Dave Chappelle Faces Fallout on Transgender Jokes as Venue Cancels Show
Twitter on Wednesday night, citing its previous commitment to make its stages among "the safest spaces in the country." The dustup is the latest for the comedian who has remained unrepentant despite ongoing criticism that his comedy diminishes the transgender community.The venue's statement said it believed in "diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression," but that it was sorry that it had let down its "staff, artists, and our community" by booking Chappelle."We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls," said First Avenue, which runs a consortium of venues in Minneapolis.While First Avenue canceled Chappelle's Wednesday performance, the show would go on at the Varsity Theater, which said it was honoring tickets.Chappelle has faced sustained backlash over his 2021 Netflix comedy special The Closer, which spurred a walkout of the platform's employees and a boycott against the streaming service.During the special, Chappelle declared himself to be a "TERF," an acronym for "trans-exclusionary radical feminist," a term used by transgender rights advocates to deride opponents.Chappelle used his routine to back Harry Potter author J.K.
