Taiwan likes to call itself Asia’s most queer-friendly place, and for good reason: it was the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, and Taipei hosts East Asia’s biggest Pride. So when police raided a gay bar in the heart of the city on Saturday, and a video showed an officer mocking a disabled customer, the community didn’t stay quiet.

By Monday there had been a street protest, a joint statement from 10 LGBTQ+ groups, a mayoral apology and six disciplined officers. Here’s what happened, and why activists say this is far from over.

What happened at Commander D

On Saturday, October 3, officers from the Wanhua Precinct raided Commander D, a gay bar in the Ximending area, the Taipei Times reported. They took 51 people in for questioning and arrested the owner.

Police said they acted on a court-issued search warrant over suspected violations of public morality, and that the venue had been the subject of 13 complaints this year, according to Focus Taiwan. They said they found people naked and used condoms at the bar, which CNA describes as BDSM-themed. Customers were released after giving statements; the person in charge was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of public indecency.

Patrons tell a different story. A joint statement from 10 groups, including the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association, cited people at the scene who said police refused to show the warrant, ordered everyone to squat, banned them from talking or using their phones, and took dozens of people to the station against their will, Focus Taiwan reported.

One person told the Taipei Times they were held for more than six hours after being accused of exposing themselves. They said they had only taken their shirt off shortly before police arrived because the bar was crowded and hot. “I trusted the police to know the law,” they said.

The video that changed the story

The detail that spread fastest was a clip of an officer asking a customer in a wheelchair, who was in the toilet, how disabled people “manage to have sex in there,” per the Taipei Times.

That matters for the timeline. In a statement on Saturday night, the precinct said all officers had acted lawfully and denied making humiliating remarks about people with disabilities. By Sunday, it said surveillance footage had confirmed the conduct and the officers were facing disciplinary procedures, CNA reported.

The protest

On Sunday, members of Taipei’s LGBTQ+ community marched to the precinct. Reuters counted about 100 protesters and called the raid rare for a city that prides itself on its liberal image, as US News carried it; CNA estimated around 500 people at the rally.

The precinct chief told the crowd police “respect the culture of a pluralistic society,” according to Reuters. Protesters weren’t convinced.

What the city has done so far

On Monday, the Taipei Police Department said that after reviewing body camera footage, four officers who used inappropriate language would each get two demerits, the lead investigator one demerit, and Wanhua Precinct director Chen Yung-hua, who asked to be disciplined, two demerits, the Taipei Times reported. Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien promised more training on diversity and cultural awareness.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who is running for re-election in November, said he regretted the incident and apologised to those affected. Regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, identity, ethnicity or beliefs, he said, the city must make sure everyone is protected, treated with respect and feels safe.

His challenger, DPP candidate Puma Shen, said people have a right to know the legal basis for the raid, and noted that the precinct only admitted concerns after videos emerged. “Taipei’s diversity and inclusivity should not only be visible on Pride,” he said.

Police also said the precinct inspected 16 businesses that night as part of routine checks, and that none was specifically targeted at a particular group.

Why “more training” isn’t the whole answer

The 10 groups were specific about what they want, per Focus Taiwan:

  • An independent investigation and a public statement from the city
  • Discipline for responsible officers, and an apology
  • Release of the legally releasable records of the operation
  • Guidelines for police operations in LGBTQ+ and gender-diverse spaces, with protections for queer and disabled people built into how police are evaluated
  • An end to stigmatising language about gay spaces from police and media

They also said the city can’t stop at “strengthening diversity and gender-awareness training,” and that a search warrant doesn’t exempt police from due process, proportionality and human dignity.

That last point is the heart of it. Queer bars have always been more than bars: they’re where people who can’t be out at home or work get to exist out loud. A raid on one, however it’s justified on paper, lands on a community with a long memory. The groups’ statement said the incident was reminiscent of that history of oppression.

Eyes on Taiwan Pride

Taiwan Pride takes place in Taipei on October 31. Regional advocates told CNA the raid has people asking whether Taiwan is still “a safe and friendly” destination. Ryan Silverio of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus said the raid at a popular LGBTQ+ venue “may raise concerns about safety,” and APCOM’s Midnight Poonkasetwattana said queer communities would be watching the government’s response.

For context, support for marriage equality in Taiwan has been holding steady seven years on, as we reported in June. This weekend wasn’t a reversal of those rights. It was a test of whether the people enforcing the law treat queer people with the same dignity the law promises. The community’s fast, loud, organised response is its own kind of good news: the pressure got results within two days, and they are not done.

Sources: Taipei Times (with CNA and Reuters); Focus Taiwan (CNA), Oct 4 and Oct 5; Reuters via US News. Photo: Ximending pedestrian zone at night (file photo, not the bar), Multivariable, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.