Dave Chappelle cries he's been canceled, doubles down on transphobic jokes: 'I said what I said'

Dave Chappelle stands by his comments on the trans community after facing widespread criticism over transphobic jokes in his Netflix special The Closer. Chappelle said he was willing to meet with members of the community but demanded that he call the shots on the meeting. Chappelle made the comments during a gig in Nashville on Sunday. He posted a video from the same on his Instagram account on Sunday, reported CNN. The trans community's demanded that he not hurt the community with his transphobic jokes but Chappelle  maintained that he is "not bending to anybody's demands." During his special, he announced, "I’m Team TERF [trans-exclusionary radical feminist]."

He started off by asking a packed audience at a gig in Nashville if he was canceled or not. He got his answer as the crowd roared back at him. He then continued, "It's been said in the press that I was invited to speak with transgender employees at Netflix and I refused," Chappelle says in the video. "That is not true. If they had invited me I would've accepted, although I am confused about what we're speaking about."

Chappelle made it clear that he didn't regret any of his words and stands by his act. "I said what I said and boy, I heard what you said," he said, referring to the employees at Netflix who held a walkout at the company last week. "My God, how could I not? You said you wanted a safe working environment at Netflix. Well, it seems like I'm the only one who can't go to the office anymore," he said. He said he was willing to meet the transgender community but said he has three conditions for them. "You must come to a place of my choosing, at a time of my choosing. And thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny," he said. Gadsby, who has two specials Nanette and Douglas on Netflix, had slammed Sarandos Chappelle earlier this month. 

He then ignored all the voices from the community that actually directly addressed him and Netflix from their own platforms, and chose to frame it as a war between corporate interests. "I want everyone in this audience to know that even though the media frames it as though it's me versus that community, that's not what it is. Do not blame the LBGTQ [sic] community for any of this sh*t. This has nothing to do with them. It's about corporate interest and what I can say and what I cannot say," said Chappelle.

"For the record — and I need you to know this — everyone I know from that community has been nothing but loving and supportive. So I don't know what all this nonsense is about," said Chappelle, once again ignoring that a trans showrunner vowed, Jaclyn Moore said she didn't want to work with Netflix again on account of the streaming giant airing the transphobic bit from his special. He ignored countless trans employees who voiced objections against Netflix internally. 

As we reported, Jaclyn Moore illustrated how his words would result in vitriol and abuse being driven against the trans community. "I've been thrown against walls because 'I'm not a "real" woman.' I've had beer bottles thrown at me. So, Netflix, I'm done," she wrote. Netflix has backed Dave Chappelle on the controversy with the Netflix head Ted Sarandos even claiming that words didn't lead to real-world harm. Ironically one of Netflix's own documentaries, Disclosure, notes the violence stemming from the portrayal of the trans and LGBTQ communities on film and TV. 

Chappelle also claimed that film festivals had disinvited him on account of his transphobic jokes. "Today, not a film company, not a movie studio, not a film festival ... will touch this film. Thank God for Ted Sarandos at Netflix," he told the audience. "He's the only one that didn't cancel me yet." Many slammed Chappelle over his latest claims of being canceled. Earlier actor Dan Levy said, "Transphobia is unacceptable and hurtful." Comedian Jon Stewart defended Chappelle backed him up, saying, "I know his intention is never hurtful — like, he’s just not that kind of person.” If Chapelle ever doubted his stance, he can always look at those affirming his views, and some of those include Donald Trump Jr., and, Ben Shapiro, and Dinesh D'Souza among other right-wing activists.