Diana’s Little Corner in the Nutmeg State: It's A Raid!

Tuesday, May 06, 2025

It's A Raid!

Stonewall Repeated? A gay bar is raided... is it another Stonewall?

20 police raided a gay bar for a “compliance check.” Then the patrons did something surprising.
QBurgh described the moment as one of "resistance, solidarity, and improvisational beauty"
LGBTQ Nation
By Molly Sprayregen
May 5, 2025

In a moment of resistance and queer solidarity, a drag show went on despite patrons and performers being kicked out of a bar by about 20 police officers in bulletproof vests.

Police raided Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ venue P Town Bar on Friday in the middle of a drag event.

Drag artist Indica was performing alongside trans model and nightlife legend Amanda Lepore when police began to gather in the back of the establishment, QBurgh reported. When Indica finished her rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” police directed patrons to exit the bar but did not explain why beyond saying it was a “compliance check.”

MetroWeekly reported that,

“Dozens of state police, geared up with bulletproof vests, flooded the bar and told us to get out,” one patron told local news outlet QBurgh. “None of the officers would explain what was happening. We stood in the rain for maybe 30 minutes or so until most patrons were let back in. Fortunately, the situation was calm and orderly, but they really just overtook this queer space with an entire fleet of police to ‘count heads’ or whatever their excuse was.”

Officers refused to make eye contact with the drag queens inside, although most interactions between police and patrons were described as calm, according to Qburgh.

So what was the purpose of the raid?

According to QBurgh, State Police claim the bar was over capacity, with 130 patrons inside a space permitted for 70 people.

Was that the reason? What do you think?

1 comment:

Anonymous5/6/25, 5:24 PM
"Was that the reason?" Hell No! Let's see if the police raid the local VFW beer hall or the Knight's of Columbus.
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To year
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Taught
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Songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rogers