And Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields came out as as a lesbian earlier this year. The situation also reignites accusations of racism within the LGBT community: The commander who ordered the bars closed is gay, as is his supervisor, Major Darin Schierbaum. “That this incident took place during Atlanta’s 21st annual Black Gay Pride, an event that is extremely significant for our city, only compounds the problematic nature of the decision.”Īnn Hermes/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images “Given the fact that no other bars were shut down in this way, it is difficult not to interpret the action as discriminatory against the LGBTQ community,” said mayoral candidate Cathy Woolard. “The morning watch supervisors should have been aware of the city council’s extension of bar hours for the Labor Day weekend, but they were not.”Īuthorities call the incident an honest mistake, but with ongoing tensions between African-Americans and police nationwide, bringing paddy wagons to places filled with queer people of color goes beyond bad optics. “Closing the bars early was, very simply, an honest mistake based on a communication failure,” said APD’s Carlos Campos. According to an APD spokesperson, the commanding officer made the call to close the bars, including Blake’s on the Park and Ten, because of concern that crowds spilling out onto the streets could become a public safety hazard.
