When we first heard about Georgie Stone’s casting on Neighbours, it was in a limited time guest role. Now, the studio has announced that she’ll return next year as a series regular. It’s a hugely empowering decision, in more ways than one, and folks are understandably excited.
Sure, Neighbours might be cheesy and ridiculous at times, but it has a cultural impact that shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s been on TV for so long that it’s a staple of Aussie life, which Georgie was keenly aware of when she penned her proposal for a transgender storyline and emailed it off to the executive producer.
If you aren’t keeping up, the story so far goes like this: Georgie Stone plays Mackenzie Hargreaves, who starts at Erinsborough High School and befriends Yashvi. Yashvi eventually begins to suspect there’s something fishy going on, and theorises that Mackenzie could be a long lost sibling. Because it wouldn’t be a soap without a secret family storyline.
After several twists and turns, Mackenzie ends up confronting Yashvi and comes out to her, but a bully overhears their conversation, opening Mackenzie up to the same transphobic bullying she faced at her previous school.
It echoes many of the other transgender storylines in the media, scant though they are, but the big difference here is that an actual trans woman has been instrumental in telling that story.
Hollywood is plagued with problematic portrayals of trans people, and Australia is no exception. One of the big issues is that in almost all cases, the characters are written and played by cisgender actors and actresses.
There’s an even bigger implication to this announcement. Rather than being on the show for a few episodes to teach Australia a quick lesson about transphobia, Georgie Stone’s ongoing role will give her an opportunity to tell stories that don’t revolve exclusively around her character’s trans-ness.
Georgie Stone said it best in her Metro op-ed:
“It was important to me that that the character of Mackenzie Hargreaves was more than just a token trans character. She is a fully realised human; her desire for love and safety, and her fear of rejection and isolation generate a very interesting dichotomy. Beyond her gender identity, she is a compelling character.”
After the announcement, executive producer Jason Herbison reinforced that message:
“I look forward to the day when the fact that she is transgender doesn’t even warrant the batting of an eyelid. That day will come very soon in Erinsborough, and that alone is very powerful for anyone going through the experience in real life.”
Representation has come a long way in the last few years, but the journey isn’t over yet. We can only hope that Neighbours has kicked off a brand new chapter for trans lives on Aussie screens.