Dave Chappelle, the comedian who has been embroiled in controversy for his transphobic remarks in his recent Netflix special The Closer, is ready to engage with the trans community, according to TMZ.

“Dave stands by his art: No more jokes about transgenders [sic] 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 representatives reportedly told the publication.

Netflix’s senior management too has come under fire for repeatedly defending the show since its release earlier this month.

The streaming giant also suspended a few of its employees who had criticised Chappelle’s comedy special on social media, though the stated reason for the suspension was their unauthorised attendance at a high-level meeting. These employees were later reinstated on October 13.

The company’s trans employees then planned a walkout along on Wednesday and put forth a list of demands, including increased investment in trans and non-binary content, hiring trans and non-binary content executives, especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), in leading roles, and acknowledgement of the harm caused by transphobic or anti-Black content.

Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos later admitted that he “screwed up” in handling the backlash. However, he said Chappelle’s comedy special did not fall under hate speech and confirmed that Netflix would continue to stream it.

Meanwhile, activist and journalist Ashlee Marie Preston organised an in-person rally named “Stand Up in Solidarity” in support of the walkout at the Netflix headquarters in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The rally was attended by several celebrities, including musician Nina, drag queen and television personality Eureka O’Hara, author Dr Eric Cervini, filmmaker Blossom C Brown, actors Colton Haynes, Hunter Reese Pena, Gene Kang, among several hundred others.

While Chappelle’s team maintained that he was not approached by Netflix to initiate a conversation, rally organiser, Preston, wrote on October 14, on social media, “Dave Chappelle was not ‘canceled’. He’s been invited to the table for transformative dialogue but won’t show up. That’s not ‘cancel culture,’ but an avoidance of accountability. He’s no victim. The man is worth $50M. Unlike many trans people his comedy stigmatizes – he’ll live.”

Several public figures and members of the industry voiced their support for the walkout on social media.

Canadian filmmaker, writer and producer, Dan Levy shared a statement, on Twitter, on Wednesday, that read, “I stand with every employee at Netflix using their voice to ensure a safe and supportive work environment. I’ve known first hand how vital television can be when it comes to influencing the cultural conversation. That impact is real and works both ways: positively AND negatively. Transphobia is unacceptable and harmful. That isn’t a debate.”

Trans actor Elliot Page wrote, “I stand with the trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC employees at Netflix fighting for more and better trans stories and a more inclusive workplace.”

Filmmaker Ava Duvernay also voiced her support.

Meanwhile, Chappelle revealed at a sold-out London gig on Wednesday evening that he is planning a 10-city US tour of the same show if Netflix drops it, according to Variety.

Ted Sarandos, co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Content Officer of Netflix, has admitted that he “screwed up” in handling the recent backlash against Dave Chappelle and his Netflix special The Closer.

The American comedian was called out by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the National Black Justice Coalition, earlier this month, after he passed homophobic and anti-trans remarks in his stand-up special for Netflix.

Speaking to Variety on Tuesday, Sarandos, who received flak for defending Chappelle in the name of artistic freedom, said, “I screwed it up in two ways. First and foremost, I should have led with a lot more humanity. Meaning, I had a group of employees who were definitely feeling pain and hurt from a decision we made. And I think that needs to be acknowledged up front before you get into the nuts and bolts of anything. I didn’t do that.”

Netflix’s senior management was embroiled in controversy for defending Chappelle in a leaked memo shared with the staff, part of which read, “While some employees disagree, we have a strong belief that the content on screen [in the comedy special] does not directly translate to real-world harm.”

Questioned about Netflix’s protocol for defining hate speech, Sarandos told Variety, “Where we’ll definitely draw the line is on something that would intentionally call for physically harming other people or even remove protections. For me, intent to cause physical harm crosses the line, for sure.”

Further prodded on whether he and the company believe The Closer amounts to hate speech, he said, “Under the definition of ‘does it intend to cause physical harm?’ I do not believe it falls into hate speech.”

Sarandos also noted that the show will continue to stream on the platform as there have not been “many calls to remove it.”

Netflix’ global head of TV Bela Bajaria had earlier stated that the streaming giant would continue its collaboration with Chappelle in the future.

The company had also suspended a few of its employees who had criticised Chappelle’s comedy special on social media, though the stated reason for the suspension was their unauthorised attendance at a high-level meeting. These employees were later reinstated on October 13.

Meanwhile, several trans employees at Netflix, along with their allies, have planned a walkout that is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

Activist and journalist Ashlee Marie Preston announced an in-person rally, named ‘Stand Up in Solidarity’, in support of the walkout, which will take place at Netflix’s EPIC building in Hollywood, and will present Sarandos with a list of “firm asks.”

Ahead of the walkout, Netflix employees have released a list of demands, including increased investment in trans and non-binary content, hiring trans and non-binary content executives, especially BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of colour), in leading roles, and an acknowledgement of the harm caused by transphobic or anti-Black content.

Asked about this list and what the company proposes to do about it, Sarandos said that Netflix’s creative equity fund heavily invests in LGBTQIA+ stories, and especially, trans and non-binary content.

“We’ve got to take this opportunity to make sure that they know we are with them and creating this content to spread around the world and creating a great workplace for diverse and marginalized populations. We’re firmly committed to it,” he added.

Netflix reinstated three of its employees, who were suspended after they criticised the streaming platform’s new Dave Chappelle comedy special, The Closer. The streamer, however, stressed that the three were not suspended for their criticisms, but rather over their unauthorised attendance at a high-level meeting.

A Netflix spokesperson is quoted by Deadline as saying, “It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show. Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so.”

Soon after, one of the suspended employees, Terra Field, shared the news of her reinstatement on Twitter. She wrote, “Netflix has reinstated me after finding that there was no ill-intent in my attending the QBR meeting,” and added that she felt vindicated.

Dave Chappelle’s The Closer premiered on Netflix on October 5. Throughout the performance, Chappelle is seen passing homophobic and anti-trans remarks. Soon after the release, Field had tweeted about the show and wrote that Chappelle “attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness – all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups.”

Her suspension came on Monday just as Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended Chappelle and said that his stand-up does not cross the line on hate.

In an office memo, obtained by Variety, Sarandos had addressed staff members on the stand-up special and defended Chappelle. He offered guidelines to managers on how to handle upset and angry employees.

The memo was sent after Netflix’s quarterly business review (QBR), a two-day gathering of the top 500 employees at the company. It was the same meeting that Field and the two other employees had attended without authorisation.

Sarandos wrote that Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today and that Netflix has a long standing deal with him. “As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom – even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful,” he wrote.

GLADD, an organisation which works for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ people in the entertainment industry, reacted to Sarandos’ memo on Twitter and wrote, “Netflix has a policy that content ‘designed to incite hate or violence’ is not allowed on the platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that.”

GLADD further added, “While Netflix is home to groundbreaking LGBTQ stories, now is the time for Netflix execs to listen to LGBTQ employees, industry leaders, and audiences and commit to living up to their own standards.”