Fairness Fort Worth is also encouraging people to attend the Ft. Worth City Council meeting on Tuesday night, July 14.
Here is info from their statement:
“Several hundred citizens are expected to attend the council meeting.
“Fairness Fort Worth contacted the city manager’s office to ensure citizen concerns about the event would be heard at tomorrows council meeting. Spokesman Jon Nelson is scheduled to address the Council following more than seventy other agenda items. The mayor may move an item up on the agenda although doing so is rare in practice. In an effort to mitigate an already long agenda, Fairness Fort Worth has identified three individuals who will speak for the organization rather than having several hundred individuals each speak. A “Facebook†page was created immediately after the raid to allow members the ability to discuss the issue, share stories and provide photographs of what they saw. The page, “Rainbow Lounge Raid†now has more than 12,000 members.
“We are interested in talking with city leaders about FWPD and TABC actions, the investigation process and how we can proactively work together in the future to avoid any repeat of the unfortunate incident,†Nelson stated. “It is important for our community and for our city to begin this dialog now. Staying up a little later than normal is a small price for starting the healing process.â€
The InterNet, via Facebook, Twitter and many other resources, has made the events at the Rainbow Lounge, Dallas Eagle, Chico’s in El Paso and, most recently, the “Kiss” at SLC Temple Plaza known to millions of people across the nation and the world. The city govt and law enforcement agencies of FW and Texas will not be able to sweep this under the carpet. The fact that all these have happened in the time-frame of the 40th anniversary of Stonewall puts them on the radar for those in the LGBT community that follow our attempts at equal civil rights. Perhaps the mayor will have the good sense to exercise this rare opportunity to address the concerns of his constituency in a responsible manner.
Richard,
How do we sweep something in your “imagination” under the carpet? Imaginary broom?
There was NO “raid” at the EAGLE – just dumb owners. We are waiting to hear the results of the investigations regarding the Rainbow.
“In the time-frame of 40th anniversary Stonewall” is just wishful thinking. The Rainbow Lounge is not even a distant cousin of the Stonewall riots. Stonewall was real oppression. Real response.
Calm down and maybe do some reading.
I found this very interesting and ironic. It’s from Fort Wort Police Chief Jeff Halstead’s biography. He was apparently a victim of a police beating while leaving a nightclub job when he was 19. He supposedly became a cop to change things:
Jeff Halstead said he studied criminal justice in college, but almost decided against a career in police work. When he was 19, he was beaten by a South Florida cop while driving friends home from a nightclub job.
The officer, who was working an off-duty job, pulled him out of the car by his neck, slammed him on the hood and threw him on the ground, Halstead said.
He changed majors in school but said he later realized, “the only way to make a change is to get involved.”
Tomorrow at the Ft. Worth City Council Meeting Kathleen Hicks’ position as Mayor Pro Tem is in jeopardy. There is an unexpected vote planned that could result in a new leader. Ms. Hicks has been a fierce critic of the raid on the Rainbow Lounge which is in her district. It has been suggested that her staunch views on the raid, and her views on drilling in her district has upset the good ole boys who sit on the council with her. Thought I would pass this along.
FYI..
Kathleen Hicks’ position of Mayor Pro Tem, has nothing to do with the Rainbow Lounge, but that the City of Fort Worth Charter says the position will come up for election every two years (I believe its two years, I could be wrong on the time frame). This issue was discussed at the last two city council meeting and was not a secret.