New Hulu Documentary Zooms In On Young Transgender Athletes Across The U.S.

Hulu on Monday got a head start on LGBTQ Pride Month by unveiling the trailer for “Changing the Game,” a timely new documentary. 

The film, which is set to debut on the streaming service June 1, follows the lives of three young transgender athletes who have left their mark in competitive sports in spite of enormous challenges. 

“Being transgender is not a choice,” skier Sarah Huckman of New Hampshire says in the trailer. “Would it be fair for me to be competing on the boys’ team? No. I am a girl, that’s who I am.” Adds wrestler Mack Beggs , who in 2017 was forced to compete in a girls’ competition because of Texas regulations : “I’ve definitely been bullied by more adults than kids.” 

Directed by Michael Barnett, “Changing the Game” debuted at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival to critical acclaim. The Hollywood Reporter called it “a stirring, sharply crafted film,” while Out magazine praised it for treating “trans teens as subjects and not objects, allowing them to step into their own powers as accidental advocates for change.” 

Catch the trailer for “Changing the Game” below. 

In a 2019 interview, executive producer Alex Schmider called “Changing the Game” a “movie for everyone.” 

“It’s for people who like visually compelling and inspirational sports stories of fierce struggle and powerful resilience,” Schmider added . “It’s for anyone who wants to feel something, who is open to being moved, and who appreciates good storytelling.”

The documentary’s Hulu release couldn’t be more appropriately timed, too. At least 30 U.S. states have introduced bills targeting the transgender community. In March, Mississippi became the first state to enact legislation restricting young trans athletes from participating on women’s sports teams after a federal court blocked a similar Idaho law last year.

And last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed the state’s House Bill 1233 into law, denying transgender students and staff in public schools access to restrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity.