Comment Comedian Dave Chappelle’s show at a Minneapolis venue on Wednesday was canceled hours before he was due to take the stage due to backlash from staff and the community over his recent jokes about transgender people. First Avenue announced in a statement that Chappelle will not be performing at the venue Wednesday night but at another location in Minneapolis. The venue faced backlash for booking the legendary comedian for a surprise, sold-out performance in the months leading up to the 2021 Netflix special “The Closer,” in which Chappelle doubled down on jokes about the LGBTQ community after previously accusations of homophobia and transphobia. “To our staff, artists and community, we hear you and we’re sorry,” First Avenue said in a statement, which was posted on social media less than three hours before the show was scheduled to open. “We know we have to hold ourselves to the highest standards and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people inside, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but has meaning beyond our walls.” The historic venue, which is best known for featuring in Prince’s 1984 film “Purple Rain,” added that while it believes in diverse voices and freedom of artistic expression, “we lost sight of the impact” that the keeping Chappelle in the community. . “We know there are some who will not agree with this decision. you are welcome to send comments,” First Avenue wrote. We hear you. Tonight’s performance has been canceled at First Avenue and is moving to the Varsity Theatre. See our full statement for more. pic.twitter.com/tkf7rz0cc7 — First Avenue (@FirstAvenue) July 20, 2022 A representative for Chappelle did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Thursday. Chappelle has come under fire for comments that LGBTQ advocacy groups say could harm transgender people. As part of “The Closer,” Chappelle joked about transgender genitalia, said “gender is a fact” and told his audience he was on “team TERF,” an acronym for trans-exclusive radical feminist. The comedian also defended JK Rowling, the author of the “Harry Potter” books, who has been criticized for making statements deemed transphobic. Chappelle has joked about the transgender community in the past, including in his 2019 tribute, “Sticks & Stones.” Netflix fires employee for sharing information about Dave Chappelle’s special amid LGBTQ backlash GLAAD, a media watchdog group, previously accused Chappelle’s show of having “anti-LGBTQ content” that violates Netflix’s policy of rejecting programs that incite hatred or violence. The National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights advocacy group, called on Netflix last year to immediately pull the special and “immediately apologize to the transgender community.” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief executive, has repeatedly defended the comedian, saying last year that “creative freedom” was one reason the company would not cancel the special. Sarandos has acknowledged that while some people may consider Chappelle’s stand-up to be “mean-spirited,” “our members enjoy it and it’s an important part of our content offering.” Dave Chappelle is under fire for doubling down on jokes about the LGBTQ community Fallout from the special has happened in the last year. After the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest Washington planned to dedicate its student theater to the comedian, Chappelle unexpectedly announced last month that it would not be named after him. Chappelle declined the honor amid controversy over his Netflix dedication last year, at a time when Ellington students also raised concerns. Chappelle has been open about the backlash, telling an Ellington audience last month that the criticism “honestly” hurt him, but that it had no nuance and was not about his work. Dave Chappelle refuses to name the Duke Ellington School theater after him In announcing the cancellation Wednesday, First Avenue said Chappelle’s show has been moved to the Varsity Theater, where all tickets for the show will be honored. Chappelle was already scheduled to perform at the Varsity Theater on Thursday and Friday. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Varsity Theater to oppose Chappelle, many of them chanting, “Trans rights matter!” and holding signs that read: “Transphobia is no joke.” A Chappelle fan was also hit with an egg by a man protesters don’t believe was part of the demonstration, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Chappelle reportedly taunted protesters during his set Wednesday night, but urged those in attendance at the Varsity Theater to continue supporting First Avenue, the Star Tribune reported. “It’s an important place for our culture,” he said. Perry Stein and Amanda Andrade-Rhoades contributed to this report.
