UpRising Bakery drag show controversy

In the summer of 2022, the owners of UpRising Bakery & Cafe in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, organized a drag show and brunch to take place at the bakery. As the event was marketed as "family-friendly", it sparked controversy among locals who questioned the ethics of allowing children to see drag shows. During this time, the owner received threats and the storefront was vandalized and damaged. After controversy and numerous delays, the show was held on August 7, 2022.

Though the show was held without incident, the bakery continued to receive harassment for several months. After nearly a year of protests, threats, and financial troubles, the bakery closed in June 2023.

## Background

UpRising Bakery & Cafe is a bakery at 2104 West Algonquin Road in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, that opened in 2021. The owner, Corinna Bendel-Sac, had previously organized various family-friendly events at the bakery, and she began organizing a "Starry Night Drag Brunch" in early July 2022. Several advertisements had been placed for the event, which stated that the drag show was open to all ages, as it would not feature any explicit material. The original date for the event was 7 PM on July 23, 2022.

## Controversy

While most either supported or had no issue with the show, the bakery received numerous death threats and in-person harassment. UpRising's Facebook page received hundreds of hate comments. One person left a bag of feces outside the front door, and another placed a note on the windows that read, "pedophiles work here".

Lake in the Hills police received several calls from residents who were concerned with the drag show and its billing as "family-friendly". The police maintained contact with Sac and felt there was no cause for concern, as no explicit performances were scheduled. The police department were prepared for protests and counterprotests to take place outside the bakery on the day of the show.

Following the drag brunch, protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the business. According to Sac, the protests lasted 126 consecutive days. Protesters had allegedly photographed license plates of customers and would harass them online.

### Vandalism incident

On the night of Friday, July 22, 2022, 24-year-old Joseph Collins of Alsip, Illinois spray-painted the messages "groomers", "fags rape kids", and "Christ is king" over the storefront. They proceeded to smash three windows and damaged the front door. At 12:04 AM, police were dispatched to the bakery. By the time they arrived, the suspect had fled, and they gave chase, eventually arresting him. He was charged with a hate crime and was held at $10,000 bond. He later pleaded not guilty to the charge.

On August 5, Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker visited the bakery and offered his support, writing a message on the wooden boards covering the windows. That afternoon, he posted a tweet that read, "We must come together to combat the rising tide of hate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors and friends, [...] Hate has no home here." As a result of the incident, the show was rescheduled to August 7.

### Legal issues

A week after the vandalism incident, the government of Lake in the Hills told UpRising that it was not allowed to host events due to zoning laws. On August 4, after several days of back-and-forth conversations, the city government backed down and allowed the drag brunch to take place.

### Drag show

The drag brunch began at 11 AM on Sunday, August 7, 2022, and was attended by several dozen people. Only those who had bought tickets for the show were allowed to attend; media outlets were not permitted inside the bakery. Though open to all ages, very few children were present. The show featured three drag queens: Boo Boo Kitty, Horchata, Jakki Love.

No protesters were present outside the building, and the show passed without incident. The city government has allowed UpRising to continue hosting events at the establishment.

## Financial troubles and closure

As a result of the controversy, the bakery's patronage decreased. On March 21, 2023, Sac announced that UpRising would be closing by the end of that month due to "unrelenting negative misinformation about our establishment in the last eight months". Following the announcement, a fundraiser was created to allow people to donate to the bakery, with a minimum of $30,000 needing to be raised in order to continue operations. Another fund was organized by volunteers with a $5,000 goal. Donations poured in; and both fundraisers exceeded their goal, prompting the bakery's owners to reconsider their decision to shutter. On March 31, Sac announced that enough funds had been raised for the bakery to remain in operation.

UpRising would continue to operate for only two more months. On May 31, 2023, Sac announced that the bakery would officially be shutting down, having been in business after roughly two years. She hinted that they may consider reopening in a new location, but no plans have been announced.

## Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/03/21/uprising-bakery-in-lake-in-the-hills-announces-closure-of-business-citing-horrific-attacks-since-hate-crime/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/threats-made-protests-planned-at-suburban-bakerys-kid-friendly-drag-brunch-police-say-bakery-says-event-will-go-on/2886690/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://nypost.com/2022/07/24/man-charged-for-vandalizing-bakery-advertising-child-friendly-drag-show/
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/new-hope-for-suburban-bakery-set-to-close-following-vandalism-threats-over-planned-drag-brunch/3101605/
5. ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/us/illinois-bakery-drag-show-hate-speech/index.html
6. ↑ https://patch.com/illinois/crystallake/man-accused-uprising-hate-crime-damage-pleads-not-guilty
7. ↑ https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20220805/pritzker-visits-lake-in-the-hills-bakery-where-drag-show-brunch-is-back-on
8. ↑ https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/news/2022/08/07/uprising-cafe-hosts-drag-brunch-ending-month-long-controversy/
9. ↑ https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-uprising-bakery
10. ↑ https://www.gofundme.com/f/rise-up-for-uprising-bakery-and-cafe
11. ↑ https://abc7chicago.com/uprising-bakery-lake-in-the-hills-il-drag-show-canceled/13055817/
12. ↑ https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/not-goodbye-suburban-bakery-targeted-after-planning-drag-show-closes-doors-forever/3152885/