More than 400 actors, filmmakers and media industry professionals have joined forces and signed an open letter to the UK film and television industry pledging their support for trans rights and condemning the recent Supreme Court ruling, which states the legal definition of ‘woman’ excludes trans women.
Initiated by film producer Sid Strickland and script editor Jack Casey, the letter offers a powerful statement of solidarity with all trans and intersex people impacted by the April 16 ruling, which states that trans women do not qualify for sex-based protections under the 2010 Equality Act, even if they have a government-issued gender recognition certificate (GRC).
The letter published on April 30 applauds leaders who have criticised the ruling and directly addresses organisations including the BBC, BAFTA, BFI, Writers Guild, and Channel 4, calling on them to condemn the Supreme Court ruling and come together to build protections for transgender and intersex people within the industry.
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Addressed to Film and Television Industry Professionals and Cultural Bodies, the letter states: “We believe the ruling undermines the lived reality and threatens the safety of trans, non-binary and intersex people living in the UK”. It further demands that the industry “be on the right side of history.”
It goes on to explain: “Film and television are powerful tools for empathy and education, and we believe passionately in the ability of the screen to change hearts and minds.”
The body of the letter references recent times when the industry has come together to respond to the MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, and it urges all industry leaders to “urgently work” to ensure that: “our trans, non-binary and intersex colleagues, collaborators and audiences are protected from discrimination and harassment in all areas of the industry, whether on set, in a production office or at a cinema.”
Signatures include writers, directors, producers and a number of high-profile actors, including non-binary star Bella Ramsey, Babygirl‘s Harris Dickinson, and Irish actor and LGBTQ+ ally Nicola Coughlan, who recently raised over €150,000 for UK trans charity, Not a Phase.
Several media outlets have noted that Paapa Essiedu, who will play Severus Snape in the upcoming HBO television adaptation of Harry Potter, also signed the letter, which has drawn some criticism.
sorry to Paapa Essiedu but we do not currently live in a world where you can both support trans rights and star in the H*rry P*tter reboot series https://t.co/uFoGAwIkdm
— annie (@emmyloser) April 30, 2025
As of writing, Essiedu is the only current Harry Potter cast member to have signed, but Eddie Redmayne, who starred in the Harry Potter spinoff series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movies, signed as well.
This letter calling for trans rights follows an open letter from UK writers to the trans community published last week, which gained over 2,000 signatures. Several trans activists have spoken out against the ruling, and Britain’s first transgender judge, Victoria McCloud, has filed a legal challenge with the European Court of Human Rights.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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