Trans Netflix showrunner leaves network over Dave Chappelle's 'blatantly Transphobic' Stand-Up

Trigger warning: This story contains themes of transphobia that some readers may find distressing

Jaclyn Moore, a writer, and co-showrunner of Netflix's Dear White People has quit the network after watching Dave Chappelle's recent standup special that targeted the trans community. Moore took to Twitter to announce her decision in protest against Chappelle's Netflix show The Closer for being transphobic, reported Newsweek. Chappelle made several jokes about transgender people and said trans women were not real women. Moore said she doesn't want to work with a company that continues to "promote and profit from dangerous transphobic content."

Chappelle made fun of the genitalia of trans women and declared himself a TERF as he backed JK Rowling. "Chappelle was one of my heroes. I was at his comeback show in NYC. But he said he's a TERF [trans-exclusionary radical feminist]. He compared my existence to someone doing blackface. He talks about someone winning a Woman of the Year award despite never having a period should make women mad and that it makes him mad," she wrote on Twitter.

Moore is a 33-year-old transwoman hailing from Ohio who has written multiple series' including Love Life for HBO starring Anna Kendrick, and the since-canceled Nick Nolte series Graves. She is currently penning and executive producing the reboot of Queer as Folk for Peacock, which will stream in 2022. Moore transitioned during the pandemic and had documented her journey online. "Transphobia today is where homophobia was 25 years ago," she said.

She was one of the co-showrunners on Dear White People that aired its fourth and final season on September 22. She had been working on stories but confirmed she didn't want to work with Netflix on that. "I'm developing stuff currently and there's always a conversation about where are we going to take the pitch," she said. "I am not going to be taking anything to Netflix for the time being. I don't know what it will take for me to feel comfortable in changing that. I know that it will take some action."

She thanked the people she worked with but added that she was disappointed with the streaming giant. "I love so many of the people I've worked with at Netflix. Brilliant people and executives who have been collaborative and fought for important art...But I've been thrown against walls because 'I'm not a "real" woman.' I've had beer bottles thrown at me. So, Netflix, I'm done," she wrote. 

Moore added that she wasn't in favor of Chappelle being 'canceled' or censored. What really bothered her was that the special didn't air live and Netflix chose to not edit out the transphobic content. "I don't think it's my place to tell Dave Chappelle what he needs to do," said Moore. "He should make the jokes that he wants to make. I cannot like them and that's what I'm saying here." Chappelle declared himself 'canceled' despite having the platform to air his views without being censored. "If this is what being canceled is about, I love it,” Chappelle told the star-studded crowd at a show on Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl, reported Yahoo News. Chappelle is not the first celebrity to take umbrage under the 'cancel culture' phenomenon and ironically they are all given the platform on TV, newspapers, and magazines to air their views of being 'canceled.' 

GLAAD, an American non-governmental media monitoring organization, slammed the comedian. "Dave Chappelle's brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities," wrote GLAAD. "Negative reviews and viewers loudly condemning his latest special is a message to the industry that audiences don't support platforming anti-LGBTQ diatribes. We agree."

If you're trans and are being subjected to abuse, or need any help, please reach out to TRANS LIFELINE at 877-330-6366.