Netflix Suspends Three Employees Who Criticized Dave Chappelle’s Transphobic Standup Special

In the wake of intense blowback from the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and its allies over transphobic materials in comic Dave Chapelle’s new Netflix particular, the platform has suspended three of its personal staff for crashing an executive-level assembly addressing considerations concerning the particular.

According to Variety, the assembly was convened throughout “QBR”—Netflix’s two-day-long quarterly enterprise evaluate—and featured Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos briefing the corporate’s high 500 staff on how they need to reply to staff and expertise expressing considerations over Chappelle’s remarks.

“Chapelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long-standing deal with him,” Sarandos wrote in a memo to Netflix staffers obtained by Variety. “His last special “Sticks & Stones,” additionally controversial, is our most watched, stickiest and most award successful stand-up particular so far.”

“As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom — even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful,” he added.

In his newest Netflix particular, The Closer, Chapelle rails in opposition to cancel tradition, proclaims himself “Team TERF” (an acronym that refers to trans-exclusionary radical feminism), argues that gender is an immutable reality, and explicitly characterizes the homosexual neighborhood as being at odds with the black neighborhood. He additionally makes a string of weird feedback in protection of DaBaby, who was “canceled” after he seemingly disparaged the trans and queer viewers members who attended his set on the Rolling Loud music competition.

One of the three suspended staff, Terra Field, is a senior software program engineer—who identifies as queer and trans—who had posted a prolonged Twitter thread criticizing Netflix.

“Promoting TERF ideology (which is what we did by giving it a platform yesterday) directly harms trans people, it is not some neutral act,” Field wrote within the now-viral tweets. “This is not an argument with two sides. It is an argument with trans people who want to be alive and people who don’t want us to be.”

Although it was initially reported that Field’s critique of Netflix had performed a job in her suspension, the streamer vehemently rejected that characterization on Monday.

“It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show,” a Netflix spokesperson instructed Variety. “Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so.”

Netflix didn’t instantly reply to further requests for remark.

In his inner memo, Sarandos went on to make clear the platform’s inner logic on offensive materials, acknowledging that whereas The Closer had the potential to offend some viewers, the liberty to “push boundaries” is a part of comedy’s artwork type:

Several of you’ve gotten additionally requested the place we draw the road on hate. We don’t enable titles on Netflix which might be designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t imagine The Closer crosses that line. I acknowledge, nonetheless, that distinguishing between commentary and hurt is difficult, particularly with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some folks discover the artwork of stand-up to be imply spirited however our members take pleasure in it, and it’s an necessary a part of our content material providing.

Despite loudly and often trumpeting its personal aspirations to foster an organization tradition of radical transparency and accountability, Netflix has a history of firing staff who voice dissent. In July, the platform dismissed three senior movie advertising executives after they had been found to have complained about administration on an organization Slack channel they thought was non-public.