Netflix has been excluded from the annual Corporate Equality Index, a tool that rates companies on their policies for LGBTQ employees, by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBTQ advocacy group in the US. Since 2017, Netflix has scored a perfect 100 on the index’s four criteria, receiving the "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality" distinction. However, the HRC suspended Netflix's CEI score this year due to the streaming giant's handling of Dave Chappelle’s 2021 special "The Closer," which contained jokes that were deemed harmful to the company's trans employees.
The transphobic content in "The Closer" prompted criticism from both Netflix employees and viewers. Chappelle made jokes about the trans community and compared its progress to that of the Black community. The Human Rights Campaign's vice president, Jay Brown, stated that Chappelle's jokes pitted marginalized groups against one another and harmed trans employees at the company.
Although Netflix has taken measures to be inclusive of its LGBTQ colleagues, including offering transgender and non-binary-inclusive care in US health plans, and commissioning independent research into diversity in its content, it has been excluded from this year's Corporate Equality Index. Netflix's CEO, Ted Sarandos, previously stood by Chappelle, stating that "content on screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm," despite criticism from employees and viewers.
by nbcnews.com