Cops intruding on gay bars and activities that lie within them are nothing new, but in the Seattle area a few dedicated officers are determined to stop porn from playing at any gay bar.
Most of us have likely been to a bar where porn is played, and while the consensus tends to be "sketchy!", we secretly love it and we certainly want the right to have it!
Seattle cop John O'Neill has been going to gay clubs recently and stopping any pubes or sexual acts from being shown. But let's not blame O'Neill exclusively, there is a law in Seattle that bans "depicting pornography, or a sexual act."
Of course, there's the law and there's enforcement. O'Neill, along with officer Ryan Gallagher have been repeatedly targeting gay bars for any sign of indecency. Eric Gelbart, a local bar owner says of his encounter with O'Neill, "[he] was shaking with anger, I don't know why, but it really seemed to strike him in a personal
way."
So what do you guys think? Should these officers be repeatedly targeting gay businesses? And what about the law in general? It seems rather puritan to me, but then again, I love me some bar porn!
– Andy
As ridiculous as it is, the law is the law. The targeting is obviously wrong, but there is nothing that can be done.
This law and its enforcement is the stupidest, most ridiculous thing I have heard, and it makes me mad that the cops are doing that. Can people be allowed to enjoy themselves? It isn’t like little kids are going to be walking in and getting exposed to porn. Adults should be free to watch porn if they want, including at a gay bar. If I lived in Seattle, I’d be asking my city councilmember to repeal that dumb law.
What a waste of time and resources.
and they know the porn is being played there because…
I wouldn’t want to walk into ANY bar and see porn playing. Sounds trashy to me.
stay out of our clubs and bars if you dont want to see porn on tv!!!!!!! We dont tell you not to play sports on straight clubs and bars! why cant we all just get along??
I used to live in Seattle for ten years, and hit every gay bar there over the course of that time. To my knowledge, there was only one bar that played gay porn. Granted, it was a very cruisy bar and the porn only added to the atmosphere! Who the hell cares if it’s playing? People who go there know it’s there and don’t care. It’s not obvious to anyone outside the bar, so who’s it hurting? There’s plenty of other REAL crimes going on in Seattle to deal with instead of harrassing bars and what they do inside their own businesses. No one is forcing the cops or anyone else to watch the porn. Seattle has awful police who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground.
It is OUTRAGEOUS, especially TODAY, to be wasting money and resources on this kind of thing. As usual, this is a lesson in how vigilant we must be with our laws, since you can never, ever trust the enforcers to behave reasonably, or rationally.
Sounds like the police officer has a personal issue with it . . . and not so much just the enforcement of a civic law. Interesting that they seem to be targeting gay bars . . .what about all the x-rated magazine stores, who are also supplying a product that depicts “pornography or a sexual act”? Wouldn’t they just as well be “guilty” of breaking the law, and also be subject to these officer’s efforts to remove the porn?
It is unfortunate that he and the other officer are targeting it in gay bars . . . especially when there are so much more serious crime issues out there in Seattle that need to be addressed.
ummm so how often do you go to a ‘straight bar’ and see porn playing? Why are gay guys so bent on perfecting the stereotype? Sheeesh get a life!
What targeting? The targeting of people who violate the law?
I’m pretty sure that’s why we have police. Change the law, but don’t cry discrimination. It just happens that gay bars (in my experience) break that law more often than straight ones. That’s great, since the last thing I want to see in a screenful of porn when I walk into a straight bar.
FW: I’m sure that the law has to do with the depiction of sex acts in a place where alcohol is served. We have a similar law here in CT. The adult novelty stores are safe until they start handing out cocktails – someone should get on that business model.
if the are going to do that they then need to close all the topless pars and strip joints becsue that pron to if they ar going to do it to gay clubs then they need to do all the adult clubs
thINK ITS BAD IN SEATTLE?
WAIT till the FEDS get controle of the HEALTH CARE in the us!
IT IS a HEALTH and safety issue!
—-sexually transmitted diseases via casual sex! ACCROSS the country they have systematically targeted GAYs, and turned a blind eye to the hereos doin the same kind of things.
WHEN THE FEDS DECIDE to BAN anything that promotes CASUAL sex… (especially gay sex) they get to whatever they want.
BEcause they will simply say, we have to cut health care costs…
comming to a gay bar, club, bath house, park near YOU!
yea the law is the law. bad to target but yaknow it happens. I think porn in a bar is tacky and trashy. I personally dont enjoy it. and I’m a former go go boi..porn is for private
Agreed, the law is the law here. And why are gay bars so comfortable with showing pornos? I know we’re a bunch of horn dogs, but can’t we keep things in check by not circumventing gay culture around porn all the time?
I think there may also be copyright infringement laws for public viewings of any type of movie. I may need to go and read that pesky FBI warning that precedes a movie out on video/DVD.
Porn in bars, as you said, is SKETCHY. Gross, inappropriate. And if it is illegal there, I see no reason why they shouldn’t enforce the law. The only possible way I would find this offensive is if you told me Seattle has straight bars playing porn( something I have never seen anywhere) and they are being left alone.