Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney has had our hearts from the very start. From her TikTok presence to her groundbreaking roles on stage and screen, she’s one of our brightest stars and our most powerful activists. And as her star rises, she’s continuing her activism by remaining visible, outspoken, and honest about her experience as a Black trans woman navigating an increasingly transphobic world.
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At this week’s WorldPride festival in DC, Finney took the stage to remind celebrants that the fight is far from over.
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“I’m here today because somehow, against the odds, I made it,” Finney said, opening her speech with a reminder of her resilience. “I found my way through,” she continued. “But if you really want to understand what it’s like to be trans, imagine waking up every morning in a world that has already decided who you’re supposed to be before you’ve even opened your eyes.”
Finney continued, discussing the obstacles presented to trans women by a hostile world that thinks transness is “confusion” or “just a phase.”
“Imagine that every mirror reflects back someone else’s expectations instead of your own truth,” she told the crowd. “When you see me, when you see any trans person, know that you are witnessing a miracle.”
Finney’s powerful speech resonated with a crowd that came not just to celebrate Pride, but to remind a country on the verge of fascism that trans and queer people won’t be silenced, and won’t fade quietly into the background.
Ending her speech, Finney reminded everyone that trans people have always existed in every culture and country throughout history. “We are not a new story,” she said. “We are part of the oldest story there is.”
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