Dallas PD reportedly flew a drone into a private closed-door adults-only gay men’s event. Can anyone verify raid details and legal premise/concerns?

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breonny@reddit

While I can’t comment on any specifics of the raid and certainly don’t condone surveillance or harassment of LGBTQ communities, I can go to the website and purchase tickets as a member of the public. In Dallas, that means this does not meet the definition of a private event. As soon as you start selling tickets or otherwise treating a private space like a public venue, it’s pretty much a public venue. It’s also worth noting that it’s not just LGBTQ events which are targeted. Ever looked around and wondered why there’s no underground music or art events in this city? Everything is mainstream and regulated or subject to raids, fines, and closures.

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phu-q-2@reddit

I'm not trying to be funny here - how underground would an underground event be if you looked around and saw it? Is it possible there are events going on that you aren't aware of, because they're underground?

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breonny@reddit

Oh no. That’s a totally fair point, especially to point out the irony in my phrasing.

Suffice it to say, as an artist who was born in Dallas and used to attend “underground” arts events, they disappeared virtually overnight around 2014 when the fire marshall started cracking down. With ferocity. There were public hearings and everything about it.

I’m not even really trying to speak either for or against it. On the one hand, I get why we want to do things that fly under the radar. On the other hand, I get why the city wants to prevent major tragedies from happening, like what can happen when you cram hundreds (or thousands)of bodies into unregulated warehouses without sprinkler systems.

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phu-q-2@reddit

Okay, if you’re currently plugged in to the scene, that makes perfect sense! I was in the music scene 90’s to early 2000’s. I’d find myself at underground art exhibits (late at night) but never knew they were happening. Just ended up there. Played some underground shows with Tripping Daisy a few times in god knows who’s warehouses etc. full lights/sound, usually kegs no bar. It was wild and yeah, probably unsafe. Thankfully, I have no tragic events to share but can see how they could happen easily. I kind of figured parties/events like that still happened and I was just unaware. I suppose social media, cell phones has helped “them” crack down on them too. I love what tech does for us and hate what it’s doing to us.

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breonny@reddit

Oh yes. How times have changed!

I was born in Dallas in ‘83. What we were doing in the late 90s/early 00s is lightyears away from what we are doing (not doing…) now.

Dallas—and Deep Ellum in particular—was defined by the underground warehouse show mid 80s to late 90s. The city is a very different beast now—a little grown up, a little bougie. Any way you slice it, it’s just very, very different now.

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VictorB1964@reddit

Their "concern" is so phony and it always comes back to haunt them and hurt them.

The fire Marshall cracks down on "underground" art events or sex clubs in Dallas, but "Christian" camps alongside rivers are tacitly allowed to ignore basic common sense rules because after all, climate change is such liberal bs!! After all white hetero Christians innTexas of course know best!

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Mindless-Committee@reddit (OP)

Well, if a gathering is going on that you can walk by in broad day light and not see or hear it, I would say that’s pretty underground.

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breonny@reddit

If it’s visible on the internet, it’s not underground. That’s how most events here get busted—online marketing.

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TailRudder@reddit

What's the purpose of the surveillance? I just don't understand what the police get out of it.

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jonbodhi@reddit

Many (not all, but many) cops are puritanical assholes who get off on power, homophobia, and persecuting ANYONE who doesn’t fit THEIR definition of ‘normal’ or ‘appropriate.’

I guarantee you, some of them tell each other they are stopping disease transmission, or that ecstasy is as dangerous as heroin.

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texasinauguststudio@reddit

Control.

The people who actually run the city (not elected officials) get control.

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breonny@reddit

Oh man. I really can’t speak to that. Without getting too Big Brothery, I would humbly submit we’re all subject to a lot more surveillance than we realize.

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Mindless-Committee@reddit (OP)

Which is no justification for it, nor justification for being subjected to more.

Is that like saying there are snakes out there, and you could get bitten. And since there are probably more snakes out there you realize, so you should accept getting bitten a lot? Point it: I don’t wanna get bitten at all.

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tbear87@reddit

Ok people trying to answer your questions is not them agreeing with the answer. All of your replies are coming off hostile as though the person commenting personally called the DARE hotline right before the abstinence police. Chill.

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breonny@reddit

Of course there’s no justification for it.

The only problem with the snake analogy is that one is usually aware when bitten by a snake. This is more insidious, more invisible, so sometimes we have to use words to bring awareness to it.

Or maybe it’s more like a brown recluse, where you may not know you’ve been bitten until an infection spreads.

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Mindless-Committee@reddit (OP)

Good question (although off topic). Governments claim surveillance makes safety, a topic up for debate. What’s not debatable is that constant surveillance leads to something known as the Hawthorne Effect. It’s a phenomenon where people act differently when they know they’re being watched. Governments enjoy wielding this kind of power to make a more compliant, controllable society. It’s all about domination, control and power.

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breonny@reddit

It’s sort of exactly the topic, although wandering beyond the scope of typical commentary in this sub.

On the original question of what police get out of this, I do think law enforcement agencies are coopted into serving “government” agenda, where they may genuinely believe they’re serving the public interest and public safety.

(I put government in quotation because I also think—at least parts of—the government are also coopted into serving ulterior agendas in good faith naivety.)

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HaikuPikachu@reddit

They do drug busts like this all the time unfortunately, can’t have adults doing things that harm nobody

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Mindless-Committee@reddit (OP)

Having private gatherings of all consenting adults is not “doing things that harm.”

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whendoesOpTicplay@reddit

Tell that to the fascist judge

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sushisection@reddit

power, brother. there is no logic to it, just a pure unfiltered primal lust for control over others.

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James-the-Bond-one@reddit

Good info.

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CapitanShinyPants@reddit

Updated story from Dallas Voice.

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breonny@reddit

This is wild.

I, like many people, know Luna personally. (Me from film industry.) He’s long had a reputation for being kinda creepy and a bad businessman. But he also has had sexual assault allegations lodged against him. Would say this is probably long overdue and hopefully he stays gone.

Thanks so much for sharing this update so we have facts and not just speculation!

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Jericoholic_Ninja@reddit

I heard there was some illegal cock fighting going on.

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jonbodhi@reddit

I assure you: the cocks weren’t fighting!

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magdalena_meretrix@reddit

Too soon

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pmmeurbassethound@reddit

Idk anything about this event but I read the first comment on the original post and I will say that Dallas SWAT and sexually oriented business have long been adversaries. I remember them raiding Babydolls back in the early-mid aughts, bunch of lumbering jackboots intending to terrify a bunch of 20 year old young ladies wearing nothing but knickers and heels. God forbid adults acting with consent, we know them GOP prefer the polar opposite.

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over_this__@reddit

I was hooking at 18. If you offer extras, you run the risk of jail. That's the game. That's why you make 500 dollars sucking off some married dude who can't get it from the wife. If it was legal, the market would be flooded and prices would plummet. Most working women don't want the shit legal 😂

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pmmeurbassethound@reddit

First of all you're wrong. People charging $50 on the blade is not impacting others charge $1k in the correct private room any more than a $15 handbag at Walmart is stopping Hermès charging thousands. Second idk what the price of tea in China ever had to do with my comment but sure seems like you typed yours one handed so go enjoy your day I guess.

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over_this__@reddit

I literally am not lmao. You mentioned them raiding girls back in the day and then acted pissy about "well it's consenting adults". That's the game. Make killer money because you break the law.

And yes, girls working the blade for 50 dollars impacts shit. Most working girls will tell you the clubs are dead and guys aren't buying extras. They're going and getting them the illegals and paying them peanuts. Guys aren't going to pay a grand when they can get the same shit for 50.

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pmmeurbassethound@reddit

What are you on because you are swinging at clouds. You wanna admit to illegal activities while a grand jury is actively deciding whether reddit is legally obligated to revoke user's anonymity, you do you. Again about the price of tea in China though.

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Mnudge@reddit

Sounds about right

Guaranteed they also got video of every license plate in the lot.

Probably uploaded it all To Palantir

We live in an active surveillance state

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Ugly_Josephine@reddit

Crazy how this hysteria just gets accepted without any evidence

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Mnudge@reddit

They don’t hide it

They say what they are going to do so it’s no surprise when they actually do

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Onuus@reddit

Especially if you partake in activities that those in charge don’t like.

It’s all so fucking stupid

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texasinauguststudio@reddit

Yes, and what they don't like is *anything* not about them, not about praising them, not about giving them money and power, not about getting their permission.

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dumpln@reddit

Oh they like it just fine. That’s why they’re always looking for it. Uncivilized humans love to point the finger at another for doing that which they too are guilty.

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Less_Ant_6633@reddit

Funny how grindr outages and republican events tend to coorelate.

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earthworm_fan@reddit

Private doesn't mean they weren't doing some illegal shit. Will wait to find out more details on this one.

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Actual-Mine-1508@reddit

Have you ever heard of a warrant?

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over_this__@reddit

They had one 😂

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GIVE_US_THE_MANGIA@reddit

Yes. Charging for entry to a giant sex party in a warehouse is asking for legal trouble. Doesn't take a genius to figure this out, and sexual orientation is irrelevant. The event was very much PUBLIC with info easily available on their website. That opens you up to a lot more problems than whatever you do at home in PRIVATE.

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over_this__@reddit

By the comments in that thread, they had a warrant. People were probably paying to get in. They might have had minors.

Like, that's what happens when you play the game.

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Saamari@reddit

Sounds like they were doing something illegal unfortunately. Before these raids they have people go in and get proof, sounds like the owner was arrested so he 100% knew what was going on. I very highly doubt they have the license to do what they are doing and the owner put everyone in that building at risk.

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Rod_7_5@reddit

The venue has a certificate of occupancy for “commercial amusement (inside),” which is, according to Dallas City Code, one of the zoning classifications for sexually-oriented businesses.

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wodneueh571@reddit

If I had to guess, this was probably more of a drug bust. But it does appear to be real — https://x.com/dannyzarem/status/2045242858261578192

Location is at 2526 Manana Dr according to their flyer, probably can pull the police reports online also to confirm.

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Mindless-Committee@reddit (OP)

What is your basis for assuming this was a drug bust? No evidence. My post stated I was seeking facts, not speculation. We already know the raid happened.

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Rod_7_5@reddit

For better or for worse, the venue's owner reportedly has 4 charges posted against him during booking:

Possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 2 with a weight of more than 400 grams.
possession of marijuana greater than 4oz but less than 5lbs
Prohibited from owning/operating/managing a business by sex offender
promoting prostitution

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alextheruby@reddit

You have mental issues

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Dallas-ModTeam@reddit

Your comment has been removed because it is a violation of Rule #3: Uncivil Behavior

Violations of this rule may result in a ban. Please review the r/Dallas rules on the sidebar before commenting or posting.

Send a message the moderators if you have any questions. Thanks!

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wodneueh571@reddit

Girl chill, I'm gay and am well aware of the history in Dallas. I'm also aware they have not busted Club D or any bookstores or movie theaters in the recent past unless there is something ELSE going on (I'm not counting the raid 15+ years ago at Club D as recent past)... The venue that was raided hosts this type of event basically every weekend -- so why this weekend? My best guess is that there were drugs involved. We will know for sure once the arrests show up on Dallas Police Public Data Viewer for beat 534 for April, but it may take a few days to show up.

Also, I did post facts -- there is a fucking picture of the raid. :) And this is Reddit. Have a great day!

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DandierChip@reddit

They had a search warrant signed off by a judge.

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CapitanShinyPants@reddit

Now do Collette.

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iloveyourclock@reddit

https://dallasvoice.com/raid-at-spayse-studios/

Warrant for prostitution

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H6RR6RSH6W@reddit

Damn! I thought that was next month

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3Time4Eater3@reddit

Sounds like part of a movie plot

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some_random_chap@reddit

If it was closed door, how did they fly a drone it? Anyway, this might not be a ChatGPT/AI slop post, but OP had AI write these two sentences for them. Lame.

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Mindless-Committee@reddit (OP)

1) wrong 2) gaslighting 3) we’re talking about tons of cops showing up at mid-day gather of adult men, making no ruckus, and you want to distract with conversations over semantics and who wrote what 4) lame

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Usual-Caregiver5589@reddit

We don't care what you're doing behind closed doors, as long as I can't accidentally fly my surveillance device into your space and see what you're doing in 4k at 120fps.

conservatives

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Send a message the moderators if you have any questions. Thanks!

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