Lesbian Stand-Up Comedian Expresses ‘Sincere Regret’ For Riyadh Comedy Festival Performance
Stand-up comic Jessica Kirson, an openly gay veteran of the comedy world, has issued a statement expressing “sincere regret” for being among the more than 50 stars to participate in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival.
Famous comedians such as Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Jimmy Carr and Kirson have faced backlash for performing at the event, taking place in a country with an extensive record of human rights abuses and strict censorship rules that undermine the free speech principles that a lot of these comics claim to champion.
Kirson’s fans were stunned she would accept a cheque to perform in Saudi Arabia, given the country’s treatment of women and the LGBTQ community.
Even still, Kirson took the money, performed for the Saudis, and has now come out to express “sincere regret” at doing so… a day after the festival ended and she flew back to the safety of the United States.
In her statement, shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Kirson said that she was “surprised” to be asked to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival and says she “requested a guarantee” that she could be “openly out as a lesbian on stage and perform gay material”, as is typical in her act.
She wrote: “I hoped that this could help LGBTQ+ people in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued. I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that — to my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to talk about it on stage in Saudi Arabia. I received messages from attendees sharing how much it meant to them to participate in a gay-affirming event. At the same time, I deeply regret participating under the auspices of the Saudi government.”
Kirson offered that she is “deeply sorry to all the fans and followers” hurt or disappointed by her decision to perform in Riyadh. She says she will donate the entirety of her fee to an undisclosed human rights organisation, which is actually a great gesture.
“I have a special relationship with my fans because of the vulnerable nature of my comedy and the trust they place in me as part of the queer community. To my fans: I see you. I hear you. Your voice matters to me. I love you all, and I am genuinely sorry for making a poor decision that had repercussions I didn’t fully consider. I will take full responsibility for my actions and dedicate myself to making amends, so that my words and choices reflect the respect and care you deserve.”
Who knows? Maybe she genuinely does regret performing there, and in fairness, the fact she says she will donate the entirety of her fee does lend some credence to what she’s saying. She does have fans calling her a “sell out”, a “fraud” and a “terrible person” in her Instagram comments, which can’t be nice to read.
Still, there were so many steps and plenty of time to think before she made the decision to fly out there and perform, so it’s funny that she’s apologising it for it a day later as though she accidentally broke some china or something. But still, ‘first openly gay comic to talk about being gay in Saudi Arabia’ is a pretty cool thing to have on your life CV. Come on, Jessica Kirson fans! I think you can let her off the hook on this one.
For Dave Chappelle’s claim that it’s ‘easier to talk’ in Saudi Arabia than it is in the US, click HERE. Not sure about that one…
