Screen Australia Teams with TikTok for TransAthletica Doc

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TransAthletica, a 15-part docuseries featuring the voices of transgender athletes, has received funding from Screen Australia and TikTok’s Every Voice initiative.

The series, created exclusively for TikTok, will follow Rudy Jean Rigg, former Victorian State badminton player, as he explores the challenges faced by trans people in sports, questioning how we define a person’s gender, what determines a “normal” amount of hormones and more.

TransAthletica was created by the team behind the Rainbow History Class TikTok channel, which is dedicated to teaching queer and trans history. The series is written by Rigg and co-written and directed by Hannah McElhinney. It is a Snack Drawer Original production, produced by Amina Soubjaki and edited by Carly Paterson.

Principal production funding is from Screen Australia in association with NZ On Air, along with support from TikTok.

Rigg said, “I had to stop playing sport because I needed to affirm my gender to be myself. To be happy. I want TransAthletica to help show people the immense amount of challenges that transgender and gender-diverse people face in sport, how a simple answer to inclusion may not be the best one and, ultimately, drive home the fact that trans people don’t just deserve the right to play sport, we deserve the opportunity to win.”

“This series is so important because transgender athletes are so often told by the media they have an ‘unfair advantage,’ yet face more unfairness on their road to compete than most other athletes,” McElhinney added.

Felicity McVay, director of content partnerships for TikTok Australia and New Zealand, commented, “TikTok is a diverse and inclusive community where creativity thrives and where everyone can find their voice and be celebrated for being their authentic selves. We want everyone to have this opportunity and are excited to support TransAthletica, a series that aims to expand our understanding of the issues facing trans people in sports.”