Marlon Wayans on friendship with Dave Chappelle: 'His intention isn't to punch down'

Marlon Wayans said his eldest child, Kai, is transgender and uses they/them pronouns. He described the initial adjustment as difficult, then said he shifted to unconditional love and support. Wayans also addressed his friendship with Dave Chappelle, who faced backlash for transgender-related jokes. Wayans said he would not spend time with someone who is full of hate and claimed he knows Chappelle’s heart and intention. He said Chappelle aims to tell jokes freely and defend his position as a comedian. Wayans said he can balance feelings for his friend and his child and explain both sides. He added that hate in forms like transphobia, homophobia, and racism is unacceptable.

"“I don't hang with people like that,” the White Chicks actor told in a new interview. “I know Dave's heart, and his intention isn't to punch down. Dave wants to freely tell his jokes, and if you're going to be anti-comedy, then he's going to keep attacking you until you learn to have a sense of humor. He's just standing there and defending his front line as a comedian.”"

"Wayans continued: “As a comedian, I respect his journey. And as a friend, I respect his journey. And for my child, I respect their journey. “And as the father of my child, I can appropriate my feelings toward my friend and my feelings toward my child, and how we can put those two things together and I can explain both sides. I'm between them, so I can explain both sides to each other.”"

"When Wayans first revealed his child was trans, he admitted the initial adjustment was difficult, but said he quickly transformed his hesitation into “unconditional love and support.” Kai, 26, is Wayans' eldest child with his ex-partner Angela Zackery. The former couple also shares a son, Shawn, 24."

"“All of my kids are gifts, and our love is the wrapping paper,” Wayans added to Variety. “I'm not here for hate. Transphobia is a form of hate. Homophobia is a form of hate. Racism is a form of hate. All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you.”"

Read at The Independent