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This is based on a letter I just received from Peter Simm, TNT!MEN board member and renowned legal scholar. Things are still up in the air, but this time we plan to get something in writing from Police Supt. Aidan Maher, head of 52 Division.
NEWS FLASH: Maher changes mind -- again!Dancing nude approved by government commission
It seems that Supt. Aidan Maher has changed his mind. Again. Freelance journalist Barry Dennison is working on a story for Fab Magazine about the trouble some cops have been giving the Barn about our monthly nude dances. Earlier today, he played to Supt. Maher a tape recording he had made of an earlier interview with a spokesperson for the Alcohol & Gaming Commission. That recording has apparently convinced Supt. Maher that the A&GC really, REALLY has no problem with TNT!MEN hosting naked dances as "private parties" at The Barn. According to Barry, Maher will shortly be phoning the Barn's lawyer to confirm that the police will refrain from laying any further charges against The Barn's owner for permitting nudity at "private parties" at The Barn. In other words, Maher will give an official green light for TNT!MEN to continue having completely naked dances at The Barn, provided that we require tickets for admission and that tickets aren't available at the door. Of course, the last time we had such a deal was in April, and three cops showed up anyway, refusing to acknowledge the deal with Supt. Maher, and threatening more charges. In fact, it appears that charges were in the works, but given the good work of Mr. Dennison, Supt. Maher has promised that no charges will arise from the May dance. Unfortunately, the owner of the Barn is reluctant to trust the "pie-crust promises" of Supt. Maher and the police of 52 Division. We had their promise in April, and still they visited. Despite this latest promise, there is no guarantee that other rogue cops won't visit and conduct their own personal inspection. We are going ahead with our pre-Pride dance, but it will probably be a "nearly naked" event. This dance is a signal to the police that they can't chase us away that easily, and that we won't give in to their intimidation without a fight. We want this dance to be a signal of support to the Barn. They are the ones bearing the brunt of this waste of scarce police resources, and they are ones who will have to pay the legal costs for their defense. TNT!MEN donated the proceeds of the April dance toward that end, not to mention the considerable expertise and research of lawyer Peter Simm, but there will be big bills in the future. Finally, we want this dance to be a celebration of the victories we have already one, and the ones still to come. To the surprise of many, we convinced City Hall to create a clothing-optional beach last spring. We successfully and easily defeated the attempt by four cops last summer who tried to ban people from swimming nude. We successfully appealed to City Council earlier this year to continue with the nude beach, and to expand its borders. And soon we will get the courts to proclaim publicly and to the entire country that merely being naked in a bar is NOT "disorderly". Some come join us for our June Pride celebration. It's going to be one of the very best Pride dances ever! |