Famed leather bar Touché will hold a town hall next week after coming under fire for hiring a ventriloquist who used a racist puppet of a Black woman during the bar’s 45th-anniversary party. The ventriloquist, Jerry Halliday, introduced his puppet as “Sista Girl” and was captured on video speaking with a stereotypical “Blaccent,” or voice that white and non-Black performers use to imitate Black vernacular. Witnesses said he made jokes about loving watermelon, being on welfare, and having multiple kids. Several audience members walked out mid-performance, including a bartender who quit mid-shift. Cris Bleaux, a bartender at Touché said he “walked out in disgust” over Halliday’s performance. Bleaux said he immediately felt uncomfortable when Halliday, a white man, came on stage and pulled out the Black puppet. A barrage of social media posts was made Wednesday calling out Touché, 6414 N. Clark St., for allowing the performance to happen. The Black puppet was pictured in posters advertising the 45th-anniversary celebration. Chuck Rodocker, the owner of Touché, said he and the bar leaders “apologize profusely and sincerely” for the performance. Also in Chicago last week was the International Mr. Rubber competition. The winner of the title, Pusckatt Pumera ONXY from South Florida, was the first member of the black community to win the title. While he received a lot of support from the producers of the event, the announcement of his win was met with significant backlash from many who claim the Fetish community should only be represented by light-skinned individuals. Amidst the recent midterm elections, such incidents shed light on how people from disadvantaged communities are treated in some parts of the country. #theusaview
Chicago Becomes Epicenter for Racism And Intolerance In The National LGBTQ+ Community
- Peter Bisuito
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