No spoilers, but the fourth season of Sex Education — currently at the top of the Netflix charts — takes us on an emotional rollercoaster with a fitting farewell.
Sex Education has always been an exemplary series in its LGBTQIA+ representation, nuanced from the start, with Eric Effiong’s (Ncuti Gatwa) lead characters having a core storyline and becoming fan favourites.
One episode of season 4 that is particularly exciting is episode five, which is about a man named Shay Patten-Walker. During this episode, we follow Cal, the series’ first non-binary main character, introduced in Season 3 and played by Dua Saleh. Cal faces a difficult transition and must learn to manage his emotions, acknowledge how he feels, and juggle feelings of loneliness and isolation.
This difficult time leads Cal to feel out of place to the point of depression. This story of Callie’s journey — which goes beyond this episode — echoes a lot of Shai Patten-Walker’s story, which was a major influence on Callie’s character development and arguably the season’s transgender protagonists, Abby (Anthony Lex) and Roman. (Felix Mufti).
Dua Saleh as Cal Bowman
Who was Shay Patten-Walker and what was her impact on sexuality education?
Shai Patten-Walker, who used the pronouns they/them in English and thus iel in French, was a transgender activist who sadly died in February 2022 at the age of 24 after taking her own life. Shay Patten-Walker worked as a gender consultant for sexuality education and worked closely on writing Cal-centric arcs.
After studying at the University of Greenwich, Patten-Walker worked as a freelance speaker and presenter for various LGBTQ+ and human rights organizations. Director transactualRico Jacob Chance, his friend and colleague at UK Black Pride, wrote in a tribute on Instagram:
“Shay has been a pillar of the trans/nb community. They knew everyone, loved everyone and supported everyone. Already at the age of 24, he was a youth worker, poet, speaker and activist.”
“I only learned at his memorial service that they were working with Netflix to create diversity on screen, which shows their humility. They have used their voices to inspire, educate and empower, create positive change and uplift the community. We love you, Shay, and I’m glad you’ve found peace. Your light will never be forgotten.”
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
