11 trans comedians to watch if you’re tired of Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle’s last (and allegedly final) Netflix special The closest once again sparked controversy around the comedian’s determination to continue pushing the boundaries with transphobia and homophobia. (Brave!) If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because It is. In response to this special, several Netflix trans staff members have publicly called and cut ties with the company.

This backlash is the last part of the great irony with “canceling out”. Once again, the loudest opponents of the so-called cancellation culture claim to be martyrs to their sold-out comedy specials produced by the most popular and powerful of streaming services. Meanwhile, many comedians who actually represent mocked identities do not have the same access to projectors. Maybe that’s what the real culture of cancellation looks like; he searches for “trans comics to watch on Netflix” and doesn’t find any new faces to watch, but rather results pages on Dave Chappelle’s material. Who is really at risk of being silenced?

Instead of fueling the transphobic fire, here are some of our favorite trans, genderqueer, and hilarious comedians to have on your radar (if they aren’t already).

A Few Notes: This list is by no means exhaustive and it certainly lacks the names of some extremely talented comics. (If you’re on Twitter, do yourself a favor and follow everyone in this thread). And sadly, not everyone featured on the following slides will have quick links to specials on major streaming platforms, but that’s kind of the point here.