Dave Chapelle's Minneapolis show on July 20 was moved from First Avenue to Varsity Theater after the former venue cancelled the comedian's performance over his obsession with transphobic jokes.
First Avenue announced the change of plans for the show on Twitter, apologizing for booking Chappelle and acknowledging the impact of the decision:
To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. 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.
We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honouring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have. We know there are some who will not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback.
UPDATE (7/21, 11:36 a.m. ET): A Star Tribune reviewer reports that during the July 20 performance, Chappelle said that monkeypox is a "gay disease," called his protesters a small group of "transgender lunatics" and joked that they were probably hired by his wife. "I can see a transgender hit squad coming from a mile away," the comedian reportedly said during the show.
Chappelle has been a subject of contention in the entertainment world ever since releasing his Netflix special The Closer last year. In the special, he proudly calls himself a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and defends known transphobe/Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Netflix refused to remove The Closer from the service despite widespread criticism and uproar, including a walkout by their trans employee resource group. Since its release, Chappelle has remained firm in his stance, leading to him being attacked onstage at the Netflix Is a Joke festival at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl earlier this year. Despite the backlash, the special still earned an Emmy nod in 2022.
See First Avenue's statement below.
First Avenue announced the change of plans for the show on Twitter, apologizing for booking Chappelle and acknowledging the impact of the decision:
To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. 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.
We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honouring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have. We know there are some who will not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback.
UPDATE (7/21, 11:36 a.m. ET): A Star Tribune reviewer reports that during the July 20 performance, Chappelle said that monkeypox is a "gay disease," called his protesters a small group of "transgender lunatics" and joked that they were probably hired by his wife. "I can see a transgender hit squad coming from a mile away," the comedian reportedly said during the show.
Chappelle has been a subject of contention in the entertainment world ever since releasing his Netflix special The Closer last year. In the special, he proudly calls himself a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and defends known transphobe/Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Netflix refused to remove The Closer from the service despite widespread criticism and uproar, including a walkout by their trans employee resource group. Since its release, Chappelle has remained firm in his stance, leading to him being attacked onstage at the Netflix Is a Joke festival at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl earlier this year. Despite the backlash, the special still earned an Emmy nod in 2022.
See First Avenue's statement below.