Three months after a police “compliance check” disrupted a beloved drag event and rattled Pittsburgh’s queer community, P Town Bar is asking for help.
The Bloomfield bar, a queer staple for over 18 years, launched a GoFundMe campaign this week to raise funds for the more than $60,000 in state-imposed fines and $20,000 plus in mandatory renovations stemming from the May 2 “raid”, which unfolded during a packed show featuring Amanda Lepore. The penalties now threaten the very survival of one of the city’s remaining LGBTQ+ spaces.
“If you believe queer spaces matter,” the campaign reads, “please consider supporting us. A donation of any size brings us closer to being able to keep our doors and dance floor open.”
What began as a typical night of queer revelry quickly turned into a surreal moment of state intrusion when approximately 20 armed officers and undercover agents entered P Town mid-show, halting performances and forcing guests outside into the rain. Many described the moment as triggering, especially in a country where the history of police raids on gay bars is a story of trauma, not “safety enforcement.”
Eyewitnesses told QBurgh that officers offered little explanation at the time beyond vague mentions of “compliance.”
Later, officials claimed an emailed overcrowding complaint prompted the raid. At a May 22 town hall organized by State Representative La’Tasha D. Mayes, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt admitted plainly: “We messed this up.”
The bar, which had been waiting on updated permitting due to pandemic-era renovations, was found to have exceeded an outdated occupancy limit. Officials acknowledged there had been no prior violations, no direct communication with the owner, and no classification of P Town as a nuisance bar.
Representative Mayes captured the collective disbelief and anger. “No, we do not feel safe with 15 police officers outside. That level of response, it is a trauma-triggering thing, and it does change how we feel about the spaces that are supposed to be for us.”
To understand why this matters, you have to understand what P Town is. It’s not just a watering hole. It’s a space that has held queer grief and celebration, that has raised money for trans health care and thrown chaotic, glitter-drenched Pride parties. It’s karaoke on a random Thursday and your chosen family dancing until last call. For many in Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community, P Town is home.
Now, because of one night of over-policing, that home is in danger.
The GoFundMe campaign will help cover over $60,000 in fines, $20,000 plus in renovations already underway, legal fees to appeal the penalties, and operating costs to keep the bar open while they fight back.
“We believe the resulting penalties were disproportionate,” the campaign states. “But we can’t do this without you.”
What happened in May wasn’t just a “procedural” mistake. It was a reminder of how easily queer spaces can still be targeted, destabilized, or shut down entirely. It was a reminder that safety for LGBTQ+ people isn’t just about fire codes; it’s about being seen, being believed, and being protected.
“Impact matters more than procedure. The fear that people feel, that’s what really matters,” State Representative Jessica Benham said at the town hall.
And yet, what’s come out of this moment isn’t defeat. It’s determination.
Ready to help?
Donate to P Town’s GoFundMe here and share with your networks. Because our spaces are sacred and we’re not letting them go without a fight.
