A Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ bar, Blue Moon Bar, is facing backlash after photos from a September 23 open stage event began circulating on social media, showing a drag performer appearing in blackface. The images quickly turned a weekly showcase into a city-wide controversy, with the performer’s identity still not publicly known.
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Blue Moon Bar hosts open stage events where local artists can perform for patrons, with the recurring showcases having been held at the bar for 14 years. Last week, photos and posts from the September 23 event began spreading online, including on Instagram and Reddit, drawing attention to the performance.
The performer who appeared in blackface has not been publicly identified.
Blue Moon Bar Apologizes For The Performance
In a Wednesday Facebook post, Blue Moon Bar management apologized for what happened and said the September 23 show had two guest hosts who “somehow didn’t realize at the time what was happening.”
“Whatever the intent, blackface is racist and harmful and it is never acceptable,” their post reads. “We are sorry that it happened in our bar.”
The apology came as images from the performance continued circulating online and reactions grew across Pittsburgh.
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The controversy centers on the performer’s appearance during the open stage showcase, rather than on a regularly scheduled drag production. Blue Moon Bar has described its open stage events as recurring programming that gives local artists an opportunity to perform for customers.
This Week’s Open Stage Event Has Been Canceled
Later Wednesday evening, Blue Moon Bar management announced that this week’s open stage event would be canceled. The bar said it had received “too many death threats” following the controversy.
The cancellation affects an event that has been part of the bar’s schedule for 14 years, according to the management’s post.
For now, the performer seen in the photos has not been publicly identified, and the bar’s statements remain the primary public response to the September 23 performance.
The episode also illustrates how quickly an image from a local bar event can travel once it reaches social media. What began as a weekly showcase for local performers was suddenly being discussed far beyond the room where it happened.
And yes, the internet has once again demonstrated that a camera phone can turn a local night out into a national-level conversation before anyone has even finished their drink.
Editor’s Note:
Unlike many outlets and writers on this topic, I’ve been to the Blue Moon Bar in Pittsburgh. I shared our visit to Pittsburgh in Why Pittsburgh Is One of America’s Most Unexpected City Escapes. Here’s an excerpt from my quick time at the bar.
The night I stumbled into Blue Moon, they were having an amateur Drag Show. Make up, heels, wigs were everywhere. But what I noticed the most was getting to watch the most spectacular bartender. No, she was not making fancy drinks, but she was serving people beverages and a huge helping of respect and love. We have safe spaces, this was clearly one of them in Pittsburgh, but her presence there, made this safe space an authentic complete wrap around bear hug.