Some gay bars in Seattle were recently raided and issued lewd conduct violations that owners say were based on what patrons were wearing. Seattle's joint enforcement team, which is made up of police officers, firefighters, and the state's liquor and cannabis board, raided the cuff complex and the Seattle Eagle, among others.
Managers of the bars were told that inspectors would follow up with them. A spokesperson for the Liquor Control Board told the local blog, Capitol Hill Seattle, that the managers of the Cuff, the Eagle, and Neighbors were notified of lewd contact violations, but that the enforcement efforts were in no way targeted toward the queer community.
Various nightclub owners and patrons posted a statement to Instagram, saying that they believed the citations were issued based solely on individuals clothing choices, such as being shirtless, and fear this is part of a larger effort to target queer individuals and queer spaces.
