“Holy” musician Chance the Rapper and co-host Vic Mensa have recently gotten in hot water after inviting Dave Chappelle to appear in their Black Star Line Festival line-up. In a new interview, Chance makes it clear that he has no qualms with letting the notedly transphobic comedian’s statements fly.
The festival came under some Qatar World Cup-esque fire as soon as it was announced for being held in Ghana, a country with overwhelmingly anti-LGBTQ legislation. In 2013, the Pew Research Center found it to be one of the most LGBTQ-intolerant regions they could gather data on, with 96% of poll respondents asserting that society should not accept homosexuality.
While a (particularly long) decade has passed since Ghana’s queer attitudes were polled on that scale, homosexual activity is still illegal in the country with no legal protections of any kind for queer people on the books. It has to be noted that multiple different Ghanaian cultures like the Nzema and Fante peoples had regularly accepted homosexual practices before the region was colonized by the British, but alas, colonization.
Even allies who were ready to accept the festival’s location couldn’t defend the decision to have Chappelle make a guest appearance. After his years of queerphobic rhetoric under the guise of comedy — targeting “that trans swimming b*tch” Lia Thomas, calling Lil Nas X a “promiscuous f*g”, calling trans women’s genitals “beyond p*ssy”, etc. etc. — he’s made his relationship with LGBTQ+ people clear.
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Related: Jerrod Carmichael doesn’t hold back responding to Dave Chappelle’s anti-trans comments
“I wanted everyone to feel as welcome and communal as possible,” Chance tells Rolling Stone. “If having Dave there made people feel like they weren’t, that they didn’t have space or that they weren’t welcome, that was not my intention. And I can assure you there are a lot of people at the festival and at the talk from a lot of different backgrounds.”
Chance makes it clear he doesn’t believe in the queerphobic attitude we’ve heard from the comedian for years.
“I can’t really all the way speak for Dave. I don’t want to say what he thinks or what he feels, but what I think I know about him is that he loves everybody, especially his people, meaning Black people, meaning Black people that are trans, Black people that are gay, Black people that are gender non-conforming, people period. And I think that in that space, I would say I don’t believe that he bashed trans people or gay people at all throughout the entire conversation.”
He went on to try to put a positive spin on a statement Chappelle made early in his Black Star Line Festival set, in which he said, “I bet gay jokes go over so well here.”
Related: Dave Chappelle was finally actually canceled for his transphobia and it’s so, so sweet
Even as the brother of famously bi artist Taylor Bennett, it’s apparent that the über-Christian Chance the Rapper doesn’t feel any compulsion to protect the LGBTQ+ community. Honestly, any illusions of that were halfway out the door in the 2010s when Chance was caping for Kanye in the midst of his “loud blond Trumper” phase, but it’s still disappointing.
When LGBTQ+ people are being negatively targeted by legislation (which, newsflash, effects Black LGBTQ+ people), the idea that a voice like Chappelle’s would be one to go towards helping unite the Black community is laughable at best.
Chance finished his backpedaling session by saying, “If [Ghana] wants to continue to be a place of refuge for Black folks and a place of pride for Black folks, then it has to accept all Black folks.” How the cognitive dissonance isn’t cooking his brain is beyond.
Gabby
I absolutely love Dave Chapelle so much, a very smart and funny man. Not once did he say anything racist towards trans people, I am still so baffled by the outrage. All comedians should be allowed to poke fun at everyone and everything and it makes me so sad that this new “queer” and “woke” movement has made people so politically correct that the ability to laugh at one self has been lost. I am a gay man who loves men, why do I have to be lumped into this Queer category? I an so over it. Side note – Chance the Rapper is so talented.
LeBlevsez
The Queer movement ain’t new, Gabby. And despite what you might think, putting the word in quotes doesn’t make you look manly.
Using ‘woke’ as a pejorative continues to be lame. Snooze if you so choose.
Apolodorus
Words are hard aren’t they Gabby? I guess you can be racist to trans people of colour, but mostly you are just transphobic. Which is what they both are. And you are as well.
ScottOnEarth
Gabby, your messy comment misses a lot of points, the first being that no one is accusing Chappelle of being racist toward trans people. He has proven to be thoroughly transphobic and homophobic, marginalizing an already-mistreated community. There’s nothing funny about that. As someone else noted, the queer movement isn’t new but, is, in fact, decades-old. You can laugh at yourself all you want but taking issue with people who choose to fight against mistreatment of the LGBTQ+ community is shortsighted.
Franky100
I’m not trans but gay and do not deem to gatekeep the topic regarding Trans Lives. I can see how people could find some of Chappelle’s jokes to be insensitive however with topics such as this one can’t we just discuss it instead of silencing or canceling the person just because we disagree with the joke?
For stand up, I feel that the feedback he had gotten should have been reworked for his set as the process is an evolution of one’s working material. But constantly following up and hammering the issue will only make that person either double down or just mimic talking points that they do not believe in or understand fully.
I am not sure if Chappelle actually believed the comments that he said on stage for his set as there are multiple forms of stand-up that focus on absurdist points (plays on people’s ignorance or their unnoticed bias) which he has used to discuss women, the black community and our history regarding race in the United States to discuss why we feel that way and how to challenge it. I don’t think labeling him homophobic / homophobe or transphobic helps him or the Trans community as it pigeonholes someone into being only that and weakens the word with such wide brush stroke.
Instead of verbally flogging them for stances that they have established can we just talk it out or it just becomes tribalism and gains no ground on other side just frustration and anger. I am more concerned with ultra conservative politicians like Marjorie Taylor Green who uses her power and influence to affect trans lives for the worse.
Not all of his jokes are my humor nor do I condone all of his word choices but personally speaking I feel that we as a community are stronger than a joke and it won’t break us to hear an off-color type of joke. If there is something I am missing or could be better informed about, I hope we can discuss it in a civil way.
seakayak904
Thank you Gabby. You are correct.
Ronbo
Franky100, all of us gays MUST be horrified by jokes. What are you doing being sane?
Join in on the hate… it’s what all the hateful gays do when they don’t understand things.
Manray
What a stupid comment. Are you really this shallow?
barryaksarben
you must be kidding or as dumb as a damned rock. And he didnt say anything racist because it was not racist it was anti trans. God how stupid are you/
Gnarfield
For the 1000th time Queerty, Dave Chapelle is a comedian that makes jokes. Life is too difficult to take everything so seriously. Some of us still want to laugh and make fun of how ridiculous life is at times. Otherwise it’s unbearable. This Dave Chapelle anti-trans narrative you’re trying to push down our throats is exhausting. Please stop. Maybe project your hate on the people in politics who are actively trying to erase trans people from our society and are doing more damage to the trans community than a comedian telling jokes.
dbmcvey
So, your first post as Gabby didn’t do so well so you came back and posted this?
Gnarfield
db must stand for douche bag. I’m not Gabby. Queerty commenters who accuse any other commenters that have a difference of an opinion as a fake account are just dumb. I am woke enough as I choose to be. And I can think for myself and form my own opinions. Also, all this Dave Chapelle hate which you and Queerty love to create has some underlying racist tones to it. So maybe get woke to that.
dbmcvey
Sure. Why would anyone think you’re Gabby?
Also, I said nothing about Dave Chapelle.
bachy
@db: in case you hadn’t noticed, this is an article about Dave Chapelle. Please: the “fake account” argument is a tired strategy used to dismiss alternative POVs.
I tend to side with Gabby, Franky100 and Gnarlfield on this topic. I can’t speak for the trans community, but as a gay man I find Dave Chapelle hilarious. The thin-skinned in our community who are unable to exhibit or appreciate humor are dealing with internalized hatred and projecting it onto popular culture in a manner that is sabotaging our cause. You are creating new enemies where there were once allies. Please stop.
Ronbo
Dbmcvey is just Cam, never mind his hate. He was born with a split personality – or at least, that is the claim.
Like Republicans, they accuse others of what they themselves actually do.
dbmcvey
And again, Ronbo just typing words.
Ronbo
Db/Cam, If you can’t understand the words, get your GED. Education is one way out of the gutter of hate and misery.
Neoprene
“…but alas, colonization…” LOL! Presentism rules!
Kangol2
“Colonization” and COLONIALISM aren’t “presentism,” Sis! Portugal and other European colonized and dominated what is now Ghana for hundreds of years, with Britain gaining control in the early 19th century and imposing its harsh anti-gay laws there, as it did everywhere else. Ghana only gained its freedom in 1960. Open an encyclopedia and exercise your mind!
Cozmo2
People are so sensitive now a days. I love Dave Chapelle he is a comedian and they are just jokes. Calm down people and al you social gate keepers need something to do. I take no offense to any of his jokes and yes I am a gay man.
Ronbo
How can the girls remain calm when someone is telling jokes! ‘It’s murder(!) people. Jokes are our holocaust. Either lose your shit or turn in your queer card.’
The extremists won’t sleep until all humor is eliminated and replaced with hate, division and dry fuc**g. Welcome to the gay gestapo. Not much to look at; but, boy… how they can cry and scream!
PS: does Kangol ever get the joke? Buy that person a clue!
dbmcvey
And another pointless comment from Ronbo.
Ronbo
Mr. Mcvey/Cam, Stop being a crybaby. No one deserves your hate and scorn except your brother Timothy. May his victims rest in peace.
LegionKeign
To all the dave chappelle defenders…so it’s okay then if a White comedienne makes stereotypical jokes at the expense of Black folks? How about racist jokes about Mexicans? Asians? Sexist jokes about Women?
Why do some comediennes get a pass and others not?
Franky100
I don’t think anyone is giving those types of jokes a pass, I believe that at the moment the community is just more vocal and outspoken regarding trans jokes. Comedians are always testing the boundaries and most times it doesn’t go their way but instead of labeling them and marking them as irredeemable limits us. It also matters on the subtext behind the joke, the comedian could be poking fun at how ridiculous racism is or how people believe in such a notion.
I will always vote for Pro-Trans legislation and want the safety and protection for every member of the Trans Community.
Ronbo
So do the haters here call Kathy Griffin”anti-gay” because she entertains telling (some not so flattering) stories about gays? There may be some racism underlining this controversy.
michellepfeiffer
People defending Chapelle because “he’s a comedian who makes jokes”. You do know black-face was once considered “comedy” but in reality it was just a front to express their racism, right? Exactly what all these “comedians” are doing nowadays against trans people.
Bonerboy
Uh…this this this and THIS!
Franky100
Yes and no one is supporting blackface nor violence against another individual. Rightfully so Blackface has aged out and no sensible person with a shred of dignity would do that without serious repercussions. I feel that is a large reach to equate those two subject matters, now if Chapelle was going up stage and dressing up to mock trans people that would be another story.
What Chapelle said and the way he came about tackling the subject was ignorant and could have been more tactful about it. Unfortunately, people will always be making jokes that will be viewed as offensive but the way in which we carry ourselves against oppositional views will shape the conversation hopefully for the better.
bachy
“You do know black-face was once considered “comedy” but in reality it was just a front to express their racism, right?”
You do know that drag is currently considered “comedy” but many feel that it’s just a front to express their misogyny, right?
GreekKeys
Funny you use this analogy since drag/trans is woman-face now considered “comedy” but in reality it’s just a front to express their misogyny, right?. No issue there?
humble charlie
the problem i am beginning to have with dave chapelle is that he has been hanging out with the millionaires/billionaires for so long that he is developing their attitudes towards things. witness his embarrassing episode with that creep (f)elon muck.
as to trans people and their delicate sensitivities, i sympathize and empathize with them but …
inbama
Funny how LGBTQIA+ media, activists and readership are more offended by comedians calling out our ideological B.S. than by African and Islamic nations putting our brothers and sisters to death.
This is why woke is a joke.
But then, they’re neve responsible for their human rights abuses and genocides because “colonization.” right?