December 15, 2023
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Tabu is one of many venues in Philly's Gayborhood where drag and burlesque performers organize shows. But many are scrutinizing the bar after it canceled a dancer's performance due to a pro-Palestinian sign she was carrying.
Last week, members of the Gayborhood community condemned Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar after its managers prevented Leila Delicious, a Philly-based dancer who is Palestinian, from performing. After an apology from Tabu, nearly 70 performers and producers signed a letter expressing solidarity with Delicious and demanding more action from the bar's ownership.
The letter, shared with PhillyVoice by attorney Amer Zahr, also the president of the advocacy group New Generation for Palestine, details what occurred at Tabu last Friday. According to the letter, Delicous, who was scheduled to perform at Tabu that evening, was turned away by a security official due to the sign she was holding.
The sign read: "BIDEN, DEMAND A CEASEFIRE / IF YOU SUPPORT GENOCIDE, You ISREAL DUMB!" Tabu then posted a now-deleted statement on social media Saturday morning, which said the sign was "promoting genocide" and "targeting the Jewish community."
"We, the undersigned artists, producers, and performers, stand firmly with our colleague and friend Leila Delicious," the letter reads. "We have all performed or produced at Tabu at various times in the past."
The letter claims Tabu's statement placed Delicious "at considerable physical risk," citing recent anti-Palestinian hate crimes, and lists two demands: a commitment to "freedom of expression and speech" with concrete guidelines on what is allowed and an apology to Delicious that retracts the accusation of "promoting genocide." It ends with the signed names of 68 Philly performers and producers, including Leila Delicious.
“I am simply calling for justice, dignity, and respect. I never thought that calling for an end to genocide would end up in an accusation of genocide against me," Delicious said in a statement included in Zahr's email. "Sadly, the environment we are in seeks to silence Palestinian voices. As a Palestinian, I refuse to be silent."
Earlier this week, Tabu's social media accounts shared a post detailing a "constructive dialogue" with performers, producers and hosts. The post claims the bar will incorporate "diversity and inclusion uptraining" and an individual dedicated to "performer support."
"We acknowledge that the situation could have been handled differently, and we are committed to implementing processes and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future," the post reads. "Our overarching goal remains the establishment of a safe and inclusive space for everyone."
Multiple performers who claim to have attended the meeting with Tabu management spoke negatively of the dialogue on Instagram. Replying to Tabu's post, Philly drag king Eugene Rideher Betta, who signed the letter supporting Leila Delicious, said management stated anything bearing "Free Palestine" would not be allowed in the bar.
The letter's signees said they will not perform or work at Tabu until management meets the letter's demands.
