F.Y.I.

Australiana series continues on Vice with release of Island Queens documentary

The second documentary in Vice’s Australiana series has been released and the program, which features the gay and transgender community in the Tiwi Islands, will appear on SBS Viceland September 3.

VICE RELEASES NEXT DOCUMENTARY IN ‘AUSTRALIANA’ SERIES

Visiting the ‘Sistergirls’ in the Northern Territory’s remote Tiwi Islands
Discussing the intersection of traditional Indigenous Australian culture and gender identity


​VICE today releases the second documentary in its new long form Australiana series, ‘Island Queens.’

Set in the remote community of the Tiwi Islands, 80km north of the Australian mainland, ‘Island Queens’ follows a thriving gay and transgender community known as the Sistergirls, who make up more than 5% of the Tiwi population. For the Sistergirls (also known as Sistagals) life is one of cultural, geographic and medical challenges—but it’s also one of love, hope and laughter.

Exploring an intersection of traditional culture and gender identity, VICE tracks the story of Laura, who at the age of 33 has been awaiting gender reassignment hormones for 23 years. Complicated by the island’s limited access to doctors, let alone hormone treatment, Laura’s story illustrates the push and pull of the Sistergirls’ experience living on their remote Tiwi home, mostly living publicly as women while observing local Indigenous traditions, and wanting to find love in the city and start families of their own.

The release of the VICE documentary follows special advance screenings in Sydney and Darwin, partnered by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Having made a huge impact on the LGBTQI community, and beyond, with their visit to Mardi Gras 2017, the screening events not only allowed community members to enjoy an exclusive viewing, but also help raise funds (via door donations) to help the Sistergirls return in 2018.

‘Island Queens’ will also screen on SBS VICELAND at 9.30 PM Sunday, September 3

VICE’s Australiana series will continue to look beyond the pillars of our national identity to present a raw and diverse version of what it means to be Australian in 2017. Focusing on the perspectives of individuals, communities and subcultures from across the country that have been largely overlooked or ignored, Australiana gives voice to those on the fringes of our society. In doing so, aiming to uncover stories that haven’t been told before, from the marginalised, the ignored and the plain bizarre.

The first episode in the series, ‘Rage in the Cage,’ focussed on the competitive burnout scene in regional Victoria, meeting the rising teen stars of the community as they blow-off steam by blowing smoke and popping tyres.

From a Vice media release

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