The first 60th anniversary special introduced Rose, played by Yasmin Finney,<\/a> as the daughter of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). The episode includes various references to Rose being transgender, including a conversation about pronouns, and showing her grandmother Sylvia (played by Jacqueline King) attempting to get to grips with how to refer to her.<\/p>\n At one point, Rose is seen being called by her deadname by a group of bullies. Deadnaming is the act of referring to a transgender or non-binary person by the name they used prior to transitioning or coming out and, in this case, is shown to be a malicious attempt to undermine Rose\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n Speaking on the Official Doctor Who Podcast<\/a>, Russell T Davies<\/a> explained: \u201cRose, at one point, is deadnamed in the street by some kids calling her by her deadname, which is Jason.<\/p>\n \u201cThe interesting thing about Jason is actually it means \u2018Healer\u2019 or \u2018Doctor\u2019 which means that Donna actually named her child after the Doctor, without realising it, subconsciously, which was a nice fact in there.<\/p>\n \u201cTo get that across and to get the prejudice that\u2019s being shown towards Rose by those bullies and thugs in the street, we actually have to have a scene of deadnaming.\u201d<\/p>\n He then asked Juno Dawson<\/a>, co-host of the podcast and writer of Doctor Who: Redacted<\/a>: \u201cIs that a good thing to do? Is that a wise thing to do? Is that a difficult thing to do? I personally think we should stare into difficult stuff like this but equally what a nice easy life I\u2019ve got and I\u2019m ready to be told otherwise, so what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Dawson said: \u201cI feel that it is important to show the lived reality of trans people. Rose is played by an amazing trans actor, Yasmin Finney from Heartstopper, and it happens.<\/p>\n \u201cThe important thing here is that the characters who misgender Rose aren\u2019t presented as aspirational characters. I think it\u2019s important how upset, if stoic, Rose is, how it really upsets Donna, and I think that\u2019s important. To my mind, as a trans person and as a writer, there is no point in trying to sugar the pill \u2013 trans people face transphobia.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt accurate and honest to me that Rose is misgendered. It felt honest and right that Sylvia sometimes struggles with pronouns because she\u2019s learning, because she understood her grandchild was one thing and then Rose chose a different life for herself. For me, I thought that scene was quite important and it felt honest.\u201d<\/p> Previously speaking about Finney\u2019s casting at the premiere of The Star Beast, Davies explained: \u201cIt\u2019s not just a Doctor Who thing for me, it\u2019s something I and a lot of other writers are very keen to do, to be progressive and to just reflect more of society.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it\u2019s funny, in casting Yasmin, there\u2019s very few people we could have cast, and it\u2019s like a light came down from heaven and there she was \u2013 before Heartstopper, actually.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just so powerfully meant to be, and I think she does the most amazing job and it\u2019s an absolute privilege to work with her to get her on screen.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Russell](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/06\/GettyImages-1398513377-11898f3.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Russell")
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