Newspaper mocks EastEnders trans character as ‘Gender Bender EastEnder’
A newspaper referred to a new trans character on EastEnders as a ‘gender-bender EastEnder’.
Earlier this week it was revealed that it would be welcoming the first transgender character to be played by a trans actor in a British soap.
The character, Kyle, will be played by 21-year-old trans actor Riley Carter Millington.
However, the Yorkshire Post newspaper raised eyebrows – when it posted the news under the shocking headline ‘It’s a gender-bender EastEnder!’.
Former EastEnders star turned politician Lord Michael Cashman, who took part in the soap’s first ever on-screen gay kiss back in 1987, told PinkNews: “The BBC’s courage and determination in reflecting the world in which we live honestly is to be applauded.
“The negative headlines of ‘gender bender’ and the negative backlash on some aspects of social media, should encourage the BBC that they are doing absolutely the right thing to tackle homophobia and transphobia by showing the lives of people within our communities, who would otherwise be overlooked and misrepresented.”
The tweet has since been deleted, and the headline amended – without reference to the original headline.
Riley Carter Millington said: “I am extremely excited to be joining EastEnders. I can honestly say that I have now fulfilled my two biggest dreams – to be living my life as a man and to be an actor.
“I cannot wait to really get stuck in with filming and I look forward to seeing what is in store for my character.”
