Dave Chappelle show in Minneapolis canceled after local backlash

A large venue in Minneapolis, Minn., canceled a Dave Chappelle show on Wednesday night after receiving backlash from the community for hosting the controversial comedian, who has been criticized for mocking the transgender community in his Netflix specials.

First Avenue, one of the longest-running, independently owned venues in the U.S., announced the cancellation of Chappelle’s performance on Wednesday night and moved it to the nearby Varsity Theater, which is owned by another business.

In the announcement posted on Twitter, the business said that while it believes in diverse voices and the “freedom of artistic expression,” they had “lost sight of the impact” hosting Chappelle would have on the community.

“To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you and we are sorry,” the announcement read. “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,” the message continued.

Chappelle faced intense backlash over what critics calls transphobic jokes in his Netflix comedy special “The Closer,” which won an Emmy nomination this month.

During the special, Chappelle used crude terms to refer to transgender individuals and ranted for most of the show about his yearslong feud with the community.

Chappelle also said he was “team TERF,” referring to a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a movement that does not recognize transgender women as women.

The comedian has refused to apologize for his comments and has dug in on the argument that he should be able to freely express himself. Netflix too has stoop by the specials, despite intense anger among some staff.

Over the spring, Chappelle was attacked by a young man who said he identifies as bisexual and was “triggered” by the comedian’s rhetoric. The man succeeded in tackling Chappelle but was detained by on-site security guards.

After Chappelle’s show was moved to the Varsity Theater Wednesday night, protesters arrived outside the new venue to protest his appearance, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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