Despite (or perhaps because of) a lukewarm apology from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, several employees at the streaming giant staged a walkout this Wednesday to protest the company’s investment, promotion and hosting of Dave Chappelle’s latest stand-up special, The Closer.
The trans employees and their allies submitted a list of demands that detail internal changes needed at the company — changes that include content warnings on sensitive material and more concentrated efforts to promote trans talent. The removal of Chappelle’s recent special was not a condition listed though that seems to be the focus for Sarandos, who has apologized for the internal memo he sent to employees defending his choice to host the special on the streamer and detailing why he still won’t remove it.
All in all, it’s a mess right now and plenty of celebrities and Netflix talent have started throwing their support behind the walkout. Last week, comedian Hannah Gadsby torched Sarandos after he claimed harmful content on the streamer didn’t translate to real-world consequences. Now, a star of one of the streamer’s most popular original series has spoken up in defense of the company’s trans employees.
Elliot Page, who stars in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, shared a video on Twitter with a message of solidarity for the trans employees and their allies making their voices heard at Netflix today.
I stand with the trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC employees at Netflix fighting for more and better trans stories and a more inclusive workplace #NetflixWalkout https://t.co/LU8FPSBdwE
— Elliot Page (@TheElliotPage) October 20, 2021
He joins a long list of celebs who have called out the streamer for its harmful content and irresponsible handling of the current Chappelle scandal — a list that includes everyone from Dan Levy to Jonathan Van Ness, Jameela Jamil, and Colton Haynes. The video Page shared also featured the organizer of the Stand Up in Solidarity rally, Ashlee Marie Preston, who thanked the Netflix employees staging the walkout for their commitment to creating “ethical entertainment.”
Here’s to hoping more in-house talent like Page puts the pressure on so that the company’s trans and nonbinary employees (and subscribers) can feel safe working there and good watching the streamer’s content again.