David Tennant praised for ‘decent man behaviour’ after repeated trans allyship

Doctor Who legend and all round LGBTQ+ ally David Tennant has been praised once again for his trans allyship – and we couldn’t agree more.

The Scottish actor, who is best known for playing the Tenth Doctor on the hit BBC sci-fi show, was praised by a fan Facebook page on Sunday (4 January) in a post which read: “Kind. Respectful. Loud when it matters. Decent men behaviour. We notice.”

Alongside the caption, two photographs were included of Tennant and actor Pedro Pascal wearing “Protect The Dolls” t-shirts.

The term “dolls” originated in 1980s ballroom culture and is an informal descriptor for feminine trans women and non-binary people, with the slogan t-shirt created by fashion designer Conner Ives and debuted at his Fall 2025 runway show at London Fashion Week in February.

Due to high demand for the t-shirt, it was put up for sale and proceeds went to Trans Lifeline, a peer support and crisis hotline offering help to trans people in the United States and Canada.

The photograph of Tennant in the shirt was taken at his “An Evening With… David Tennant” event in Edinburgh in December whilst the image of Pascal was snapped at the UK premiere of Thunderbolts in April 2025.

Other fans were quick to praise Tennant for his unwavering support for the community, with the post amassing 27,000 likes in 10 hours.

“People who are confident in their masculinity and femininity protect those who can’t protect themselves, and stand up for people who are ostracized for simply being who they are. David Tenant and Pedro Pascal make it easy to look up to them because they effortlessly believe in what they say. Protect the Dolls,” one fan commented.

“Y’all make my queer nerdy heart go pitter patter,” a second said.

“David Tennant is such a babe,” a third wrote.

Tennant and his wife Georgia Tennant have long been vocal advocates for trans rights, particularly the rights of trans and non-binary young people, in the face of continued political attacks.

In recent years, David has urged those with anti-trans views to “f*** off and let people be”, slammed how LGBTQ+ rights have been “weaponised” and told then Conservative equalities minister Kemi Badenoch – now leader of the opposition – to “shut up” about trans people.

After being honoured at the British LGBT Awards in June 2024, Tennant said: “Until we wake up and Kemi Badenoch doesn’t exist any more – I don’t wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up – while we do live in this world, I am honoured to receive (this award).”

“I’m a little depressed that acknowledging everyone has the right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to live it, as long as they’re not hurting anyone else, should merit any kind of special award or special mention because it’s common sense,” he also said at the awards ceremony.

In response, Badenoch branded him a “rich, lefty, white male celebrity”, saying he was “blinded by ideology” and demanded an apology from the actor.

After not receiving an apology, she issued a response to Tennant in the form of a marketing campaign for the Conservative leadership bid.

“No, I will not shut up”, she said. 

“When you have that kind of cultural establishment trying to keep Conservatives down, you need someone like me who is not afraid of Doctor Who, or whoever, who is going to take the fight to them and not let them try to keep us down. That is not going to happen with me.”