More than 1,300 actors, writers, producers, directors, and other members of the arts and media industry have signed an open letter expressing their support of trans people, and condemning the recent UK Supreme Court decision that has led to widespread transphobia and the roll back of trans rights.
The letter mentions both the Supreme Court Ruling, as well as the interim guidance from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which calls for the segregation of trans people into spaces away from cisgender people, as being harmful.
The letter in part says, 'The UK film and television industry is at the forefront of cultural change. In recent years we have come together in response to the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements to reflect upon our working practices and uplift a broad spectrum of voices in our society. 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.
'We applaud Equity’s response to the Supreme Court ruling and commitment to its trans members, and call upon our cultural institutions, including Bectu, BAFTA, BFI, Directors UK, Picturehouse, BBC, Writers Guild and Channel 4, to join us in condemning the Supreme Court ruling by using their public platforms to make meaningful commitments to protecting trans, non-binary, and intersex members, talent, and staff from discrimination within their respective organisations.
'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.'
Signatories of the letter include high profile names such as Bella Ramsey, Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlan, Emma Watson, Emma D'Arcy, Neve Campbell, Hailey Atwell, Ken Loach, Alice Oseman, Russell Tovey, Katie Leung, Sonam Kapoor, Arthur Darvil, and others.
The open letter can be found here.
This letter is one of many that have been created over the last week from various groups, including UK writers, sportspeople, and historians.
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