Transgender Netflix employees and other staff members of the streaming network are going on strike on October 20 to protest the release of comedian Dave Chapelle’s special, which featured numerous transphobic remarks.
According to the Los Angeles Times, trans staff members and other employees are taking a “day of rest” in response to the premiere of Chappelle’s The Closer standup comedy special.
“I encourage all [members of] Trans* and allies not to work for Netflix that day. … As we’ve discussed through Slack, email, texts and everything in between, our leadership has shown us that they do not uphold the values for which we are held,” a Netflix employee posted Monday in a public company Slack channel which was made up of over 800 employees comprising “gender minorities of all sorts and their allies.”
“Between the numerous emails and non-answers that have been given, we have been told explicitly that we somehow cannot understand the nuance of certain content. I don’t know about you, but asking for us to show the whole story and not just the pieces that harm trans and [LGBTQ+] people is not an unreasonable ask,” the employee’s Slack statement continued.
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“So, I encourage us all to state clearly that we, as Netflix employees are stunning not simply when we are doing the work that our roles demand of us but also when we challenge the very principles of our company,” the staff member wrote.
In a statement taken by the outlet, a Netflix spokesperson said it “is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show.”
“Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly, and we support their right to do so,” the spokesperson added.
The walkout is being held in hopes of pressuring the streaming giant to realize the harm Chappelle’s comments and the release of the special caused members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The comedian stated various derogatory comments towards the trans community, including supporting “Harry Potter” series author J.K. Rowling, who has reportedly been named a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) after having expressed anti-trans sentiments in the past.
People organizing the protest also wish for Netflix to create and release more LGBTQ+ content on the platform.
