An LGBTQ+ bar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the scene of a raid by police and city officials in the middle of a drag show which featured trans model and artist Amanda Lepore.
The bar, P Town on Baum Blvd, was visited for a “surprise inspection” on Friday night (2 May) by officers from the Nuisance Bar Task Force (NBTF), including members of the state police, local fire department and city health department.
As per initial reporting by local LGBTQ+ publication Q Burgh, around 20 officers entered the venue at about 11.30pm during its Another Party Pittsburgh event while local drag queen Blade Matthews was singing a rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The length of the song forced officers to have to wait some minutes before they were able to request patrons and performers stand outside the bar whilst a “compliance check” was carried out.
Local drag artist Indica, who was hosting the event, said it was a “LCB raid taken to the extreme” and around dozens of folks were left outside in the rain for thirty minutes waiting “for them to inspect every crevice”.
Indicia criticised the timing of the inspection – which many felt was reminiscent of the gay bar raids of decades gone by – and led the displaced patrons in singing an open-air, a cappella rendition of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” to keep spirits up.
“Queer people banded together and showed we are so much stronger than an attempt to make us scared or comply with their rules,” Indica told the publication.
One anonymous attendee described the experience “jarring” in 2025.
“Dozens of state police, geared up with bulletproof vests, flooded the bar and told us to get out. None of the officers would explain what was happening,” they recalled of the disruption.
“We stood in the rain for maybe 30 minutes or so until most patrons were let back in. Fortunately the situation was calm and orderly, but they really just overtook this queer space with an entire fleet of police to ‘count heads’ or whatever their excuse was.”
Bizarrely, whilst the patrons and performers were outside some officers asked guest performer Amanda Lepore for a photograph.
In a statement subsequently published on social media by the venue’s management, they said the inspection was “part of an efforts to ensure establishments remain in compliance with [Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board] regulations”.
They noted the inspection “brought to light a few areas where we need to make improvements” but are “committed to working diligently to comply with all city, county, and state regulations”.
“Regarding our occupancy limit— many of you know we completed renovations during the COVID shutdown and had been awaiting an updated permit from the city. We thought the delay was pandemic-related, but we will make a more proactive effort. If there are any architects or professionals experienced in permitting or code compliance willing to assist, your support would be immensely appreciated.”
P Town’s management noted it had been an “overwhelming few days” following the raid and admitted they were “unsure” why it was chosen that evening but they are “choosing to view this as an opportunity for growth and improvement”.
“When the officers arrived, we were asked to pause the event and have guests step outside while the inspection was carried out,” the statement reads, adding the officers who attended the venue “acted professionally” and to their knowledge “no patrons were mistreated”.
The statement continued: “Most importantly, we want to reaffirm our commitment to making P Town a vibrant, inclusive, and safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone who joins us. This has always been—and will always be—our top priority.”
P Town’s management concluded by thanking staff and performers for their “calm, professionalism, and grace under pressure”, adding a special thanks to the drag performers “who kept the spirit alive in spite of the disruption”.
“We need to enforce our safety rules”
In response to concerns raised by attendees, the wider LGBTQ+ community in Pittsburgh and allies, Pittsburgh mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement.
“I want first to acknowledge the way in which bar raids were used historically to harass and commit violence against the LGBTQIA+ community. It was not so long ago that police raids on gay bars were routine, and it was one such raid, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, that sparked the modern movement to establish safe places for people to be open about their gender and sexuality without fear of arrest,” Gainey said.
“It is my intent that our actions as a city build upon, rather than undermine, that legitimate desire for safety.”
Gainey went on to state the inspection was “driven by a report to the city’s Bureau of Fire, specifically asking for a check on overcrowding” and “inspectors found that the bar, with an occupancy permit for 70, had 133 people inside”. He added the other agencies also identified a “handful of additional violations”.
“As Mayor, I want to ensure that patrons are not exposed to risk. This is our responsibility, and we need to enforce our safety rules.
“However, we need to be thoughtful about the fear that the sudden appearance of multiple armed officers can cause. We also need to have safeguards in place that ensure that NBTF complaints cannot be used to target vulnerable populations.
“I’ve asked PBP Acting Chief Martin Devine and Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt to review not only this incident but the operation of the task force more broadly to ensure that we do our work with the greatest sensitivity to historical trauma and that we put any additional safeguards in place so that the process cannot be manipulated to harass any of our residents.
“Not only are they prepared to do this work, but they plan to participate in an upcoming discussion about their findings and how we can better address these incidents with the City’s LGBTQIA+ Commission.
“I take personal responsibility for ensuring that our City Services are equitable and we will continue to work to build trust and prioritize the safety of our most marginalized residents.”
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