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Rainbow Lounge Raid: One Year Later

By BJ Austin, KERA News

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-910161.mp3

Dallas, TX – A year ago this week, the North Texas gay community was voicing its outrage over a raid on the Rainbow Lounge by Fort Worth Police and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents.

One customer of the gay bar suffered a serious head injury.

Jon Nelson, founder of the group "Fairness Fort Worth", says a lot of progress has been made over the past year, including: diversity training for all city employees, and a full-time gay and lesbian community liaison officer in the Police Department.

Nelson: And I think those who have come in contact with Chief Halstead are very pleased with his actions, but more important, with his attitude toward the LGBT community.

To mark the anniversary of the Rainbow Lounge incident, Police Chief Jeff Halstead attended a barbeque last night at the Lounge.

Email BJ Austin