Hannah Gadsby’s new Netflix special, Gender Agenda, is a side-splitting showcase of trans and genderqueer comedians. (Netflix)
Netflix has dropped the trailer for Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby’s new genderqueer comedy showcase, Gender Agenda, and the lineup is truly a celebration of LGBTQ+ joy.
The streaming service shared a trailer for the forthcoming special Monday (12 February) in which Gadsby shares the stage with some of the “world’s absolute funniest genderqueer comedians”.
In the two-minute long trailer for Gender Agenda, Gadsby joked that the “last time Netflix brought this many trans people together it was for a protest – so progress”.
It’s, of course, a reference to the walkout of trans employees and allies at Netflix in October 2021 following the release of Dave Chappelle’s special The Closer. Gadsby has been critical of Netflix in the past for platforming Chappelle and his anti-trans jokes in the past.
With Gadsby as curator and host, Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda, which debuts on Netflix on 5 March, will give the stage to seven of the funniest trans and genderqueer talents in the comedy scene now.
Here’s a bit more about the amazing comedians featured in the new Netflix special.
Jes Tom
Tom is a self-described “trans menace”, according to their Insta bio, and has written for the beloved (and recently axed) queer pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death.
The stand-up comedian recently wrapped up their off-Broadway run of Less Lonely, their one-person show about love, sex and being trans presented by Elliot Page. Tom has shared multiple pics with Page on their Instagram, joking that they’re just “bros being bros”.
Alok
Alok is truly an all-around performance powerhouse. They’re an author, a poet, a speaker, an LGBTQ+ activist and a comedian.
Alok headlined the NYC Comedy Festival in 2021 and appeared on the TV series Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne as well as Jonathan Van Ness’ Getting Curious.
Asha Ward
In 2022, Ward made history as the youngest-ever writer on the staff of Saturday Night Live.
Their work on the long-running sketch and comedy show netted Ward an Emmy nomination in 2023 for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series”.
Chloe Petts
Petts most recent Edinburgh Fringe run was a sell-out, and the comedian’s 2023 appearance at the Soho Theatre debut was just as well received.
Her brand-new show, If You Can’t Say Anything Nice, touches on LGBTQ+ issues and how she’s channeled her rage in recent times.
Petts is also a co-founder of The LOL Word, a comedy collective featuring acts by queer women, non-binary and trans performers.
DeAnne Smith
Canadian-American writer and columnist DeAnne Smith has been a regular on the queer comedy scene for a while now. In 2008, Smith won the best newcomer award at the Sydney Comedy Festival and was nominated for best newcomer at the Canadian Comedy Awards during the same year.
They appeared on Netflix’s Comedians of the World and HBO’s Funny As Hell.
Krishna Istha
Krishna Ishta is a London-based performance artist, screenwriter, theatre maker and comedian. They were a writer for season four of Sex Education, and they’re a recipient of the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund.
Ishta is currently working on a trilogy of performance pieces about trans motherhood.
Mx Dahlia Belle
Portland-based performer Mx Dahlia Belle describes herself as “hilarious, ignant”, “the best sort of mess” and the “adorable princess of comedy” on her website. It’s a great CV.
On top of all of that, Belle co-founded Portland’s Queer Comedy Festival. She gained widespread attention when she described Chappelle’s comedy as “being outdated, transphobic, and, frankly, hack” in an open letter published by the Guardian in 2021.
Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda premieres on Netflix on 5 March.