Time of Transition: 'First Day' and Being Seen on Screen

Dramatising the thrills and anxieties of a transgender girl starting afresh in secondary school, Julie Kalceff's four-part children's series First Day treats its protagonist's identity matter-of-factly while tackling complex subject matter – whether it be institutional discrimination, transphobic bullying or pre-teen body-image issues – head-on. Beyond its accessible narrative, the show also serves as a useful text for discussing topics such as the importance of diverse screen representation and the benefits of intergroup contact, as Steven Aoun describes.

Additional keywords:
ABC ME, LGBTQIA+, trans rights, high school, Erik H Erikson, Damien W Riggs, gender dysphoria, gender identity, Scott Morrison, Evie Macdonald, same-sex marriage plebiscite, Australian Psychological Society, intergroup contact hypothesis, gender-allocated toilets, bathrooms, transphobia