David Tennant is showing straight white male actors how it’s done

David Tennant’s consistent advocacy for the trans community is a breath of fresh air in an industry where many straight white male actors are simply not doing enough.

The Doctor Who star was praised by viewers after his appearance on ITV show, The Assembly, where a group of neurodivergent, autistic, and learning disabled people level celebrities with both tough and light-hearted questions.

One question in particular asked the Scottish actor how he felt about JK Rowling – who has been vocal about her opposition to trans rights – recently calling him out and why it was important for him to be a vocal ally.

He proclaimed: ‘Listen, JK Rowling is a wonderful author who has created brilliant stories and I wish her no ill will but I hope that we can all, as a society, just let people be. Just get out of people’s way.’

Elsewhere in the episode, he explained why he was so passionate about this topic, sharing that he had seen the harmful consequences of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28 (banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools) and saw history repeating itself with the trans community. 

His continued support is even more impressive in the face of backlash from the likes of Rowling and, notably, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

Last year, after he called out the current Leader of the Opposition – albeit in a clumsyily-worded speech – at the British LGBT Awards, she called him ‘a rich, lefty, white male celebrity’ in a social media takedown that didn’t deter the Good Omens actor in the slightest. 

Now, David’s latest words come at a vital time in the British political landscape.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on the definition of women based on their biological sex, which could lead to trans women with gender certificates being barred from single-sex areas.

This was followed by the the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issuing new guidance that ‘trans women should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities’.

Even worse, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that he, and the Labour government, no longer believe trans women are women – indicating an alarming backslide on progress.

As several LGBTQ+ activists and allies speak out against the ruling, a handful of celebrities have also made their horror clear. This includes the likes of Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan who helped raise over £100,000 for a transgender charity.

Sadly, despite their large platforms, stars like Nicola and The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal (who was also targeted by JK Rowling after sporting a ‘protect the dolls’ t-shirt last week) are still few and far between. 

In the UK, David remains one of the most well-known faces continuously standing up for trans rights – and it is an example others desperately need to follow. 

If anything, we are seeing the opposite happen right now. As HBO gets the ball rolling on its Harry Potter TV series adaptation, new Dumbledore star John Lithgow has pushed back against critics of the franchise, wondering ‘how JK Rowling has absorbed it’.

And, in recent years ,Ricky Gervais has been called out for mocking the marginalised community in his specials, while Harry Potter star Tom Felton – who played Draco Malfoy – has previously defended JK Rowling and said, in general, he is ‘pro-choice. I’m pro-life. I’m pro-discussion. I’m pro-love. I don’t tend to pick sides.’ 

Hearteningly, the original main Harry Potter stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all previously made their allyship with the trans community clear. 

For the most part, however, large portions of the straight white male acting community have remained damningly silent. 

Frankly, this is a portion of society who wields the most power and influence culturally, socially, and politically. They are the ones most likely to be able to open people’s hearts and minds to something they have shut out, making their activism more important than ever. 

David has proven that, not only is it possible to have integrity and speak up for some of the most vulnerable in society, but you can also maintain a thriving career alongside it (if that is what some are concerned about).

At this point, there is no excuse to be co-signing projects including Rowling, there is no reason to not do something as simple as repost a statement of support, and there is no justification to stay quiet on the sidelines. 

Of course, celebrity activism is far from the be-all and end-all when it comes to affecting positive change (we need only look at how well A-list endorsements of Kamala Harris worked out) but even if they are enough to change one person’s mind for the better on just one issue, then that’s worth it. 

I hope David Tennant taking a stand can encourage his peers to do the same – it’s not a want, it’s a must.

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