When it comes to comedians we can trust, the list often gets smaller and smaller. So when one stands up and does the right thing, it’s nice to see. It isn’t surprising that the current fave is Dan Aykroyd. While far from perfect, Aykroyd has been using his platform to call out his past work—like his use of Blackface in the film Trading Spaces. Aykroyd has also talked about how comedy evolves and changes, and so while he has made some mistakes in the past, I think that he’s one of the few comedians who is aware of how comedy works.
And the right thing he’s doing right now is standing up for the trans community. When asked in a new interview for Metro about his company, Crystal Head Vodka, and collaborating with the LGBTQIA community for its Pride bottle collection, Aykroyd talked about how proud he was to be working with the LGBTQ+ community.
“We are so happy with our work in the community,” said Aykroyd. “We support Kaleidoscope [a charity supporting LGBTQ+ human rights worldwide] and we give 20 percent of our profits on all the Pride bottles to that cause, which produces tolerance, produces an acceptance of diversity … you know the homophobia that’s going on in Uganda right now and Russia and Chechnya.”
Aykroyd was asked if backlash towards the trans community is as contentious in the United States as it is in the UK, and he responded by bringing up what happened with the Dylan Mulvaney Budweiser ad: “They just had this Budweiser beer line advertised by a trans person and there was a tremendous terrible backlash. What, trans people can’t have a cold beer?” This is the right response!
Dan Aykroyd is right!
For once, a comedian didn’t get offended by someone asking him about issues happening in the United States! Most of the time when these conversations happen, we see someone getting angry that it’s on them but Aykroyd just casually said the right thing with little fanfare. He was just speaking honestly.
There is a love for Aykroyd’s more eclectic tastes. He is someone who is all in on Bigfoot and is big into the paranormal community. It is something that people online love about him, and it also is something that Aykroyd has talked about in regards to the paranormal community’s open-mindedness towards sexuality and gender.
Which does show how open Aykroyd is—he’s not bogged down by the hate that fills those who are right-leaning and target the trans community.
It is a good reminder that there are people in Hollywood who are willing to speak up for the trans community and that they’ll share their support. Having Aykroyd just casually say he doesn’t understand the Budweiser outrage? Refreshing! But then again, Aykroyd has been vocal about being open and understanding and this is just a nice reminder of that.
(featured image: Bobby Bank, Getty Images)
