The Calgary Police Service is offering to remove fingerprints and photos of those who stayed or dropped their charges 20 years after the Goliath’s Bathhouse raid.
On December 12, 2002, CPS officers raided Goliath’s Bathhouse in the city center and charged dozens of men with being patrons of a common house of disgust (brothel) under the Criminal Code of Canada. The owners of Goliath’s Bathhouse were also charged with keeping a common house of lasciviousness under the Penal Code, according to the Calgary Gay History Project.
Bathhouses are considered safe havens for LGBTQ2S+ people because they allow people, especially men who have sex with men, who may not be out to meet others and explore their sexuality. These often come with a membership fee and are closed to maintain some privacy.
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The Goliath’s Bathhouse raid further reinforced mistrust of the police in the LGBTQ2S+ community at a time when the service was trying to repair relations with queer and trans Calgarians. Bathhouse raids were common in the 1980s, so the 2002 raid shocked and traumatized many LGBTQ2S+ Calgarians.
In a news release Monday morning, CPS Chief Mark Neufeld said the agency recognizes the trauma caused by the bathhouse raid. Neufeld also said the CPS is working toward reconciliation with Calgary’s LGBTQ2S+ community, but said the service “stands by the investigation.”
“Recognizing the role our Service has played in causing trauma to Calgarians with diverse gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations is a way to demonstrate to the community that we have evolved as an organization and that we are listening to the concerns they raised – even those concerns based on past experiences,” Neufeld said in a statement.
“The purpose of this recognition is to share with the community that when we look back, there are things we would do differently if we had the chance to do it again today.”
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Neufeld’s admission comes after former chief Roger Chaffin publicly apologized for the raid in 2018. The apology had a tremendous impact on Calgary’s LGBTQ2S+ community, but many say a lot of damage was done.
“While a legitimate and professional investigation, the 2002 Goliath’s Bathhouse case was a flashpoint for many in the LGBTQ2S+ community and shaped the views of many in Calgary’s gender and sexually diverse community,” the CPS news release said Monday rang.
“Looking back at this event, it was clear that the Service would handle the same situation very differently today. The Service is standing by the investigation, but will be much more involved with the community to minimize the impacts if a similar investigation is conducted today.”
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