"We R Not Freaks Police"Unusual Raid Sparks Concern on Taiwans Gay Community
Campaigners in Taiwan say the police raid exposes a persistent stigma around queer venues despite the island’s LGBT-friendly image. Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA The rounding up of customers at a gay bar weeks before Saturday’s Pride festival has some questioning the island’s progressive image Josh was having a drink at Commander D, a popular gay bar in Taipei, on a Saturday afternoon when several police officers suddenly burst in. “Squat down and don’t move,” they shouted. Bewildered, he looked around to see the bar owner being handcuffed and forced to his knees. The 28-year-old was among 51 customers to be rounded up and taken away for questioning over suspected breaches of public decency rules. “I didn’t expect something like this to still happen these days. It definitely made me feel a lot less safe,” says Josh, a gay man from Taiwan whose name has been changed due to the sensitivity of the incident. The police operation was criticised by rights groups as heavy-handed...
