Caitlyn Jenner backs Dave Chappelle amid transphobia row
Caitlyn Jenner has backed Dave Chappelle amid the ongoing outrage about his controversial Netflix special among other transgender people.
Chappelle's latest stand-up show for the streamer, titled The Closer, provoked protests from its employees and intense criticism for his controversial comments about the transgender community.
However, Jenner, who transitioned back in 2015, has backed the funnyman, tweeting that attempts to 'cancel' him are an attack on free speech.
"Dave Chappelle is 100% right," Jenner tweeted. "This isn't about the LGBTQ movement. It's about woke cancel culture run amok, trying to silence free speech. We must never yield or bow to those who wish to stop us from speaking our minds."
Her tweet also included a clip of Chappelle at a recent stand-up show addressing the backlash and joking that he would meet Netflix employees but would not be "summoned". In the clip, which Chappelle shared on Instagram, he claimed his routine was about "corporate interests and what I can say, and what I cannot say" and insisted people from the LGBTQ+ community have been supportive despite the backlash.
Chappelle's original set concluded with a heartfelt story about the suicide of a transgender comedian pal who defended him from previous criticism about LGBTQ+ gags, but also featured graphic jokes about those who are transgender and a defence of author J.K. Rowling - who many trans activists have condemned as a 'TERF' (a derogatory acronym meaning trans-exclusionary radical feminist) due to her views on transgender people.
The comedian has joked about Jenner's trans status in the past - and during The Closer. In it, he quips that Glamour magazine naming her Woman of the Year would be like Eminem beating him to a BET (Black Entertainment Television) Award.
Chappelle's special has been condemned by stars including Ava DuVernay, Hannah Gadsby, and Wanda Sykes. However, he has also been backed by the likes of Jon Stewart, who claimed there was a "miscommunication" in his words, politician Andrew Yang and podcaster Joe Rogan.
