LOS ANGELES Nearly 100 people protested near Netflix Inc.’s headquarters on Wednesday against the streaming pioneer’s decision to release comedian Dave Chappelle’s new special, which they call a mockery of transgender people.
Netflix staff members, transgender rights advocates and public officials gathered on a sidewalk outside the Netflix office block off the company’s main 13-story Sunset Boulevard building in Los Angeles.
Protesters held signs announcing “Trans Lives Matter” and “Team Trans” and “What do we want?” Like shouting. Accountability,” “When do we want it? Now.”
Netflix’s workforce outnumbered members of the public, but the exact number was unclear. Netflix employees called for a walkout.
“I screwed up” is how he talked to Netflix staff about Chappelle’s special, “The Closer,” as Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos admitted in an interview before the walkout.
Sarandos defended the decision to air the show earlier, saying that Chappelle’s language did not cross the line in inciting violence. Netflix posted record subscriber numbers on Tuesday,
Ashley Marie Preston, a transgender activist who came out in support of Netflix employees, said, “While we appreciate the acceptance of the screw-up, we want to, in our own words, talk about what that repair really looked like. “
Joy Soloway, creator of “Transparent,” a now-ending streaming series on rival Amazon that featured a transgender character, talked about the line that separates edgy jokes and hurtful speech.
“People tell me, as a comedian, where’s the line?” Soloway said. “The line is anything that makes it worse.”
Not everyone supported that message. “…the idea that a small, angry crowd can shape entertainment and silence people’s speech is terrifying,” said defendant Dick Masterson.
While employee protests against corporate policies have become common in Silicon Valley, it is believed to be the first such action at the leading streaming video company.
The controversy over “The Closer” comes against the backdrop of a company-wide diversity effort that began in 2018, after Netflix’s former communications chief was fired for using a racial adjective at company meetings.
Netflix software engineer Tera Field wrote in a Medium post, “It doesn’t feel good to work at a company that mentions “The Closer.” Company policies and benefits make it a great place for trans people to work Be.”
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