![]() In an email that went out last week to Touché’s clientele, Boyer said the bar will work to be more inclusive of all people. “I wasn’t there, but from my understanding … people took offense to one of his Black characters, and they were just not amused.” Credit: Jake Wittich/Block Club Chicago Touché, 6414 N. ![]() “We thought it would be fun to bring an entertainer from the past to include him with the holiday party, but apparently his material has not changed with the ages,” Rodocker said. Halliday’s act wasn’t vetted because he had been hired to perform at previous Touché events where he went over well with the crowd, Rodocker said. ![]() “If there’s something we can do to support someone more in the future, we’d be more than happy to because we are one of the oldest gay bars in the city and always had a very diverse crowd that’s welcoming of women, people of color and people with disabilities.” “Hopefully, people will look at the 45-year history of the establishment over a 45-minute tasteless performance,” bar owner Chuck Rodocker previously said. Wednesday at the Leather Archives & Museum, 6418 N. The bar will host a town hall to collect feedback 7 p.m. Touché’s leaders have apologized for the performance. People can be heard clapping and booing the audience member, who leaves the bar shortly after.Īt the end of the video, Halliday asks bar manager David Boyer to pass around a tip bucket to collect money for the Black puppet’s five children. Halliday, speaking through the puppet, responds, “Everybody who wants this man to shut up, make some noise clap.” The video shows a confrontation between Halliday and a white audience member, who tells the puppeteer “everyone in the crowd thinks this is a little weird for 2022.” Parts of the performance, which led to several audience members walking out and a bartender quitting mid-shift, were shared in a video posted by audience member Philip Smith. “The one-sided attacks on my act have been greatly exaggerated and with many total fabrications.” “I have been doing my show for 20 years for thousands of people of all races to standing ovations and rave reviews in the press, then suddenly a handful of people at Touché attack me while the majority there were enjoying my show,” Halliday said. Halliday, a national performer who’s headlined shows in Las Vegas, said Sista Girl has been part of his act for two decades and he’s never received backlash for the puppet. “I continue with my other puppets full speed ahead.” Credit: Sista Girl was shared on Jerry Halliday’s website but removed after he retired the puppet. “I have permanently retired the Black puppet, just like the Rolling Stones recently retired their song ‘Brown Sugar’ when they received similar criticism,” Halliday said. On Sunday, Halliday told Block Club he removed Sista Girl from his act. Puppeteer Jerry Halliday has faced backlash for last week’s performance, in which he spoke for the puppet using a stereotypical “Blaccent,” or voice that non-Black performers use to imitate Black vernacular, and told jokes about loving watermelon, being on welfare and having five kids. ROGERS PARK - The puppeteer who gave a racist performance involving a Black puppet named “Sista Girl” during Touché’s 45th anniversary party said he is retiring the character.
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