Pedro Pascal just broke his silence following the sunny stroll he took in Los Angeles with Rafael Olara earlier this week.
Taking to his Instagram Stories, the Last of Us actor shared a subtle yet meaningful nod to the trans community.
Coupled with a post supporting a book signing by Yelena Yemchuk, a Kyiv-born, New York-based photographer and filmmaker, the actor clipped an image from a video of trans influencer Matt Bernstein’s video condemning the new Kansas law targeting trans people.
Earlier this month, SB 244 was passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature despite Governor Laura Kelly’s veto.
According to the ACLU Kansas, the “law restricts transgender people’s access to restrooms and other sex-separated facilities in government buildings” and “changes the rules that apply to government IDs for transgender people,” prohibing “transgender people from updating their driver’s licenses to reflect their gender, and also invalidates transgender people’s existing driver’s licenses and birth certificates if those documents were issued in Kansas and reflect a gender different from a person’s sex at birth.”
In her veto statement, Kelly, a Democrat, wrote, “This poorly drafted bill will have numerous and significant consequences far beyond the intent to limit the right for trans people to use the appropriate bathroom.”
“Not only will this bill keep brothers from visiting sisters’ dorms and husbands from wives’ shared hospital rooms, it will cost Kansas taxpayers millions of dollars to comply with this very vague legislation,” she added.
The law took effect Thursday, invalidating the diver’s licenses and birth certificates of more than 1,000 transgender residents, per Reuters.
In Bernstein’s reel, which displays the words “This is terrorism” at the bottom, the influencer says, “It is now illegal for trans people to drive in Kansas. I never say please don’t scroll, but for once in my very online life, I’m going to ask you to not scroll. This week, trans people in Kansas received letters that their IDs are now invalid with no grace period.”
He then breaks down the law and penalties of the bill, which include possible prison time, and features several Kansas residents showing their letters. The video ends with Bernstein sharing a link to nonprofit Trans Continental Pipeline and offering words of support.
“It feels insane to speaking in these terms about a supposedly free country,” he says, adding, “To trans people in Kansas, we love you, we need you, please hang in there.”
Pascal has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Last April, the Materialists actor showed support for his sister, Lux Pascal, who came out as transgender in 2021, per People.
Commenting on an Instagram video criticizing J.K. Rowling for supporting the U.K. Supreme Court’s decision that says transgender women should not be recognized under Britain’s Equality Act, Pascal wrote, “Awful disgusting SH– is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”
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Olarra, 42, an openly gay man, was born in Argentina and studied at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires, per Queerty. He was last linked to actor/singer Luke Evans (Nine Perfect Strangers). The two went Instagram official in February 2020, per People, then announced their breakup in 2021 after a year together, per Out magazine.
Pascal, 50, maintains a more private personal life, keeping his sexuality and romance endeavors under wraps. Per Queerty, the Chilean-born actor is a staunch LGBTQ+ ally. Earlier this month, Pascal was onstage with Carol G, Cardi B, and Jessica Alba, jamming to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.
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