The past two Sunday’s, my wife and I noticed media people with their TV cameras converging in downtown Fort Worth (Sundance Square parking lot and on the steps of the Tarrant County Court House) as they covered protesters of a supposed police brutality action that occurred at a gay bar (Rainbow Lounge) in South Fort Worth.

Though our local newspaper and TV channels have given this supposed accusation of police brutality towards gays lots of coverage, I personally have had zero interest in the situation. First, I don’t subscribe to gay’s lifestyle; I’m one who believes in letting others do their own thing with those who are willing accomplices to their life style. Having said that, I loathe those (regardless if they are gay or lesbian) who abuse and prey on women and children for sexual gratification. Such individuals I believe should be punished to the fullest by law for their deviant behavior.

As a young man, I felt sorry for Richard, a Hispanic co-worker, who was labeled by the Hispanic employees as being de los otros (the other kind), gay, if you will. Richard almost always ate lunch by himself. Most of the Hispanic workers thought little of him and kept their distance. However, I soon joined Richard during our lunch hour and within time, we, and to this day, have been friends. But, our friendship soon became an eye opening experience for me. Within time, Richard began showering me with lavish gifts: jewelry, watches, and a stereo. Interestingly, he never gave them directly to me, but would leave them at my house with my Mom. At work, I would ask Richard, "Rick, why do you give me such nice gifts?" He’d say, "Because you are a very special friend." One day, during lunch, Mario, a Hispanic coworker, said, "Hey James, I saw you walking last night with Robert Trevino (a known gay) at the Marine Park, what gives James?" Though it was a fabricated lie to intimidate Richard, I played along. Shortly thereafter Richard asked me, "James, I thought you loved me? Why are you fooling around with Robert?" he questioned me as he cried uncontrollably. I responded, "Look Richard, you are my friend, and that’s it. However, I’m not, nor do I intend to be your lover. If you want my friendship fine, but let’s leave it right there!" Soon thereafter, Richard came and repossessed all the gifts he had given me.

Interesting note, a year or so ago at a dance I ran into Richard. As we exchanged greetings I candidly asked him, "Rick, all the guys we knew who were gay in our neighborhood have died of AIDS. Why are you still here?" He replied, "James, on her dying bed, my Mom begged me to change my lifestyle and I promised her that I would. Though I still have a strong desire for men, for more than 25 years, I’ve honored my Mom’s request."

As for the Rainbow Lounge incident, a news released stated that liquor commission agents visited the lounge on June 25 to inform the club that they were in the process of visiting several bars in the area to conduct routine inspections as a continuing effort to educate and enforce over-serving alcohol to intoxicated individuals.

The news release statement stated that an extremely intoxicated patron made sexually explicit movements toward the police supervisor. Who then was arrested for public intoxication, as were a couple of other intoxicated individuals who made sexually explicit movements at officers and one who grabbed a TABC [Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission] agent’s groin.

According to Chad Cox, a bartender for another Fort Worth gay bar called Best Friends said he was not aware of any complaints of police mistreatment of gay bar patrons in his club or in other gay establishments in Fort Worth.

Back in the late 70s, I was part owner of a bar in a restaurant. Thus, I’m well aware of how the TABC monitors bars and restaurants that sell alcohol. There are many rules and regulations dispensers of alcohol must comply with to stay in business. Any wrong move, and your liquor license is revoked.

While bartending at my bar, I noticed that a neighborhood chum, Vincent, was hired to service the restaurant’s refrigeration units. Once, after servicing a cooler, Vincent asked me if I would go with him after the restaurant closed to the South Side of Fort Worth to work on an ac unit. "James, I hate to go to that place! It’s a gay bar and those guys just won’t let me work. Particularly, when I’m on top of a ladder they grab me all over as I try like to change filters on the ceiling units. But, my boss has a contract with the owner and I have to go there regardless. Go and pretend you are like an old western stagecoach shotgun rider to protect me from those guys at the gay bar.

As Vincent and I entered the bar, the owner, a lesbian gal, (Josie) I’ve known since we were kids came to me. "James, what are you doing here? Are you gay?" she asked. "No Josie, I’m not gay, I’m with Vincent to keep your patrons away from him as he changes your ceiling unit filters," I replied. "Oh James, these guys won’t harm him," she answered. "I know Josie, but some men don’t like to be groped by other men, while working," I said. As Vince and I walked around the establishment changing filters, it got to be quite a hassle as small groups of patrons tried to get very overfriendly with us. Having stayed in the gay bar for almost 2 hours I saw sexual behavior too difficult to describe with words. Needless to say, Vince and I were glad to get out of there in one piece.

"Am I anti-gay?" some ask. Not really. "Do you side with the police in the Rainbow Lounge incident?" Not yet. But I ask, "Why don’t we all (gays and straights) wait until the incident is thoroughly investigated and go from there. Why do gays who weren’t even at the Rainbow Lounge protest without knowing the complete facts?" Have the police used brutal force inappropriately before? Yes — and that is wrong! But, gays also have acted inappropriately towards others in gay bars and that I know because I saw it with my own eyes!