Georgie Stone


Georgie Robertson Stone is an Australian actress and transgender rights advocate. At the age of 10, Stone was the youngest person to receive hormone blockers in Australia, which set a precedent that eventually changed the law that compelled transgender children and their families to apply to the Family Court of Australia to access stage one treatment. She continues to advocate for transgender children, and is one of the most visible transgender individuals in Australia.

Early life

Georgie Stone was born on 20 May 2000 in Melbourne, Australia to parents Greg Stone and Rebekah Robertson. She initially attended Valkstone Primary School but moved to Bentleigh West Primary School in 2009. In her high school years, Stone studied at Elwood College. Stone began studying a Bachelor of Arts at The University of Melbourne in 2019.

Career

Activism

In 2014, Stone appeared on Four Corners, talking about her experiences in court and changing the law surrounding stage one treatment. In February 2016, Stone and a number of other families of transgender kids travelled to Canberra to speak with politicians about changing the law. Stone and her mother were interviewed on The Project in response to the controversy surrounding the Safe Schools Coalition and the importance of the program. Later that year, Stone and her family appeared on Australian Story, telling their story. Stone started a petition on change.org in August 2016, rallying support for law reform which has so far gained over 15,000 signatures. Stone has also spoken out in support of transgender kids being allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, the importance of the Safe Schools Coalition, and the Pride Centre located in St Kilda.
Stone was announced as a judge at the 2017 GLOBE Community Awards. Stone also featured in the ABC Me television series, "Advice to My 12-Year-Old-Self", which aired on 11 October in celebration of the United Nation's International Day of the Girl. The show consists of 37 interviews, all lasting 2 minutes in length, of prominent Australian women. In late 2017, Stone was made the official ambassador for the Royal Children's Hospital Gender Service in Melbourne.
In 2018, Stone became the ambassador for the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, Wear it Purple Day and the AFL Pride Game. In 2019, Stone was named an Ambassador for The Pinnacle Foundation.

Acting

In March 2019, Stone joined Australian television soap opera Neighbours in the guest role of Mackenzie Hargreaves. She plays the first ever transgender character on the show, having pitched the role to the show's producers a year earlier. Stone began filming her scenes in June, with the episodes to be aired later in the year. Stone described Mackenzie as "a bit world weary, a bit cynical, a bit hardened by her experiences". She also described her as "sweet, compassionate and lovely" when she opens up to other people. In September, it was announced that Stone would appear in a spin-off titled , reprising her role from the main show. The series will be released on My5 and 10 Play in November, and consists of five episodes that "explore issues universally troubling teens today – bullying, mental illness, sexuality, cultural diversity, parental and peer pressure, and teacher-student relationships." On 19 October 2019, it was announced that Stone would be promoted to the regular cast in early 2020.

Personal life

Stone lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has a twin brother, Harrison. Stone was vocal about her gender identity at two years old, finally affirming her gender at age 8. Stone commenced taking puberty blocking treatment in 2011, the youngest in Australia to commence stage-one treatment. In 2015, she commenced hormone replacement therapy, at age 15. Since 2014, Stone has been public about her gender identity.

Filmography

Television

Awards and nominations

In 2016, she won GLBTI Person of the Year from the GLOBE Community Awards, and the Making a Difference award from the Anti-Defamation Commission, the youngest recipient of both. Stone was featured in the list of "25 LGBTI Australians to Watch in 2017" by the Gay News Network at the end of 2016. In October 2017, Stone was announced as a finalist for Young Australian of the Year in Victoria, eventually winning the award on 26 October. Stone was announced as a finalist for the Human Rights Awards in November 2017. She was announced as the winner on 8 December. In 2020, Stone was honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia, becoming the youngest person to be recognised that year.
YearOrganisationAwardResult
2016GLOBE Community AwardsGLBTI Person of the Year
2016Anti-Defamation CommissionMaking a Difference Award
2017Liberty VictoriaYoung Voltaire Award
2017Human Rights AwardsYoung People's Human Rights Medal
2018Australian of the Year AwardsVictorian Young Australian of the Year
2018Australian of the Year AwardsYoung Australian of the Year
2018Australian LGBTI AwardsHero of the Year
2019Australian LGBTI AwardsHero of the Year
2019Channel 7 Young Achiever AwardsVictorian Young Achiever of the Year
2019Channel 7 Young Achiever AwardsCreate Change Award
2019Channel 7 Young Achiever AwardsPeople's Choice Award