Dave Chappelle Faces Fallout on Transgender Jokes as Venue Cancels Show

Dave Chappelle's performance at Minneapolis venue First Avenue has been abruptly canceled after the club faced criticism for booking the comedian who has been accused of making transphobic jokes.

First Avenue said it was pulling the plug on the polarizing performer in an apologetic statement posted to 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. Rowling, who has been accused of transphobia. The comedian also referred to a trans woman's genitalia as "not quite what it is" and said "gender is a fact."

Other performers have sought to distance themselves from Chappelle, and LGTBQ advocacy group GLAAD said last year that the comedian's "brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities."

Regardless, The Closer received two Emmy nominations and Chappelle has continued to crack wise about the transgender community.

A petition began circulating on Change.org in the leadup to First Avenue's cancellation of the performance, stating that the comedian's "action uphold a violent heteronormative culture and directly violate First Avenue's code of conduct."

"If staff and guests are held to this standard, performers should be too," reads the petition.

First Avenue's code of conduct prohibits transphobia and other discriminatory speech, adding that everyone "who enters our venues should be safe from harm, whether it's while watching, working, or performing."

The Varsity Theater seemed unworried by the controversy, saying on Twitter earlier that due to overwhelming demand it had added late shows to Chappelle's performance on Thursday and Friday.

Newsweek reached out to Chappelle for comment.