It's interesting to me how many TERFs, who more usually call themselves gender-critical feminists now, are expressing how validated they feel by Chappelle's special. That's part of the harm that's been done by a fantastic comic who didn't bother to do his reading.

Early on in the debates about this special, I made a very quick comment on an article that grew popular on Medium. I just said the trans people are feeling really hurt by the routine and that's a problem.

Guess who came out of the woodwork? TERFs. They commented back with all the usual "men in dresses" shallowness, autogynophilia slurs, and worse– completely false accusations that transgender women represent a threat to women and children.

They heard Chappelle loud and clear when he declared himself on their team, and they're cheering him on hard.

I'm betting he did not intend to propagate the toxic conversations his special inspired. But whether he meant it or not, he did it, and that's a problem.

Anyone doubting the problem should look at the UK right now and wonder if the wave of transphobia hurting trans people there is making its way to the US. Lots of people think it is.