Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) Administrator Alan Steel admitted to the Dallas Voice this week that multiple policy violations took place during the raid on the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth last month. Steel apologized for those violations promising swift action.

“I don’t think you have to dig very deep to figure out that TABC has violated some of their policies,” Steen said. “We know that, and I apologize for that. Like I said in my original press release, we have in the past and we will in the future act very swiftly in making sure that those issues are corrected. It’s real clear that however it is that we were doing business that night is not the typical TABC. … I have good policy in place, I have good training in place, and I have good supervision in place to ensure that things like this don’t happen.”

Steen said if the two agents, who are on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation, sought approval from the supervisor before the Rainbow Lounge inspection, it shouldn’t have been granted. The agents were accompanied by six Fort Worth police officers.

Steen said he doesn’t think there was sufficient cause for the inspection, which apparently was based on the fact that one person had been arrested for public intoxication at the Rainbow Lounge on Thursday, June 25. Steen also indicated that the eight law enforcement officers and the paddy wagon that were present likely constituted an excessive show of force.

The internal investigation at the TABC is still ongoing.

Late yesterday the Senate overwhelming passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act by a margin of 63-28, despite objections from many Republicans, including former presidential nominee Senator John McCain. The legislation passed as an amendment to what many consider a must-pass Department of Defense authorization bill. And therein lies the rub. While President Obama supports hate crimes legislation, he may veto the bill because of wasteful spending.

…Obama has told Congress he will veto the defense bill if it includes more money for an F-22 fighter program he is trying to terminate. The House in April passed a similar hate crimes bill, but did it as independent legislation not tied to a larger bill.

Five Republicans voted for it, zero Democrats voted against it.  Full roll call of vote courtesy of Tips-Q:

President Barack Obama spoke of the continued prejudice against “our gay brother and sisters” at the NAACP’s Centennial Convention today.

But make no mistake. The pain of discrimination is still felt in America. By African-American women paid less bor doing the same work as colleagues of a different color and different gender. By Latinos made to feel unwelcome in their own country. By Muslim-Americans viewed with suspicion, simply because they kneel down to pray to their god. By our gay brothers and sisters still taunted, still attacked, still denied their rights.

(Big applause)

On the 45th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, discrimination cannot stand. Not an account of color, gender, how you worship, or you who love. Prejudice has no place in the United State of America. That’s what the NAACP stands for. That’s what the NAACP will continue to fight for… as long as it takes.

While generally supportive of gay rights, the NAACP refuses to take a position on gay marriage.

These are difficult times. Most everyone we know is cutting back. Some of us are looking for work, myself included. But for many these times are especially tough, like those struggling with HIV and AIDS. A situation made worse by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s threat to slash $80 million in AIDS/HIV funding, which would be used for prevention, education, testing, treatment and housing.

This weekend is AIDS Walk 2009 in San Francisco, and we will walk as we do every year. If you are able, please consider making a gift, no matter how small, to continue the fight against AIDS, and to help make up the difference for those who are unable to give. The AIDS Walk is our community’s single most powerful and enduring response to the AIDS epidemic, as the struggle against this disease is far from over. Every 9 1/2 minutes someone becomes infected with HIV. In the U.S., one in five people already infected don’t even know. And in San Francisco alone, 25,000 live with HIV every day.

If you are unable to give, please consider walking with us instead. The greater our visibility, the louder our message.

If you would like to sponsor Inside, Looking Out by making a donation, visit http://aidswalksanfran2009.kintera.org/inlookout. Thanks!