After a hit-piece from theFader.com, numerous shows across the country celebrating the 10th anniversary of the popular Youtube creator, Anthony Fantano aka The Needle Drop, were canceled. The article calls Fantano "alt-right" and attempts to defame him by aligning him with that of Neo-nazis and white supremacists, because of a comedy side channel called thatistheplan.



On the channel, Fantano used parody often to satirize events and trends in and out of the online community. theFader.com used this as "evidence" of his alignment with the likes of Richard Spencer and the White Nationalist movement. Fantano has since taken down the channel due to the demonetization of his content, but the article claims it was in response to their questioning him. This defacement has led many venues on his upcoming tour to cancel the scheduled events.

While this does not violate his 1st amendment right and is within both the venue's and promoter's rights, we need to show these people that we want voices like Fantano's heard. We support the marketplace of ideas, and we support comedy.

For a long time, I have frequented the last stop on Fantano's tour, The Outer Space in Hamden, CT. I've gotten to know some of the good people that run the facility and recognize the good the entire complex has done for the art community in Connecticut as a whole. I created this petition to show support for Fantano, another CT native, and to show support for free speech. This isn't a dog whistle. Fantano is not the things he is being accused of.

My hope is that the owners and promoters associated with the Outer Space will see this and understand that we support The Needle Drop and want him there. I've met many of these people personally, and know they are good people. If they were to retract the cancellation, then perhaps other venues will do the same.

Thanks for taking the time for reading this and supporting. Please share this petition and spread it for other people to see.



OH! And if you, like me, were one of the people who had their tickets refunded, I urge you to take that money and donate to The Needle Drop directly. We need to support these content creators if we want them to keep doing the work they do!



