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Over the past few weeks, the controversy over Dave Chappelle's latest Netflix special—where he declared himself Team TERF, mocked trans women's genitals, then made it all OK for many cisgender people by stating he had a trans friend—has taken so many twists and turns it seems like it may go on forever.
And now, Caitlyn Jenner is jumping into the fray—to defend Chappelle amid his recent doubling-down on jokes that have struck many as transphobic and to call the criticisms of his material an attempt to "silence free speech."
Jenner, a Republican with a history of supporting her party's transphobic attacks, threw her support behind Chappelle in a tweet that blew up in her face much like her recent run for governor of California.
See the tweet below.
Dave Chappelle is 100% right. This isn't about the LGBTQ movement. It's about woke cancel culture run amok, trying to silence free speech.
We must never yield or bow to those who wish to stop us from speaking our minds. pic.twitter.com/Nklalj6h5Y
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) October 26, 2021
In her tweet, Jenner included a clip of Chappelle addressing his frequent clashes with members of the transgender and wider LGTBQ communities, saying the uproar has nothing to do with LGBTQ people in general but rather "corporate interests" attempting to silence him.
Jenner wrote:
"Dave Chappelle is 100% right. This isn't about the LGBTQ movement. It's about woke cancel culture run amok, trying to silence free speech."
"We must never yield or bow to those who wish to stop us from speaking our minds."
This take is a striking departure from her response to criticisms and mockery leveled at her just months ago during her ill-fated run for governor.
Back in June, comedian Jimmy Kimmel mocked Jenner's political views for their close proximity to those of former Republican President Donald Trump, with whom Jenner has frequently aligned herself despite his administration's all-out assault on LGBTQ rights and protections.
Lampooning the way this political alignment played out in Jenner's gubernatorial campaign during the opening monologue of his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel jokingly questioned whether Jenner was "Donald Trump in a Caitlyn Jenner wig."
Jenner's response was swift and angry—and nearly identical to the criticisms she is currently criticizing in relation to the Dave Chappelle uproar.
She tweeted:
Last night @jimmykimmel called me Donald Trump with a wig. He obviously believes that trans women are simply men with wigs on. Where is the outrage from the left or LGBT community? Being WOKE must be optional if you are a Democrat. pic.twitter.com/1PITkYE01w
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) June 11, 2021
Her tweet read:
"Last night @jimmykimmel called me Donald Trump with a wig. He obviously believes that trans women are simply men with wigs on."
"Where is the outrage from the left or LGBT community? Being WOKE must be optional if you are a Democrat."
It seems transphobia only bothers Jenner when it comes from someone Republicans dislike.
And on Twitter, many people weren't about to let Jenner's hypocrisy slide.
Yet u wine about someone Mis-gendering you and want them to apologize immediately 🤔
— Robert Dinkins (@RobertBEll1981) October 27, 2021
…says the rich white lady. Why don't you google how many trans black women have been murdered in 2021 alone before you weigh in on something about which you know nothing?
— Adam Sank is Vaxxed and Ready to Bone 🏳️🌈 (@AdamSank) October 27, 2021
Calling people out for what they say is not silencing anyone.
Anyone can say whatever they want, they just have to live with the consequences of what they say 🤷🏻♀️
— **SoCalGirl** (@SoCalGirl1208) October 26, 2021
Literally, who asked you? You don't speak for me or ANY other trans folx I know. You're wrong in trying to tell us it's not about our community. He specifically said it was. Caitlyn, you need to soul search.
— ᗪᗩᑎI ᔕTEᗯᗩᖇT (@d_stew) October 26, 2021
Literally, who asked you? You don't speak for me or ANY other trans folx I know. You're wrong in trying to tell us it's not about our community. He specifically said it was. Caitlyn, you need to soul search.
— ᗪᗩᑎI ᔕTEᗯᗩᖇT (@d_stew) October 26, 2021
Once again you are on the wrong side.
— BobbyFrench (@bobbyatx) October 26, 2021
He literally said "I'm team TERF." That is acceptable to you?
— JW (@jimwillows) October 26, 2021
It's quite an utterly privileged position you're in to say you're not affected by the blatantly transphobic things David said in this special, Caitlyn. We're not cancelling David, rather we're holding him accountable for what he said.
— Joshua-ha-ha-ha 🧛🏽 (@joshandallo) October 26, 2021
It's quite an utterly privileged position you're in to say you're not affected by the blatantly transphobic things David said in this special, Caitlyn. We're not cancelling David, rather we're holding him accountable for what he said.
— Joshua-ha-ha-ha 🧛🏽 (@joshandallo) October 26, 2021
Something Caitlyn Jenner, Sinema and Chappelle have in common?
They illustrate how marginalized people don't have some kind of inherent moral clarity. We're all quite capable of putting our boot on someone else's neck.
The oppressed are quite capable of becoming the oppressor.
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 27, 2021
Jenner has often taken the side of transphobic figures and Republican politicians, despite having frequently been the target of their virulent transphobia herself, such as when she was heckled while attending this summer's CPAC Conference in Dallas.