Netflix head reiterates support for Dave Chappelle special in email to staff

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In the email dated Monday and obtained by Variety, the co-chief enforcement serviceman responded to the backlash by writing, "We cognize that a fig of you person been near angry, disappointed and wounded by our determination to enactment Dave Chappelle's latest peculiar connected Netflix."

"The Closer," which debuted connected Netflix past week, has drawn disapproval from LGBTQ+ advocates, artists and Netflix employees for Chappelle's remarks and jokes astir the trans community.

    He says during the peculiar that helium is "team TERF," the word for "trans-exclusionary extremist feminist."

      "Gender is simply a fact," Chappelle says successful "The Closer." "Every quality being successful this room, each quality being connected earth, had to walk done the legs of a pistillate to beryllium connected earth. That is simply a fact."

      "With The Closer, we recognize that the interest is not astir offensive-to-some contented but titles which could summation existent satellite harm (such arsenic further marginalizing already marginalized groups, hate, unit etc.)," Sarandos wrote. "While immoderate employees disagree, we person a beardown content that contented connected surface doesn't straight construe to real-world harm."

      GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has condemned comments made successful "The Closer" and disputed the presumption Sarandos laid retired successful his email.

      "GLAAD was founded 36 years agone due to the fact that media practice has consequences for LGBTQ people. Authentic media stories astir LGBTQ lives person been cited arsenic straight liable for expanding nationalist enactment for issues similar matrimony equality. But movie and TV person besides been filled with stereotypes and misinformation astir america for decades, starring to existent satellite harm, particularly for trans radical and LGBTQ radical of color. Ironically, the documentary Disclosure connected Netflix demonstrates this rather clearly," GLAAD said successful a statement.

      CNN has reached retired to Netflix for remark and has not independently verified the email from Sarandos.

      Netflix lasting  by Dave Chappelle and 'The Closer'

      Last week, the institution suspended Terra Field, a elder bundle technologist who identifies arsenic queer and trans, who had publically criticized "The Closer" connected Twitter.

      Field and 2 different employees were suspended for attending a virtual gathering of directors and vice presidents past week without notifying the gathering organizer successful advance, according to a root with cognition of the matter. Field said connected Twitter Tuesday that she has since been reinstated.

      The trans worker assets radical astatine Netflix is readying a walkout connected October 20 to protestation "The Closer" and statements by Sarandos, according to a study by The Verge.

        When reached by CNN earlier this week, a spokesperson for Netflix said: "Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we enactment their close to bash so."

        "Our extremity is to entertain the world, which means programming for a diverseness of tastes," Sarandos said successful his email. "We besides enactment creator state to assistance pull the champion creators, and propulsion backmost connected authorities and different censorship requests."

        CNN's Chloe Melas contributed to this report

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