The board appears open to changes, but they're playing hot potato with the Legislature on nixing old laws and regulations--and not without reason.
TVW Screenshot
The legislature needs to remove the archaic regulations. Then it needs to put binding restrictions upon the LCB, so that “not really raids” cannot happen anymore.
Seattle should disband the JET immediately. Any word on asking the Council or Mayor for action on disbanding the JET?
Interesting that they initially said they went because of a report about underage drinking, and now they say it was over a complaint about sexual conduct? JET needs to go and the only thing the LCB should be enforcing is licensure.
If someone (I don't care who) takes a pic of me in a jockstrap without my consent they are gonna have their teeth knocked so far down their throat they're going to shit them out.
It's good to see Our Dear Dan defending "the community", like back in the old days. He truly was an inspiration for so many of us. And it's also good to see the current owner of The Cuff standing up. Tim and Scott (the founders) would be proud.
And I know that I've prattled on about the toxicity of the WSLCB to the point of being one of those tedious old people one tries to avoid. But I've only talked about the the WSLCB from the 70's through the 90's, and it's history is much more than that.
From what I can tell, it became a thing in the post-prohibition years, designed explicitly to make sure no one had too much fun. To be on the board, you had to be a minister or doctor (or just a well-connected prude. Someone like Our Dear Raindrop, but nominally straight).
The liquor stores were protectionary of WA State wines (which were pretty awful). It was hard to get California wines, and near impossible to get European wines.
There were two levels of service: Taverns (serving beer and wine to the lower classes, who were considered to be hopeless and needed to be protected from themselves) and cocktail lounges (which had to be affiliated with a hotel or restaurant, only be accessibe from within the hotel or restaurant, and have sales that did not meet a certain percentage of the hotel or restaurant's total food sales. Minors were specifically forbidden from entering either a tavern or cocktail lounge.
Everyone had to be seated while drinking. Women could not tend bar, nor could the be seated at the bar (at least not without a make escort).
Nudity, or partial nudity, was not permitted. Nor was transvestitism in any form.
WSLCB agents, in conjunction with corrupt local police, would conduct shakedowns of any establishment that they thought they could get money out of. That was predominantly Gay, Lesbian, and minority-owned bars, but also included lots of working-class places. Back in the 70's, there was a big racketeering case involving the WSLCB and the SPD that lead to multiple convictions and at least a partial nuzzling of both agencies for a time.
Back in the 50's they used to require taverns and bars to close and hour earlier on Saturday nights, because they felt that people needed to be fresh for church in the morning.
So yes, they've always been a shitty, moralistic, garbage agency.
Makes you wonder if the person who filed the complaint about sexual activity wasn’t just doing so to weaponize the LCB agents as some sort of homophobic vendetta?
Do not let WSL&CB punt this to the legislature for action. The lewd conduct rules are the Board’s own creation, undertaken in excess of their legislative authority and they have the inherent power to undo them. They won’t f they can try to point blame elsewhere.
Do not let WSL&CB punt this to the legislature for action. The lewd conduct rules are the Board’s own creation, undertaken in excess of their legislative authority and they have the inherent power to undo them. They won’t f they can try to point blame elsewhere.
ASaxman5537 dear, it's not that gay bars are being singled out. The question is why do we still have these arcane "lewd conduct" rules in the first place? Oregon doesn't have them, British Columbia doesn't have them, and even Idaho doesn't seem to have them.
Eliminating them is probably one of the few things everyone in WA state (other than the bible-addled nitwits and religious neurotics) could agree on.
I do think that they have a point about the Legislature directing this. I'm not sure how the board of the WSLCB gets appointed these days, but a Governor Semi Bird or Dave Reichert could come in and load the board down with the above-referenced bible-addled nitwits and religious neurotics. It's much less likely the Legislature would get that extreme, because they have constituents to answer to. The WSLCB answers to the governor.
@14
Disagreeing with a law does not exempt a person or business from having to follow said law.
Should the law be changed? Maybe.
I don’t actually care, but until it is, businesses need to comply if they want to avoid being hit with fines or possibly closure.
@ASaxman give me a fucking break. "Well, the law is there and it should be enforced" is sanctimonious prattle. There are plenty of laws not being enforced in Seattle. And even when reporting real crimes (assault, theft, arson) the Seattle PD can't seem to get off their ass to do anything. BUT a NIPPLE?! Oh heavens, that's a law we need to enforced. And somehow the police have time and manpower to enforce that? Ridiculous.
@7: You and me both:
Savage Love Live on KCMU
Nick Licata was the City Council’s most left-wing member (when it had white guys on it)
Rent in Pike-Pine was $500/month
So all the people I see living on the street, some doing the "chicken walk" due to the drugs they are taking are somehow less dangerous to the moral sanctity of Seattle than a bare nipple or butt cheek? Do these people on the JET get paid by our taxes? This is insane right-wing culture war nonsense by the prudes on the WSLCB and it has to stop.
the Reich Wing is
Strong in this
Country
if the trumpfster can
pull off the next one
it'll be a Fucking Tidal
Wave. dress appropriately
Seattle Times' print edition headline today (above the fold!):
"Seattle LGBTQ+ bars, clubs on edge after ‘lude conduct’ violations"
Apparently the JET was looking for overly sedated customers, not underdressed ones.
The legislature needs to remove the archaic regulations. Then it needs to put binding restrictions upon the LCB, so that “not really raids” cannot happen anymore.
Seattle should disband the JET immediately. Any word on asking the Council or Mayor for action on disbanding the JET?
Interesting that they initially said they went because of a report about underage drinking, and now they say it was over a complaint about sexual conduct? JET needs to go and the only thing the LCB should be enforcing is licensure.
If someone (I don't care who) takes a pic of me in a jockstrap without my consent they are gonna have their teeth knocked so far down their throat they're going to shit them out.
It's good to see Our Dear Dan defending "the community", like back in the old days. He truly was an inspiration for so many of us. And it's also good to see the current owner of The Cuff standing up. Tim and Scott (the founders) would be proud.
And I know that I've prattled on about the toxicity of the WSLCB to the point of being one of those tedious old people one tries to avoid. But I've only talked about the the WSLCB from the 70's through the 90's, and it's history is much more than that.
From what I can tell, it became a thing in the post-prohibition years, designed explicitly to make sure no one had too much fun. To be on the board, you had to be a minister or doctor (or just a well-connected prude. Someone like Our Dear Raindrop, but nominally straight).
The liquor stores were protectionary of WA State wines (which were pretty awful). It was hard to get California wines, and near impossible to get European wines.
There were two levels of service: Taverns (serving beer and wine to the lower classes, who were considered to be hopeless and needed to be protected from themselves) and cocktail lounges (which had to be affiliated with a hotel or restaurant, only be accessibe from within the hotel or restaurant, and have sales that did not meet a certain percentage of the hotel or restaurant's total food sales. Minors were specifically forbidden from entering either a tavern or cocktail lounge.
Everyone had to be seated while drinking. Women could not tend bar, nor could the be seated at the bar (at least not without a make escort).
Nudity, or partial nudity, was not permitted. Nor was transvestitism in any form.
WSLCB agents, in conjunction with corrupt local police, would conduct shakedowns of any establishment that they thought they could get money out of. That was predominantly Gay, Lesbian, and minority-owned bars, but also included lots of working-class places. Back in the 70's, there was a big racketeering case involving the WSLCB and the SPD that lead to multiple convictions and at least a partial nuzzling of both agencies for a time.
Back in the 50's they used to require taverns and bars to close and hour earlier on Saturday nights, because they felt that people needed to be fresh for church in the morning.
So yes, they've always been a shitty, moralistic, garbage agency.
"Index Media’s Dan Savage"
"LCB Board Chair David Postman"
Fuck I miss 1990s Seattle.
Makes you wonder if the person who filed the complaint about sexual activity wasn’t just doing so to weaponize the LCB agents as some sort of homophobic vendetta?
@6 This is why I love CVDuR. She's one of the old girls.
Do not let WSL&CB punt this to the legislature for action. The lewd conduct rules are the Board’s own creation, undertaken in excess of their legislative authority and they have the inherent power to undo them. They won’t f they can try to point blame elsewhere.
Do not let WSL&CB punt this to the legislature for action. The lewd conduct rules are the Board’s own creation, undertaken in excess of their legislative authority and they have the inherent power to undo them. They won’t f they can try to point blame elsewhere.
Raids…
Sure.
Guess what! Gay bars are subject to the same rules as all the other bars out there.
Q: Why do the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board like to wear leather?
A: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
ASaxman5537 dear, it's not that gay bars are being singled out. The question is why do we still have these arcane "lewd conduct" rules in the first place? Oregon doesn't have them, British Columbia doesn't have them, and even Idaho doesn't seem to have them.
Eliminating them is probably one of the few things everyone in WA state (other than the bible-addled nitwits and religious neurotics) could agree on.
I do think that they have a point about the Legislature directing this. I'm not sure how the board of the WSLCB gets appointed these days, but a Governor Semi Bird or Dave Reichert could come in and load the board down with the above-referenced bible-addled nitwits and religious neurotics. It's much less likely the Legislature would get that extreme, because they have constituents to answer to. The WSLCB answers to the governor.
@14
Disagreeing with a law does not exempt a person or business from having to follow said law.
Should the law be changed? Maybe.
I don’t actually care, but until it is, businesses need to comply if they want to avoid being hit with fines or possibly closure.
Yes, ASaxman5537 dear. I think everyone understands that.
@ASaxman give me a fucking break. "Well, the law is there and it should be enforced" is sanctimonious prattle. There are plenty of laws not being enforced in Seattle. And even when reporting real crimes (assault, theft, arson) the Seattle PD can't seem to get off their ass to do anything. BUT a NIPPLE?! Oh heavens, that's a law we need to enforced. And somehow the police have time and manpower to enforce that? Ridiculous.
@7: You and me both:
Savage Love Live on KCMU
Nick Licata was the City Council’s most left-wing member (when it had white guys on it)
Rent in Pike-Pine was $500/month
So all the people I see living on the street, some doing the "chicken walk" due to the drugs they are taking are somehow less dangerous to the moral sanctity of Seattle than a bare nipple or butt cheek? Do these people on the JET get paid by our taxes? This is insane right-wing culture war nonsense by the prudes on the WSLCB and it has to stop.
@12, @16 Feel dumb yet? https://www.thestranger.com/queer/2024/02/01/79367907/liquor-and-cannabis-board-pauses-enforcement-of-lewd-conduct-regulations