'Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney Claps Back at Transphobic Remarks

Despite the massive success of Heartstopper on Netflix, some of its stars are still facing oppression out in the real world.

Yasmin Finney, who played Elle Argent on the instantly-popular, gay, romantic, coming-of-age series, recently had to face transphobic comments while dining at a local restaurant.

"'Are you a boy or a girl[?]' Today some women shouted this in front of all of her peers while I was about to leave a restaurant...Erm idk what do I look like to you?" Finney recalled in a recent tweet.

She added: "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."

\u201cI was clearly in shock when she said this and she then said\n\u201cI\u2019m not transphobic I have trans friends\u201d\n\nAt this point I\u2019ve given up hope lol\u201d
— Yaz (@Yaz) 1651953317

Throughout the first season of Heartstopper, Finney's character struggled with having to move to an all-girls school and making new friends after disclosing that she is transgender at her old, all-boys school. Alas, Elle did find great friends in Tara Jones and Darcy Olsson, all while recognizing her romantic feelings toward Tao Xu. While transphobia wasn't an overarching theme for Finney's character on Heartstopper, it seems like she's still having to deal with bigots out in the real world.

What viewers loved the most about Heartstopper was the "fantasy" aspect of the show when it came to LGBTQ+ love stories, and how queer characters, got to live their happily ever afters.