Nice Time! Seattle LGBTQ+ Community Takes On Bureaucrats, Wins One For Common Sense And Dignity

Do congratulate.

As liberals, we are huge nerds for good governmental process. Especially if it leads to smart outcomes.

We know what you’re thinking, and yes we are fun at parties, thank you very much.

Last Friday, Jan. 26, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board joined something called the Joint Enforcement Team (JET) of Seattle for monthly code enforcement inspections of local businesses. (This is the point in the party where the one weirdo libertarian who is only there because he tagged along with his roommate would demand we read “Atlas Shrugged” for enlightenment.) The inspections covered 18 businesses, including four known gay clubs, over two days.

Given the queer community’s long history of seeing its bars and clubs raided and its patrons often brutalized by local cops, Seattle’s gays were infuriated by what they saw as targeting of these four establishments by local authorities. Especially since, as club owners pointed out in a statement, the only citations handed out at two of the gay clubs were for clothing-based violations:

“None of the venues in our coalition have ever been cited for alcohol or violence related offenses,’” the statement from the club owners reads. “Citations were issued based solely on individuals’ clothing choices, such as being shirtless or wearing a jockstrap, which we consider a breach of the power entrusted to JET and the LCB for maintaining public safety.”

Being scrawny pasty-faced writers, yr Wonkette can’t really pull off a jockstrap or shirtlessness in public, so we say more power to ‘em.

JET and the LCB denied that they were targeting gay establishments specifically in the monthly inspections. Still, they then did something weird: They actually sat down and talked to representatives of the gay community, listened to what was said at a raucous Board meeting, and changed tacks accordingly like they are operating in some sort of democracy that is responsive to the public.

Republicans demanded that Joe Biden immediately nuke Seattle.

On Thursday, the LCB released a letter with appropriate levels of humility and groveling:

As community members urged us on Wednesday, we endeavor to “just be better.” […] We as LCB employees willingly acknowledge that un/learning will only lead to fundamental change if all marginalized communities are along our efforts. […] LCB’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) program will also help equip agency leadership and staff with tools for similar issues that could arise, potentially impacting other groups or communities.

DEI! Seattle resident and sentient toadstool mushroom Chris Rufo must be apoplectic. We would have checked, but we’ve got a restraining order that says his Twitter feed must stay at least 500 miles away from us at all times.

The LCB also announced the steps it will take to “prevent a repeat of last weekend’s events.” The Board will immediately stop enforcing the lewd conduct rule, which is great news for any Seattle adult filmmakers who want to shoot scenes in Kerry Park this weekend. LCB will also stop participating in raids with JET, revoke the citations issued last weekend, amend its rulemaking process, work with Washington state legislators to “try to find solutions through legislation that furthers our mutual efforts,” and review all its agency processes.

This is of course a lot to promise, and bureaucracies have a way of not following high-flown statements with concrete actions. But the LCB, which could have gone into a defensive crouch, seems to have realized the echoes of history that gay Seattleites heard in the raids, and they seem genuinely contrite, not to mention serious about reforms.

So congratulations to Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community, which can hopefully continue to enjoy the safe spaces it has carved out for itself while wearing all the jockstraps they want. Every once in a while, the system actually works.

[The Stranger / The Stranger]

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