Eddie Redmayne Just Took Credit for Trans Rights — And Twitter Is Taking Him Down for It
British actor and The Danish Girl cis-star Eddie Redmayne just basically gave himself the world's loudest pat on the back for "introducing" the world to the struggles of the trans community — and Twitter, predictably, is having none of it.
Redmayne is nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Lili Elbe, a real person and one of the first transgender women to undergo transition-related surgery. At the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards on Sunday, Redmayne told a BBC reporter that "It's extraordinary how trans issues have come into the mainstream media since we made Danish Girl," according to a tweet from the BBC.
Eddie Redmayne: "It's extraordinary how trans issues have come into the mainstream media since we made Danish Girl" pic.twitter.com/Zsm1vHiMS8
Social media users were quick to take jabs at Redmayne's apparent implication that The Danish Girl deserves credit for bringing trans issues into the "mainstream media."
Fuck this cis - savior bullshit. He's riding a wave, not starting one. & he's being utterly exploitative. https://twitter.com/BBCNewsEnts/status/698936464915169283 ...
Eddie Redmayne: "It's extraordinary how when I decided Trans issues were all about me I started to notice them more."
i cant believe eddie redmayne ended transphobia https://twitter.com/BBCNewsEnts/status/698936464915169283 ...
it's extraordinary the degree to which cis people can make trans issues about them, tbh https://twitter.com/BBCNewsEnts/status/698936464915169283 ...
Eddie Redmayne playing David Bowie: "It's extraordinary how rock music has come into the mainstream media since we made The Stardust Man."
@ThatSabineGirl After The Theory of Everything, now this, I'm sure he'll play MLK next and congratulate himself on raising awareness again
Dear Eddie Redmayne: What's extraordinary is your failure to acknowledge your cis privilege. https://twitter.com/BBCNewsEnts/status/698936464915169283 ...
And some brought up the fact that Redmayne, a cis man, was cast to play Elbe rather than a trans actor:
Better casting ideas than male actor Eddie Redmayne as a trans woman: 1. I DUNNO FUCKING CAST A TRANS WOMAN?
I luv Eddie redmayne but his role in the Danish girl SO should've been played by a trans person its really unfair they didn't represent them
eddie redmayne best not be getting the oscar for stealing a role away from a trans actor or there will be hell to pay
Even if Redmayne's point was not that The Danish Girl single-handedly brought trans issues into the spotlight, but that films with trans characters help to spread awareness, he might do well to take a cue from Transparent creator Jill Soloway, who used her spotlight at the 2015 Emmys to draw attention to the lack of basic rights faced by trans people in the U.S. Come on Redmayne, with great power comes great responsibility.