Bartender Who Booted Milo Yiannopoulos Gets Gratitude From Strangers, Confusion From Regulars

Amiti Perry, Dallas' new favorite bartender, didn't have much time to think Friday afternoon as her story about kicking Milo Yiannopoulos and a group of neo-Nazis out of a Dallas bar in April 2016 went viral. She had to teach morning and afternoon classes at the University of North Texas, where she's an adjunct professor in the dance and theater department.

She headed to One Nostalgia Tavern on Friday night for her regular shift. There she found a bunch of new fans, but had to explain to some of her regulars what was going on.

"There were quite a few people that came in to say thank you and tell me I was their hero," Perry says. "Some of our regulars who sway more towards the Republican side were confused because they didn't read the article."

Those regulars, Perry says, thought the bartender released the video, which became public after a Buzzfeed exposé revealed ties among Yiannopoulos, staff at his former employer Breitbart and a motley crew of racists, white nationalists, nationalists and neo-Nazis. The video depicts Dallas-born white nationalist Richard Spencer and a group of his fellow travelers giving a "sieg heil"-style salute as Yiannopoulos sings "God Bless America" at One Nostalgia Tavern.

"They somehow thought I was releasing this video and bringing this all to light," Perry says. "So I had to do some explaining about what was happening."

While the response to Perry's newfound fame has been mostly positive, she says that she's encountered harassment online from some who support Yiannopoulos. Still, she says, she feels good about kicking Yiannopoulus and Spencer out of the bar.

"Overall, I — and the bar — feel very supported in our actions and everything that's come to light," she says. "I don't really care what people think of me. ... It's not causing me a lot of stress. I'm really just curious as to what will happen next, if anything."