Renowned Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue is facing backlash this week after announcing Dave Chappelle will be performing there this Wednesday.
Longtime patrons and general audiences alike have responded strongly on social media, denouncing the move from an establishment that was, until now, regarded as very queer friendly.
Some are even pointing to the club’s own code of conduct, which outlines “speaking in a discriminatory manner” and “transphobic, homophobic, xenophobic, or other biased language, including intentional misgendering” as unacceptable behavior.
Chappelle has famously crossed all of the aforementioned lines, especially over the past couple of years. His transphobic comedy was so inflammatory that it caused a national scandal for Netflix, the streamer that hosted his hateful rhetoric-filled special The Closer.
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Related: Just when we didn’t think Dave Chappelle could sink any lower, this new audio leaked and… ew
Responses to the announcement have been nearly unanimously negative:
First Ave as soon as pride month is over pic.twitter.com/aluX0oDKsL
— Tarnished Alexander (@MplsAlexander) July 18, 2022
Read these comments. You’re platforming someone who is deliberately choosing to target trans people at a specific historical moment in which those actual people’s actual lives are in actual danger (even more than usual). That context matters. Or at least it should.
— KTM aka Guante (@elguante) July 19, 2022
Didn’t realize there was an artist exception to your code of conduct? pic.twitter.com/KAiwWDjLJM
— Mark Snyder (he/him) (@snyde043) July 18, 2022
flowers: the creeps and abusers mounting a comeback must-have accessory for promotional photos!!! pic.twitter.com/OAaDzOsXXX
— taylr (@taylr) July 18, 2022
Tryin to be the TERF Club?
— Brit Culp-Sapp, ADC-T, CPP (@BritCulp) July 18, 2022
Well this really sucks. I was really hoping y’all would actually listen to folks about *anything* one of these days and do better. Like, at all. How are we supposed to feel proud of you anymore?
— Lucky Mud (@dreadpiratejene) July 18, 2022
uhh, why platform anti trans hate like this? very disappointing move by first ave
— abolish ICE & mandatory arbitration (@hume_r) July 18, 2022
Image credit to: @lookoutitsbbear pic.twitter.com/S0FeyNIXM6
— Ben (@benishaving) July 18, 2022
Image credit to: @lookoutitsbbear pic.twitter.com/S0FeyNIXM6
— Ben (@benishaving) July 18, 2022
rethink this one, bestie!
— Trevor🌹 (@jazzghost_pm) July 18, 2022
Related: Jerrod Carmichael doesn’t hold back responding to Dave Chappelle’s anti-trans comments
As of now, the club has even limited comments on their Facebook announcement of the event.
Unfortunately, with tickets reportedly selling out within a matter of minutes this morning, it seems the performance will be moving forward as planned in spite of community protestations.
The last minute announcement of the performance was likely to keep opponents of the move from having time to organize any kind of significant protest to the booking.
If Chappelle’s stand-up appearances over the past year are anything to go off of, this appearance will undoubtedly feature more queerphobic rhetoric guised as humor.
If Chappelle’s saga has you looking for some solid queer comedy, check out Jerrod Carmichael’s Rothaniel on HBOMax: