Drag queen challenges gay bar owner who used N-word in racist rant
Drag Race star Shangela confronted a gay bar owner’s racist past in a show this week.
Darryl DePianol, who owns the Pennsylvania gay club ICandy, appeared in a clip uploaded online last week and reported by PhillyMag.
In it, he appears to be speaking to another member of staff about people who ask for free drink passes, using a string of racist slurs.
He says: “N*g, n*g, n*g, n*g, n***ers — every one of them. Does Ray ask you for drink passes… white, obnoxious white, but white?”
When the other man respond “No, he’s never asked me”, Mr DePianol responds: “There you go, and he was definitely your real boyfriend.
“All three of them that ask you for drink passes are n***ers.”
The comments have been met with shock in the local community.
Mr DePianol has attempted to apologise for the comments, which he says were made several years ago.
But it was during a set from RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela that the issue came to a head.
The drag artist took to the stage, saying: “We all know there is a video on the internet of something that went down that is not right. I’m here to make it right!
“Before we even go forward with the night, let’s get it out the way – we know things come up, and sometimes there is an opportunity to make things better.
“Some of you may be like, Shangela, why are you here? Are you condoning behavior? Are you supporting it? I’ll tell you this first and foremost – “Anyone who knows me knows that Shangela is 100 percent real… I keep it real.
“I did not appreciate or support it, but opportunities come for change, and tonight we are standing on an opportunity of change.
“I have worked to know myself, to accept myself and forgive myself – and once you can forgive yourself, you can forgive other people.”
She pulled DePiano on stage to address his comments.
He said: “I put an apology out, but it means more to me to tell you personally, face to face, in the remainder of the community as time goes on.
That’s not really who I am or what I stand for, but I have to take full responsibility for my really poor actions and the disgusting language that I used.
“I’m not going to run away… I’m going to stand up, take my lickings and hope that we can all make a change, mostly myself, and help the entire community change as one for equality.
“I greatly apologise to everybody. It’s something that if I could take back 30 seconds of my life, I would take that back. Words are definitely more than just words.
“It’s not just going to be words anymore – there is going to be action, and you can see that.”
Shangela explains that the club owner and staff will be going through sensitivity and diversity training.
A statement from the club says: “Icandy Nightclub has always and will always be an all-inclusive club for people of every race, gender or sexual orientation.
“We pride ourselves in being a safe environment; free of judgement, free of ridicule and free of bias of any sort. We are a family.
“Unfortunately, recent regrettable and unacceptable comments were uncovered. A Principal of ICandy, Darryl DePiano, used racial epitaphs during a conversation approximately three years ago. These comments are appalling and in no way reflect the feelings of the staff of Icandy which is made up of a diverse group of men and women of many different ethnicities.
“Mr DePiano immediately took full responsibility for his actions and realizes that taking responsibility is just the beginning.
“Granting an apology is a great start but, is far from reversing a mindset that is crippling our society and community. Education in racial discrimination along with racial sensitivity training will start the healing process.
“We ask for the opportunity to help us work together, and be a part of solving the problem of racial discrimination in the LGBT community.
“We have all, in some way, suffered discrimination in our lives, and it is NEVER ok to discriminate against any person, for any reason. We look forward to working with the community in addressing racial discrimination and creating equality for all.”
