Illinois Bakery Receives Threats for Family-Friendly Drag Show

A baker in Illinois is going forward with a family-friendly drag show and brunch despite reports of threats, protests, and counter-protests.

Corinna Sac, owner of UpRising Bakery and Cafe in the Village of Lake in the Hills suburb northwest of Chicago, told local NBC affiliate WMAQ she made the decision to go forward with the "Starry Night, Sunny Skies" drag brunch at night show this Saturday evening despite a hostile response both online and in her bakery to an ad she ran for the show.

"We've had people leave bags of waste outside," Sac told WMAQ. "We've had notes on our doors that say pedophiles work here, endless phone calls, the online harassment which everyone can see, that's public."

While admitting the show is "not a Wiggles concert," Sac said her "intent was to take a fun event like a drag show and make it family-friendly."

Sac said the trouble started when she posted the event on the bakery's Facebook page. The post quickly gained hundreds of comments, many of them negative, hateful, and objecting to the admission of children to the event. The Lake in the Hills Police Department was contacted by concerned residents. The police conducted an investigation, later posting a statement to social media saying they found "no nudity or sexually explicit content" that was planned "to be a part of the scheduled performance."

The police also made clear they were investigating Sac's claims and will have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats of violence and violations of a person's right to peacefully protest or counter-protest.

"The department will be taking a zero-tolerance approach for those individuals who choose to attend with plans to engage in acts of violence or criminal activity," the statement read.

For her part, Sac said the response from police and the outpouring of support from the community after her story went public steeled her resolve.

"I feel really, really right in my soul continuing forward and doing this show and shows in the future with queens that we are already using, with future kings and queens who want to come," Sac said.

She also made clear she would not let the protesters change her way of doing business.

"Who you love, what you believe in, it doesn't matter," Sac said. "We welcome everyone, we love everyone. And we try to make something for everyone, too.