A Dave Chapelle show was cancelled over past comments he made about transgender people.
Just hours before a performance in Minneapolis on Wednesday, his act was moved to another venue across town. There had been backlash for his views on the trans community from last year. A group of 125 change.org petition signers had branded the 48-year-old entertainer "transphobic."
Trans supporters view any negative comments about trans sexuality as potentially dangerous. In May, the stand up comic himslef was tackled on stage during his show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. by a 23-year-old man who was charged with four misdemeanor counts.
First Avenue where the sold out event was initially booked brought in almost $200,000 (1,500 tickets starting at $129.50), yet they decided against hosting the event. Chapelle lamented the venue moving his gig to another space over complaints form a small group of what he called "trans lunatics."
Organizers cited safety concerns in the following statement;
"To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Avenue is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls," First Avenue said.
"The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission. We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have. We know there are some who will not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback."