100+ UK celebs sign open letter supporting trans rights

Over 400 actors, filmmakers, and film and TV industry professionals have signed an open letter to the U.K. film and TV industry in support of trans rights following the U.K. Supreme Court's recent ruling on trans people, Deadline reports.

The letter was started by producer Sid Strickland and script editor Jack Casey, and expresses solidarity for trans and intersex people who have been impacted by the recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling declaring that women's rights covered under the Equality Act only extend to cisgender women.

The new ruling impacts which single-sex facilities trans and intersex people can access, meaning that on film sets, at studios, and even in cinemas, they could be barred from using single-sex facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms.

The letter calls on organizations and institutions like the BBC, BAFTA, BFI, and Channel 4 to put in protections for trans and intersex people within the industry.

Among the signees are The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, Harris Dickinson, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell, Joe Alwyn, Olly Alexander, Kate Herron, Himesh Patel, T'Nia Miller, Mason Alexander Park, and The Outrun's Paapa Essiedu.

What did the U.K. Supreme Court rule about trans people?

On Wednesday, April 16, the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled that the "concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man," and that the legal definition of a woman in the country only applies to cisgender women.

"The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms 'woman' and 'sex'... refer to a biological woman and biological sex," Judge Patrick Hodge said, per NPR.

The decision rules that even if a trans person has a government-issued gender certificate, they do not qualify for sex-based protections under the 2010 U.K. Equality Act.

What does the open letter say?

"We, the undersigned film and television professionals, stand in solidarity with the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities who have been impacted by the Supreme Court ruling on April 17th," the letter reads.

"The Supreme Court’s ruling that, under the Equality Act, 'woman' is defined by biological sex, states that 'the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man'. We believe the ruling undermines the lived reality and threatens the safety of trans, non-binary, and intersex people living in the U.K.," it continues.

"The Equalities & Human Rights Commission’s interim update on the ruling states that trans women are not permitted access to women’s facilities and trans men are not permitted access to men’s facilities, while further suggesting that trans people may also be excluded from using facilities that correspond to their biological sex," the letter says. "We believe this guidance exposes trans people to embarrassment and harassment, and excludes them from participation in public life."

"We must now 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," it continues.

The letter applauds those who have already called out the ruling, including U.K. trans activists, Labour MP Kate Osborne, Green Party co-leader Carla Denver, and Equity, before saying "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. This is our opportunity to be on the right side of history."

Have any 'Harry Potter' stars signed the open letter?

Several actors who have starred, or will star, in Harry Potter projects, which are based on books authored by extremely vocal anti-trans social media poster J.K. Rowling, signed the letter.

Essiedu is especially noteworthy, as he was recently cast as Snape in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series, but he's not the only Harry Potter actor to sign on.

Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne also previously starred as Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series of Harry Potter films.

In 2020, Redmayne criticized Rowling's anti-trans tweets, saying "respect for transgender people remains a cultural imperative" and "I disagree with Jo's comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men, and nonbinary identities are valid."

Katie Leung (Arcane) is also notable for playing Cho Chang, Harry Potter's first love interest, in the Harry Potter movies.

Back in 2020, when Rowling was trending for both anti-trans social media posts and for alleged racism in naming characters like Cho Chang, Leung commented on Twitter, saying, "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes…" and linked to several organizations supporting Black trans people.