North City police raided gay bars, 10 groups issued a joint statement criticizing the suppression

Taipei City raided the gay bar "Commander D." in Ximending yesterday afternoon. The law enforcement process was rough and even insulting words were reported to be used against gays. Gay groups such as the Taiwan Gay Counseling Hotline Association issued a joint statement today (4th), criticizing the Taipei City's move as a repeat of the oppression of gay venues 30 years ago. They also stated that the Taipei City Government will never be allowed to consume gays to gain international popularity while suppressing gays domestically.

At the end of this month, a gay parade will be held in Taipei City. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan has attended related events many times in the past. However, the Taipei City Police Department searched gay bars yesterday. Many people witnessed that the police refused to show search tickets, and asked people not to talk or use mobile phones. They were also arrogant and used words to humiliate gays. In the end, dozens of people were taken to the police station for questioning.

Ten groups including the Taiwan LGBT Counseling Hotline issued a joint statement today, stating that they will never allow the police to use public power to persecute and trample the LGBT community 30 years ago. They also raised five major demands, including that the process of law enforcement was obviously excessive, violated procedures, and even involved personality humiliation. The Taipei City Government should immediately launch an independent investigation and make a public explanation before punishing and apologizing. , and the Taipei City Wanhua Branch, which enforces law, should completely preserve and disclose law enforcement records that can be disclosed in accordance with the law, and require the Taipei City Government to incorporate the equal rights and interests of vulnerable groups such as diverse genders and people with disabilities into the police's law enforcement, assessment and accountability systems; the police and the media should stop describing gay venues and gay erotic culture in a stigmatizing way.

The statement also pointed out that in Taichung last October, there was an infringement incident of police interrogating and seizing gay stores, which resulted in the store being forced to close down. It believed that this time stores in the North City that have long provided a space for specific sexual cultural exchanges were once again subject to large-scale searches, on-site customers were intensively interrogated, and were also discriminated against, humiliated, and intimidated by the police. What the gay community felt was not just a law enforcement action, but the collective memory of past intrusions and oppression by state power was reawakened, and the North City government was asked to propose active countermeasures.