Indian Origin Standup Comedian Banned From Seattle Comedy Club For “Hate Speech” Against LGBTQ+ Community

Seattle’s Rabbit Box Theater, a prime hotspot for events including comedy shows, has sparked controversy after blacklisting two comedians, including Indian-origin stand-up comedian Luke Abranches, along with his fellow comedian Wyatt Feegrado, over allegations of “hate speech.”

The venue reportedly sent an apologetic email to audience members days after the duo’s show, claiming the comedians’ jokes were “harmful to people of color, LGBTQ+ and minority communities.”

What Happened at the Show?

According to an interview with The Comedy Historian, both comedians described the show as a success. The merch line was packed, the audience was laughing, and they received positive feedback from the fans. They only learned about the venue’s email when one of Luke’s fans forwarded it to him.

Wyatt and Luke expressed amusement rather than anger at the development, viewing it as part of comedy’s long history of pushing boundaries. They compared this to more serious cases, such as Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, who faced police questioning over alleged “religious blasphemy” in his Netflix special show for comments that were actually political satire criticizing government actions and major Muslim organizations in Indonesia.

The Controversial Jokes

The comedians later discovered the specific material that triggered complaints:

Wyatt Figrad’s joke: Primarily his trans-related material, including a punchline about supporting “trans women as long as they’re skinny” and a bit suggesting Netanyahu was getting “bottom surgery.” These were older, well-tested jokes that usually performed strongly.

Luke Abranches’ jokes: His Israel-related material, which included sharp political commentary comparing Israel to figures like Bill Cosby and Darth Vader in a provocative manner.

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The comedians noted that one server at the venue reportedly took issue with the trans jokes, while some walk-in audience members (not their regular fans) were offended by the Israel material. Interestingly, the venue staff reportedly remained friendly and neutral during the show itself. Wyatt mentioned overhearing staff discussing the young age of some audience members (Luke has many teenage fans) rather than the content.

Venue’s Response and Claims

In the email to customers, Rabbit Box Theater apologized for booking the comedians and labeled their comedy as hate speech. However, the comedians pointed out inconsistencies in the venue’s statements. The venue claimed they had contacted the comedians’ team about the material beforehand, a claim both Luke and Wyatt strongly denied, stating they received no such communication. They also remarked that while the staff weren't personally offended by the jokes, they sent the email as a “precautionary measure” due to complaints from some attendees.

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The comedians argued that the venue could have handled the situation more maturely, by simply telling offended patrons that comedy isn’t for everyone, instead of issuing a public apology email that effectively blacklisted them.

Comedians’ Reaction

Both Wyatt and Luke took the incident in stride, calling the email “hilarious” in a classic comedian fashion. They emphasized that comedy has historically challenged taboos and that audiences who attend their shows generally know what to expect. They had sent booking clips that included representative material (including trans jokes), so the venue should have been aware of their style.

They clarified that this was the first time a headline show of theirs faced such post-show censorship. While they have encountered occasional resistance for edgy material at clubs before, nothing quite like this public apology and blacklisting.

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