Elliot Page at the 2021 Met Gala. John Shearer/WireImage
Employees joined the call for better treatment of transgender issues by Netflix stars.
Yesterday's walkout was organized by employees in protest of Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special.
Chappelle made jokes about trans people in his special.
Many Netflix stars, including Elliot Page (and Dan Levy) shared their support via social media for the employees who participated in a walkout to protest Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special that includes jokes at expense of trans people.
Chappelle caused controversy with his comedy special "The Closer" when he defended JK Rowling's comments about TERF (transexclusionary radical feminist). He said "gender" and called himself "Team TERF." His jokes about trans people have gotten him in trouble in the past.
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The Verge reported that Netflix’s trans employee resource group organized a walkout asking for Netflix to produce content that "represents, uplifts Trans content." This was after Ted Sarandos, the company's co-CEO, had defended the special in an intern memo.
Yesterday's walkouts were posted by Dan Levy, Elliot Page and Mae Martin on Instagram and Twitter.
In response to Ashley Marie Preston's post, Eichner tweeted: "Sending my love to all trans workers and their allies participating today in the #NetflixWalkout."
"I stand alongside the trans, nonbinary and BIPOC Netflix employees fighting for more and more trans stories and a better workplace," Page wrote. Page stars in Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy" series, and was revealed as transgender last January.
He linked to a Wednesday video featuring trans activists and Netflix stars supporting the walkout. The video was titled "Stand up in Solidarity With Team Trans* at Netflix!" Jamela Jamil, actress of "The Good Place", Jonathan Van Ness, from "Queer Eye," Angelica Ross, and Angelica Ross star in "Pose."
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Levy, the "Schitt’s Creek" actor, posted a statement on his Instagram and Twitter pages last month that stated: "I stand beside every employee at Netflix using my voice to ensure a safe, supportive work environment. I know firsthand the importance of television in influencing cultural conversations. This impact is real, and it works in both positive AND negative ways.
Transphobia is harmful and unacceptable. He said that this is not a matter of debate.
Martin, comedian, shared an Instagram statement. His comedy Feel Good can be found on Netflix. They wrote, "I don’t believe it’s very difficult to laugh without ridiculing marginalised people and contributing to culture of transphobia which directly results in disproportionate amounts of violence, suicide and discrimination."
"As trans/nonbinary person working with Netflix, this has been a real bummer. But I am hopeful for positive and thoughtful reflection moving ahead. And lols, am I right? Remember lols?" They added.
Dominic Patten, Deadline Editor, reported that Joey Soloway (creator of "Transparent," an Emmy-winning series about a trans character, was also at the walkout requesting that Netflix include a trans person on its board.
Sarandos later apologised for the memo, telling Variety that he had "should have led [with] a lot more humanity", but that he still believes the special should remain on the platform. A former employee of Netflix tweeted on Wednesday that Sarandos "still missed the point" and that the walkout was about "more trans content", investment in trans talent and promotion of trans content.
B. Pagels Minor told The New York Times they were fired for leaking internal data. This they denied.
Insider has the original article.
