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Dave Chappelle Addresses Netflix Transgender Controversy

By Oreoritse Tariemi
26 October 2021   |   10:14 am
Comedian Dave Chappelle has addressed the controversy on Transgender rights surrounding his Netflix special The Closer. Chappelle noted that criticisms of The Closer, which features his views on transgender rights and identity, had hurt his ability to communicate.  In an Instagram video posted on Monday, he said he'll be willing to meet with the Netflix transgender employees…

Comedian Dave Chappelle has addressed the controversy on Transgender rights surrounding his Netflix special The Closer.

Chappelle noted that criticisms of The Closer, which features his views on transgender rights and identity, had hurt his ability to communicate. 

In an Instagram video posted on Monday, he said he’ll be willing to meet with the Netflix transgender employees who have demanded that his comedy special be removed from the streaming platform. 

However, he pointed out that the meeting would have to be on his terms. 

“You will not summon me.”

“First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end,” he said in the video posted on Monday. “You must come to a place of my choosing, at a time of my choosing. And thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”

Dave Chappelle’s Netflix Special The Closer outraged the LGBTQ community since it aired on October 5th. The special features Dave Chappelle’s views on transgender rights and identity, which the LGBTQ community considers offensive. 

After its release, dozens of Netflix employees staged a walkout calling the streaming giant to remove the special. 

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality responding to Chappelle’s comments, noted that his offer to meet does little to change the impact of his words. 

“The stakes are high, but sometimes those who are unfamiliar with real transgender people can’t see or understand how harmful their words and actions are to those real people,” he said.

In his Instagram video recorded onstage, Chappelle focused on how the uproar affects his right to exist. 

He also said that the backlash from The Closer has caused him to push back the release of his documentary “Untitled.”

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