Around 100 members of Taipei’s LGBTQ+ community protested on Sunday after police raided a gay bar the previous day and detained 51 people, an unusual move in Taiwan, which has long projected a liberal image and legal protections for sexual minorities.The protest came a day after police raided Commander D, a well-known gay bar in Taipei’s Wanhua district, taking 51 people in for questioning and arresting the bar’s owner. Police said they had acted on a search warrant over suspected “offences against public morality”.According to precinct spokesman Chen Yu-cheng, those detained were suspected of violating a law prohibiting “wantonly exposing one’s naked body or presenting a lascivious posture in a public place or publicly accessible place”.Protesters marched to the precinct police station on Sunday, where they voiced anger over the raid and questioned the police action.“They raided the place violently. It was very scary,” one of those detained told Reuters.The Taipei city government referred Reuters to a separate police statement saying officers had received a complaint alleging that the bar could be violating public decency laws.
What happened at Commander D?
The raid took place on October 3 at around 4.30 pm, according to local reports. The bar’s manager protested the police action and was handcuffed, while people at the scene said officers initially refused to show the search warrant.Police later described the operation as questioning rather than a search, according to local reports, prompting further anger among those present.The reports also said a large number of customers who had removed their clothes were taken away for questioning. It was not immediately clear whether the operation was connected to a suspected drug offence.Commander D, which has operated in Taipei for about 14 years, had previously come under scrutiny after a city councillor raised concerns about alleged underage customers entering bars.The councillor had also released photographs of the bar’s interior and alleged that underage youths were being subjected to inappropriate activities. The allegations prompted Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an to order an investigation.The bar denied having any system involving underage customers and said intimate interactions between customers were private behaviour. It said it had an identity and age-verification mechanism and checked customers’ identification at entry.
Taiwan’s LGBTQ+ rights record
The raid has drawn particular attention because Taiwan has positioned itself as one of Asia’s most progressive societies on LGBTQ+ rights.Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019, becoming the first jurisdiction in Asia to do so. Taipei is also due to hold its main Pride event later this month, one of the largest such events in East Asia.Mayor Chiang, from the opposition Kuomintang, has previously attended Taipei Pride and expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community. He faces an election next month.The precinct chief, who did not give his name, briefly addressed protesters outside the police station.“We respect the culture of a pluralistic society and will protect the rights of every citizen,” he said, as protesters shouted their disapproval.A protestor shared that he was angry that the raid had taken place during Pride month.“I’m not cool with this,” he said. “This city used to claim that it was queer friendly.”
