Greatest living comedian: "I'm Team TERF"

Dave Chappelle stands up for JK Rowling, women and reality in his new special

Dave Chappelle has defended JK Rowling on his new special, announcing “I’m team TERF.” Perhaps understandably, given the confusion and obfuscation around this issue, he somewhat misunderstands Rowling’s position, saying she believes in “gender” where of course what she really believes in is “sex”, but STILL! Anyone defending JK Rowling at this point in time has to be applauded.

He ends—and it feels odd to say ‘spoiler alert’ here but it must be said because it is a shattering moment—by telling a story about Daphne, a transwoman who killed herself after days of being dragged on Twitter for the crime of defending him. As always, he laces even this material with enough scabrous jokes and asides to cancel a thousand lesser acts, but this is David Chappelle, the GOAT, and he dances around the tripwires with the finesse we’ve come to expect after this series of exceptional Netflix specials.

This is a big moment, a massive intervention by a massive talent. Respect must also be paid to the two women who gave Twitter’s verdict before it even landed on Twitter.