20 Pennsylvania state police raided a Pittsburgh gay bar Friday night — and got met with a sidewalk drag show instead.
Drag queen Indica was hosting a show alongside trans model and nightlife legend Amanda Lepore when police in bulletproof vests ordered everyone out of the venue without explanation.
But not before the queen on stage forced police to wait until she finished her song.
About 20 officers, including state police in bulletproof vests, city health inspectors, and the fire department, stormed the packed drag event at P Town, forcing 130 patrons outside in the rain for a surprise so-called “compliance check.”
The legal capacity? 70.
“We waited 30 minutes outside for them to inspect every crevice,” Indica said.
But the party didn’t stop: as police swept the bar, Indica kept the show going on the sidewalk — dancing to “Pink Pony Club” while collecting tips from a singing, cheering crowd.
“This is why queer people have gotta stick the f*ck together in 2025,” Indica told the crowd.
Witnesses said police avoided eye contact with performers and refused to say why raids like this don’t happen at straight bars. Some officers reportedly asked Lepore for selfies during the raid.
Authorities later claimed the bar was over capacity. But 20 armed officers to “count heads”? That’s not enforcement — it’s intimidation. Despite claims the raid was about “safety,” it evoked a violent legacy of queer policing.
This is the Trump-era playbook in action: weaponize state power to intimidate queer spaces while pretending it’s about “safety.” The MAGA crowd may want a return to the closet — but Pittsburgh just showed they won’t get in without a fight.