Comedian Owen Benjamin was scheduled to perform at the University of Connecticut on October 25. On Wednesday, the student group that invited him and administrators pulled the plug on the event, citing concerns over remarks made by Benjamin on giving transgender hormone replacement therapy to young children.
“Being in favor of trans rights does not make you a liberal, which I am, I’m in favor of trans rights,” Benjamin said. “Am I in a favor of preventing an 8-year-old from going through puberty because they want to wear a dress? Of course not. I’m so against that.”
If that’s going to make me a bigot, then I’m a bigot. Because when I was five, when I was three, when I was seven, all I did was play the piano, weave cloth, go to my dad’s operas. I hated sports, I wore velour pants,” he continued. “I probably would have been labeled trans. I’m artistic, I probably would have wanted to wear a dress at some point.”
Benjamin has not backed down from his position on social media today.