The far-left New York Daily News is falsely blaming comedian Dave Chappelle for the death of transsexual comedian Daphne Dorman.
The headline, as the Daily Wire first reported, is nothing less than a “smear,” a deliberate attempt to not only cast blame on Dave Chappelle, but to misinform the public about the respectful relationship between the iconic comedian and Dorman.
“Transgender actress, activist and comedienne Daphne Dorman, referenced in Dave Chappelle’s ‘transphobic’ Netflix special, commits suicide,” the tortured headline reads.
Dorman, a biological male, committed suicide after posting a suicide note on Facebook Friday, which in part read:
To those of you who are mad at me: please forgive me. To those of you who wonder if you failed me: you didn’t. To those of you feel like I failed you: I did and I’m sorry and I hope you’ll remember me in better times and better light.
I love you all. I’m sorry. Please help my daughter, Naia, understand that none of this is her fault. Please remind her that I loved her with every fiber of my being.
Not only did the note not mention Chappelle, a quick look at Dorman’s social media activity confirms there was no animosity between the two. Dorman was the transsexual Chappelle spoke fondly of in the “hidden extra” portion of his latest Netflix special, Sticks and Stones, when he mentioned a transsexual who laughed the hardest at his trans satire.
Less than a month ago, in fact, Dorman announced on Facebook that he was opening for Chappelle, a huge boost for any fledgling comedian looking for a break.
In fact, Dorman defended Chappelle’s trans satire in a August 29 tweet:
“Punching down requires you to consider yourself superior to another group. [Chappelle] doesn’t consider himself better than me in any way. He isn’t punching up or punching down. He’s punching lines. That’s his job and he’s a master of his craft,” Dorman said.
Punching down requires you to consider yourself superior to another group. @DaveChappelle doesn't consider himself better than me in any way. He isn't punching up or punching down. He's punching lines. That's his job and he's a master of his craft. #SticksAndStones #imthatdaphne
— Daphne Dorman (@DaphneDorman) August 29, 2019
Dorman also brushed off the idea Chappelle’s jokes would “trigger” the left, so it seems outrageous to suggest Chappelle’s jokes would “trigger” a suicide.
“Nah, I’m a liberal and I thought it rocked. I’m literally the Daphne he talks about meeting in the Epilogue,” he tweeted.
On September 7, Dorman said of Chappelle, “As the transwoman he talks about in the epilogue, I’ll tell you that he 100% supports trans people. And the LGBT community. Comedy isn’t a documentary or a sermon or a Ted talk. It’s comedy.”
The Daily News, however, omits all of this vital context and instead implies Chappelle’s “transphobic” jokes pushed Dorman over the edge:
Daphne Dorman, a San Francisco-based comedienne, actress and transgender activist has died by suicide, the Office of Transgender Initiatives for the City & County of San Francisco confirmed to the Daily News.
Dorman was at the center of controversy recently after she was referenced by Dave Chappelle in a stand-up special that some people called transphobic. Dorman, however, “was laughing the hardest” at the trans jokes in his practice set, the comedian said.
…
Dorman was cited by Dave Chappelle in his special “Sticks and Stones.”
The Netflix show, which premiered on Aug. 26, was slammed as offensive by many critics for the comedian’s “obsession with making fun of trans people.”
Its humor, however, was praised by some conservative outlets, such as Breitbart and The Federalist.
In a “hidden extra” of the Netflix special, Chappelle talked about becoming friends with a transgender woman who was “laughing the hardest” at the transphobic jokes.
Note how the Daily News deliberately fails to report Dorman’s view of Chappelle and his satire.
Whatever it was that drove poor Dorman to suicide, it was obviously not Chappelle, nor was it satire aimed at transsexuals. In reality, Dorman should at least in part be remembered as someone who could take a joke, someone who fought for free speech and artistic expression, someone who did not believe the trans community should be immune from satire.
That is all to Dorman’s credit but in pursuit of a its own far-left agenda, the Daily News sullies Dorman’s memory.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.
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