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Protestors rally at Netflix over Chappelle special's 'transphobia'
In his recent stand-up special The Closer, Chappelle insists "gender is a fact" and accuses LGBTQ people of being "too sensitive."
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Blossom C. Brown speaks and Stand Up in Solidarity rally organizer Ashlee Marie Preston looks on as Trans employees and allies at Netflix walkout in protest of Dave Chappelle special on October 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (AFP/Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images North America)
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rotestors gathered outside Netflix in Los Angeles on Wednesday, angry over a new Dave Chappelle comedy special that has sparked accusations the streamer is trampling transgender rights and profiting from hate speech.
A few dozen staff walked off the job and were joined by a similar number of trans activists and their supporters for a demonstration calling for better representation at the Hollywood giant.
"I think that trans and non-binary employees aren't safe as long as their employer is putting out content in the world that could harm them," said Netflix Animation employee Devan McGrath, participating in the walkout.
Netflix has scrambled to respond to the unusually public controversy it is facing over Chappelle's The Closer, in which the stand-up star insists "gender is a fact" and accuses LGBTQ people of being "too sensitive."
The company issued a statement before the protest Wednesday saying: "We understand the deep hurt that's been caused" and "respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out."
Rally organizer Ashlee Marie Preston, an LGBTQ activist, said the rally was intended to more broadly highlight that jokes such as those made by Chappelle were directly harmful to the minority community.
"We are here today not because we don't know how to take a joke. We're here because we're concerned that the jokes are taking lives. It's not a laughing matter," she said.
