Zach Poitras is an aspiring Canadian comedian who is now getting global recognition – but not for cracking hilarious jokes. Instead, he is the subject of a larger conversation about cultural appropriation after being disinvited from performing with comedy group because of his hairstyle. It all started a few weeks ago when Poitras was asked to perform a bit for the Snowflake Comedy Club at a bar called Coop les Recoltes. However after spending time preparing, Poitras found out that some members of the troop had actually reneged his time-slot allegedly because of his dreadlocks. The bar’s “inclusiveness policy” was apparently at the centre of the decision. On January 11, François Touz, another comedian, exposed the situation to his Facebook friends, quoting the explanation that the Coop les Recoltes initially provided to Poitras.
Published in Daily Times, January 23rd 2019.