The cancellation of a Minneapolis concert by comedian Dave Chappelle, seen by some as demeaning to transgender people, sparked controversy in the United States on Thursday, as conservatives there saw a new attack on free speech.
The First Avenue Performance Hall, at the center of “Purple Rain” (1984), the iconic movie about composer Prince, announced the cancellation Wednesday, hours before the comedian’s one-man show sold out.
“The Dave Chappelle show at First Avenue has been canceled and moved to the Varsity Theatre,” First Avenue management wrote on Instagram.
“To our staff, artists and our community, we heard you, and we’re sorry,” he continued.
“We know we have to live up to the highest standards, and we know you’re disappointed. We’re not just a dark room that welcomes the public,” the performance venue continued in its press release, praised by many Internet users.
On the other hand, many personalities in the conservative sphere have lamented a new manifestation of what they call a “culture of destruction”. Tom Fitton, head of the conservative organization Judicial Watch, condemned the victory for the “authoritarian left”.
Dave Chappelle, one of America’s most popular comedians, has been accused of transphobic comments during many of his shows.
Last October, Netflix became embroiled in one of these controversies after the airing of “The Closer,” in which the stand-up star accused its detractors of being “too sensitive,” saying “the existence of the genre is a fact.”
“In our country, you can shoot a black man,” said Dave Chappelle, himself black, “but don’t you dare hurt a gay man.”
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