Veteran comedian Jessica Kirson has made a generous gesture by donating the entirety of her fee from performing at the recent Riyadh Comedy Festival to the Human Rights Campaign, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. The event, which concluded its run from September 26 to October 9, drew a star-studded lineup of comedians to the kingdom, including Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Whitney Cummings, Andrew Schulz, Aziz Ansari, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Sebastian Maniscalco, Mark Normand, Tom Segura, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, and more. However, the festival sparked a whirlwind of controversy as critics, including fellow comedians, condemned those who participated, pointing to the country's history of oppression and human rights violations.
In recent days, the narrative has shifted somewhat, with Burr, C.K., and Ansari defending their involvement as a means of contributing to progress in the country. Kirson, too, faced her share of criticism but chose to issue an apology instead. In her exclusive statement to THR last week, Kirson expressed her surprise at being invited to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. She even went as far as to request assurances that she could "openly identify as a lesbian on stage and perform gay material," which is a staple of her act.
"I hoped that this could help LGBTQ+ individuals in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued. I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that," she said in her statement. Burr corroborated the nature of Kirson's performance during a recent appearance on Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, where he lauded her courage in making jokes about Grindr in front of local royals and diplomats. Louis C.K. echoed this sentiment during his appearance on Bill Maher’s HBO show, Real Time.
"To my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to discuss this topic on stage in Saudi Arabia," Kirson remarked. "I received messages from attendees expressing 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 further expressed her "profound apologies to all the fans and followers" who were hurt or disappointed by her decision to perform in Riyadh. At the time she issued her statement, she had confirmed her intention to donate the entirety of her fee to an undisclosed human rights organization. THR has verified with two sources that the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) received the donation.
News of Kirson’s donation comes in the wake of another nonprofit, Human Rights Watch, confirming that it "cannot accept" similar donations from stand-ups who traveled to Saudi Arabia. "Human Rights Watch did not call for comedians to boycott the Riyadh Comedy Festival, but merely asked them to express their support for free speech by urging the release of Saudi activists unjustly imprisoned," said Joey Shea, a Saudi Arabia researcher for Human Rights Watch. "Aziz Ansari and other comedians have generously offered to donate part of their performance fees to rights groups like Human Rights Watch, but while we cannot accept, it is not too late for them to call for the release of detained Saudi activists."
Ansari's name surfaced during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this week, where he stated that "part of the fee" from the Riyadh festival "should go to support causes that champion free press and human rights." He mentioned Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch specifically. Like Burr, Ansari defended his participation in the event, stating that he "put a lot of thought" into accepting the invitation but ultimately saw it as a way to contribute to progress.
"There are people over there who don't agree with the government's actions, and to ascribe the worst behavior of the government to those people is unfair. Just as there are people in America who disagree with the government's actions," he said, adding that he consulted with an aunt who lived in Saudi Arabia. "Whenever there are repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out—whether it's rock and roll music or blue jeans—because it piques people's curiosity about outside ideas and values. And this is a very young country, with half the population under the age of 25, and things can really change. To me, a comedy festival felt like something that's pushing things to be more open and fostering dialogue."
