David Tennant annihilates anti-trans bigots: ‘F**k off and let people be’
David Tennant has a strong message for anti-trans bigots. (Getty)
Actor David Tennant has urged those with anti-trans views to “f**k off and let people be”.
The Scottish Doctor Who star and his wife, actress Georgia, have upped their vocal support of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, particularly for young trans and non-binary people.
Tennant has been spotted wearing a T-shirt urging bigots to “leave trans kids alone”, and is frequently seen with Pride flag pins – including one in the shape of the Doctor’s Tardis, and one in the colours of the non-binary flag.
The Tardis pin has been used to raise thousands of pounds for LGBTQ+ homeless charity The Albert Kennedy Trust, known as AKT.
Now, he’s gone one step further and expanded on why he has become such a staunch ally.
Appearing at the Proud Nerd: Angels, Demons and Doctors convention in Germany over the weekend (5 May), Tennant was asked by a fan about his own relationship to femininity and masculinity.
In response, Tennant launched into a heartfelt speech about how society’s view on gender has changed, and why that’s a good thing.
“When I was a kid, the idea of being non-binary wasn’t something that existed. It wasn’t a concept. I’ve seen that emerge and people are able to express themselves through that. It only ever seems positive as far as I can see,” he said in a video clip shared on TikTok.
“When I was a teenager, I remember gay rights being weaponised politically. That always felt ugly and nasty. We look back on that, 30 years later, and those people are clearly on the wrong side of history,” he said.
“Now, there is a similar weaponisation of these topics being taken by mostly the right wing, or certain sections of society, to create friction and conflict and division where it needn’t be. It’s just about people being themselves. You don’t need to be bothered about it. F**k off and let people be,” the Good Omens star added, to a round of applause.
With election season on the horizon in both the UK and the US, politicians across all party lines are using trans people as a political punch-bag – despite approximately just 0.5 per cent of the population identifying as transgender.
Tennant said his sentiment comes from simply “wanting people to be allowed to exist” and accepting that “ways of expressing gender identity [and] sexuality are more nuanced than they once were”, adding: “If that helps people to know who they are, say who they are, and communicate to the world who they are, it’s just common sense.”
Social media users thanked Tennant for his continued robust support for LGBTQ+ people.
“I couldn’t even watch this… I didn’t wanna cry on the bus. To have David Tennant validate my existence? I don’t think I could handle it,” wrote one emotional fan.
Another said: “I love his answer and it’s totally in line with the actor I understand him to be. When someone lives up to what you think they are, it’s always touching and special.”
And a third declared: “David Tennant to run the whole world please.”
