Over the weekend, police in the outlying neighbourhood of Lake of the Hills detained and charged a person in connection with the alleged vandalism of the UpRising Bakery and Cafe, which is located about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The incident compelled the proprietor of the bakery to postpone a weekend “very, very family friendly” all-ages drag event.
The charges against Joseph I. Collins, 24, of Alsip include felony hate crimes and criminal property damage. A bag of human waste was left outside the bakery’s entrance, a note reading “Pedophiles work here,” and spittle was thrown on the bakery’s display case in protest to the planned drag show, according to UpRising owner Corrina Sac, who spoke to the Tribune about Collins’ arrest.
According to the Daily Herald, Collins was detained by Lake of the Hills police after they responded to a call just after midnight on Saturday, July 23, alleging that the bakery was being vandalised. Reporters were informed by police that UpRising had sustained significant physical damage, including shattered windows and “hateful” spray-painted inscriptions.
On Friday, Sac formally cancelled the drag show. She posted on Facebook, “We have cancelled tomorrow’s concert and will be closed Saturday for the safety of the performers, employees, and community. We didn’t want to defend the town against bullies, but we simply cannot carry out the plan for tomorrow with good conscience. It makes us heartbroken.
Early in August, the bakery had planned a drag brunch event called “Rise and Shine.” Eventbrite reports that all of the available tickets have been sold, but Sac wouldn’t confirm to Trib reporters whether the event would go on as planned.
LGBTQ equity advocates have connected the assaults on UpRising to a larger pattern of perilous far-right discourse that erroneously connects queer people to child abuse. Drag performers and venue staff have been the targets of irrational attacks from lawmakers and their supporters across the nation. Extremist groups have disrupted LGBTQ events violently, wearing t-shirts that read “Kill your local paedophile,” and have sent threats to the organisers, forcing some, like Sac, to cancel out of fear for their own safety.
Collins’ bail was set at $10,000 by a circuit court judge in McHenry County. On Sunday, July 24, UpRising reopened despite having boarded up windows and other physical damage. Sac posted on Facebook, “We live here. Our house is here. Our town is this one. This is where we live. This conflict is ours. We are not reversing course or giving ground. Fuckery is not acceptable today or any other day.
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