A bakery in Lake in the Hills has reached an agreement with the town allowing the business to continue hosting events, including a family-friendly drag show that was the target of threats and vandalism, the ACLU of Illinois announced Thursday.
On July 31, the town ordered UpRising Bakery and Cafe to stop hosting public events because the business was not zoned for entertainment. The town threatened large fines and the revocation of business and liquor licenses.
The order came about a week after the bakery was the target of a hate crime while planning a family-friendly drag brunch.
The agreement worked out with the town will allow bakery events to go on as planned in accordance with zoning laws, the ACLU said in a release.
The ACLU called the agreement a “victory for free speech” that denied a win for “violent extremists that objected to UpRising’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.”
“We are elated to have come to a mutual agreement with the village of Lake in the Hills,” said owner Corrina Bendel Sac. “We look forward to getting back to baking and holding community-centered events!”
In a statement released Thursday evening, village officials said they were pleased to have worked with the bakery to find a “mutually satisfactory approach” for moving forward.
