FBI agents have traced recent laser incidents, in which lasers
have been aimed at airplanes and helicopters, to an unusual source: gay
nightclubs. The green beams, say laser wielders, aren’t for terrorism
but for shining a light on club ‘hotties.’
For one gay couple, night out ends in handcuffs
By Todd Fox
CLEVELAND, OH—Paco Garcia and his boyfriend Thom Feldman often joke that after a night of sweat and dancing at The Grid, Cleveland's premier gay hot spot, they are open to encounters with strange men. But this weekend, when the two men found themselves surrounded by strangers, their new friends weren’t gay men looking for a good time. They were FBI agents.
A good time—gone bad
The trouble started when the couple was leaving The Grid around 1:30 AM en route to another popular Cleveland gay bar: the Cock Pit. While outside, Garcia began twirling a handheld green laser device—the lasers are popular accessories at gay dance clubs—and inadvertently pointed his laser beam at a police helicopter.
“Suddenly all these black SUVs surrounded our MiniCoop,” says Garcia. “Next thing we knew, we were in the back seat of a Ford Explorer wearing handcuffs." Adds Feldman: "We're open to a lot of stuff, but S&M is not big on our list."
But their nightmare was far from over. The two men were held until the next morning, as members of the FBI and local police force questioned them about their connection to recent laser incidents in the Cleveland area, including one that took place on New Year’s Eve as a commercial jet approached the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Laser lovers to blame
Garcia and Feldman were released without charges after authorities determined that they didn’t have enough evidence to hold the men. Under the Patriot Act, the men could have faced up to 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for disrupting the operation of a mass transportation vehicle.
But while this particular couple got off, authorities now believe that gay club-goers may have been responsible for pointing lasers at aircraft in other areas. The FBI is said to be interviewing patrons of the following nightclubs about recent laser episodes:
• The Hide and Seek Complex, Colorado Springs, CO. On Dec. 27, two pilots reported that green pulsating laser lights were shone into their cockpits as they were approaching the Colorado Springs airport. Both the passenger plane and a cargo plane landed without incident.
• Bricks Club, Salt Lake City, UT. In September, a Delta Air Lines pilot reported an eye injury from a laser beam shone into the cockpit during a landing approach in Salt Lake City.
• The Tool Box, Nashville, TN. Earlier this week, a green laser was pointed at a Chicago-bound regional jet as it took off from Nashville International Airport.
Homosexuals, terrorists, or both?
This week, federal agents charged a New Jersey resident under the terms of the Patriot Act after he confessed to pointing a light beam at two aircraft. The man, David Banach, of Parsippany, NJ is currently out on bail.
Agents said they’re still not clear on whether Banach is gay, but note that they’ve been interviewing patrons of Connexions, a Parsippany club that offers country line dancing on Tuesday nights and caters to gay men.
“We’re obviously at the beginning of our inquiry and we’re not sure if this particular individual was intending to try to bring down the aircraft or was just a homosexual having a bit of fun,” says John Parris, an FBI spokesman. “By talking to gay men who are going out to these clubs to dance and what not, then get the urge to point their lasers at planes, we need to say ‘don’t do it.’ There are serious penalties involved here.”
Queer eye on the hot guy
In recent years, pocket lasers have become increasingly popular at gay dance clubs. Paco Garcia explains that club-goers often use the green laser pointers to add to the excitement on the dance floor. “When you see a buff guy, guys point pocket lasers on him. That way he stands out and he knows that we think he’s hot,” explains Garcia.
Hundreds of inexpensive lasers were sold within Cleveland's gay community alone this Christmas, some for as little as $15. The lasers, while strong, are completely legal.
Fans of the pocket searchlights are also quick to draw a distinction between red lasers, typically used by teachers in a classroom lecture setting, and the green lasers used by homosexuals and terrorists.
Todd Fox can be reached at [email protected]
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