Heartstopper star ‘terrified’ after UK supreme court trans ruling
Heartstopper star Bel Priestley has responded to the UK supreme court ruling. (Netflix)
Heartstopper star Bel Priestley has responded to the UK supreme court ruling. (Netflix)
A star of Netflix’s hit series Heartstopper has spoken out about the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of a woman, saying she has been left feeling “terrified” by the court’s decision.
On Wednesday (16 April), the UK Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case that the definition of ‘sex’ – and by extension womanhood – excludes trans women, with judge Lord Hodge saying: “The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.”
Experts have warned that the ruling will have wide-ranging implications for the trans and non-binary community, particularly in the way that public bodies and organisations operate with inclusion and single-sex spaces in mind.
The court’s decision led to dozens of protests across the country at the weekend, attended by thousands of people who stood for trans rights.
Following the ruling, TikToker-come-actress Bel Priestley – who plays Naomi in Alice Oseman’s queer teen drama – spoke to ITV News about the court’s decision, calling it a “heartbreaking situation” and “tough day”.
When asked what the judgement means for her – as a trans woman – in a practical sense, Priestley said: “Legally, we’re still yet to find out. Obviously, the [ruling] came into play yesterday, so over time, we’re going to see how it’s going to implicate us.”
She continued: “At the moment, trans hate crimes on the rise, right? I feel terrified.
“You see situations like Brianna Ghey, who was a 16 year old trans girl murdered in broad daylight for being trans and you see the way people comment about us online and the things people say.
“What I always say is, if you’re walking down the street and you were a visibly trans person, would you feel more safe or unsafe and I think we can all agree, you’d feel terrified and unsafe and that’s how we all feel at this moment.”
Priestley went on to say that “until it’s a law” which says she cannot, she will continue to use the female toilet and facilities.
“I will always use the women’s toilet as I am a woman,” she said. “But if that does come into place, if it’s comes down to biology, no one knows your chromosomes or your biological sex – only you know that.
“So are trans men now going to go into women’s spaces? Am I going to have to go into a man’s space? Because that puts me at risk also and I doubt the men want me to be there as much as I do.”
She described the situation as “unknown territory” which is “really scary”.
On confronting transphobic situations in the wake of the ruling, Priestley said you must “rise above it”.
“In situations like this education is so important, and I’ve always prided myself on being kind and being nice as I’ve grown up. It’s all about education. It’s about moving forward.
“Hopefully won’t move backwards. It feels like we are moving backwards at the moment, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
She added: “Anyone out there who is transgender, and especially a trans woman, you have to be brave and put on your brave face and we keep moving. The trans sisterhood is so important and we just have to stick together and keep moving.”
