Pedro Pascal, known for his talent on screen, made it clear again that his commitment to the transgender community is not fleeting or superficial. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, published this June 24, the Chilean-American actor spoke about his decision to publicly criticize J.K. Rowling after her statements on gender identity and the UK legal ruling that legally defines a woman only by her biological sex.
In April, Pascal harshly commented in an Instagram video that questioned the author of Harry Potter, calling her position “horrible, disgusting” and a “heinous and loser behavior”. Behind these words there is not only a political or activist position.
His younger sister, Lux Pascal, came out as trans in 2021, and since then Pedro has become a staunch advocate for trans rights, both on social media and at public events. His reaction was very personal. “Look, I want to protect my loved ones,” he explained in the interview. “But it goes beyond that. Bullies disgust me.”
However, not everything was so emotionally simple for the actor of The Last of Us and Narcos. He admitted that, at first, he felt like “that kid who was sent to the principal's office frequently for behavioral problems in Texas public schools, thinking: 'What did I do?'”.
In defense of his sister
“I would say the only thing that distressed me a little was simply: 'Am I helping, damn it?'”, he confessed. “It is a situation that deserves the utmost elegance so that something can happen and people are really protected.”
The Pascal family has shown support on this issue. Javiera Balmaceda Pascal, his other sister, also publicly criticized Rowling's actions, describing them with the same words Pedro used. “He said that as an older brother, to someone who was basically saying that our little sister doesn't exist,” Javiera commented.
Pedro has also expressed his support through some gestures. In April, he appeared on the red carpet of the premiere of Thunderbolts in London wearing a white t-shirt that read “PROTECT THE DOLLS”, a direct nod to designer Conner Ives' campaign in favor of trans women. “Dolls” is an affectionate term used within the LGBTQ+ community to refer to them, and the message did not go unnoticed.
While Pedro Pascal prepares for the premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, and his comedy Materialists continues on the billboard, his message goes beyond cinema. With each word and each gesture, he reinforces the defense of human rights and the protection of people.
