Dallas - Unfair Park - As Rainbow Lounge Raid Story Spreads Across Country, Many Interviews with Chad Gibson

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As Rainbow Lounge Raid Story Spreads Across Country, Many Interviews with Chad Gibson

By Robert Wilonsky in News You Can Actually Use, Actually

Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 8:40AM

Courtesy KXAS-Channel 5

Chad Gibson, hospitalized for a week after the Rainbow Lounge raid in Fort Worth, tells local TV stations he wants the officers involved prosecuted.

More than a week later, the Rainbow Lounge raid continues to make national headlines.Yesterday, The New York Times revisited the Rainbow Lounge raid; this morning, the Los Angeles Times pays a visit to Fort Worth, where residents are still coming to terms with the impact of the incident. Making a cameo is former Dallas Times Herald reporter Mark Potok, now with the Southern Poverty Law Center, who, like countless others before him, is stunned at the timing of the raid on the gay bar -- on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn incident that led to the gay-rights movement: "It was strange that all this happened on that night of all nights. If it was a simple mistake, then it was a very, very foolish one."

But WFAA-Channel 8 last night had The Big Story: the first interview with Chad Gibson, who was hospitalized for a week after the raid with a skull fracture and who still has a blood clot on his brain, just behind his right eye. For the first time, Gibson offers his take on the incident: "They have blamed it on me, that I was drunk [and] that I hit my head," he said. "I groped the officer. I did this. I did that. You know what? No ... Accept responsibility."

Update: Many thanks to those Friends of Unfair Park working at KTVT-Channel 11 and KXAS-Channel 5, who've sent word this morning of their own interviews with Gibson. Channel 5's video follows after the jump.

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13 comment(s) / Post a Comment

Andre says:

Channel 8 didn't have the first interview with Chad Gibson. Channel 5 interviewed him on the 5 p.m. newscast Sunday, before Channel 8 spoke to him. Just an FYI

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 9:33AM

D'Andre says:

Not that it matters as every station conducted their own interview but:

Channel 8 was the first station to speak to Chad on camera ; Channel 5 interviewed him later and chose to run their interview on an early newscast vs holding for the more heavily-viewed Sun 10pm time period.

WHAT Chad Gibson had to say is more important than WHO was first, IMHO.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 1:07PM

Correct Version says:

Actually NBC 5 was the first to interview him and ran it first at 5 pm AND again at 10 pm. The other stations played catch up for 10.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 1:22PM

Branden Helms says:

My guess is, judging by the comments, is that 8 did not interview Gibson first.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 2:15PM

Gangy says:

Instead of arguing about which tv station did what when, how about we talk about what this story means to LGBT Texans, the equality movement, and public ignorance of the treatment of members of that community?

We need to seize the day to educate the public on the connection between denying the LGBT community equal legal rights and police/homophobes feeling that terrorizing them is justifiable.

They will not be seen as ordinary human beings who are just trying to live their lives with the rights and freedoms of the rest of us, until our laws include them. Equality of marriage rights, property rights, employment rights, housing rights, and military service rights must be codified into law no later than yesterday.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 5:09PM

threefour66 says:

Don't grope cop's, no matter how cute you think he is.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 7:14PM

brian Nesbitt says:

@threefour66-

are you really that uneducated? do you really think that all us gay people do is run around groping each other?

there are eye witnesses that state nobody was groped. it seems to me that the cops were looking to make up any excuse to justify their behavior and chose to go with a "gay panic" defense.

i have personally been to this bar 3 times in the last week and haven't gotten groped once. it's a fun little bar with nice and respectful patrons that were subjected to a gestapo like raid last week. these people are hurting and all you can do is make jokes? i guess that just shows the nature of a person's character.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 7:29PM

Gordon Keith says:

"i have personally been to this bar 3 times in the last week and haven't gotten groped once. "

Well looks like there is no need for me to visit.

Posted On: Monday, Jul. 6 2009 @ 10:23PM

Rawlins in Blunderland says:

The last time I was groped in any bar, Ford was in the White House. (The last time I was abused by the police, Bush was.)

Posted On: Tuesday, Jul. 7 2009 @ 12:59AM

Daniel says:

I was groped by Ford in the White House. He was mean and I felt the sting of dirty shame!

Posted On: Tuesday, Jul. 7 2009 @ 10:10AM

Jack E. Jett says:

Gordon...you can always go and do as I do..
just grope yourself with your non dominant hand. Then, take it home and continue the process. Call it a date.

Posted On: Tuesday, Jul. 7 2009 @ 12:09PM

Toots says:

I lay on my right arm, let it go numb and have at it. It's like somebody else is doing it. Richard Hunter taught me that.

Posted On: Tuesday, Jul. 7 2009 @ 3:02PM

Jack E. Jett says:

Richard Hunter is brilliant.

Posted On: Wednesday, Jul. 8 2009 @ 10:21AM