Turning cultural decisions over to local authorities isn’t our favorite pathway to freedom — except when the locale is Capitol Hill. If the Slog’s recent report on another bust at the Eagle involving Washington State Liquor Control Board inspectors and porn is true, it’s time to create a Capitol Hill liquor board. Here’s the nut graf of the Slog post:
An inspector for the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) says he will cite the Eagle, a gay bar on the west side of Capitol Hill, for allowing “lewd conduct” at the bar last month. On Saturday, October 23, agents conducting an inspection reportedly saw footage from a Guys Gone Wild video, which enforcement officer Lorn Richey said in an email to the bar would result in an “administrative violation” next week.
Seattle Gay Scene reminds that the Eagle’s been in this position before:
You might remember that both The Eagle and R Place were targeted two years ago in a WSLCB crackdown on showing porn in (gay) bars. Prior to that time, both bars frequently screened hard core videos on screens or monitors in their establishments. While a few applauded the state’s actions, for “cleaning up” the bars and discouraging “inappropriate” public displays of sexuality, others were horrified by the actions which seemed targeted at gay bars only, and seemed draconian and a violation of free speech. Fans of The Eagle in particular pointed out, that no one is being harmed by a bar with an obvious sexual overtone…”raunchy” bars, regardless of the sexuality or gender of their clientele, are visited by people looking for that particular experience, ie, you go to an obvious “sleazy” bar because you want to. If that scene doesn’t interest you, you can go to a different bar. No one is “forced” to hang out in a seedy bar with seedy characters doing seedy things in a corner. Not your scene? Hang out at the bar at your local Applebee’s or Chili’s.
We’re checking into the story, also, to see if there’s more to add.
UPDATE 12:40 PM: A comment, of sorts, from the Eagle sent us via e-mail:
The Seattle Eagle VS WSLCB
“DICKSLAP” DRESS TO THE EDGE OF DECENCY
Saturday Dec 11th
A night to keep Seattle’s Night Life Alive and on The Edge
…more to come
Nothing better to do with their budget than harass gay bars for victimless crimes? It’s about time we de-funded the WSLCB.
I wish the liquor reform initiatives were less overreaching.
I’d LOVE to see the state continue getting necessary income, but get rid of these absolute losers.
Okay, so I’m a gay man, and amongst the gay community, we all pretty much know what to expect at the Eagle. It isn’t about tea and scones on a sunday afternoon talking about Sondheim.
And, honestly, I can’t imagine a suburban straight person doing the Capitol Hill ‘scene’ thinking the Eagle seemed like a cool place to stumble into.
Yes, let’s have enforcement of keeping liquor out of the hands of minors. Yes, let’s have enforcement of establishments not serving people until they are blotto drunk. But really? This is worthy of our limited government resources? This is an infraction looking for a victim if you ask me.
i think they like to hit bars in the pike/pine corridor close enough to downtown that unwitting tourists might stumble into them. since i’ve seen this happen, i can understand how the complaint might occur. can we move on from the 1950s attitudes here though? Mayor McCheese are you listening? i’ve lived in cities far more homophobic in Seattle that allowed strippers/dancers, porn, and all kinds of sordid activity to go on without this kind of policing.
BS, BS, BS.
Mayor McGinn, raise your voice (for once) and put the kabash on this at once!
WSLCB: leave sleazy gay bars in Seattle alone you homophobic prudes! I live two blocks from The Eagle with my girlfriend and we’ve NEVER GONE TO THE EAGLE, intentionally or otherwise. It’s pretty obvious what The Eagles about unless you’re brain dead. We don’t go to clubs where people F in the bathroom stalls while snorting coke either. Maybe the WSLCB should spend more time busting up that kind of nonsense in Belltown. Clueless, lazy, Mormon hypocrite WSLCB. They seem to not realize they’re not morality police. SO HAPPY I voted for them this past election. Grrr, grrr, grrr.
Why should the inspector ignore something that is happening right in front of him. That government resource isn’t a wasted resource when he is in bar for an inspection and he finds something wrong whatever it may be. Sounds more like you don’t want the right people to take responsibility.
It is the law and the law should be enforced. I don’t see anything particularly strange about that, especially when there is alcohol involved. I understand sometimes laws get skirted and unenforced, which is fine, to a point, but to complain about this like it’s some kind of terrible oppression is a fucking joke.
You fuckers who regurgitate “it’s the law” need to shut the fuck up. Better yet, identify yourselves so we know who the morality police in our communities are. You are the same fuckers that cheer on the police when they murder people. You are the same people that tell gay people to tone it down so we don’t get gay bashed. You are the same people who passively accept budget cuts to our schools while the superintendent gets a raise. You are, in short, good Democrats.
The Eagle needs to post a person, preferably a volunteer and not an employee, near the door to warn of approaching inspectors. If one is spotted, patrons should clog the front door area with bodies. We don’t have to hand them the knife that they use to stab us in the back with.
And where are corporate whores Ed Murray and Jaime Pederson on this? Probably trying to figure out more ways to tax working people instead of taxing the billionaires.
I think you are confusing your wings in this comment.
You are angry and confused at least and you don’t know how to channel that anger either. Maybe you should just shut up because you sound stupid.
What sucks worse is the law. What kinda sucks is whining about enforcement of law. If you care, it affects you, work to change it.
I have no particular irons in this fire but I am against this and similar blue laws in principle.
Man, if only we could have eliminated the power of this ‘enforcement agency’ (morals police) with some kind of referendum offered to the people that would break the state monopoly on liquor and it’s ability to allow individuals to interpret the law without a court giving them de facto power over anyone in business that deals with alcohol..
Of wait we did but you stupid fucks voted it down.
Your private life in a public place you mean.
Someone always has to be stupid when they vote differently than you. You know that makes you stupid as well.
hmmmm
Seem a bit taken with the word stupid ……hmmmm
Has anybody taken into account the present set of rules by our friends at WSLCB PROHIBIT porn in the bars? I’m sorry, but if the letter of the rule forbids it, then DON’T DO IT. It’s pretty simple. You know what WSLCB is capable of, why incite a problem? There’s plenty of edgy activities that can happen in a bar without blatantly breaking the rules. Why give them any ammunition? This isn’t any of that invented upkilt photography from the last round of inspection trouble, it’s cock on the wall.
Sorry, you miss the point entriely. For most of us on the Hill, it’s a question of free speech. When fascistic behavior occurs, is it not our responsibility to challenge it? When Germans didn’t challenge their own fascistic rules, and when middle-Amerikkka failed to challenge Bushes rights violations, everyone affected paid dearly.
Just because the WSLCB prohibits something doesn’t mean we should all yawn and cower away. If that was the case, blacks would still be back-seated and much worse), women wouldn’t be able to vote and anyone not “straight” would see no rights gains such as those hard won over the last 40 years.
C’mon now!
I saw his Facebook message and sent him a message to try asking if it was ok to print this news and to request an interview. He responded to sit on it, for a bit, and gave me his telephone number. I called the number but he didn’t respond and I left a message for him to contact me at his convenience. He hasn’t responded and I sat on the info until it was broken by Capitol Hill Blog.
I sat on it because I suspect it MIGHT be Keith venting and I’m not sure of the legal ramifications for him or the bar if he decides to wage “war” on the WSLCB. I’m assuming he is in contact with his attorneys on the situation.
Hopefully, this “news bulletin” isn’t going to cause him any problems. I regretfully went ahead and posted the new information on Seattle Gay Scene: http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2010/11/breaking-news-eagles-
I’m hoping this works out for Keith and the Eagle.
very fine line between art and porn in MANY people’s eyes. morality laws are arcane and completely out of touch.
i could try to make an argument than a non-believer has as much rights saying that churches s/b illegal.
if you don’t like church, don’t go to them.
if you don’t like naked gay men, don’t go to the eagle.
and get over it. this is obviously enforcement for sad-spirited enforcement agents (which, by the way, would have been funded even MORE with the passage of 1100/1105)
For most on the hill. I bet it is really a minority that is just being vocal. Are there numbers to back that up?
Well, we shouldn’t be calling someone stupid for voting differently.
I’d like to know more about the “lewd conduct” law that was violated. If screening hard core porn in a bar is lewd conduct then it would seem that a video of some guy-gone-wild flashing his dick falls more into a gray area. Is video footage considered lewd just because it shows male genitalia? Erect male genitalia? Erect male genitalia with a hand on in it? What about female genitalia? Or breasts? Maybe it’s the old line (uttered by some former member of SOCTUS) “I can’t define obsenity but I know it when I see it”. Just from the facts in this article I would surmise that the inspector overreached on this one and a fine is totally unwarranted.
I’ll also add that an inspector who is APPROPRIATELY enforcing regss does not deserve our outrage – they’re doing their job – but the enforcement appears to be out of line in this case. I also agree that the whole prohibition against adult videos in an adult setting is archaic….as is a government monopoly of liquor sales.
Seriously “cap” ?
1. It’s ALWAYS the case that a vocal minority does the heavy lifting. When does an overwhelming majority of the general population do ANYTHING political together? Hell, only 2/3 of us even vote in a GOOD YEAR.
2. Capitol Hill is likely them most liberal neighborhood in WA. If not #1, it’s right up there. I’m not going to waste my precious time getting the exact stats for you. I know my (our?) neighborhood pretty well. You disagree with the posters here. Fine. But, remember, I’m not gay and this is not a “Gay” website/blog. This is a CAPITOL HILL website. And, yes, the overwhelming majority of folks who felt compelled to comment -one way or the other- agree that this WSLCB action is BS and smacks of Big Brother-ism.
Please. ;-)
What is furthered by policing obscenity laws in a lopsided way in a private establishment? Does it limit crime? Does it boost test scores?
Not all laws are good laws.
Private bar != Public place
It is not a private bar and it is subject to numerous regulations because it is open to the public. Do you want to argue definitions or deal with reality whether it is alcohol, smoking, or porn.
I hope you can fulfill your need to watch porn in a bar when you need to in the future then.
Wow. you just don’t get it.
Just because I don’t want to watch porn, strippers or bible thumpers do their thing in a meeting place, club or whatever -doesn’t mean others should not have the right to, should they choose to.
You must be very unhappy amongst all of us daft pinkos, eh?
Lighten up. Live and let live. Save your anger and disgust for assaulters, muggers, corporate connivers, rapists, wife/women beaters, litterers, those who don’t clean up their dog’s poo, etc. There are plenty of things to feel threatened over. Gay bars showing porn to their patrons who don’t mind it isn’t one of them.
Have a great night.
“Why should the inspector ignore something that is happening right in front of him”
Because that “something” is none of his fucking business, you creep.
“It is the law and the law should be enforced.”
“Rule of law” is for cowards, and so are obscenity laws.
You guys…it wasn’t PORN, it was GUYS GONE WILD
Maus,
Your name calling in a blog of all places seems a bit cowardly…
I’ve seen “Guy’s Gone Wild” if it’s cock, it’s porn.
I’ve been to the Eagle many times. They show porn. For that matter, so does CC’s. You want cock and you’re at the Eagle? GO ACROSS THE STREET.
You are in a space regulated by state laws. Don’t feed me the bullshit about “if you don’t want to see it, don’t go” there are standards of decency until such a time as lawmakers change that.
X.G. folks of your mentality probably say that Mary Kay Latorneau was ok for what she did with a 12 year old because he clearly wanted it. Ask her how 7 years in prison worked out for her and her career.
Do I think that porn should be allowed at a bar? Hell yeah! But it’s not, so quit endangering a liquor license because you haven’t got the sense to take it across the street.
P.O.d:
No, I don’t think Mary Kay’s statutory rape of a student was ok. Way to stoop low and compare apples to watermelons. shows your deep intellectualism. The 2 points that you law-and-order knee-jerkers keep missing are:
1. The law is an absurd one that flies in the face of a free society and plays little or no part in keeping anything along the lines of order and or safety. We don’t want morality police, especilly where there’s absolutely no issue being raised by the Capitol Hill community on this.
AND,
2. the WSLCB targeted a gay bar for this silliness when anyone with a clue can point to clubs in Belltown and beyond where people snort coke in stalls and even have been seen pissing in sinks.
And, BTW, you suggesting that patrons go across the street is absurd. In hetero bars, people get their sexuality on (Never been to Amber, I guess?). Surprise, surprise… same is true in Gay bars. No one is telling clubs that play shit-sandwich scenes (literally) from JACKASS to stop or lose their alcohol licenses. This is a BS double-standard. The law should be changed and the WSLCB should stop applying it unevenly until then.
So, spare me your Sean Hannity/Glen Beck dissections and observations.
EAGLE? ANYBODY, please back me up here!!!
Wow X.G., you just don’t get it.
They would cite similar violation regardless of the type of bar. They are not targeting this type of bar. You would like to believe that because it makes it easier to justify your absurd arguments. You are just trying to make it about being a double standard.
please find add’l ideas on this topic via Working Media here:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=139276209417305&topic=
Really?
“If it’s cock, it’s porn”
I’ll remember that the next time I watch “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” or “Watchmen”.
PO’d is more conservative than the Supreme Court!
There is difference. You can figure it out. X.G. can’t but I am sure you can.
How does one start a petition to change a Washington State law? Let’s write an initiative to promote personal freedoms!
On the discussion from the link above, someone recommended we “get an initiative passed to repeal and replace our liquor code.”
I would bet about a hundred bar owners would allow us to use their bars to promote a sane liquor control initiative.