Netflix has a Deadly Transphobia Problem

The Streaming giant has more than Dave Chappelle to answer for.

Many people in the LGBTQ+ community sat in horror when they turned on Dave Chappelle’s new comedy special, “The Closer.” While Chappelle has always turned up the heat during his routines, his latest events was less comedy, and more a long-winded, hate fueled rant with a common target: Transgender people.

And it’s not the first time Chappelle has used his platform to eviscerate transgender women- nor is it the first time that Netflix has hosted vehemently transphobic comedians who take aim at trans folks. Ricky Gervais, a Netflix staple, opened with a joke about dogs that can smell AIDS in his 2018 special “Humanity,” which also featured him launching into sinister transphobic tirades against the community in general and specific individuals within it, including Caitlyn Jenner.

Except Chappelle didn’t really even attempt to disguise his venom with a joke. He provided instead a rather somber, caustic lecture on gender and the meaning of biological sex, according to his opinion. His dialog was not intended to incite laughter as much as it was to influence the world view of his audience to mimic his own. He defended anti-trans antagonist J.K. Rowling while declaring himself a proud “TERF.” The display itself was not altogether dissimilar from the televangelists or…