Netflix employees protest Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special

Netflix employees are in the news again for staging a walkout on Wednesday provided the release of comedian Dave Chappelle's latest special "The Closer". The crowd of people gathered outside Netflix's West Hollywood offices are protesting against both Chappelle and the company's chief executive Ted Sarandos. Employees believe that the special contains hate speech against transgender people and members of the LGBTQI community, the issues raised by employees and their own talent regarding the same were dismissed by the streaming giant that allegedly continued to defend the comedian which led to the walkout and call for change in reforms. 

The protest also saw the attendance of multiple supporters of Chappelle holding signs that said that the protesters had to learn how to take a joke and that this is a restriction of free speech. Ashlee Marie Preston who is a media personality and walkout organizer spoke to the media and said that the walkout was staged not because they cannot take a joke but because the jokes are taking lives. The entire event bears witness to a clash between the supporters of the comedian and the growing support to safeguard transgender rights. In the special which was released on October 5th, Chappelle refers to himself as a "trans-exclusionary radical feminist" or TERF and goes on to say that "gender is a fact". He also makes several comparisons between the struggle of black people and trans folk. Chappelle is well known for his blunt racial comedy and alleged transphobic remarks. Netflix employees and members of the group Trans which includes transgender and non-binary people demand that the curators of the show put a transphobic disclaimer, invest in trans creators and employ more transgender people in decision-making roles. Defending the special, Sarandos said that whatever is being said comes under the "artistic freedom" of the creator. 

Source: The Washington Post