The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board will be making several changes to its policies after a handful of LGBTQ+ bars were recently wrapped up in enforcement inspections across the Seattle area.
Eighteen bars across Seattle were visited by LCB agents and police on Friday and Saturday nights last weekend. Four of those are well-known gay venues, and two received write-ups for “lewd conduct” violations.
That led to outrage from many within the LGBTQ+ community, including Lumberyard owner Nathan Adams, whose bar also got a visit from police paired with the LCB.
“That’s not right,” he told KIRO 7 earlier this week. “… Is there any reason to show up with two agents, police officers? I think the Fire Department was there as well. Really? You’re basically saying the building’s on fire and under attack.”
And although the LCB has insisted that these gay bars were not targeted, it announced changes to seven policies this week. That includes the immediate suspension of enforcing their lewd conduct rule, as well as pausing its partnership with the City of Seattle’s Joint Enforcement Team (JET). The JET team is comprised of Seattle police officers, and in the past has often joined LCB agents on enforcement inspections.