Canadian comedian, writer, and actorMae Martin(they/them), whose latest special was released onNetflixon Mar. 28, recently opened up about the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ jokes in comedy.
Born in Toronto, Martin, 35, started doing stand-up comedy when they were 13 years old and is known for having a unique storytelling style and observational humor. The beloved queer, non-binary comedian has performed at numerous comedy festivals worldwide, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and has wowed audiences on screen inMae Martin: DopeandThe Flight Attendant. Recently, Martin got critical attention for writing and co-creating their semi-autobiographical Netflix seriesMae Martin:Feel Good, which explores addiction, love, and identity themes.
Martin has also gained notoriety because they are vocal about wanting to combat harmful stereotypes and use their platform to promote accurate and nuanced portrayals of diverse identities. As someone who is queer and non-binary, they have experienced firsthand the challenges and discrimination that can come with being part of a marginalized group. However, incorporating their experiences into their comedy and writing allows them to connect with audiences on a deeper level while also helping to break down barriers for LGBTQIA+ creators and foster greater empathy toward the transgender community. Overall, Martin’s impact on comedy and media is significant because it encourages people outside the queer community to be more inclusive and attempt to understand prejudice’s impact.
To promote their latest special on Netflix,Mae Martin: SAP, the comedian has done a rash of interviews about how the special tackles the rise of anti-trans rhetoric in comedy. “I wish I didn’t have to talk about gender and identity,” Martin toldPaste Magazineabout their latest special. “But I did feel a responsibility because it’s super important given everything that’s going on and all the legislation.”
Martin continued, “It feels so archaic, like we’ve slipped back to the 90s, with people attacking trans people in their shows. It’s very confusing to me. It feels like really willful ignorance because all the information is out there from the World Health Organization, doctors, parents, and trans kids. We have all the information, so I don’t know why we haven’t caught up in terms of policy and public opinion. It feels like bad faith, culture wars nonsense. But with real-life consequences.”
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Mae Martin Slams Dave Chappelle’s Transphobic Jokes
Big-name comedians are regularly using their platforms to spew hateful rhetoric regarding trans people, directly impacting the LGBTQIA+ community at large. Martin has had enough.
Back in 2022, Netflix ran not one but two specials that gave a platform to comedians who have made transphobic jokes their bread and butter. In his comedy specialThe Closer,Dave Chappelle came under fireafter declaring himself a “TERF,” which means trans-exclusionary radical feminist and is a term worn as a badge of honor by those who believe that trans women aren’t women. Then, later in the same year,Ricky Gervais was slammedfor making horrific comments about trans women and their bodies during his comedy special. After the public backlash to their initial transphobic comments, both comedians decided to double down on their views in subsequent stand-up sets (ya' know, instead of apologizing).
“When you’re someone who’s part of the trans community, it can feel like a lose-lose,” Martin explained toRolling Stoneabout their decision to address the issue. “But it’s also a very crucial time to present a counterargument to the very loud people with huge platforms who are weighing in in bad faith about things that have real-life consequences. It’s a very difficult tone to hit because I do care about it so deeply, and could so easily rant for hours about how annoyed I am. So if it’s in any way helpful for people to see someone speaking about their lived experience and cutting through the endless debate about whether trans people deserve to be happy, then hopefully it’s worth it.”
They continued, “The main thing I wish is that straight allies with bigger platforms would be brave enough to weigh in as well. Because it’s easy to dismiss queer people as being constantly up in arms about something. But with the legislation, we’re seeing such terrifying real-life consequences. And they’re things that affect everybody — there’s such a parallel between trans rights and bodily autonomy for women and all kinds of things that I think it’s time we all got involved a little bit.”
