Actor-comedian Dave Chappelle may be in the midst of enjoying a 16-show residency at New Yorks Radio City Music Hall , but the success of his performances has been offset by reports of vehement transphobia .

Controversial remarks are, of course, par for the course when it comes to Chappelle. Earlier this year, the actor-comedian released two Netflix specials, The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium and Deep in the Heart of Texas: Live at Austin City Limits , which grabbed headlines for featuring gay and trans jokes that were decidedly not politically correct.

But in an Aug. 23 interview with The Washington Blade , Chappelle himself elaborated on his live act, shrugging off the suggestion that hes transphobic. I wouldnt consider myself that because Im not even sure what the term means, he told the Blades News Editor Michael K. Lavers. Do I discriminate against somebody because theyre trans? I would like to think absolutely not.

The 43-year-old then added, Im not an obstructionist of anybodys lifestyle, as long as it doesnt hurt me or people I love and I dont believe that lifestyle does.

Critics, however, feel a bit differently. In his Aug. 2 review for Vulture , Jesse David Fox wrote that Chappelle cracked insensitive jokes about President Donald Trump s ban on transgender officers in the military at Radio City.

Though telephones and other audio recording devices were prohibited during the show, Foxs review quotes Chappelle as saying, If I was in ISIS in the trenches fighting against the United States and all of the sudden I see a man with a beard and big D-cups titties just rushing my foxhole and shit, Id be horrified.

Later in the Radio City show, he apparently offered his take on since-debunked reports that Caitlyn Jenner would be posing nude in an upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated. I figured Id just say it for everybody yuck, he said, according to Foxs review . Fuck, man, I just want to read some stats, like why are you cramming man-pussy in the middle of the sports page like that?

Chappelle explained to The Washington Blade that comedy which touched on minority issues was, simply, a reconciliation of paradox.

These are true things that shouldnt be true and Im certain that in the trans narrative, there is also a lot of paradox, he said. Im learning like the rest of the population is and now they have a platform. Theyre articulating these things and were all here... this is news to many of us.

Still, many LGBTQ rights advocates arent buying it. Texas-based transgender activist Monica Roberts likened Chappelles most recent comments to those of comedian Lil Duval , who ignited a media firestorm in July when he joked that he would kill a woman if he found out she was transgender after having sex with her.

Being transgender is not a lifestyle, Roberts told the Blade . Its the essence of who we are as people. And some transgender people are unapologetically black and catching hell for being both. Longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Rev. Merrick Moise, who is also trans, felt similarly. Dave is an example of many who just dont get it, Moise said . Clearly he needs more education and conversation with black trans people to understand the gravity of his jokes made in poor taste.