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‘Gender is a fact’: NBC seems really, really ticked over Dave Chappelle’s defense of J.K. Rowling

October 7, 2021 | | Print Article

NBC News decided to focus on comedian Dave Chappelle in an article asserting that he was being “criticized” on social media for standing up for and agreeing with author J.K. Rowling’s stance on gender.

The media outlet reported on the alleged “swift backlash” against the comedian on his new Netflix special for making comments about trans people and for his staunch “defense of ‘Harry Potter’ author J.K. Rowling, who has been accused of transphobia for years.”

“The Closer” is Chappelle’s sixth Netflix special and it debuted on Tuesday. The comic made irreverent jokes aimed at the LGBTQ+ community and spoke in defense of Rowling’s views on gender.

“They canceled people who are more powerful than me. They canceled J.K. Rowling — my God. J.K. Rowling wrote all the ‘Harry Potter’ books by herself. She sold so many books, the Bible worries about her. And they canceled her because she said in an interview… and this is not exactly what she said, but effectually she said gender was a fact, the trans community got mad as sh*t, they started calling her a TERF,” Chappelle ironically joked.

He remarked, “I didn’t even know what that was. But I know that trans will make up words to win arguments. So, I looked it up. ‘TERF’ is an acronym. It stands for ‘trans-exclusionary radical feminists.’ It’s a real thing. I agree. I agree, man. Gender is a fact. You have to look at it from a woman’s perspective.”

(Video Credit: Sky News Australia)

NBC quoted three tweets to argue their case that Chappelle was being savaged on social media.

“As a trans woman, I have usually defended Dave Chappelle’s specials because I think they’re hilarious and his jokes about trans women never felt intentionally malicious,” LGBTQ+ rights activist and writer Taylor Ashbrook whined.

“‘The Closer’ changed my mind on that. That special felt so lazy and disingenuous and I’m really disappointed,” Ashbrook added.

Dana White, who is a program officer at True Colors United, a national LGBTQ youth homeless organization, took a swipe at the comic as well: “Nothing Dave Chappelle says changes the facts that trans women are women, trans men are men, nonbinary people are nonbinary, that LGBTQ+ people should live free of harm and discrimination. He is wrong. And Netflix has empowered him to be wrong loudly.”

During his special, Chappelle also joked he would like to “negotiate the release of DaBaby.” He’s another performer that is said to have made homophobic comments during a show concerning those who have contracted HIV/AIDS.

The comic remarked later in his show that he would no longer make jokes targeting the LGBTQ+ community until “we are both sure that we are laughing together.”

“I’m telling you, it’s done, I’m done talking about it,” he stated. “All I ask of your community, with all humility: Will you please stop punching down on my people?”

His comments reportedly enraged black queer and trans people who claim Chappelle is guilty of not recognizing that those identities are not mutually exclusive.

“This is ignoring how Hart, DaBaby and Chappelle himself punched down first, but more pertinent is that again there is that divide,” one Twitter user proclaimed. “The thought of a gay or trans black person is foreign to him. We don’t exist. We are outside of his experience and therefore, a white experience.”

There were others who piled on Chappelle as well. In a statement, GLAAD slammed the comic by saying that “Chappelle’s brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities,” according to Variety.

The National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights advocacy group that represents the LGBTQ+ community, also issued a statement urging Netflix to remove the new special.

“With 2021 on track to be the deadliest year on record for transgender people in the United States — the majority of whom are Black transgender people — Netflix should know better,” NBJC Executive Director David Johns stated. “Perpetuating transphobia perpetuates violence. Netflix should immediately pull ‘The Closer’ from its platform and directly apologize to the transgender community.”

Jaclyn Moore, who is a writer, executive producer, and showrunner for the series “Dear White People,” claims she is “done” with Netflix.

“I will not work with them as long as they continue to put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content,” Moore wrote in a statement.

While woke NBC and leftists lost their sense of humor over the Netflix special, people pointed out that Chappelle was not wrong on the issue:

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Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
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