Police raid Taipei gay bar, detain 51, prompting large LGBTQ+ protest
Police entered the Commander D bar in Taipei, arrested its owner and detained 51 patrons under a public morality charge, leading about 100 LGBTQ+ supporters to demonstrate the next day.
Police conducted a warrant-based operation at Commander D, a popular gay bar in Taipei’s Wanhua area, on the afternoon of October 3, seizing the establishment’s manager and detaining 51 individuals for suspected breaches of a law against public indecency. Authorities said the action targeted people who allegedly exposed naked bodies or adopted lascivious postures in a publicly accessible space. The bar, which has operated for about 14 years, previously faced scrutiny over alleged underage patronage, a claim it denied.
The following day, roughly a hundred members of the LGBTQ+ community marched to the precinct, decrying the raid as violent and inconsistent with Taiwan’s progressive image, especially as Pride events approach. Police spokesperson Chen Yu-cheng defended the operation, while the precinct chief pledged to protect citizens’ rights. Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who has expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights, faces an election next month.
Why it matters
The raid challenges Taiwan’s reputation for LGBTQ+ tolerance and raises questions about law enforcement’s use of public morality statutes.
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