a brain injury.
"I can't believe this is happening on the 40th anniversary of the stonewall riots and event that began with police harassment of patrons at a gay bar and it's happening on this day and it was a complete shock to me," added Camp.
Days after, many in the community called for justice including then Fort Worth City councilmember and the only openly gay member Joel Burns.
"It was a frightening time," said Burns.
The incident ignited a community and conversation about how Fort Worth should move forward.
"Do we want to be welcomed and inclusive, make people feel safe and make visitors feel like Fort Worth is a place to come and visit and spend their money and support local businesses, it's a whole package and I think Fort Worth really kind of got it," said Burns.
The Fort Worth Police Department added an LGBTQ+ liaison to help build back trust within the community.
"Because of that incident, the City of Fort Worth developed a group called fairness fort worth with community members involving the city and they came up with basically 20 points to kind of work on to better the relationship," said Fort Worth police Lieutenant Chris Gorrie.
Gorrie, an openly gay police lieutenant, was the liaison until recently, "Being the liaison allowed me to connect with my community and then also kind of interact with the department."
Gorrie said now police have supervisors at bar checks, there's more training for officers on LGBTQ+ interactions, and four times a year Fort Worth PD hosts get-togethers in the community to discuss issues. Every police chief including the current one Neil Noakes attends.
"Those have actually gotten larger and larger each time we meet," said Gorrie.
This is a Fort Worth LGBTQ+ community hurt from the past, but optimistic history won't repeat itself.
"It was an unfortunate event that gave an opportunity for a good outcome," said Burns.
"Because we have this open dialogue and this open relationship with not only the police department but city leaders and other organizations around town, I just can't imagine that would happen again, I certainly hope not," added Camp who today is the director and founder of Yesterqueer, The Tarrant County LGBTQ History Project.
In 2017, the Rainbow Lounge burned down and there's still no building in the lot.
Many in the community are looking to place some sort of sign or monument at the location of the former Rainbow Lounge to remember that day and honor the change it inspired.
