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OREGON: Gay Bar Forced to Cancel Blackface Drag Act Shirley Q. Liquor

"Protests from hundreds have forced a Portland gay bar to cancel an event" featuring the offensive and racist blackface act of drag queen Shirley Q. Liquor, reports The Oregonian.

The South Carolina-born bar manager claims "never in a million years" did he anticipate that booking the blackface caricature of an "inarticulate black welfare mother with 19 children" would become "a huge race issue."

Michael Shawn Talley, manager of The Eagle on North Lombard Street, said the bar meant no harm in scheduling Chuck Knipp, a well-known Texas comedian who performs as Shirley Q. Liquor. ...Talley grew up in South Carolina, where Knipp often performs to packed houses. Though the Shirley Q. Liquor shows have drawn backlash and protest in other cities, Talley didn't foresee any problem.

The bar announced the March 15 show a month ago. As an opening act, Talley also scheduled an African-American drag entertainer who planned to perform in "whiteface." When Talley created a Facebook event page, the backlash started. Deejays who had events scheduled at the bar canceled. Others planned to boycott a Saturday dance party.

"I was enraged," said Sophia St. James, a Northeast Portland nurse who frequented the bar. "The Eagle is known for being sexist and transphobic. I knew they had issues surrounding bigotry. But it shocked me."

The controversy sparked "thousands" of Facebook comments, adds the report. Staff of the gay leather bar are accused of dismissing customer complaints and "delet[ing] comments from the event [Facebook] page."

Shirley Q. Liquor is the alter ego of Charles Knipp, a gay comedian who claims to be "an ordained Quaker minister"—which itself is a conundrum because the Society of Friends has a fascinating history of progressiveness on racial issues and sexuality.  Quakers also do not "ordain" ministers.

Knipp's performance schedule has faced dozens of cancellations in recent years. Many Black and Black LGBT activists have repeatedly criticized gay-owned establishments for booking the blackface caricature. For instance, a Hartford, Connecticut gay bar was criticized and boycotted after it refused to cancel or reschedule  Knipp's February 23rd 2007 appearance. "Being a 32-year-old white guy, Black History Month didn't pop into my head," the manager told the Hartford Courant.

More in my report for The Advocate: "How You Durrin'?"

How You Durrin'?

Our article in latest issue of The Advocate.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation recently took a strong public position against minstrel drag performer Shirley Q. Liquor. Jasmyne Cannick and other black gay activists welcomed the move but an editorial in the current New York Blade suggests a white gay man performing in black face to predominately white gay crowds lacks gay ... context.

Both sides in the current, March 13 print edition of the magazine, that's the one with the John Amaechi cover. Much more synergy with the next issue—we'll have the cover. Details and very light postings next week.

Club Promoter "Didn't" Know February is Black History Month

Really, he didn't, and that's Bryan Couzens' only regret for booking Shirley Q. Liquor, the minstrel drag act who performs in black face, into his Hartford, Connecticut gay bar for a February 23rd appearance.

"Being a 32-year-old white guy, Black History Month didn't pop into my head," Couzens explains to the Hartford Courant. Although the Hartford public and black LGBT activists have loudly protested the booking at Chez Est, Couzens maintains there is no reason to cancel the act. "If they told me he's convicted of a felony for hate crimes, or is a Klan member, I'd cancel it in a second."

Shirley Q. Liquor is the alter ego of Charles Knipp, a Kentucky man who is an ordained Quaker minister—which itself is a conundrum because the Society of Friends has a fascinating history of progressiveness on racial issues and sexuality, and, its adherents are known as "the peacemakers." That last part—being a "peacemaker"—conflicts with recent events when Knipp and his supports recently borrowed a page from the Michelle Malkin School of Intimidation and posted the contact information for Jasmyne Cannick, who has become the leading opponent of Knipp's racist caricature. This seems to contradict with the black face, err public face, presented to The Courant:

[Knipp] has denied accusations over the years that the skit is racist and misogynist, saying the stereotypes will push discussion among blacks, whites, gay and straight people, and that black face drag "can actually help heal racism."

Knipp also penned a rather snarky email to Cannick and piously thanked "God I am always paid far in advance for my shows." Assuming that is true—as an ordained Quaker minister, we must take his word, because a minister wouldn't lie—it's very curious that the Hartford club refuses to compromise with activists and at the minimum re-book the act.

Divisive Test Of Character (Courant)

Show Still Scheduled for Los Angeles? (Jasmyne Cannick)

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Jasmyne Cannick)

Religious Society of Friends (Wikipedia)

Some Background on Shirley Q. Liquor ...

She's Back! (Keith Boykin) News: Chicago, Shirley Q. Liquor (Rod 2.0) Not Shirley Q. Again (Brotherlove)

News: "Person of Interest" Sought in Chicago, Shirley Q. Liquor

· New developments in the investigation of six black gay men shot at a Chicago party. Advocate.com reports detectives are seeking a "person of interest" and are working some fresh, high-tech leads. Over the weekend, city officials began holding a series of neighborhood workshops to address the homophobic reactions by some neighbors. Our latest on the investigation at the magazine's website and an examination of the community response in the the next issue.

· More on the upcoming performance of the Shirley Q. Liquor in West Hollywood. The racist caricature is performed in black face and described as an"“inarticulate black welfare mother with 19 children.” Jasmyne Cannick reports the WeHo city council is expected to pass a resolution encouraging "local business owners from booking [the] ridiculous and offensive act."

· The New York Times reports Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker will reveal a new initiative against drugs and violent crime. Less than 24 hours ago, two men were killed in a midday gun battle, "Newark’s fourth and fifth homicides of 2007, following a year in which the city tallied the most killings in a decade."

· Canada considers universal HIV testing.