Netflix—Netflix defended Dave Chappelle's anti-trans comedy special, suspended trans employee who protested
In October 2021, Netflix released Dave Chappelle's special 'The Closer' which was widely condemned by LGBTQ+ organizations including GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign for anti-trans content. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special, stating it didn't cross the line into inciting hate. Netflix suspended Terra Field, a trans senior software engineer who publicly criticized the special, though later reversed the suspension. Around 65 employees and advocates staged a walkout. In May 2022, Netflix updated its culture memo to state the company will not 'censor specific artists or voices' and that employees who find it hard to support content breadth should consider leaving.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGBTQ+ Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Worker Rights | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.765 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.68)
Evidence (2 signals)
Netflix updated culture memo telling employees to accept content breadth or leave
In May 2022, Netflix updated its culture memo with a new 'Artistic Expression' section stating the company will not 'censor specific artists or voices' even if employees consider content 'harmful,' and bluntly stating 'If you'd find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.'
Netflix co-CEO defended Chappelle special, employee walkout followed
Ted Sarandos sent memo defending The Closer, arguing it didn't cross the line into inciting hate. Netflix suspended trans employee Terra Field who criticized the special, later reversed the suspension. Around 65 employees and advocates staged a walkout in October 2021.