Comedian Hannah Gadsby has come out against Netflix‘s decision to keep Dave Chappelle’s special up on their platform.
The stand-up special, called The Closer, features Chappelle addressing the controversy surrounding Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
“They cancelled J.K. Rowling – my God,” Chappelle said in the show. “Effectively, she said gender was a fact, the trans community got mad as shit, they started calling her a TERF.”
Chappelle continued: “I’m team TERF. I agree. I agree, man. Gender is a fact.”
Although Netflix has defended its decision to keep the special on the channel, his comments have caused LGBTQ rights group GLAAD to take to social media in protest.
“Dave Chappelle’s brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalised communities,” it wrote.
“Negative reviews and viewers loudly condemning his latest special is a message to the industry that audiences don’t support platforming anti-LGBTQ diatribes. We agree.”
Now Gadsby, who is a lesbian and also has a stand-up special on the platform, has reached out to Netflix boss Ted Sarandos via Instagram in response to their decision. Her comments come after Variety noted that her special was referenced as a companion piece to The Closer by Sarandos.
“Just a quick note to let you know that I would prefer if you didn’t drag my name into your mess,” she wrote.
“Now I have to deal with even more of the hate and anger that Dave Chapelle’s [sic] fans like to unleash on me every time Dave gets 20 million dollars to process his emotionally stunted partial world view,” she continued. “You didn’t pay me nearly enough to deal with the real world consequences of the hate speech dog whistling you refuse to acknowledge, Ted. Fuck you and your amoral algorithm cult.”
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