Call to Action: BOYCOTT Luther Burbank Center for the Arts for Bringing Anti-LGBTQI+ Hate to Sonoma County
The tasteless, anti-LGBTQI+ comic Dave Chappelle performed five shows at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. It is difficult to believe the LBC staff and board were unaware of Chappelle’s numerous anti-LGBTQI+ comments that are well-documented and for which he has offered no apologies. Chappelle identifies as a so-called “TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist)” joining author J. K Rawlings in such dangerous hate speech. These people refuse to accept that we are in the position to declare our gender or lack thereof.
Netflix came under fire for producing and airing two Chappelle shows that feature anti-Trans comments. LGBTQI+ Netflix employees protested – some even quit. Days before the LBC shows comenced, a Minneapolis Chappelle show switched locations as a direct result of a protest organized after Chappelle referred to Monkeypox as “a gay disease.” Chappelle mocked the members of the local LGBTQI+ Community who brought about the move. The original venue apologized to the local LGBTQI+ Community for once welcoming Chappelle and his hate. Chappelle has never backed down, apologized or even reached out to better understand the concerns of he LGBTQI+ Community. Instead, he continues to mock our Community.
The Press Democrat revealed that mere weeks before the five July shows, Live Nation approached LBC with an offer LBC appears to have found unable to refuse. The LBC staff and board claim there was considerable conversation – considerable, but certainly brief and misguided. Did they notice how few dates Live Nation had booked for Chappelle? None in San Francisco or Oakland or Los Angeles. LBC thought they could sneak this past our Community. No doubt comedy venues in big cities find Chappalle as toxic as the LBC staff and board should have.
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts found it necessary to confiscate all audience cell phones before the Chappelle shows. I have attended too many LBC concerts to count but have never had my cell phone taken away before a show. They must have done this so no footage of his anti-LGBTQI+ vitriol would find its way onto social media identifying LBC as the location. Sorry, LBC, you are now forever linked to anti-LGBTQI+ comments.
Should the North Bay’s LGBTQI+ Community allow hate speech and inflammatory comments to be staged in our backyard? Make no mistake – this is not an attack on free speech or about censorship. This is about making LBC aware that Trans people are harmed and even killed as a result of such despicable comments. 2021 saw a record number of Trans-folks murdered. So far this year 57 have been murdered in the United States alone. We once valued this venue, but it’s decision to allow Chapelle a forum for his hate is unacceptable. The LGBTQI+ Community finds Dave Chappelle comments offensive, inflammatory and even deadly.
Let’s stand up to Hate Speech and inform those in power at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts we will boycott the venue. Some shy away from boycotts. If you are amongst them, at least express your opinion by contacting the people listed below.
Let the Staff and Board of Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, its sponsors, those who share the Center’s campus, and elected officials know that such Hate results in harm to members of the LGBTQI+ Community. Email and call, as many as possible and as often as possible.
Luther Burbank Staff
President: Richard Nowlin: 707-800-7524 rnowlin@lutherburbankcenter.org
Dir. of Special Projects: Robin Seltzer 707-800-7525 rseltzer@lutherburbankcenter.org
Culture Specialist: Arlene Smith 707-800-7542 asmith@lutherburbankcenter.org
Community Engagement: Ashleigh Worley 707-800-7520 aworley@lutherburbankcenter.org
Education Operations: Chrystie Prokopakis 707-800-7504 cprokopakis@lutherburbankcenter.org
Community Supe: Tracy Sawyer 707-800-7529 tsawyer@lutherburbankcenter.org
Marketing: Anita Wiglesworth 707-800-7500 awiglesworth@lutherburbankcenter.org
Advertising: John Cain 707-800-7513 jcain@lutherburbankcenter.org
Development: Ben Taylor 707-800-75-5 btaylor@lutherburbankcenter.org
Giving Manager: 707-800-7531 slevy@lutherburbankcenter.org
LBC Board
Chair: Susan Preston (SPG Insurance Solutions) 415-475-4300
Kathleen Hamilton: Tekberry Inc. 844-835-2377
Rena Charles (ARENA Galleries) 707.603.8787 info@aerenagalleries.com
Robi McMinn 707-433-2000
Monica Lopez (Bachas Landing Cellars) 707-395-0697
LBC Sponsors
Lytton Rancheria: 510-215-7888
Rodney Strong Wines: 707-431-1533
Exchange Bank: 707-524-3000
Vantreo Insurance: 707-546-2915
Redwood Credit Union: 877-545-4100
Morris Distributing: 707-769-7294
Spaulding McCullough & Tansil: 707-524-1900; info@smtlaw.com
If you aren’t aware of this man’s exploits, check out these articles:
Call to Action: BOYCOTT Luther Burbank Center for the Arts for Bringing Anti-LGBTQI+ Hate to Sonoma County
The tasteless, anti-LGBTQI+ comic Dave Chappelle performed no less than five shows at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. It is difficult to believe the LBC staff and board are unaware of Chappelle’s numerous anti-Trans comments that are well-documented and for which he has offered no apologies. Chappelle identifies as a so-called “TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist)” joining author J. K Rawlings in such dangerous hate speech. These people refuse to accept that we are in the position to declare our gender or lack thereof.
Netflix came under fire for producing and airing two recent Chappelle shows that feature anti-Trans comments. LGBTQI+ Netflix employees protested – some even quit. Recently, a Minneapolis Chappelle show switched locations as a direct result of a protest organized after Chappelle referred to Monkeypox as “a gay disease.” Chappelle mocked the members of the local LGBTQI+ Community who brought about the move. The original venue apologized to the local LGBTQWI+ Community for once welcoming Chappelle and his hate. Chappelle has never backed down, apologized or even reached out. Instead, he continues to mock our Community.
The Press Democrat revealed that mere weeks before the five shows, Live Nation approached LBC with an offer they seen unable to refuse. The LBC staff and board claim there was considerable conversation – considerable, but perhaps, but certainly misguiged. Did they notice how few dates Live Nation had booked for Chappelle. None in San Francisco or Oakland or Los Angeles. LBC thought they could sneak this past our Community. No doubt comedy venues in big cities find Chappalle as toxic as the LBC staff should have.
Imagine, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts confiscated cell phones at the Chappelle shows. I have attended too many LBC concerts to count but have never had my cell phone taken away before a show. They must have done this so no footage of his anti-LGBTQI+ vitriol would find its way onto social media identifying LBC as the location. Sorry, LBC, you are now forever linked to anti-LGBTQI+ comments. Did you think this community could be so easily duped?
Should the North Bay’s LGBTQI+ Community allow hate speech and inflammatory comments to be staged in our backyard? Make no mistake – this is not an attack on free speech or about censorship. This is about making LBC aware that Trans people are harmed and even killed as a result of such despicable comments. 2021 saw a record number of Trans-folks murdered. So far this year 57 have been murdered in the United States alone. We once valued this venue, but it’s decision to allow Chapelle a forum for his hate is unacceptable. The LGBTQI+ Community finds Dave Chappelle comments offensive, inflammatory and even deadly.
Let’s stand up to Hate Speech and inform those in power at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts we will boycott the venue. Some shy away from boycotts. If you are amongst them, at least express your opinion by contacting the people listed below.
Let the Staff and Board of Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, its sponsors, those who share the Center’s campus, and elected officials know that such Hate results in harm to members of the LGBTQI+ Community. Email and call, as many as possible and as often as possible.
Luther Burbank Staff
President: Richard Nowlin: 707-800-7524 rnowlin@lutherburbankcenter.org
Dir. of Special Projects: Robin Seltzer 707-800-7525 rseltzer@lutherburbankcenter.org
Culture Specialist: Arlene Smith 707-800-7542 asmith@lutherburbankcenter.org
Community Engagement: Ashleigh Worley 707-800-7520 aworley@lutherburbankcenter.org
Education Operations: Chrystie Prokopakis 707-800-7504 cprokopakis@lutherburbankcenter.org
Community Supe: Tracy Sawyer 707-800-7529 tsawyer@lutherburbankcenter.org
Marketing: Anita Wiglesworth 707-800-7500 awiglesworth@lutherburbankcenter.org
Advertising: John Cain 707-800-7513 jcain@lutherburbankcenter.org
Development: Ben Taylor 707-800-75-5 btaylor@lutherburbankcenter.org
Giving Manager: 707-800-7531 slevy@lutherburbankcenter.org
LBC Board
Chair: Susan Preston (SPG Insurance Solutions) 415-475-4300
Kathleen Hamilton: Tekberry Inc. 844-835-2377
Rena Charles (ARENA Galleries) 707.603.8787 info@aerenagalleries.com
Robi McMinn 707-433-2000
Monica Lopez (Bachas Landing Cellars) 707-395-0697
LBC Sponsors
Lytton Rancheria: 510-215-7888
Rodney Strong Wines: 707-431-1533
Exchange Bank: 707-524-3000
Vantreo Insurance: 707-546-2915
Redwood Credit Union: 877-545-4100
Morris Distributing: 707-769-7294
Spaulding McCullough & Tansil: 707-524-1900; info@smtlaw.com
https://www.them.us/story/dave-chappelle-ricky-gervais-transphobic-comedy-netflix