The P Town bar in Pittsburgh held a drag event on the evening of May 2nd. But what was meant to be a joyous Friday night of queer celebration was soon disrupted by a large group of police officers in bulletproof vests.
Qburgh reported that drag artist Blade Matthews was performing when police began to gather in the back of the establishment. Blade decided to perform Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” as a way to stall law enforcement.
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“Blade literally chose the longest song ever and made the cops wait,” said one attendee. “It was iconic.”
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Once the performance was finished, police directed patrons to exit the bar and refused to explain anything beyond calling the disturbance a “compliance check.”
Despite having to wait outside, the show continued in its own public performance space until 70 people were allowed back inside.
It was then that police finally told people why they were here as part of a safety and code inspection. saying the bar had been over capacity with the 130 people who were in attendance.
Given the history of law enforcement raiding LGBTQ+ clubs and bars, it is quite dismal that cops didn’t open with that before forcing people out.
The city’s Mayor Ed Gainey had put out a response acknowledging that LGBTQ+ establishments have had a history of being picked on by law enforcement, mentioning the Stonewall Inn as an example. Gainey reassured the public that officers were within their rights in enforcing building codes as the bar was over capacity, but states, “We need to be thoughtful about the fear that the sudden appearance of multiple armed officers can cause.”
My problem isn’t with whether police had a right or not to enforce the safety code. I’ve seen enough videos on nightclub fires to know that these rules exist for a reason. If you think having a bar that’s over capacity by 50 people having only one fire exit isn’t a big deal, I implore you to look into the Lame Horse Fire.
The problem here is that police didn’t tell people what was going on and displayed a “move along, citizen, this doesn’t concern you” attitude while storming the club in bulletproof gear.
I do think police should be more mindful of how they appear to certain communities. Intimidation can only get you so far, and we need law enforcement to be held accountable for their actions, not seen as enforcers whose choices are somehow above the law they’re meant to serve.
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