- Jon Nelson
Chad Gibson and George Armstrong appeared in court this week to answer misdemeanor charges related to the Rainbow Lounge raid. Gibson and Armstrong were both injured in the raid.
Jon Nelson, an attorney who was a founder of Fairness Fort Worth, said, “Apparently with Chad, he’s being charged with public intoxication and assaulting an officer by groping him. That’s absurd.
“This is the TABC officer who, according to TABC’s own rules and regulations, had no business being in there. This is the same TABC officer who couldn’t go in the Rainbow Lounge a few days earlier because there was no officer with him so he peeked in and saw a dancer in a bathing suit and was going to write it up as lewd behavior.
“That shows quite a bit about his state of mind. As a TABC officer, I’m sure he’s been in a number of gentlemen’s clubs. I doubt he ever wrote up a female dancer in a bathing suit and wrote her up for lewd behavior. So why was he doing that for Rainbow Lounge?
“I think a jury, when they hear this case, will judge his credibility,” Nelson said.
Gerald Pruitt, Fort Worth deputy city attorney, said Gibson is charged with class-C misdemeanors for public intoxication and simple assault. Armstrong is charged with one — public intoxication. A class-C misdemeanor carries a maximum fine of $500 plus court costs.
Four other Rainbow Lounge patrons were charged with public intoxication. Two pleaded guilty but have now rescinded their pleas. All four of the others are expected to go to trial at a later date.
Pruitt said, “We’re proceeding with these as we would any other case. That’s all we can do.”
Gibson and Armstrong’s criminal defense attorney is Adam L. Seidel, past president of the Dallas LGBT Bar Association.
Seidel said, “The city’s own investigation revealed serious misconduct. TABC’s own investigation revealed serious misconduct. Officers were fired and/or suspended. The city’s message was, ‘We made a mistake.’ That’s not the message they send by prosecuting these two victims.”
No trial date has been set for Gibson and Armstrong.
Win or lose, the city gets a black eye. If they win, Fort Worth appears to be bullies, prosecuting someone who spent a week in intensive care as a result of the raid. If they lose, they just appear to be gay bashing.
Thank you John Nelson for standing up for the victims of the Rainbow Lounge Raid!
So much for the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department trying to make peace with the LGBT community. This is the greatest insult of all!
The groping charges weren’t even addressed in the Rainbow Lounge Report. So, they weren’t important enough for that, but now they are important enough to press criminal charges against the victims?
Where is Joel Burns in all this? As our only LGBT councilmember in Fort Worth, he should grow a spine and be the one taking a leadership role in calling the City and the FWPD out on these criminal charges.
Folks, it’s time to get serious and quit being such nice good little queers who know their place. Fort Worth and it’s Mayor and Police Chief have kept promising that they would make good to the LGBT community and right the wrongs of the past. So far this is just empty worthless sound bites.
I’m highly dissappointed and wonder why the city of FW is moving forward with these prosecutions. If the city is truly sincere about “looking forward instead of looking back” at the raid as some have said, they’d make these cases go away posthaste. The fact that they don’t calls into question the sincerity of city leadership.
Adam Seidel is great attorney and great advocate for our community. Go get em’ Adam!
The city of FW is prosecuting because they can. Despite all the good work FFW has done for the GLBT community the issue is now dead. There isn’t an issue until we make one and I’m sorry to say that holding press conferences at the Botanical Gardens aint gonna do the trick. I remember some saying in early July that without noise this issue would be brushed under the rug and forgotten about. The noise goes away and OMG gurl, what happens?
But going beyond the “noise” issue, for me it’s about respect for my family, community and self. I know it’s not the Texas style for GLBT folks to illustrate so vocally as to exactly how we are getting screwed day in and day out. However, I also know that I couldnt sleep well at night with the knowledge that all I did for my queer family when attacked was to attend a committee meeting or benefit concert. Being vociferous is too often confused for lack of respect. Firmly and proudly standing up for one’s self and community is the height of respect in my book. Call me crazy, I wouldn’t feel at home if you didn’t…
Does the Rainbow Raid need to be elevated to a level beyond the Stonewall Raid in order for the city of FW to pay attention to the rights of its LGBT citizens?
None of this is surprising. Fort Worth’s neighbors right down the road, the Dallas Police Department is arguably one of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies on the planet. Yet the department still exists, business as usual, with the officers (who are TRAINED to be abusive) thumb their noses at the very people whom they are paid to protect and serve. With bad examples like the ones DPD sets, it’s no small wonder that other cities’ police departments are following suit.
Is there a legal defense fund for Chad Gibson and George Armstrong? Myself and a lot of other people would be more than willing to donate.
Don’t know, but we’ll find out tomorrow.