Chiang defends city’s inclusivity after gay bar raid

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday defended the city as welcoming and inclusive after a police raid of a gay bar sparked protests by the LGBTQ community over alleged discrimination and official misconduct.

One video of the weekend raid that circulated on social media showed a police officer asking a customer in a wheelchair who was in the toilet how disabled people “manage to have sex in there.”

Chiang, who faces re-election next month, said that any misconduct during law enforcement would be thoroughly reviewed and police discipline would be strengthened.

He also apologized to those affected, saying Taiwan has always been a diverse, inclusive and gay-friendly city.

Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for Asia and is normally a bastion of tolerance in a region where LGBTQ rights are often suppressed or outlawed. Taipei holds its main Pride event later this month, the largest in East Asia.

Taipei police on Saturday afternoon raided the Commander D bar, citing a complaint alleging the bar might be breaching public decency laws. They took 51 people in for questioning and arrested the owner.

Chiang, who has previously attended Taipei Pride, said regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, identity, ethnicity or beliefs, the government must ensure everyone in Taipei has equal rights.

Taipei Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien (林炎田) said that six officers had been disciplined over misconduct during the raid.

Four officers were found to have used inappropriate language during the raid and each received two reprimands, while the lead investigator at the scene was given a demerit for failing to promptly stop the remarks, Lin told a news conference.

Wanhua Precinct Chief Chen Yung-hua (陳勇華) was also disciplined, Lin said, adding that Chen had requested two reprimands over inadequate supervision and that the request was approved.

Lin added that the raid was lawful and conducted under a court-issued search warrant in response to reports of suspected violations of public morality.

The venue had been the subject of 13 complaints of public indecency this year, he said.

Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) wrote on Facebook that while police enforcement should be respected, the methods used by police should also be subject to scrutiny.

The public has a right to know the basis and limits of police enforcement and how authorities protect people’s dignity when exercising their powers, he said.

“Taipei’s diversity and inclusivity should not only be visible on Pride parade day,” he wrote.

The Commander D raid was one of three operations on Saturday involving gay bars, police precinct spokesperson Chen Yu-cheng said.

Police had in the past conducted “irregular inspections” of the three venues, he said, adding that the precinct inspected 15 entertainment venues on Saturday.

Rights groups say there is a deeper problem.

“This was not a case of individual officers misspeaking or a single instance of excessive enforcement, but the resurfacing of long-standing homophobia, discrimination and abuse of power within the police enforcement system,” the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights said in a joint statement with other groups condemning the raid.

One person among the 51 taken in for questioning said they had been detained for more than six hours after police accused them of contravening a law that prohibits “wantonly exposing one’s naked body or presenting a lascivious posture in a public place.”

The person, who requested anonymity, said they had removed their shirt only shortly before police arrived because the bar was crowded and hot.

Lead investigator Chen Yi-kai told Reuters that shirtless people were taken in because officers had found evidence of sexual or obscene conduct, but could not immediately determine who was involved.

He added that police were inclined not to fine the 51 people.

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