What about the safety perspective? SK is notorious for harrasment and actual physical outlash towards celebs. The society has no positive images of trans people. Putting an actual trans actress in a spotlight in such a huge show would put her in incredible physical danger due to how the society is. - ThreadSky

equalised-p.bsky.social • 198 days ago

What about the safety perspective? SK is notorious for harrasment and actual physical outlash towards celebs. The society has no positive images of trans people. Putting an actual trans actress in a spotlight in such a huge show would put her in incredible physical danger due to how the society is.

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equalised-p.bsky.social•198 days ago

Isnt this a case to get any kind of a positive portrayal of a trans person out there, without endangering an actual trans actresses physical and mental health.

I dont think it would be safe or right as SK is to do and put that kind of pressure on a trans actress.

judi-hench.bsky.social•198 days ago

In the 90s, when the biggest British soap introduced their first trans woman character, they had the same concerns - so they cast a cis woman to play Hayley. I would be really interested to know if the objections to that are the same as to casting a cis guy?

equalised-p.bsky.social•198 days ago

I mean for a pre-op person in SK where, as far as I know, no gender affirming care is covered, nada, zilch.

Her participating to afford it would probably mean she has had minimal care that far. I think contextually a cis guy makes sense. Its the sad reality there.

desertheartsfan.bsky.social•198 days ago

Plus how many 'out' trans actors (of any gender) were there back then, especially in the UK? Whereas now there are lots. There's no excuse now. Same with disabled rep etc, no need to keep casting able bodied people. But still they do...

judi-hench.bsky.social•198 days ago

Yup. The actress they cast, Julie Hesmondhalgh, is a staunch trans ally and IIRC has said she'd never dream of taking the role now. (Fun fact: Hayley's popularity as a character and the difficulty she had getting married supposedly contributed to the introduction of the UK's Gender Recognition Act!)

desertheartsfan.bsky.social•198 days ago

Absolutely! And ''Hayley'' deffo changed the minds of ppl I know who had REAL issues with LGBT ppl. It's definitely a case of '' take the good things from it, but also recognise that things should have moved on too'' IMO

epistemophagy.bsky.social•198 days ago

In my opinion, no. Cis women do not profess transphobic and specifically transmisogynistic views to anywhere near the same extent that cis men do when surveyed, and they have more experience of being marginalised on the basis of gender. Casting cis women is nowhere near perfect. But it's something.

judi-hench.bsky.social•198 days ago

Thank you! My other thought on it had been that casting a cis woman instead of a cis man avoids the implication that all trans women are REALLY just men dressed up - but as a cis woman myself, I know my views on this one aren't really relevant, so I was v. interested to hear your views.

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