Memories were made last night. Horrible memories. Having previously been to Jacque's, I was looking forward to sharing a seedy dive bar and old school drag with my friends. $10 cover? Fine. Cheap drinks in small disposable cups? NBD. Dollar Tree Halloween decor from 10 years ago haphazardly stapled to the stage? Quaint. I'll even overlook the throngs of messy bachelorettes creating what can only be a fire hazard of an establishment that has no intent on ever operating anything to code. What I will NOT excuse is witnessing a friend be the victim of racial insults and then be SPAT UPON by the same drag performer when said friend refused to tip her. Performer Fena Barbitall had previously chastised our audience for not tipping her as well as the previous crowd which is tacky, desperate, and showcases her complete lack of professional finesse. I'll even allow for the playful jab at one's race or culture, if handled by a queen who possess the skill to both playfully tease and still make the crowd laugh. Fena Barbitall has none of this skill and has as much business holding a mic as she does lip-syncing Beyonce and wearing anything skintight. My friends and I had previously tipped each performer, including Miss Barbitall, and were sitting in the audience when she came back around. She stopped at my friend, the one she had previously insulted, and awaited a tip. When he politely declined she thrust her up-turned hat into his face and again he declined. She then removed a large feather from the hat and shoved it into his face. Taking the feather from his face, he returned the feather to her. This is when she became totally un-hinged. She immediately snatched the feather from him, berated us with insults, and spat upon both of us. SPAT. UPON. US. We quickly gathered our things while this lunatic drag queen screamed obscenities at us and went back upstairs. I met with manager Kris, who was apologetic and informed us that the performer was already being fired. She offered us a round on the house but needless to say we were done. We are a group of professional actors who were in Boston on a national tour. We all live in New York. We go to drag shows. We ourselves are performers. Never in my significant years of gay bar patronage have I encountered such deplorable behavior at an establishment. The LGBT community already has enough adversity to deal with, but when it turns on its own kind something is seriously wrong. What was once a fond memory of Boston has now become infected with unfounded hostility, crazed hatred, and bigotry. Thank you, Fena Barbital and the staff at Jacque's for a night we will never forget. read more