Taipei Police Raid Gay Bar, Detaining 51 as LGBTQ+ Groups Warn of Lasting Stigma
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 31
Taipei Police Raid Gay Bar, Detaining 51 as LGBTQ+ Groups Warn of Lasting Stigma
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 31
Summary
Fifty-one customers were taken in for questioning after Taipei police raided Commander D on 3 October and arrested the owner over suspected public-decency violations; he has been referred to prosecutors but not formally charged.
Police said the court-authorised search followed 13 complaints this year, but videos showed officers mocking a disabled patron and stopping some customers from dressing, prompting accusations of sexual humiliation and excessive force.
Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an later apologized, and six officers were disciplined for inappropriate remarks and poor supervision, while rights groups filed a criminal complaint and demanded an independent investigation.
The raid has rattled Taiwan's LGBTQ+ community ahead of Taipei Pride, with activists saying it undercuts the island's gay-friendly image despite rising support for same-sex marriage since legalization in 2019.
Campaigners say Commander D fits a wider pattern of scrutiny of queer venues, citing a Taichung bathhouse closure after a raid and a Taipei gay gym that was reportedly inspected 186 times in three years.