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Netflix defends Chappelle, suspends staff in transgender row

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="In " closer="" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/10/11/20211011_hollywood-iatse.jpg" the=""/><figcaption>In &quot;The Closer,&quot; Chappelle&#x27;s special produced by Netflix, he asserts that &quot;gender is a fact,&quot; and criticizes what he says is the thin skin of the trans community. <em>Dado Ruvic, Reuters illustration/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Netflix has defended its decision to screen a Dave Chappelle special criticized as transphobic, as it suspended employees who crashed a virtual meeting in protest at the comedian&#x27;s show, media reported Monday.</p><p>The stand-up star has courted controversy with &quot;The Closer&quot; in which he asserts &quot;gender is a fact,&quot; and criticizes what he says is the thin skin of the trans community.</p><p>LGBTQ activists have lashed out over the comments, with the National Black Justice Coalition calling on streaming service Netflix to remove the program, and &quot;Dear White People&quot; producer Jaclyn Moore vowing to boycott the platform over &quot;dangerously transphobic content.&quot; </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/10/09/21/dave-chappelle-embraces-being-cancelled-in-transgender-row">Dave Chappelle embraces being cancelled in transgender row</a></li></ul><p>But in a memo to staff, Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos said bosses did not believe that Chappelle&#x27;s work amounted to &quot;hate,&quot; and that the company would not be removing the show despite pressure from artists, according to Variety, which obtained a copy of the memo. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/07/21/lgbt-groups-say-dutertes-no-ally-to-us">LGBT groups slam partylist for backing Sara Duterte 2022 bid, says Dutertes ‘no ally to us’</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Some talent may join third parties in asking us to remove the show in the coming days, which we are not going to do,&quot; Sarandos wrote, adding Chappelle is one of the most popular performers working today.</p><p>&quot;We don&#x27;t allow titles (on) Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don&#x27;t believe &#x27;The Closer&#x27; crosses that line. </p><p>&quot;I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries.&quot;</p><p>Variety also reported that three employees who crashed a virtual meeting for executives in protest at &quot;The Closer&quot; had been suspended.</p><p>The outlet said they included Terra Field, a software engineer who identifies as queer and trans, and who launched a Twitter broadside last week over Chappelle&#x27;s routine. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/12/21/samal-resort-discrimination-transgender">Resort accused of discrimination vs transgender woman; DOT to investigate</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I work at @netflix,&quot; Field tweeted.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/05/21/trans-woman-patay-sa-pananaksak-sa-bulacan">Transgender woman pinatay ng umano&#x27;y nangungutang sa kaniya</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness -- all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups.&quot;</p><p>Variety cited people familiar with Netflix as saying the three were suspended not for speaking out, but for attending the virtual meeting uninvited.</p><p>Chappelle, 48, has been accused of transphobia over previous Netflix specials.</p><p>In &quot;The Closer&quot; he is at pains to stress that he does not hate transgender people, and tells a long anecdote about a trans woman comic, who he describes as a friend, who came to his defense in earlier entanglements with the community.</p><p>Last week as the controversy raged, the comic received a standing ovation at a sold out event at the Hollywood Bowl, telling the audience: &quot;If this is what being canceled is like, I love it.&quot;</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1691858" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

In 'The Closer,' Chappelle asserts that 'gender is a fact,' and criticizes what he says is the thin skin of the trans community.