Taboo Strip Club Raided By Police

[Luv2play]

This is breaking news! The local radio in Montreal reported that the Taboo Strip Club was raided by police last night (Friday) and 34 were arrested, including four customers, for performing alleged indecent acts. Thirty dancers and staff were also arrested, including one dancer who was alledgedly underaged (no surprise there!). This sounds like a major raid, although I have not been in contact yet with certain friends who are regulars at Taboo. There may be further details later today. I will try to provide an update later if further details emerge. Needless to say, this is a situation that bears watching, especially for those of us that enjoy Montreal strip clubs.:-(

[bigguyinpasadena]

Hi luv2play,could you post a link?Searched montreal gazette,gaybek,gay365,and google news and found nothing.Thanks-hope this is a one time thing,otherwise my week in montreal will have a lot of time I have to fill.

[marc anthony]

Hey there:

 

Thanks for the newsflash. I too am going to try and contact some friends in Montreal to see what's really up.

 

Couple of things that do need mentioning though...

 

1) The dancers have always told me that the police raid Taboo every so often... like on the order of once every other year or so. This is apparently the rationale for having that back room monitor, to show police that illegal behavior is being prevented by management. If this is one of those regular events (apparently it had been a while since the last one), then I guess this may be the price of the vice. However, if there is going to be some sort of crackdown, that will NOT be good.

 

2) I find it interesting that 30 Taboo employees and dancers were arrested along with 4 customers. First, there are usually about 30 employees there on weekends, but several of them are bartenders, waiters, and disc jockeys. They got arrested too? Also, I would assume that since stripping is legal in Montreal, only the one who were actively in the back room could have been arrested. Since apparently only 4 customers were in the back, I wonder how they justified arresting the whole cache of dancers?

 

Oh well, enough speculation. I am going to try to see if I can get any info from somewhere.

[Guest Les]

I also checked the Montreal press...even the French.(Not that it would do me much good). The only mention I could find was this at the CBC-Montreal site:

 

Web Posted | May 10 2003 11:21 AM EDT

 

34 arrested in police raid

Montreal - Montreal police raided the Taboo bar on DeMaisoneuve street E late Friday evening, arresting 34 people alleged to have been involved in indecent activities.

 

 

Officials began investigating the bar in January following up on a tip that underage dancers were working at the male exotic dance club.

 

Of the 34 people arrested, 23 were dancers (one of whom was underage) and 4 clients.

 

7 others were also taken into custody and may face charges of operating a common bawdy house.

 

All of those arrested were released on a promise to appear in court at a later date.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

International Crisis Looms...Canada Trade Balance in Toilet.

 

Breaking news: The raiding of a world famous Montreal tourist Mecca, the Taboo Strip Club and Bar sent shock waves through the tourist industry and the Canadian Minster of Trade's office. The tourist friendly club is known to attract thousands of Yankee tourists and their dollars every year to the benefit of clubs, restaurants, hotels,local transporation services, Air Canada, and last but not certainly not least the Canadian Tax Man.

 

The Canadian Minster of Trade predicted dire consequences for the Quebec economy that will ripple through the entire Commonwealth. The Maple Leaf has sunk to an all time low falling beneath the base price of gold,as though Canadian gold is being shunned. Though less likely to blow away in a light breeze the Trade Minister warns the Candian dollar will hover near that of the also colorful currency printed by the Parker Bros.

 

The US fearing an onslaught of Candian dancers spilling over the border has threatened reciprocity by raiding the world famous Gaiety Theatre in NYC thus putting several Canadian dancers out of work and foreclosing the possibiilty for other Canadians. Congress, besieged by angry constiuents, is asking the President to issue a protest in the strongest terms and threatening further action -- possibly a search for Candian WMD centered in the Province of Quebec and city of Montreal in a part of town referred to as the 'Village'. Americans are being encouraged to write or email the Candian Minister of Trade and copy their congressmen and senators.

 

Stay tuned... more news at 11

 

.:+

 

P.S. Hopefully this will blow away but I suspect ehnanced scrutiny will linger through the 4th of July and maybe all summer.

[Guest Les]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

http://216.40.249.192/s/contrib/blackeye/lol.gif

[VaHawk]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

That was hilarious. But, I sure hope all the surveillance is over by July 4th, as that is the weekend I am going to Montreal, and I was really, really, really looking forward to all those cute twink boys at Taboo, boo hoo!

[KY_TOP]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

>

>P.S. Hopefully this will blow away but I suspect ehnanced

>scrutiny will linger through the 4th of July and maybe all

>summer.

 

Great post, I'm still laughing. One should not underestimate the loss of US$ in Montreal if this situation continues. Wonder if the Gouvenour Hotel could survive the loss of business? I have been traveling to Montreal 4th of July weekend the past few years to celebrate my birthday. Most of my time is at Campus but this sure could spoil my birthday tradition.x(

[VaHawk]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

Hey KYT, if you're going to be there this July 4th weekend, let me buy dinner this time and let's go to Taboo, but of course, we both will be looking for something fun and can disappear at a moment's notice. I should have know you were a Cancer. I don't really believe in astrology, but it always seems that those people I like right away on first meeting have always been Cancers.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

>... But, I sure hope all the surveillance

>is over by July 4th, as that is the weekend I am going to

>Montreal, and I was really, really, really looking forward to

>all those cute twink boys at Taboo, boo hoo!

 

Don't kid yourself. This will cast a pall over all clubs -- a message has be sent and all clubs will be looking over their shoulder. As with any hot fire it will take time for the flames to die down and the embers to cool. I wouldn't let that spoil your trip though, just expect to take most of the real fun back to your room. Unlike some US jurisdictions, the Canadians don't care what goes on between two consenting adults in the bedroom.

 

Now I have to wrap myself back up in my wet blanket.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

P.S. There will still be lots of eye candy and casual touching, but few opportunities to hit homeruns and maybe even a triple bagger IMO. Hopefully circumstances will prove me overly pessimistic. I am going to be optimistic about that.

[Luv2play]

I have not been able to obtain any further info about the raid at Taboo today. The local papers will probably have stories tomorrow as today's papers went to press last night before all this happened. I do know from Canadian law that there are two provisions in the criminal statute that refer to "operating a common bawdy house" and "being a found-in in a common bawdy house". This law goes back to the Victorian times, as the language suggests, and has always been a handy hook for police to hang onto when they want to charge illicit behaviour in places like gay saunas and gay bars.

 

I would guess that the staff will be charged under the provision dealing with operating a common bawdy house. The clients may be charged as "found-ins" or, if they were observed engaging in indecent acts, could be charged with something more serious. As for the dancers, maybe "found-ins", except for those that were also engaged in any indecent acts.

 

I think there must have been undercover cops at the time of the arrests, which would account for the four clients arrested. At that time there must have been dozens of other clients and these were not charged. The positive side to this, if one can say anything positive about this whole incident, is that these other clients were not charged under the "found-in" provisions, which could have happened.

 

Indeed, quite a few years ago hundreds were charged as "found-ins" at KOX, an infamous bar in Montreal. That raid resulted in a mass protest by the gay community and the police changed their tactics after that. BTW, someone commented that raids are fairly common at Taboo, but in the five years I have lived here that has not been the case. That is not to say individual arrests have not been made, but I cannot recall a raid as such. This is the first raid in a stripper bar in recent memory here in Montreal. Who knows what effect it will have on the other bars, but something tells me I won't be getting quite as close to my favorite dancers as I am used to :-(

[Chuck50]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

Hey Guys I am a Cancer too but on the Cusp!!! June 22nd HUGS Chuck

[KY_TOP]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

>Hey Guys I am a Cancer too but on the Cusp!!! June 22nd HUGS

> Chuck

 

July 5 here, a great day to have a birthday due to the Holiday and our birthday is also a holiday were I work.

 

I hope my Birthday is not ruined now,,, but more important are all those cute guys now in trouble. And as Marc Anthony has said most are really nice guys to be around.

[KY_TOP]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

OK, Dinner and maybe some Chocolate cake for my birthday. It may be good that you and I will be there at the same time. We may need to bail each other out the way it looks. If I hadn't had so much fun in DC I'd be depressed right now.

[Huey]

I was chatting tonight with Gabriel on MBL who had just returned from Taboo. His English is fair at best so from what I could understand:

 

He missed being arrested by 15 minutes

His boyfriend, a bartender was arrested

It is legal to strip though not legal to be hard

Every person arrested cannot work again till June 12 or 21st.

The club is open undr completely new staff and management.

 

Now it gets a little more foggier...

 

Other employees (i.e. dishwashers) are arrested due to a law about "being in" the place when "illegal acts" happened. This was a little hard to understand though the Tech also explained it somewhat as Gabriel did.

 

Lastly, I believe a popular dancer named Pierre was also arrested.

 

Hope this gives all a little more first hand knowledge of the events that took place .

[VaHawk]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

OOOH LA LA! I remember now, how much you like chocolate! Personally, even as a kid, and to this day, I have never liked chocolate (of course, that doesn't apply to men ) I will be staying at Hotel Gouvenour this time, how about you?

[VaHawk]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

Hey TY thanks for the heads up (oops I hope that wasn't sexually suggestive? ) Unless Mercury crashes into Earth, NOTHING will stop me from having a great time in Montreal. It is my FAVORITE place on planet Earth, and I always have a good time when I'm there.

 

I'm not really into public sex in privates, so if I can pick up one, well what the heck, even two twink boys to go back to my room with me, I would be ECSTATIC!!

[VaHawk]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

See, just proves, once again, what I said about Cancers, cusp or not! When the heck are you going to come meet me dude????? I would love to meet you! BTW BN is also a Cancer, go figure huh?

 

It is just so weird! I'm not on crystal or into crystals but I just always connect with Cancers. Don't know why that would be since I'm an Aries which is a fire sign!

[KY_TOP]

RE: A Feeble Attempt at Making Lemon Aide

 

>I will be

>staying at Hotel Gouvenour this time, how about you?

 

I stay at The Springhill Suites by Marriott in Old Montreal, price about the same as Govenour and you get a suite with frig and microwave. It is just 2 years old and I love the Old Montreal part of town, nice shops, restaurants plus an easy $5-6 cab trip to the Village. Actually an easy walk if the weather is good. The guys I've had back to the room have never minded the few extra blocks. Also easy walk to Downtown stores. As much as I love the Strip Clubs, and spend much time in them, they usually are not my only Montreal activity.

 

Remind me to tell you about my last birthday in Montreal.:+

I am sure I will never be able to repeat it.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

>It is legal to strip though not legal to be hard

 

I don't know the laws but I'm skeptical of this. Either way I'm sure this wasn't the reason for the raid. Anyone visiting Montreal knows that raids on that basis would have been more prevalent than ticks on a country dog.

 

I suspect the instigation is the alleged underage dancer. I can't imagine the club knowingly violating that law. I also cannot imagine them not having proof of age on file. <shrug>

 

>Lastly, I believe a popular dancer named Pierre was also

>arrested.

>

I hope this does not refer to Pierre-Luc -- there are two nice guys with the name Pierre. Wouldn't want to see either caught up in this. I suspect that both were though, depending on the time of the raid, along with so many others that I know. ;(

[Huey]

>>It is legal to strip though not legal to be hard

>

>I don't know the laws but I'm skeptical of this.

TY this is what Gabriel and Tech told us. It isn't my own thoughts on the subject. To be more specific they kept referring to it as being illegal for a striper to be "hard" in a "bawdy house."

 

The actual reason for the raid is hard to guess based on what I have read here and in the above mentioned chat I was in. Some were quite surprised and referred to city as one of the most gay friendly places they have been to aside from several cities in Thailand.

 

Also, another chatter who seemed to be known to the tech stated in 3 years Taboo had been raided 3 times all based on drug related charges ... that this was a first grand scale raid on the club.

 

>>Lastly, I believe a popular dancer named Pierre was also

>>arrested.

>>

>I hope this does not refer to Pierre-Luc -- there are two nice

>guys with the name Pierre.

 

The Pierre part was very confusing for me to follow. Both had been mentioned and it seemed as if Gabriel answered which one in French using both of their names in his explanation. Because after whatever it was he wrote the questions seemed to stop about him / them.

 

TY do you know Gabriel? He seems like a sweet guy who apparently dances their on a regular basis.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to update you all on what I was able to find out from apparently somebody that was there that night. Not having been there myself it's hard to see the larger picture involved behind the raid .

[marc anthony]

>I was chatting tonight with Gabriel on MBL who had just

>returned from Taboo. His English is fair at best so from what

>I could understand:

 

Gabriel is a nice kid... dances often at Taboo and does a very sexy move with his butt (suspect he is one awesome bottom).

 

>He missed being arrested by 15 minutes

>His boyfriend, a bartender was arrested

>It is legal to strip though not legal to be hard

>Every person arrested cannot work again till June 12 or 21st.

>The club is open undr completely new staff and management.

 

This makes me sad because many of the dancers obviously depend on the income to survive in the Village. The guys at Taboo are really nice for the most part, and it is too bad all of this is happening to them. The staff was nice too, including the manager Tiki Do... but if they indeed had hired an underaged dancer, I think new management is a foregone conclusion.

 

 

>

>Lastly, I believe a popular dancer named Pierre was also

>arrested.

 

Pierre is a hottie. And I hope he is ok!

 

 

>Hope this gives all a little more first hand knowledge of the

>events that took place .

 

Thanks for the update. If you chat more with the boys on Montrealboyslive who have first hand knowledge about the event, please let me know.

[Luv2play]

The Sunday Montreal Gazette has a story on the raid at Taboo but doesn't contain any details other than those contained in the radio reports yesterday. In my view, the reason for the raid is the linkage to underage dancers at Taboo. It is no secret that there have been underage dancers there in the past and it is the only stripper bar in Montreal that caters to the image of dancers that push the envelope in respect of age.

 

Within the last year I have been there at times and commented to friends that if a certain dancer was 18, I was the King of Romania. Apparently, one dancer was found to be underage the other night. I knew one ex-dancer who told me he started at Taboo at 14 (this was about nine years ago) but he was busted and the owner was fined $5000 and he was banned from the club.

 

I would be surprised if the other stripper bars are affected by this. Their dancers are all older, except for maybe Adonis, which has a few guys who look close to the age limit. That is not to say that there will not be a spill-over effect as this kind of incident has a chilling effect. Just what we need, after SARS and the Iraq War! What's next????x(

[Luv2play]

Having just read the print version of today's Gazette, I noticed that the police are now alleging that certain sexual acts were taking place in the club. This I don't recall in the radio reports yesterday. In any case, the clients may no doubt be in for more serious charges than just being "found-ins". A lesson to us all, tch tch. (Or, there but for the grace of God, go I):o