Transgender actor Elliot Page, formally known as Ellen, expressed overarching support for Netflix employees staging a walkout as part of a protest of the steaming service refusing to remove Dave Chappelle’s comedy special The Closer, where he asserts that gender “is a fact” — a basic notion rejected by far-left 2SLGBTQQIA+ activists who seek to replace the reality of biological sex with gender identity.
“I stand with the trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC employees at Netflix fighting for more and better trans stories and a more inclusive workplace #NetflixWalkout,” the Juno star said in a Wednesday tweet.
The walkout, scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, was prompted by the comedian’s special, in which he “poke[s] fun of subjects including transgender vaginas and gay privilege.”
“In the show, the comedian declared that “gender is a fact” and aligned himself with ‘team TERF’ — a reference to so-called ‘trans-exclusionary radical feminists,’” as Breitbart News detailed, previewing the expected walkout.
Watch below:
In a video message, Ashlee Marie Preston, organizer of the Stand Up in Solidarity Rally, touted the support from others who condone the walkout, including Ashlee Marie Preston, Jonathan Van Ness, Angelica Ross, Jameela Jamil, Mason Alexander Park, Kate Bornstein, Our Lady J, Sara Ramirez, Peppermint, and Colton Haynes.
Watch below:
“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,” Netflix said in a statement ahead of the walkout, adding that it “understands the deep hurt that’s been caused.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos came under fire earlier this month after defending Chappelle’s special and the company’s decision to keep it.
“Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate. We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line,” he wrote in a memo.
“I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it, and it’s an important part of our content offering,” he added.