When a hate crime suspect allegedly drove more than 60 miles and vandalized the UpRising Bakery and Cafe in Lake in the Hills to protest a pro-LGBTQ planned event, it set off an unfortunate chain of events for the small business.
The planned family-friendly drag show was canceled. The business was vandalized. The village and bakery are now in a heated dispute over enforcement of entertainment zoning regulations.
We hope the bakery and village officials can come to a compromise. If not, the far northwest suburb could potentially lose a business that was just trying to find creative ways to pay the bills.
And in a larger sense, the bullies will have won.
The village, of course, has a right to require special entertainment zoning for venues wanting to host events that could impact nearby residents with noise, parking problems or other issues.
But most of the events UpRising Cafe has hosted since opening last November don’t strike us as full-blown entertainment productions. Yes, there was the planned drag show and Disney karaoke night. But a majority of the events were community programs such as resume writing workshops, classes on cookie making and cake decoration, acoustic live music from local talent and even a class where you can paint a portrait of your pet.
These events are what bridge the gap for the business to make ends meet, says Corrina Sac, owner of UpRising. Now the business could face large fines and potentially have its business and liquor license revoked if it hosts any kind of event.
Village leaders, who have condemned the vandalism, say the dispute with the bakery has nothing to do with the drag show, merely the zoning violations.
But in blocking the drag brunch and other events at the bakery by deeming them “entertainment events,” the village is giving the person who vandalized UpRising what he originally wanted, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said in a statement. The ACLU disputed the characterization of UpRising’s programs as “entertainment events.”
The goal here, we think, is to strengthen community relations, support a small business and protect the rights of both the village and UpRising.
Resolving the dispute, without a legal battle, is an opportunity to show right-wing agitators that hate won’t win.
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