New attack on sexual minorities in Phila

[BrianR]

ok here is the final part of today's rant....from here on you will be able to
get info and updates only on the BTS website (www.phillyfetish.com) or from
the BTS mailing list (www.yahoogroups.com/group/behindthescenes)...i dont
want to burden the lists with news from BTS.....and i am too busy to monitor
the lists so if you have something you want me to see or answer please email
me directly...as always anything i post is available to be reposted anywhere
you think it helps people without direct permission from me.

********************

This is from Michael my business partner, BTS partner, and life partner....he
has only been with us a short time so not many people know him;

My feelings

I have no regrets over what I am doing or what I will continue to express. I
am proud of Behind The Scenes and my function as part owner and loyal
submissive to Anna. I have had to go through the motions over the past
months about my public presence. I make no bones about it, I am Bisexual and
partake in S&M play. My personal life has changed though. My family did not
take well to my sexuality or even my support of it. My three year long
divorce has taken a new turn as now my activities are public. I have lost
most of my rights in that case. A call was made by someone angry with Anna
to my Veterans of Forein Wars post outing me . They learned of my lifestyle.
It was hard for me becuase my post is on the edge of bankruptcy, at the
point of dissapearing, and now they had to deal with the fact that one of
their members was openly Bisexual and in the S&M scene. For their betterment
I have resigned my membership and hope that the issue will fade away for
them. I have personally taken out loans to support BTS and ensure that there
will be ways for the club to be self supporting someday through for-profit
efforts. But I am a Retired Army Officer. From the day I put on the "Bars"
I carried the Constitution in my side pocket. I used it to help me make
desisions and guide me in handling myself and to remind me that I was only an
instrument of the people of this country. That meant all people. I sat
halfway around the world getting shot at because I represented a country that
"in theory" had its freedom. I am now a civilian and am now reminded of the
voices that must be heard no matter how small or distasteful. I am now
active openly to support gay, bi, transgender voices. Everyone has a voice
in this country. I am not going to sit by and let bigots, religious morons,
racial hate, or misled police powers squelch these voices. I have my family
here at BTS and they love me for who I am.

Julius M Tarr
CW2, USA
(retired)
***********************************
From Anna;

i always knew this could happen....always thought someday it probably
would....was sure that if it did it would be exactly how it went down (this
was my 2nd raid...i was at KFE for my first and it was similiar although we
had more guns drawn on us friday night)....all i could do to protect BTS was
exactly what i did from the beginning....make every effort to be proactive
with every city agency, the neighbors, the press...do everything legal....and
have emergency plans as far as communications and aid.....i am proud of the
way the volunteers and members handled themselves friday night...i am
overwhelmed with all the supportive letters and phone calls and offers of
help....i am particularly happy to see the local community, which has its
share of infighting like every other community, putting aside personalities
and coming together so quickly for the cause.

i know there is no good time for this to happen but this is really one of the
worst times for me to have to deal with this...as many of you know i am still
married and have a 12 yr old at home ( my 19 yr old daughter was at the club
friday night and was kept away from me by the police thru the whole ordeal
till she went out thru the front door and snuck in thru the back).....my
totally vanilla husband has continued to support me financially and
emotionally as well as with the club thru the past years even though we arent
really married in spirit anymore....we are actually moving in less than 3
weeks and my and michaels new house( i mean old house that needs to be
totally rehabilitated) in philly isnt even ready yet so i will be continuing
to live with my husband for the coming months in nj part time when i am not
at the club....it has been my husbands financial support and michaels army
pension that have made it possible to put so many hours into running the club
....we dont need real jobs to survive....anyone who thinks owning a BDSM club
means we are rolling in cash should think again....we are carrying alot of
personal debt for the club and work hard to pay the bills every month....add
to that the amount of time it takes and the stress and aggravation, the
attacks from the people you piss off....the flak from the decisions you make,
the unforgiven mistakes, the lies and disinformation from people who will do
anything to destroy you and its no wonder there arent more clubs out
there....no good deed will go unpunished....and there is always that little
feeling that tomorrow it could all be gone thru no fault of your own.

i NEVER had that feeling friday night....i am sure if you were there you
noticed how peaceful i seemed....and as everyone was being herded out and
people were breaking thru the police line to come hug me goodbye and whisper
their support in my ear i was filled with the feelings i have come to
experience every weekend.....the same feelings i have gotten as i have read
thru hundreds of emails from well wishers in the last few days ( i have
answered every single one too).....its that feeling of being lifted up and
knowing you will be taken care of by something very powerful....that the
universe is right on schedule....that its not the building that is important
but the people...the family.....the feelings they have for each other....i
believe the club will be open in a few days but even if it isnt, the feelings
and the family arent going to go away...we will open again somewhere else and
do the whole thing all over again.....i started BTS from literally nothing
and i know we can do it again.

so BTS RAID PART 3 is about thanking you all for being part of the family
even if you have never been to the club, but have extended and expressed
those feelings to someone in our community at some place and time...and its
about making sure everyone knows whats important in all this....the part they
cant destroy no matter how hard they try.

Anna