Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 16:07:43 -0500
Subject: THE RED LION ROARS: BATHROOM BUSTS FOR TRANSPEOPLE
From: riki@pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins)

THE RED LION ROARS: BATHROOM BUSTS FOR TRANSPEOPLE 
 
Contact: MysticRitr@aol.com 
 
[DENVER, CO - March 12, 1996] 
     In a bizarre incident reminiscent of the bathroom busts historically
used against gay men, March 9th more than half a dozen transpeople were
cited by police for using the Women's room at the Red Lion Inn prior to a
local drag event. 
 
     Claiming that a "hysterical woman" had complained there were "men in
the Ladies room," Hotel Security Chief Robert Higdon posted his men outside
bathroom doors. Reportedly watching event participants as they entered to
use the facilities, and in one case even smiling at them as they opened the
door, Security guards then followed them in and apprehended the women. They
were then escorted to the hotel's Security offices, where an Officer of the
Denver PD, previously summoned to the Red Lion by Mr. Higdon, issued them
with citations and had them escorted from the premises. 
 
     At first unable to find a law the women had violated, the Police
elected to charge them with "Disturbing the Peace," a General Sessions
citation in Denver, requiring a public courtroom appearance and often 
taken with some seriousness by conservative judges. 
 
     Neither Hotel Security nor the PD were able to  identify the
"hysterical woman" whose complaint allegedly launched the incident. 
 
     Questioned by local activists after the event, Mr. Higdon stated that
the group holding the event, the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain
Empire, had been warned to make an announcement to participants not to use
the women's room and to post notices on the bathroom door.  Unfortunately,
the women cited by the Police were there in advance of the event, and
neither saw any signs nor could have heard such announcements.  It is not
clear why Hotel Security watched them enter instead of simply informing
them the bathroom was off limits. 
 
     At least five of the women cited were transexual-identified, on
hormones and living as women full-time.  Even though some carried doctors
papers stating their status and that they were under treatment, neither the
Police nor Security were willing to make any exceptions. 
 
     Said one of the women: "The Red Lion never offer me any explanation of
how having men in evening dresses and minis wearing high heels and
stockings were any better off standing at a urinal in the Men's room than
in the Ladies Room." 
[END]