Halle Berry has announced that she has dropped out of playing a trans character after the LGBTQ+ community expressed concerns over misgendering.
“Over the weekend I had the opportunity to discuss my consideration of an upcoming role as a transgender man, and I’d like to apologize for those remarks,” Berry wrote in a note shared to her social media. “As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role, and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories.”
On Friday on Instagram with hairstylist Christin Brown, where she detailed the role: “[It’s] a character where the woman is a trans character, so she’s a woman that transitioned into a man. She’s a character in a project I love that I might be doing … Who this woman was is so interesting to me, and that will probably be my next project.”
American non-governmental media monitoring GLAAD posted a statement to Berry, thanking her for her actions.
“We are pleased that @halleberry listened to the concerns of transgender people and learned from them,” they tweeted. “Other powerful people should do the same. A good place to start is by watching @Disclosure_Doc to learn about trans representation in media.”
The social media account for Disclosure, the new Laverne Cox documentary on Netflix, which centers on Hollywood’s representation of transgender people.
“Hi Halle Berry, we heard you’re considering playing a trans man in your next project,” Disclosure tweeted. “We ask that you please watch Disclosure on Netflix first to understand how cis actors like yourself acting in trans roles has major cultural consequences offscreen.”
Netflix describes Disclosure asa “heartfelt perspectives and analysis about Hollywood’s impact on the trans community.”
You can view the trailer below.
