Netflix employees staged a walkout on Wednesday (Oct. 20th) in protest of the company’s handling of Dave Chappelle’s commentary about trans and LGBTQ+ communities in his latest special, The Closer.
Deadline reports that over 100 employees and allies were involved in the rally, organized by filmmaker Ashlee Marie Preston. Preston was among the speakers at the event, along with Transparent creator Joey Soloway and Ru Paul’s Drag Race star Eureka O’Hara.
The organizers read out a “list of asks” that will be presented to Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos including an investment in trans and non-binary content, and elimination of Chappelle imagery inside of the workplace, a disclaimer before The Closer, and increased promotion for Disclosure and other trans-affirming titles on the platform.
Additionally, Elliot Page and Lilly Wachowski took to social media to offer support for the walkout and retweet a PSA that includes Preston, Jonathan Van Ness, Angelica Ross, Jameela Jamil, Mason Alexander Park, Kate Bornstein, Our Lady J, Sara Ramirez, Peppermint and Colton Haynes.
