Netflix Doubles Down on 'Free Speech' as Trans Activists Vow to Fight On
jokes in a special from comedian Dave Chappelle. These concerns were reignited this month after a new show from comedian Ricky Gervais also featured offensive remarks against the transgender community, again landing Netflix at the center of discourse surrounding the balance between free speech and respecting the rights of marginalized groups.Sarandos defended Netflix against the backlash in an interview with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd that was published Saturday, and explained that he believes the only way comedians can learn what content is offensive is by "crossing the line every once in a while.""I think it's very important to the American culture generally to have free expression," he said.He defended the content by saying the company is producing content for "a lot of diverse people who have different opinions and different tastes and different styles" and that "everything's not going to be for everybody."Last October, transgender Netflix employees staged a company-wide protest over Chappelle's special, accusing the company of "releasing content that harms the Trans community and continually failing to create content that represents and uplifts Trans content."However, the company's higher-ups have consolidated support around Chappelle.
