On April 17, the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers defined gender identity as based on biological sex at birth. The ruling and the guidance from the Equalities & Human Rights Commission intend to limit trans people’s access to the single-sex facilities of their choice in workplaces, public areas, sports, schools, and public associations.
In a open letter started by development producer Sid Strickland and script editor Jack Casey, hundreds of UK industry professionals are standing in solidarity with the trans, non-binary, and intersex people who the Equality Act will impact.
“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 17,” the letter states. “We wish to add our voices to the 2000+ signatories of the Open Letter from UK Writers to the Trans Community published last week and call upon members of our industry and cultural bodies to join us.”
The letter explains that “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.’ The names signed on the letter “believe the ruling undermines the lived reality and threatens the safety of trans, non-binary and intersex people living in the UK.”
The letter added, “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.”
In just 24 hours, the letter had accumulated around 400 signatures from actors, writers, directors, editors, and executives from companies like New Pictures, Sister Pictures, Motive Pictures, and World Production, just to name a few. As of Friday, May 2, that number has grown dramatically.
Here are some of the names and faces of the actors and writers who signed the letter:
Heartstopper author Alice Oseman
As the open letter states, film and television are indeed “powerful tools for empathy and education,” so it’s reassuring to see so many industry professionals come together to stand in solidarity with people whose livelihoods are constantly in jeopardy.
Similarly, leading musicians have signed an open letter on behalf of the U.K. music industry to offer their solidarity to trans folk as well.
I’m crossing my fingers that this list of names on the open letters to the film and television industry and the UK music industry continue to grow.
Read the official “Open Letter to Film and Television Industry Professionals and Cultural Bodies” here.