City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, a leading proponent of gay rights and marriage, proposed last week that the city’s 250 nightclubs be required to install security cameras at their entrances and exits. Critics argue that the cameras would invade their privacy and expose those that aren't open about their sexual orientation. It would also lead to a distrust of the clubbing scene - "it will have an impact on everybody who enjoys NYC nightlife", said William K. Dobbs. 

While the details of the proposal have yet to be worked out, it would apply to nightclubs that operate with city-issued cabaret licenses that allow dancing. If the nightclub owners refused to comply, their licenses could be suspended or revoked.

Ms. Quinn contends that the owners should install the security cameras to protect their patrons and help deter crime in and around the clubs. In recent months, bars and nightclubs have drawn increased scrutiny because of the separate murders of two young women after nights of drinking and partying in Manhattan. A club bouncer has been charged in one of those murders.

Mr. Roskoff, President of the Jim Owles Democratic Club, believes he speaks on behalf of the larger community when he said “when you go out at night, I think you have the right to be anonymous,” he said. “Not everybody’s out of the closet, and therefore it’s an invasion of privacy.”

 “Many people might reasonably fear retaliation if a picture of them in a gay club were splashed across the Internet or the pages of their local paper,” said Christopher Dunn, associate legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “If the city intends to require videotaping, there must be strict privacy protections.”