Seattle Fire/Police Raid Two Gay Bars (What Year Is It?)

Over the weekend, two Seattle area gay bars – The Cuff Complex and The Seattle Eagle – were the targets of a crackdown by the Joint Enforcement Team (JET), a coalition of Seattle Police, Fire, and the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB). As the local news outlet The Stranger notes, raiding gay bars in 2024 “feels a bit vintage.” https://twitter.com/TheStranger/status/1752147493968662597 From The Stranger:

And what did they find? A bartender’s exposed nipple and a few people wearing jockstraps, offenses that law enforcement can cite you for in Washington if you’re also selling alcohol.

At 12:30 on Saturday morning, a 10-member JET crew filed into Cuff, according to owner Joey Burgess. They came in with flashlights, scaring some patrons who left in a hurry. Inside, they saw the offending nipple, a violation of state law the JET may penalize in some way.

Saturday night, two JET officials entered the Eagle at 11:30 pm and inspected the premises, owner Keith Christensen said. He’s waiting on a call from them about the jockstraps and a potential citation.

Neither The Eagle nor Cuff had ever been cited for alcohol- or violence-related offenses. The only issues here were clothing-related. In the aftermath of the weekend’s events, local gay bar owners are teaming up with local LGBTQ leaders Dan Savage and Terry Miller to ask JET to explain its actions. From Capitol Hill Seattle Blog:

“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.”

“The absence of violence or liquor-related issues in the citations indicates a concerning focus on targeting queer individuals in queer spaces,” they write.

Swipe through Savage’s Instagram post below for his full statement. https://www.instagram.com/p/C2shy1BPn5P/