[URBAN NOTE] "Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders apologizes for 1981 gay bathhouse raids"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC reports on this apology for the 1981 bathhouse raids, something that's nice if rather too late in coming to be particularly meaningful.

Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders made a historic apology today for raids on four gay bathhouses in the city 35 years ago.

Saunders, who made the apology during his annual Pride reception at police headquarters, was joined by members of the LGBT communities.

"The 35th anniversary of the 1981 raids is a time when the Toronto police service expresses its regrets for those very actions. It is also an occasion to acknowledge lessons learned about the risk of treating any part of Toronto's many communities as not fully a part of society," Saunders said.

On Feb. 5, 1981, officers armed with crowbars and sledgehammers raided the bathhouses and arrested some 300 gay men.

Those who owned or worked in the bathhouses were charged with keeping a common bawdy house and patrons were charged with being found in a common bawdy house.