Chappelle and Netflix: When Artistic Expression Actively Harms the Transgender Community

Findings from a recent study Injustice at Every Turn A Look at Black Respondents in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey provide many heartbreaking statistics includingBlack transgender people had an extremely high unemployment rate at 26 percent two times the rate of the overall transgender sample and four times the rate of the general populationA startling 41 percent of Black respondents said they had experienced homelessness at some point in their lives more than five times the rate of the general US populationBlack transgender people lived in extreme poverty with 34 percent reporting a household income of less than 10000 per year This is more than twice the rate for transgender people of all races 15 percent four times the general Black population rate 9 percent and eight times the general US population rate 4 percentNearly half 49 percent of Black respondents reported having attempted suicideViolence against Black trans women has been accurately described as quota pandemic within a pandemicquot Organizations like the Human Rights Campaign have released several reports detailing potential sources of this violence In particular Black trans women are killed at disproportionate rates because of quotthe intersections of racism transphobia sexism biphobia and homophobiaquot The patchwork of federal laws governing police brutality and misconduct also leaves Black trans women particularly vulnerable to violence at the hands of law enforcementThe BacklashAs the special began being viewed on October 5 opinions began pouring in as usual While the reviews were largely positive or neutral about the majority of the program the transphobia was so blatant and so harmful that LGBT people allies and others began commenting and calling out the hate via social media Activist Hope Giselle considered and discussed the intersectionality of how Chappelle39s words harmed the Black trans community as the panel considered the specific ways that they put two already atrisk populations at odds GLAAD condemned it and employees of the streaming service walked out in protest last week demanding that Netflix take measures to prevent harmful misinformation against transgender people from continuing to stream on the platform Simultaneously the public waited for a response from two people the head of Netflix and Chappelle himselfChappelle did eventually respond saying that he is willing to sit down with transgender employees of Netflix but listed numerous stipulations to his willingness to meet and made light of the situation while also insulting Hannah Gadsby a lesbian comic with autism Netflix also responded quotWe value our trans colleagues and allies and understand the deep hurt that39s been causedquot the company said in a statement quotWe 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 contentquotThe What39s NextThis remains to be seen Some think that this controversy is just a ploy by Netflix andor Chappelle to grab more attention for the standup special falling under the old belief that any pressmedia is good Others are waiting to see if Netflix realizes the harm of allowing transphobia on their platform Will this boost Chappelle39s ratings enough to be worth the impact to his brand and his name Will Netflix choose to harm an already marginalized community if it means more views of their content Will transgender and allied Netflix employees be forced to choose between their safety and their paychecksYour Learning OpportunityOften companies consider that a small percentage of people identify as transgender and thus either ignore the population or choose to remain silent in the face of transphobia While this may have been a common choice in the past we cannot ignore research that shows that acceptance of transphobia is a gateway hatred for antisemitism racism and neoNazi movements In addition the decision to remain silent when an atrisk community is attacked by someone tells everyone what the company values In the case of Netflix over 1000 employees walked out on October 20 not because one comic said transphobic things but because the leadership at Netflix refused to condemn transphobiaRather than waiting for such a controversy in your workplace it is wise to have leadership make decisions about where the company stands Netflix39s workplace culture is so unique that cofounder and coCEO Reed Hastings wrote a whole book about it Now Netflix employees are waiting to see if Hastings will stand by those cultural promises Your employees will be watching where your leadership stands too Ironically on Netflix39s website39s jobs section it states quotIt39s easy to write admirable values it39s harder to live themquot Are you and your company living by values that reflect inclusion and respect for allHow to Stand UpSo often we want to do better but lack the insight into how Here are some exclusive MediaVillage LGBT Advancing tipsAcknowledge When the LGBT community is experiencing harm or loss don39t ignore it Whether it39s the Chappelle special a new law that undermines transgender youth or something in your own company recognize that this is traumatizing for your transgender employees and those who prioritize LGBT inclusion You can do this in group settings and in leadership meetingsAdjust Today and as your company grows consider where there are missed opportunities to be inclusive Make the changes Whether it39s representation in commercials or shows lack of inclusion in company policies or how new jobs are advertised when you see that better can be done do betterAdapt Help your employees who may struggle with inclusion Offer trainings promote the pieces by LGBT Advancing and others via companywide emails celebrate Pride month and LGBT history month and prioritize everyone growing to become more inclusive via increased knowledgeAccept Be intentional in what your LGBT employees need It isn39t just about hitting hiring matrix goals it39s about ensuring that employees feel wanted and valued for who they are it39s about mentoring them to grow and it39s about retaining them over timeAchieve As inclusion thrives in your workplace the increased variety of voices in every area of your company will result in better ideas more creativity and a stronger likelihood of professional success that is supported by a company culture that allows everyone to thrive collectively and individually Then as others celebrate you or ask your company39s secret encourage them to become more inclusive tooClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Chappelle and Netflix: When Artistic Expression Actively Harms the Transgender Community

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Kryss Shane

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Chappelle and Netflix: When Artistic Expression Actively Harms the Transgender Community

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Kryss Shane

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