Gun Barrel City's Lone Gay Bar Was Targeted By Police, But Maybe Not Because it Was Gay

[TexasTowelie]

Saturday, April 5, was drag night at Garlow's, Gun Barrel City's one and only gay bar. It also happened to be the night when a half dozen or so of Gun Barrel City's finest showed up in the parking lot and began pulling over departing patrons for failing to use their turn signals.

"Basically, all that was was a fishing trip to see who's been drinking and who hasn't," bar owner Michael Slingerland tells Unfair Park, saying the bust was the culmination of a couple of months of a lighter police presence.

Gun Barrel City Police Chief Damon Boswell has not returned a call seeking comment, but Lone Star Q reports that four drivers were arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Slingerland himself, who says he'd "had some beers" but wasn't staggering or visibly drunk, opted to walk the quarter-mile to his house. Police arrested him anyway, for public intoxication. He was released from jail the next morning after paying a $352 fine.

More at http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/04/gun_barrel_gay_bar_bust.php .

[Politicalboi]

1. You can carry your stupid gun in public

But can't walk down a dark road in public drunk.

[Warpy]

2. Mebbe, mebbe not

It's hard to say, they might have had a lot of calls about cars weaving all over the road as they exited the place.

If they've ever done turn signal inspections at other bars, I'd say that was the case.

Still, it seems over the top to arrest someone who realized he was too trashed to drive and started walking, instead. They should have paid him the $352.

There are backwoods gay bars all over the country. I knew several back in NC. Usually a nice donation to the local police charity kept them free of any sort of harassment. Maybe Slingerland was late with the check.