Netflix's young adult breakout hit "Heartstopper" is back but most importantly, this season, it gives Elle (Yasmin Finney) — the show's biracial transgender lead — room to be front and center to revel in being a dynamic, full-fledged teenager. Her existence and arc in the show, depict a radical view of acceptance juxtaposed to the national backlash against trans people and children in America's growing and incessant culture wars involving anti-trans views from celebrities like Ne-Yo and author J.K. Rowling and in state-level legislative agendas banning gender-affirming care and education.
The three-time Grammy winner, Ne-Yo was recently criticized after he shared his views on gender identity, gender-affirming care and parenting. "If your little boy comes up to you and says, 'Daddy I wanna be a girl,' you just let him rock with that?" he said. Although he apologized for his comments on Twitter (now X), regretting any hurt he may have caused, but just as quickly walked back his comments. In a two-minute video he posted, he doubled down, saying, "I will never be OK with allowing a child to make a decision detrimental to their life."
