December 10, 2024: Nicola Coughlan attends the UK Gala screening and Q&A for "Queer," presented by MUBI, at Curzon Mayfair in London, England.Getty Images
Irish actress Nicola Coughlan has raised more than $155,000 for the UK charity Not a Phase following the UK Supreme Court's ruling last week on the definitions of "woman" and "sex."
The UK Supreme Court ruled that the definition of ‘woman’ and 'sex' under the Equality Act 2010 excludes trans women who hold Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs).
The Act does not extend to Northern Ireland, though the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland says it is likely that the ruling will be "persuasive" in future industrial tribunals and courts.
In an Instagram post on April 17, the day after the ruling, Galway native Coughlan, star of "Derry Girls," "Big Mood," and "Bridgerton," said: "Allies of the Trans and Non Binary Community time to come together.
"F--k the Supreme Court, f--k the TERFs let’s raise some money."
As of Monday night, Coughlan's fundraiser - which is visible on the Instagram app -has raised just over $156k.
In a video posted to her more than 6 million followers on Instagram, Coughlan said: "Like many people, I'm completely horrified by the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday about trans people."
She continued: "To see an already marginalized community being further attacked and attacked in law is really stomach-churning and disgusting, and to see people celebrate it is more stomach-churning and disgusting."
She announced she was launching a fundraiser for the "incredible trans charity" Not A Phase, adding that she would be matching up to £10k in donations and urged her followers to also donate and share the fundraiser.
She added: "If you are a cisgender person who is an ally of a trans person, I think now's the time to just sort speak up and make your voice heard and let your trans, nonbinary friends and just the community at large know that you're there for them and will keep fighting for them."
The charity was one of the many who commented on Coughlan's post: "We appreciate you. Thank you for supporting us."
A few days after launching her fundraiser, Coughlan took aim at British author JK Rowling, who frequently speaks out against trans rights and last year donated £70,000 to For Women Scotland, the group that raised the legal challenge in the UK Supreme Court.
Coughlan shared a screenshot of an article published by The Cut headlined "This is a new low for JK Rowling."
Referring to HBO's upcoming "Harry Potter" series, inspired by Rowling's famous series, Coughlan added: "Keep your new Harry Potter lads. Wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole."