‘Sex Education’s’ Final Lesson Is Its Most Important
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In its four-season run, Netflix’s teen comedy Sex Education has delved into a breadth of issues affecting every manner of teenager: asexuality, abortion, premature ejaculation, consent, assault, and the wide and wonderful world of vulvas. As a show, the Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, and Gillian Anderson-led series became known for its comical interpretation of a British secondary school while introducing audiences to a beloved cast of Moordale High characters. (It’s how we got such gems as an Alien Dick-themed school play and an iconic performance of Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away” by the school glee club). But in its last season, Sex Education didn’t just say a fond farewell to Otis Milburn’s (Butterfield) world. Instead, the show left us with its most important lesson yet — one focused on what life for trans teens is really like in the United Kingdom.
Season Three of the hit show introduced viewers to non-binary character Cal Bowman (Dua Saleh), a transfer student from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who entered the school as a possible love interest for Moordale’s resident jock Jackson Marchetti (Kedar Williams-Stirling). But in Season Four, Cal isn’t just a newcomer to the school. They’re an integral part in how Sex Education discusses trans rights — especially how outward roadblocks can have a major impact on the mental health of trans teens. While Sex Education is known for its sepia-drenched and anachronistic depiction of teen life, the show is spot-on when it comes to the difficulties trans and gender non-conforming teens have. The show also introduces two new trans characters, Abbi (Anthony Lexa) and Roman (Felix Mufti), each with their own perspectives, views, and lessons on the trans experience. Cal is able to have a heart-to-heart with Roman about accessing gender-affirming care, which avoids feeling like a reach for representation and comes across as a frank and refreshing reminder of how connection can be essential for trans youth.
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In the past three years, the topic of transgender rights has become a flashpoint in Britain’s culture wars. Trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFS as they’re called by critics, have spearheaded a political movement to “protect single-sex spaces,” thereby pushing exclusionary and transphobic legislation and rhetoric. Data shows that trans hate crimes are underreported in the U.K and are still on the rise. The Guardian, a supposedly progressive publication which has been at the center of the culture war against trans people, was even forced to remove a deeply transphobic line from its review of Sex Education Season Four. And a recent British Social Attitudes Survey found support for trans people changing their sex on their birth certificates has declined from 58% in 2016 to 30% in 2022. Dr. Adam Jowett, Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Board and researcher on conversion therapy, tells Rolling Stone that life for trans people in the U.K isn’t just difficult — it’s trending in a “concerning” direction.
“The trans community in the U.K. encounters significant challenges, including pervasive stigma and abuse in their daily lives. Another pressing issue is the prolonged waiting times for specialist gender healthcare services, with more than 8,000 young people currently on waiting lists. These delays can have severe consequences for their mental health,” Jowett says. “Transphobia, like other forms of prejudice, can significantly affect a person’s self-esteem and lead to fear of rejection, harassment, or violence. These significant sources of stress, on top of the types of stress that we all experience, can have detrimental effects on mental health. Trans youth, in particular, may internalize these negative messages, leading to feelings of shame. And they may have limited access to peer support that could help alleviate the stress associated with exposure to transphobia.”
Which is why, Jowett notes, instances of accurate trans representation and information can become crucial to both trans youth and the average public.
“Trans representation is vitally important as it fosters empathy and understanding toward trans individuals,” Jowett says. “It also plays a crucial role in challenging stereotypes, providing positive role models, and empowering trans people to express their authentic selves.”
Oftentimes, transitioning in TV and film is depicted as a journey that ends with coming out. As much as we love the escapist nature of Heartstopper, teens accepting that they don’t belong to the gender binary doesn’t typically cut to them happy at a pride parade and then fade to black. Right now, being trans means accepting a life filled with roadblocks, one that might have several steps in between you and the person you know you’ve always been. In the midst of a season that could have only concerned itself with giving everyone’s favorite characters a sickly sweet happy ending, Sex Education offered viewers a look at the truth, and a hopeful glance at what a good future could look like for trans people. Cal Bowman matters, and so does the life of every trans person. It’s a lesson Sex Ed hammers home — and one the U.K should take note of.
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