• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
TechNetflix

Netflix workers stage walkout over transphobic jokes by Dave Chappelle

By Kylie Logan
October 20, 2021, 5:14 PM ET

Netflix employees and their supporters held a walkout on Wednesday to protest the streaming giant’s recently released show featuring comedian Dave Chappelle mocking transgender people.

The walkout, which drew dozens of protesters to the sidewalk in front of Netflix’s Los Angeles offices and an unknown number to its San Francisco area headquarters, adds to the firestorm Netflix has found itself in since premiering the show, The Closer, two weeks ago. Faced with an employee mini-uprising over the comedy special, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos initially defended it, saying it wouldn’t cause harm. But later, under pressure, he softened his stance in an interview with Variety, expressing regret over the language he had used while arguing that the show isn’t “hate speech” because it doesn’t call for “physical harm.” 

At the rally, participants chanted “Trans lives matter” and “What do we want? Accountability. When do we want it? Now!”

Terra Field, a Netflix software engineer, recently wrote in a blog post that the protest has a broader mission than just speaking out against Chappelle’s special. The Closer is just a “symptom,” Field said, of the entertainment industry and Netflix’s lack of commitment to telling the stories of marginalized communities respectfully, and a society that allows trans hate to exist.

Field, whom Netflix had previously suspended for speaking out during an internal meeting about The Closer, denied asking Netflix to remove Chappelle’s show.

A Netflix employee group, Trans* Employee Resource Group and its supporters, has published a list of demands aimed at Netflix. It asks for a fund that would invest in transgender creators; a hiring initiative that would recruit trans, nonbinary, and ethnically diverse leadership; and disclaimers on shows that feature transphobic or hateful content.

The rally garnered the support and participation, virtually, of media personalities and prominent activists like Jonathan Van Ness, Angelica Ross, and Kate Bornstein.

Meanwhile, counterprotesters also attended the rally in support of Chappelle, holding signs saying, “Free speech is a right” and “Truth is not transphobic.” They argue that the uproar over The Closer is intended to unfairly cancel Chappelle, a common refrain these days in the culture wars.

Ashlee Marie Preston, who helped organize today’s rally, called Stand-Up in Solidarity, responded to that sentiment by tweeting, “Dave Chappelle was not ‘canceled.’ He’s been invited to the table for transformative dialogue but won’t show up. That’s not ‘cancel culture,’ but an avoidance of accountability. He’s no victim. The man is worth $50M. Unlike many trans people his comedy stigmatizes—he’ll live.”

Chappelle is no stranger to controversy. Previously he has joked about the sexual abuse victims of producer R. Kelly, who was recently convicted of child sexual exploitation and kidnapping, among other offenses. In the recent Netflix special, Chappelle identified himself as “team TERF” —“trans-exclusionary radical feminist,” and also told a story about a lesbian while calling her a “man.”

In a statement today, Netflix said, “We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.”

It was unclear how many employees participated in the walkout.

Days after The Closer debuted, several Netflix employees chimed in during a virtual meeting of high-ranking staff about their concerns with the show. While Field was suspended, B. Pagels-Minor, another employee, was fired a few days later, accused by Netflix of leaking internal data to the media. Pagels-Minor said that transgender employees at Netflix have been advocating for better representation in shows since the 2018 Netflix film Girl, which cast a cisgender actor, Victor Polster, in a transgender role. That movie, the employees complained, also featured scenes that focused heavily on genital areas and trans trauma. 

While traveling to the rally, Pagels-Minor voiced surprise at the support on social media for the walkout, with actors like Elliot Page tweeting in solidarity. Pagels-Minor said that Sarandos’s apology fell flat: “First, no one internally is trying to take down the special. Second, he alluded to the fact that Netflix employees don’t know how good they have it.” Pagels-Minor added, “He missed the point.”

More tech coverage from Fortune:

  • Just how massive Amazon has grown during the pandemic, in 8 charts
  • “Gone too far”: Meet the Dutch chips giant that Silicon Valley loves and Biden fears
  • Alibaba CEO defends $15.5 billion donation to China’s ‘common prosperity’ drive
  • Leak reveals how Netflix measures wins and losses. But is it relevant?
  • 4 key products just unveiled at Apple’s MacBook Pro event
Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

murdochs
CommentaryMedia
OpenAI paid $100 million for a talk show. James Murdoch is eyeing an even bigger deal. The hot new asset class is humanity
By Lin CherryMay 17, 2026
7 hours ago
dennis
CommentaryAI agents
Freshworks CEO: why agile enterprises are winning the AI race — and what they did differently
By Dennis WoodsideMay 17, 2026
7 hours ago
A man with a headset sits at a desk in a call center.
EconomyAutomation
The AI boom hasn’t stopped U.S. companies from hiring cheap offshore labor, and overseas call center employment is still skyrocketing
By Sasha RogelbergMay 17, 2026
7 hours ago
Zillow CEO doubles down on remote-work model: ‘There is talent everywhere in this country’
Workplace Cultureremote work
Zillow CEO doubles down on remote-work model: ‘There is talent everywhere in this country’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 17, 2026
7 hours ago
Stressed job seeker
SuccessGen Z
Gen Z is right about the job hunt—it really is worse than it was for millennials, with nearly 60% of fresh-faced grads frozen out of the workforce
By Emma BurleighMay 17, 2026
7 hours ago
A 45,000-person labor strike at Samsung’s memory chip plants could throw a wrench into the AI boom
EconomySamsung
A 45,000-person labor strike at Samsung’s memory chip plants could throw a wrench into the AI boom
By Catherina GioinoMay 17, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
21 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
Energy
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.