Pedro Pascal re-posts powerful message of support for trans people: ‘Progress is inevitable’
Pedro Pascal has urged his followers to “know who you are”. (Getty)
Pedro Pascal has re-posted a powerful message of support for the trans community, telling his followers that “progress is inevitable”.
The Last of Us star has long been a supporter of trans rights and has often championed his trans sister Lux. Following President Donald Trump’s raft of anti-trans executive orders, Pascal has now re-affirmed his support for the community.
The actor, who is set to play Mister Fantastic in Marvel’s upcoming film Fantastic Four, took to Instagram on Monday (3 February) to re-share a post from Humans of Pride. The reel saw the late activist Cecilia Gentili delivering a May 2023 speech at a New York University Lavender Graduation ceremony for LGBTQ+ college students.
Gentili said in the clip: “Do not allow anyone to tell you that this is not a big deal, or that this is just a culture war, or that trans people are overstating the seriousness of what is going on.”
“While we feel the fear and the anger, I also want you to know that trans people have always been here and will always be here,” she continued. Gentilli went on to explain her personal journey as a trans child in 1970s Argentina referring to her survival of the “Dirty War” under the Jorge Videla dictatorship.
“I’ve been a trans person for nearly 50 years,” she said in the speech. “Knowing your identity, who you are, and where you come from is powerful…I think one of the most important things that we can do for young people is to share those stories. Once we know who we are, we cannot be stopped.”
She added that while others might try and “do everything they can to make our lives as difficult as possible, they can do nothing to erase us or to make us disappear”.
“As long as we are rooted in ourselves, in our identities, in our histories, and in our communities, there is nothing that they can do to stop us,” she said. “I hope that you all take this fear, this frustration, this anger that you’re feeling in this moment and that that inspires you to even do more for our community rather than give in to the people who wish for us to just disappear.”
It appears that Gentilli was, at the time, referring to bans on LGBTQ+ topics in schools. Unfortunately, such bans have continued in the US. The Movement Advancement Project states that nine states currently explicitly censor discussions of LGBTQ+ people and issues throughout all school curricula.
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