Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played Hayley Cropper on Coronation Street, wouldn't take the role today as she's 'cis-gender'

[daringdoris]

Just listening to her on Radio 4's Front Row now.

She also decribes herself a left-wing intersectional feminist.

She's drunk the cool-aid though, the section of the book she's written (why she's on Front Row this evening) that she chooses to read out is about how fond she is of her daughters when they tell her off for mis-gendering someone.

I know, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but as an avid Radio 4 listener, it would be nice to hear some balance every now and then, not just this unquestioning 'be kind' attitude whenever this comes up.

is she 'making up for' having played that role because she feels guilty about it?

listen here, 1st section

At the time of that storyline I was still very much “ahh, what’s the harm, transwomen are women if it makes them feel better” but even then it was crashingly obvious that Hayley being born male might not have occurred to unworldly Roy if the part had been played by a transwoman, but no one else in Coronation St would have been fooled for a minute.

I realised recently that on grey's anatomy the child (about 6) who is supposed to be a boy who identifies as a girl is played by a girl.

It feels so bloody duplicitous.

"I'd love one of the soaps to recreate this exact storyline, with say, Eddie Izzard, playing the role of Hayley"

I would love to see Roy Cropper in a relationship with Eddie Izzard.

As Haley has died and Roy is single then why not?

Does EI possess an anorak?

Thanks RachelBosenterfer, that was a really interesting read.

I wonder if Corrie would even cast another trans character? They would be under so much scrutiny now it may not be worth the bother.

How noble and self-sacrificing of her…

I believe as Larry Olivier said “it’s called acting darling”

'Hayley' definitely gave people a very particular idea about what trans women were like: look and sound exactly like women, consider 'full surgery' to be integral to their transition; is attracted to men; etc.

At the time, I wasn't TWAW, because this didn't exist the way it does now.
I was very sympathetic to Hayley as she was lovely and very much a one off person who had a "sex change".

Shrugs!

She's in the spotlight under scrutiny she has to toe the line to keep her job.

I do think they should have men in these roles.
I'm tired of the lies and the grooming.

Exactly this!

Well said, Cherryblossoms!

There’s been a trans character in Hollyoaks in recent years. I can’t remember any of their storylines though.

Played by a transwoman I should add.

I'm very very concerned about hobbits being played by humans.
Surely, we should now be at a point where we question the Lord of the Rings films. They always made me uncomfortable as it was obvious that the actors had no lived hobbity experiences and, as such, were hobbits.

Could Mermaids help Hobbits? Could Julie front the campaign?

Do you mean a man?

If my aunt had had balls she would have been my uncle.

Does anyone remember the story about Hayley's son?.

Basically Hayley had fathered a son back when she was Harold then tracked him down years later. Instead of coming clean she first told him she was his aunt and that his dad was dead. When she eventually came clean he punched her then was made to look like the bad guy.

I thought that ridiculous even before I knew anything about this malarky

Yes I do. I was just trying to explain a transwoman character was played by a transwoman (rather than by a woman) in another soap. Trying not to get deleted, as ever.

That reply was to Massive. I’m not doing well tonight!

I knew a transwoman at the time who made no comment about who played Hayley but she was disappointed Hayley was going out with Roy Cropper!

Understood.
How dreadful that we have to think like this.

In JH’s defence I don’t think it’s a case of trying to keep her job. She has done some amazing work with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and has long been a campaigner against hate crime. The sort of hate crime that actually exists, not just pointing out biological fact on the internet.
I imagine (and seem to remember reading) she did a lot of research for the role, which probably included talking to people who had been through an old fashioned ‘sex change’ and genuinely wanted to be as close an approximation of female as medically possible.

Do you HAVE to swear??

Message for Cherryblossoms85
Do you HAVE to swear? It really adds nothing to the conversation, in fact it detracts from it!

Versus reopening a thread from 7 months ago just to tell someone off for swearing 😂