“I was getting frustrated, because I wanted them to understand I’m a girl,” says 9-year-old Georgie, “…inside I feel like a girl.”
Intuition at such a young age is only part of what viewers of Georgie Stone have come to know, especially through her Neighborhood role of Mackenzie Hargreaves.
But there’s a much more important side to Stone than his contributions to the soap, revealed in the new Netflix documentary Georgie Stone’s dream life.
An advocate for transgender children, Stone became the youngest person to receive hormone blockers in Australia.
But those laws required legal action before they could be passed. Such legal hurdles have been traumatic for individuals and families already grappling with multiple pressures.
The short film by director Maya Newell (Growing up Gayby, Gayby Baby, In My Blood It Runs) and a fight by his family to overturn the legislation.
“Legislation through parliament is our last hope, so please help,” asks mom, Rebekah.
The film has the benefit of home video recorded by parents and actors Greg Stone and Rebekah Robertson. It’s also heavily focused on gender affirmation surgery day.
It’s a day full of mixed emotions for Georgie.
“I don’t have the body I want, but I’m still a woman. I just don’t want this surgery to change who I am… I still want to be Georgie,” she reveals.
As he enters surgery, the film deftly juxtaposes childhood photos to highlight Stone’s journey to this moment.
There are glimpses of the struggles Georgie faced, from hiding in a cubicle at school, to acceptance by his twin brother Harry who, even as an 8-year-old, agreed to keep Georgie’s identity private.
It’s clear there is also a loving and supportive family, which is clearly instrumental in Georgie’s growth into such a grounded and articulate young woman: she received an OAM in 2020. And the family must have sacrificed a great deal for the associated medical bills, but which are not recognized.
For TV fans, the Neighborhood the inclusion is only brief, as Stone talks to the writers about his experiences in hopes of storylines and inclusion in the production. But you get the sense that acting is only a small part of a much bigger picture for this amazing young woman in her quest to become her true self and make the path easier for those to follow.
As a specialist at the Royal Children’s Hospital reminds her, “We will always remember that it was you, Georgie, who fought first.”
The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone screens Thursdays on Netflix.
