Yasmin Finney, who plays Elle on hit LGBTQ+ series Heartstopper, opens up about a vile encounter she had recently at a restaurant. (Netflix)
Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney has called out the transphobic comments made by strangers after a vile encounter at a restaurant.
Fans quickly came to adore Finney for her portrayal of trans teen Elle Argent and the character’s beautiful storyline in Heartstopper, which has been heralded as one of the most important LGBTQ+ TV shows in a generation.
Elle is friends with Charlie Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), and she watches as the two teens navigate their friendship blossoming into a romantic relationship. She also realises that she may be in love with her best friend Tao Xu (William Gao) after she moves to an all girls’ school.
Finney revealed on Twitter that she had experienced vile transphobia during a recent encounter at a restaurant. The actor posted a picture of herself posing in a mirror while wearing a drop-dead gorgeous black cut-out, glamorous makeup and a chic bob hairstyle.
She described she was “about to leave a restaurant” when a random woman “shouted” at her “in front of her peers” and questioned if she is “a boy or a girl”.
“Erm Idk what do I look like to you?” she responded, referring to her beautiful selfie.
Finney added in a later tweet she was stunned by the woman’s comments, and she said the stranger quickly tried to dismiss the transphobic nature of her ignorant remarks.
“I was clearly in shock when she said this and she then said ‘I’m not transphobic I have trans friends’,” Finney recalled. “At this point I’ve given up hope lol.”
I was clearly in shock when she said this and she then said
“I’m not transphobic I have trans friends”At this point I’ve given up hope lol
— Yaz (@Yazdemand) May 7, 2022
Fans quickly rushed to Finney’s defence, describing the Heartstopper star as a “goddess”, and denounced the stranger for trying to cover up her “disgusting” comments by using the ‘I have trans friends card’.
gorgeous gorgeous GIRLS are called yasmin finney and look like this pic.twitter.com/ScebsJcLOn
— rat (ghost)| | kit connors bestie (real) (@L0V3RSDONTCRY) May 7, 2022
you look like a goddess that is what !
— ez (@loverneIson) May 7, 2022
not the “i have trans friends” card god thats disgusting im so sorry yaz 🙁 u deserve sm better, sending u loads and loads of love rn!!!!
— saturn heartstopper spoilers ! (@tinyaled) May 7, 2022
“I’m not transphobic I have trans friends” pic.twitter.com/c4MZ1EOw4d
— Noah (@lgbtori) May 7, 2022
and people still ask why trans representation is so needed in media.. such a shame! hoping for a future where yaz’s and elle’s can walk down the street and simply *be* without their existence being questioned and discussed by other people!! sending love your way, queen
— m 🙂 hacked by sapnap (@kinokomarta) May 7, 2022
ngl she’s literally one of the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen 🤍 fuck transphobic people they can rot in hell https://t.co/nteyKkz1m8
— swati 🕸️ | harry’s 🏡 (@loucozed) May 8, 2022
i’m officially starting a yasmin finney protect squad istg🤺 https://t.co/dVUJfa9XsR
— marta is watching heartstopper AGAIN (@edvindarlin) May 7, 2022
Yasmin Finney told PinkNews during a roundtable discussion that she was “blessed” to have been chosen to play Elle and bring life to a “rare” storyline about a trans character.
“It really, really, really is such a rare story that we get a trans character that doesn’t delve into gender dysphoria, or depression, or bullying, but just the positive – the friendship, the chosen family, the moving from an all boys’ school to an all girls’ school,” Finney explained.
“Just everything that is natural about being trans is highlighted, and I’m just so happy to be that positive representation that we’ve needed for so many years.”
Yasmin described how Elle is “allowed to love herself” in Heartstopper without society “telling her what to do and how to act and how to look and who to love and how to be”. She thought Elle’s “beautiful” story will provide representation, which sadly remains lacking in mainstream media.
“I definitely didn’t have an Elle growing up, and I think millions of trans children around the world didn’t have an Elle growing up,” Yasmin says.
“I think it’ll be good to have that representation, seeing yourself represented in the media from a young age can really help you in the future.”
Heartstopper is available to watch now on Netflix.