The Blue Moon Bar in Pittsburgh faced backlash after a drag performer appeared in blackface at its September 23 open-stage, prompting social-media outrage and an apology from the venue. The bar said guest hosts missed the performance, then canceled the following week's event after receiving threats. The performer apologized on September 28, claiming they intended to portray Hexxus from FernGully, and the bar pledged new screening measures and a dressing-room notice banning racially offensive acts.
Outrage at Blue Moon Bar After Blackface Drag Performance Prompts Apology and Canceled Shows
A bartender fills a glass of beer.
An LGBTQ+ venue in Pittsburgh, Blue Moon Bar, is facing intense criticism after a drag performer appeared in blackface during the bar's open-stage event on September 23. Video and social-media posts documenting the performance circulated online, prompting condemnation from local artists and community members.
Pineapple Honeydew, a Pittsburgh drag artist, called the act "disgusting, racist behavior" in an Instagram post, questioning how the performer was allowed onstage. The performer has not been publicly identified.
Blue Moon Bar did not respond to a phone request for comment from The Advocate. In a Facebook post, the bar's management apologized and said the night's show had two guest hosts who "somehow didn't realize at the time what was happening." The post added: "Whatever the intent, blackface is racist and harmful and it is never acceptable. We are sorry that it happened in our bar."
Later the same day, the bar announced it would cancel that week's open-stage event after receiving what it described as "too many death threats." The venue has hosted recurring open-stage nights for 14 years.
Performer Apology And Explanation
Local outlet QBurgh reported the performer issued an apology on September 28, saying they had intended to portray Hexxus, a character from the 1992 animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest. The performer acknowledged that their makeup — including the exaggerated lines around the lips and eyes historically associated with blackface — caused harm and pledged to be held accountable: "My attempt for accuracy in a cosplay caused an egregious error that resulted in harm to a community I love and care for. I want to be held accountable and I want to make good on my efforts to right this wrong," the statement read.
Bar Response And Policy Changes
QBurgh reported Blue Moon Bar plans to implement new safeguards to prevent future racist or insensitive performances, including more thorough screening of open-stage participants and a sign in the dressing room stating that racially offensive performances "will not be tolerated."
Context: Why Blackface Is Harmful
Cultural experts and institutions define blackface as the application of dark makeup and the adoption of racialized gestures to caricature and demean Black people. The National Museum of African American History and Culture describes blackface as mocking "the features and culture of African Americans, including their looks, language, dance, deportment and character." The practice is rooted in 19th-century minstrel shows and in longer histories of dehumanizing depictions dating back to the era of slavery.
"Being a Black person is hard in this country. Being a Black person is even harder in this city," said local Black LGBTQ+ performer Leia Way LeStat, calling for a broader reckoning with anti-Black racism in drag culture.
Black LGBTQ+ artists in Pittsburgh say the incident underscores ongoing problems with anti-Black bias in performance spaces and the need for sustained community accountability and better venue safeguards.
Help us improve.
