No Plan To Boost Patrols In Melrose Despite Threats To LGBTQ+ Community

Phoenix police said they have no plans to increase patrols in the Melrose district this weekend, even as local LGBTQ+ bars heighten security in response to threats and escalating anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in the lead-up to Charlie Kirk’s funeral, which is being held in Glendale on Sunday.

In an email to LOOKOUT, the Phoenix Police Department confirmed that there will not be an increase in security for any specific business, but establishments can contact their local precinct and request a “patrol watch” from officers in their area, according to a statement from PPD’s public information sergeant Rob Scherer. 

“If there are over-arching concerns from the LGBTQ+ community, I would encourage them to contact the Community Engagement Bureau and/or the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board to communicate those concerns to PPD,” Scherer wrote. 

In contrast, Tempe police told LOOKOUT they have proactively stepped up patrols for vulnerable communities, including reaching out to a handful of LGBTQ+ businesses to see if they needed extra security.

“As it relates to the LGBTQ+ community in Tempe, we have received only one request for support, which was promptly addressed,” Tempe Police Cmdr. Kim Hale wrote in an email to LOOKOUT.

Officers with Tempe Police contacted a local LGBTQ+ coffeehouse that confirmed they had no threats or worries, but appreciated the outreach. It's unclear if Phoenix Police did any similar outreach.

With Kirk’s funeral expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners — including members of the Trump administration and the president himself — LGBTQ+ Arizonans say the moment feels especially volatile.

Since Kirk’s death, multiple members of the Trump administration have leaned into transphobic language and placed blame for his assassination on the transgender community, including calls to have the FBI designate transgender people as “violent extremists” and institutionalize transgender people.

Man Arrested for Threat To Shoot Up LGBTQ+ Bar Wanted to “Send A Message,” Charged with Terrorism

Police say the man admitted to making the threat, claiming he wanted to target the LGBTQ community as a result of online rhetoric from political leaders.

LOOKOUTJoseph Darius Jaafari (he/him)

(Kirk’s shooter was not transgender. Early reports said the bullets were inscribed with messages the administration described as “transgender ideology,” but the markings turned out to be manufacturer engravings.)

Many fear gathering in public spaces as extremist rhetoric fuels harassment and threats. Online, queer residents have urged their friends to stay home and not go out this weekend to avoid any possible confrontations or protests.

In the absence of a broader police response, some businesses are taking their own precautions. Stacy’s @ Melrose, another popular LGBTQ+ bar, placed armed security at its doors ahead of Thursday’s Euphoria dance party, which is centered on uplifting trans communities. An employee said those guards will remain stationed through the week.

The announcement comes days after a Phoenix man threatened to “shoot up” Cruisin’ 7th, a well-known queer bar, citing online conspiracies that blamed transgender people for political violence. The man, 49-year-old Treven Gokey, allegedly told crisis line workers he was “triggered” by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a far-right commentator who frequently spread anti-trans messaging. Gokey called Kirk a “martyr” and said he wanted to “harm others to send a message,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Other bars in the area told LOOKOUT they were aware of the threat but had not yet implemented formal security changes.