DC Mayor Gets Asked if She’s Taking Away Dave Chappelle’s Key to the City After Transphobia Accusations

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has defended Dave Chappelle in the wake of his controversial comments on the transgender community.

During a recent press conference, the mayor was asked if she has considered rescinding Chappelle’s key to the city based on the comments he made on the transgender community, and the backlash the remarks prompted.

In 2017, Bowser awarded Chappelle –  who graduated from D.C.’s Duke Ellington High School and is a Silver Spring native – a key to the city.

After clarifying that D.C. does not accept transphobia, Bowser added that she would still stand by her friend Chappelle despite the fact that she may not agree with everything he has said.

“I haven’t considered rescinding the key to the city and I regard Dave as a friend and as an artist who is a genius,” Bowser said.

Bowser went on to say that Chappelle would want D.C. to remain a city that does not accept transphobia or transphobic violence, calling it a “deep concern in Washington.”

“Dave has been having this conversation with the trans community for a long time. But you would be, and I don’t think you would understand the whole show, I’m not sure you’ve seen it if you didn’t also understand some of his other commentary about race,” she added, according to Fox 5 DC.

In his latest Netflix special, Chappelle declared himself a member of “team TERF” — the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist — in addition to defending J.K. Rowling and DaBaby for their past controversial comments on the LGBTQ+ community.

While the special was defended by Netflix Ted Sarandos, many activists and organizations, including GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign, have slammed Chappelle’s comments as both dangerous and bigoted.

Watch above, via Fox 5 DC.