The HRC Foundation cited how the company handled the release of the Dave Chappelle special The Closer in its decision to not list Netflix in its annual Corporate Equality Index of hundreds of companies. Netflix had a perfect score in recent years. “Given the harm experienced by transgender workers at Netflix as a result of the company’s handling of the release of The Closer, HRC has suspended Netflix’s Corporate Equality Index score and will not be rewarding it with a ‘Best Places to Work’ distinction in the 2022 CEI,” HRC said in the report. “HRC and Netflix are having productive conversations about steps the company could take to demonstrate it is acting in a manner consistent with the values of workplace equality an inclusion and to improve trust among their employees and the public.” A Netflix spokesperson said that they “respectfully disagree with HRC’s decision," adding: "While we have more work to do, we’ve made real strides on inclusion, including for our LGBTQ+ colleagues. For example, we offer comprehensive transgender and non-binary-inclusive care in our U.S. health plans as well as adoption, surrogacy and parental leave for same-sex couples. And we’ve also worked hard to increase representation on screen. Netflix is the only major entertainment company to have commissioned and published independent research into diversity in our content so that we can better measure our progress.”
TOPICS: Dave Chappelle: The Closer, Netflix, Dave Chappelle, Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ, Standup Comedy