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Baker: Drag Events Canceled after Threats from Harford County Liquor Board Inspector

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From Sara Baker:

Several restaurants have had to cancel their nearly sold-out drag events after visits from Harford County Liquor Board Inspector William Colburn. Mr. Colburn informed the restaurants that while it is illegal to ban the events outright, if they choose not to cancel he will visit them every day and eventually find a reason to take their liquor licenses.

The board is using regulation 4:23 of the county’s liquor board rules and regulations as their grounds for possible revocation of licenses. Regulation 4:23 prohibits nudity or the depiction of, various sex acts or simulated sex acts, and the caressing of various body parts, including breasts or buttocks. If a drag queen is dancing during a performance and grazes a hand over their fake breast, the liquor board would be able to revoke the establishment’s liquor license immediately.

Mr. Colburn has not threatened restaurants with non-drag entertainment with daily harassment in case a woman caresses her actual breasts on a dance floor. The board has said that this is because a patron is not paid entertainment. However, under regulation 4:23, paragraph 3 of section 2 states that an individual may not “Encourage or allow an individual on the licensed premises to caress or fondle the breasts, buttocks, anus, or genitals or another individual,” without specifying that the individual be an employee or entertainment.

Pilar Garcia, the administrator of the board, insists there is no ban on drag events but has repeatedly refused to answer whether or not restaurants can host drag events. Several restaurants have confirmed their experience with Mr. Colburn threatening to revoke liquor licenses if drag events go on as scheduled. Unfortunately, the chances of fighting the liquor board are slim unless a venue is brave enough to host an event despite the inspector’s threats.

Blatant discrimination aside, this move by the liquor board and its inspector is bad for businesses in the county. The demand for drag events is obviously high as so many events occurring within a short time frame were sold out or nearly sold out. There will continue to be demand, but consumers will take those dollars out of Harford to other neighboring counties.

There is a liquor board meeting at 16 North Main Street in Bel Air on Wednesday, May 22, at 3pm. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and show their support for the LGBTQ community, the entertainers, and the restaurants that have been affected.

Sara Baker

Comments

  1. This illustrates the lack of diversity and the racism in Harford County government. It also shows the level of manipulation those with power will result in to drive their own agendas. Will Harford County ever change?

      • Mr. Colburn is manipulating the law due to his homophobia. He is being discriminatory and a bigot. Really? Threatening a liquor license and promising to find a reason to pull it? That is homophobic discrimination plain and simple.

        • He’s not manipulating the law Michelle. I know it’s hard for you to understand that some people uphold the law. Know truth before you espouse hate.

          • Actually he is manipulating the law and abusing his power by threatening to inspect these establishments until he can find a violation that will shut them down.

            “Inspector William Colburn. Mr. Colburn informed the restaurants that while it is illegal to ban the events outright, if they choose not to cancel he will visit them every day and eventually find a reason to take their liquor license”

            Has he done this to other establishments that serve alcohol?

          • You are quoting Ms. Baker who we now know just wrote what she wanted without any cites back to her sources. It’s also called gossip (ie. fake news)

      • This isn’t about the law. It’s about Mr. Colburn twisting the intent and meaning of the law. It’s about abuse of power. And most importantly it’s absolutely about homophobia as he’s not threatening to shut down bars/restaurants that have hetero couples grinding and “dancing” nor belly dancers. His issue is Drag because he’s homophobic.

        Lastly, I do agree the wording of the law should be changed so people like Mr. Colburn can’t abuse their power and overreach.

      • Exactly which law needs to be changed? The liquor board is saying have a drag event and we will harass you till you go out of business. Certainly not hard to tell HAHA county is republican.

        • The law that needs to change is the wording in the guidelines. They need to be more specific regarding what is and what isn’t considered sexual conduct and remove the ambiguity surrounding the language so that one person can’t interpret grazing the breasts as they move an arm across the body as a sexual act because the hand actually touched the breast!!

      • Hey dickhead )Missing Reagan), Do you ever drive above the speed limit? If so, you’re breaking the law. Does law enforcement give tickets to folks going a couple miles per hour over the speed limit? No! It’s called using common sense (apparently you lack this vital trait!).
        Mr. Colburn is being an asshole and should be thrown off of the HCLB!

    • I can understand how you can say that lack of diversity might be an issue to some but then you inject racism in to the mix. I have a suspicion that Truth be Told and Mike Callahan could be the same person. lol

    • As a Havre de Grace resident I can tell you that the Mayor and the city council have been going on a bat crap crazy power trip lately. They will use any means possible

      • As a Havre de Grace resident I can tell you that the Mayor and the city council have been going on a bat crap crazy power trip lately. They will use any means possible. They only listen and serve their political donaters. If a donator complains about someone or something they get instant response. If you put an incumbents election sign in your lawn your complaint goes to the top of the list, and you get a resident only parking sign installed in the front of your house. If you are not a personal friend or financial contributor of the elected official you don’t count. If you oppose something in a city council meeting you are strongly ignored and asked to leave. Havre de Grace town government is a self serving joke that intimidates in anyway possible those who don’t support them. Very few residents even vote anymore because of fear of the repercussions if you don’t vote for the status quo. When I went to vote the incumbent asked who I was going to vote for and I said not you they asked for my name, so I didn’t even vote becuase they were taking names and lining up new targets to make trouble for.

        • Governing thru intimidation is called terrorism. It used to be defined in the dictionary as just that. They changed the definition because our current government does in fact govern thru intimidation and doesn’t want the public to call them exactly what they are. They even passed legislation that disallows the public to bring suit upon the government for their acts of terrorism. What does this tell you?

  2. No I don’t like the law. Change it. Get real. How many people have the time and energy to work at changing such a back ward law being pushed by backward people. PS. Even though the law is on the books, there is nothing that says they have to enforce it or threating business owners. In fact I hope the business owners take Mr. Colburn and Harford countyto court for threating them. Every day the President is threatening someone and that gives these sick souls an excuse to threaten others when they can’t get their way.

    These people are from the Dark Ages. They live in a world not many of us live in today. Funny thing how some events can bring out the evil in some souls.

    POWER CORRUPTS and there is a lot of corruption in Harford County.

  3. What people do in their private lives is one thing, but degenerate deviant behavior is nothing to celebrate in public.

    Stand firm Mr. Garcia and Mr. Colburn. Thank you for upholding standards of decency in our community.

    • Degenerate deviant behavior? What a laugh! Have you ever been on Main Street on St Patrick’s Day? It’s for fun – I guess we shouldn’t allow adults to dress up for Halloween in Harford County as well.

    • What’s so degenerate about men dressing like women for a performance?

      Do you think Shakespeare is degenerate?

      Do you think Saturday Night Live is degenerate?

      Do you think Monty Python is degenerate?

      Do you think Halloween is degenerate?

    • Until you been to a showdown not judge it it just pissed me of f I been a promoter and producer for ove 25+ years and never one time has what this so called liquor board member that he is saying is not true or is a piece of trash plane and simple

    • Degenerate? MAGA? Fake News? Another Parrot! Your President seems to be OK with grabbing pu*sy. Guess you don’t remember the titty bars in Harford County in the 1970’s. Don’t act so high and mighty. There are plenty of skanks and low life men in Harford County rubbing all kinds of things at bars. Drag shows are just entertainment. The liquorboard guy-considering the historically City Cops being so “reputable”, I think his protests are laughable. This is just BS blatant discrimination that should be take to the ACLU and made national news.

    • Thank you, Wayne, for speaking the truth.

      Harford County has been such a family-focused community for as long as I’ve lived here (almost 30 years), let’s keep it that way.

    • Frankly because there are way too many to name but mostly because nobody wants to jeopardize these owners livelihoods… And that is what would happen. Remember this all started with a veiled threat by Mr. Colburn to revoke the license if they had an event and those businesses not wanting to risk pissing him off for fear of reprisals. Imagine how much damage he could do if he knew a business was speaking out about his abuse of power and unethical behavior.

  5. Our club has these event to raise money for scholarships that go to Harford County students – one from each High School. We have given almost $200K over the years raised through a variety of events, golf tourneys, bull roasts and other methods, not just these parties which we have only done in the past year..

    So that’s that method of fundrasing nipped in the bud then!

    I don’t know how these morons get on the liquor board, but if it is by a vote, they need to sent packing next time the chance comes up.

  6. Seems a little far fetched without any quotes, named sources or names of affected establishments. A call from a regulator reminding establishments of regulations is a non-issue. If the venue was concerned about running afoul of the liquor board all they have to do is inform their performers of the prohibited acts and film the performance to document their compliance. This smacks of irresponsible rumor.

  7. Who is this Sara Baker and why should we believe her editorial? I call bull____ on her statements. Note nothing is in quotes that she is attributing to the inspector. This is nothing more than an uninformed opinion piece posing as news, in other words, more liberal fake news!

    • Hi there! I have spoken with management at four of the restaurants that were threatened by Mr. Colburn. I didn’t quote anyone as I am not a journalist and this is a letter to the editor. I encourage you to attend Wednesday’s liquor board meeting.

      • I see, grab a lie and stick to it. You are presenting hearsay information. There is a reason it is not accepted in courts. It cannot be trusted. Tell us who said exactly what if you want to put words back on people claiming they made certain statements or threats. If not, then write your opinion piece without making unsubstantiated claims. I hope someone figures out who you really are and takes some legal action against you if you cannot prove the claims you felt free to put in a letter. Unfairly damaging a person’s professional reputation should have some repercussions.

        • I’m using my real name, so there isn’t really much to figure out about who I really am. Said to a person hiding behind an anonymous screen name.

          Every person I have spoken with about their experience had the exact same experience. The inspector isn’t an idiot. There is no paper trail of what he did. But he should not be allowed to threaten businesses in Harford County because of his own personal bias without repercussion. And these businesses and performers should not have to lose out on money because of those personal biases.

          I don’t name the people I spoke with because I never asked them if I could name them. What is happening to them is unfair and illegal and I am trying to raise awareness so that this can be addressed and hopefully rectified during the liquor board meeting.

          If you like, you can do your own research. It is not my job to present my research, that I spent hours collecting, to you. If truth matters so much to you, go find it. That’s what I did.

          • Thank you for your research and for bringing this to our attention. And please don’t pay any attention to the ridiculous opinions of “MAGA”. You can tell all you need to know by looking at his moniker. Unfortunately, there are a whole lot of close-minded idiots like “MAGA” in Harford County, but there are a lot of forward thinkers too, and many of us would love to go to one of these events. I have been to several, and was looking forward to attending one in Harford County. I still hope that can happen

  8. “Several restaurants confirmed”? What, did Ms. Baker speak with the building itself? One of a slew of errors in her mudslinging dribble.

  9. So I guess these drag queens can’t do anything without being or doing perverted acts. If they could, they should just follow the rules and there wouldn’t be anything for the liquor board to do. Stop whining and follow the rules.

    • One of the rules is that you can’t wear fake breasts.

      I’m assuming women with breast implants don’t have to take those out before entering a bar though.

      • They can not just take away the license, they can only cite them and they have the right to a hearing. Which many owners are not aware of or unwilling to face the bigots on the board. So I say we let the owners know that we the people of Harford county will be at those hearings and will support the rights of those owners and to oppose these tactics of the bullies who sit on the liquor board.

      • No Michael you poor uniformed little sheep. SARA said that is what was said. Big difference. For example, if SARA says she heard you were a sex offender, it doesn’t make you a sex offender. Really it doesn’t at all! Don’t be like SARA and don’t behave like a sheep, be smart.

        • Since you care so much to hear the factual truth and from whom, I am assuming you will be at the meeting on Wednesday? While many of the business owners are not willing to speak up for themselves for fear of the board, others will. See you there, “Facts matter” but apparently your name doesn’t… ?

    • Yes that is point of these shows to make dirty jokes, and use adult language and make sexual innuendo. For the entertainment of adults in a bar. If you do not want to see and hear things like that then you do not have to go. Also if you have ever been to looneys or magerks on a Saturday night then what these lady’s do is tame compared to what other ladies and men do on the dance floor at those establishments. But again if you are offended by this then do not go to a bar where adults choose to go. We do not need the government to protect me strong women we embrace who they are and put on a very entertaining show. FOR ADULTS

    • Unlike the bars that cancelled their events, the organizers of the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” must feel confident that they can hold their event without encouraging or allowing a participant to caress or fondle the breasts, buttocks, anus, or genitals or another individual. Too bad the bars feel they are unable to conform to the silly things written in law. Stay Triggered my Friend!

      @Robert Zimmerman, What was the good point of the post? Another Stay Triggered for You!

    • If there alcohol served at Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event? Because this is only for liquor control board rules, not general county laws

  11. It amazes me how much effort people go through to demonize the people trying to uphold the law. Why dont you take the energy you put into spreading lies and change the law? Do you not have the fight in you to change as you say backwards law. But no instead let’s protest the people just following the law. Go change it and be proud of the change you will make.

    • In trying to change an inoperable law, the State will threaten and intimidate, possibly even direct its employees to commit murder, in order to enforce a clearly arbitrary law. The legal costs and the intimidation are what people are afraid of and that is because it is not a far stretch to see persecutions, especially in Harford County and its treasonous Circuit Courts. There is absolutely no honor or integrity within those whom will attempt to destroy in violation of Article 24 and they have no problem wiping their ass with the Maryland Constitution. It’s almost a given….

  12. I don’t understand why an event like this needs to be held, but if it is some sort of a local custom for men to dress up like women and parade around, then so be it. The local code may be a little over reaching but if Harford County has enacted it, which it has the authority to do involving public spaces and the commerce that can be effected, then it must be abided. However, the ambiguity of regulation 4:23, paragraph 3 of section 2 may be a way to avoid the loss of a liquor license as any ambiguities such as this should fall clearly to the advantage of the license holders.

    (Rodriques v. Ray Donavan, U.S. Department of Labor, 769 F.2d 1344, 1348 (1985)); …lacking due process of law, in that they are ‘void for ambiguity’ in their failure to specify the statutes’ applicability to ‘natural persons,’ otherwise depriving the same of fair notice, as their construction by definition of terms aptly identifies…

    Once again, this doesn’t mean I’m going to be attending the next Gay Pride parade, but the rights of the people shall not be infringed.

  13. These regulations date back to the days of Susan’s GoGo club back in the 1970’s. You don’t like them, get them changed. Total chaos results if we each choose for ourselves what laws we are going to break.

  14. The comments here are proof that the bigoted opinion of the board are not those of the people so I applauded all you who have commented and spoken out from both sides. If you do not believe this is something you want to see than do not go, that is your right. What is not a right is the government to threaten a private business to stop this event. They are happening at bars and are well advertised and the audience is adults. So there is no reason other then bigotry to stop these events from happening. This is also not the first time these events have happened and if there was a problem, or if people attending them then these business would not continue to schedule them. However, the growing number of these events shows me that people do enjoy them. It is a shame that these people on the liquor board are going to abuse their positions to push their message of hate and to punish People who do not conform to their ideas of entertainment. These performers are strong, wonderful people and to oppress them for no other means then they are comfortable expressing who they are and embracing that for another group of ADULTS is a shame and highlighting how out of touch the elected and unelected officials who run Harford county really are.

    • These comments, in response to an opinion letter by an individual not presenting facts, but seeking to sway those narrow minded readers by pulling at their emotions, do nothing but demonstrate how out of touch with reality some people are (Robert Zimmerman). Obey the law and all is good. Do not and expect enforcement to follow. Don’t like the law. Work with your elected leaders to change it. Writing comments anonymously in an online forum for opinion pieces (including my own comments) are otherwise meaningless and far from indicative of the opinion of the people.

  15. I encourage all of us who have an opinion on this matter to attend the next meeting of the Harford county liquor board on Wednesday May 22.

  16. What do you mean, “adult entertainment”? Any man could dress up in drag and lip-sync to showtunes in the middle of the public square, and while it might draw some odd looks, it’s perfectly legal. So why would it be “adult entertainment” in a bar?

  17. Good for Mr. Colburn, people may say don’t atttend, so your excluding paying customers that do not wish to see this type of entertainment. So, you say just dont go, where does it end for those that just do not want to see this? It does not make them wrong. So, they should all stay home, keep the tv off, if they do not want to view this type of behavior on the stations telecast. They should just stay home and watch chrome bumpers rust. Wrong they too have rights, and if thats how they feel so be it. Great work Mr. Colburn.

    • Gay people get refused service for being gay. Why go to a show you don’t want to see when there’s a normal bar next door. It’s like trying to shut down a strip club because they serve drinks there and you don’t want to see that while you have a drink. Just crazy

  18. To be honest I cant believe that a Drag Show is the issue people are so incensed over when there are so many more important things to he concerned about. A Drag show….really people? Get fired up about homelessness, hunger and addiction in the County. Of course that is not affecting your right to be entertained…. Now you complain but when HdG becomes like the Block in Baltimore you will all be asking How did this happen”?

  19. Just imagine the morale degradation the county would suffer if people paid to attend an event where a man dressed as a woman touched his own fake breast?

  23. “Mr. Colburn informed the restaurants that while it is illegal to ban the events outright, if they choose not to cancel he will visit them every day and eventually find a reason to take their liquor licenses.”

    Is there a direct quotation proving this is exactly what he said, or is it an interpretation of what Mr. Colburn said.

    From what I’ve read here, and other news sources — including one all the way from California about this, I don’t see how asking an establishment to follow a code of conduct is out of line. Rules are made for the protection of society.

    • I must be missing something.
      Did you really say, ” the protection of society”??
      We need to protect our children from a bigoted hate teachers like you!
      It’s a drag show, breakfast and Bingo. I have had friends who have taken their kids to shows like this, only to have a great time.
      The only one who needs protection from a drag show is you. Grow a pair sweetie and go to a show – just leave the “I’m holier than you” attitude at the door.

  24. Any enforcement official who makes a threat of this nature…whether to a gas station, a pot shop , a bar, a white family moving into a neighborhood, must…not should….but must, be fired immediately. It may be in line with Sharia or some Baptist law……BUT NOT IN LINE WITH AMERICAN LAW.

  26. @Proudly a DRAG Support

    My exact words were, “Rules are made for the protection of society.”

    So in your opinion we should become a lawless society?

    Should we not have laws or rules because not everyone in the community can agree upon them?

    Take your own advice and stop projecting “hate” and “bigotry” on every person whose opinion/moral foundation differs from your own.

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