Dave Chappelle‘s latest Netflix comedy special, The Closer, has drawn a great deal of attention — and not a lot has been the good kind of attention.
Chappelle’s comments and jokes about trans people, in particular, sparked backlash from Netflix employees, hundreds of which staged a walkout yesterday to protest the special. Now, the comedian is apparently willing to speak with Netflix employees that feel aggrieved.
Chappelle’s representative told TMZ he would have a discussion with those protesting if they reach out to him, which Chappelle’s representative said has not happened, contradicting what Ashlee Marie Preston, the activist that organized the Netflix walkout, previously claimed. Preston said earlier in the week she had “invited Dave Chappelle to have a transformative dialogue about the harm was committed,” but she was ignored by the comedian.
Chappelle’s representative also told TMZ that while he “stands by his art,” he will apparently not be making trans jokes for the foreseeable future.
“No more jokes about transgenders until we can all laugh together. The streets are talking and Dave is listening. At some point, when everyone is open, I’m sure the communities will come together,” Chappelle’s representative said.
Among the list of demands the protesters had, references and imagery of Chappelle in the Netflix headquarters were asked to be removed, in addition to demands that Netflix invest more in trans and non-binary content, acknowledge that The Closer “causes harm to the trans community,” and more.