Comedian Patton Oswalt defended appearing with his longtime pal Dave Chappelle at the Seattle Center on New Year’s Eve but said the two “100% disagree about transgender rights.”
“I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time this New Year’s Eve,” the 52-year-old comedian captioned his post on Instagram. The post was noted by the Hollywood Reporter in a piece published Sunday.
“We’ve known each other since we’re teens,” he added. “He’s a fellow comedian, the funniest I’ve ever met. I wanted to post a pic & an IG story about it — so I did. The friend is Dave Chappelle. Thirty four YEARS we’ve been friends. He’s refocused and refined ideas a lot of us took as settled about race & history & Life On Planet Earth and spun them around with a phrase or punchline.”
“We’ve done bad & good gigs, open mikes & TV tapings,” Oswalt continued. “But we also 100% disagree about transgender rights & representation. I support trans peoples’ rights — ANYONE’S rights — to live safely in the world as their fullest selves. For all the things he’s helped ME evolve on, I’ll always disagree with where he stands NOW on transgender issues. But I also don’t believe a seeker like him is done evolving, learning.” (RELATED: ‘No One Can Be Woke Enough’: Dave Chappelle And Joe Rogan Rip ‘Woke Ideology,’ Defend Elon Musk)
The “King of Queens” star said when “you know someone that long, see the struggles and changes, it’s impossible to cut them off.”
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The comedian said he’s also been “carrying a LOT of guilt about friends” he’s cut off lately who have had “views with which” he “couldn’t agree” or who have “changed in ways” he couldn’t live with. (RELATED: ‘Gender Is A Fact’: They’re Not Going To Be Happy With Dave Chappelle’s Latest Bit On Trans Culture)
“Sometimes I wonder — did I and others cutting them off make them dig their heels in deeper, fuel their ignorance with a nitro-boost of resentment and spite?” Oswalt shared. “I’m an LGBTQ ally. I’m a loyal friend. There’s friction in those traits that I need to reconcile myself, and not let cause feels of betrayal in ANYONE else. And I’m sorry, truly sorry, that I didn’t consider the hurt this would cause. Or the DEPTH of that hurt.”
Oswalt closed out his post with a promise to “keep trying” and work on his own personal growth.
Chappelle has received scrutiny from the LGBT community for the comments he made during his Netflix stand-up show “The Closer.”