With the increased visibility of transgender people in the United States, we are seeing a backlash that results in efforts to block trans people from participation in some of the most basic parts of society, sports being one of the most common. Several US states have already passed laws banning transgender athletes from participating on teams that align with their gender. There are currently over twenty bills of this nature across the US with results to be determined. Citing laws like Title IX in a way they were never meant to be applied and using false science to back up erroneous claims of "unfair advantage", those with anti-trans agendas are using sports as their literal playing field in the game of social exclusion.

 

The full-contact, adrenaline-fueled sport of roller derby has a history of LGBTQ inclusion spanning decades. Our film will follow four transgender roller derby players through the 2023 competitive season, showcasing their resilience against anti-trans sentiment in the US and capturing the drama and fun of the sport they love. They will form bonds with their teams and navigate their place in the sport as a whole, through wins and losses, from fundraisers to afterparties and the joys and struggles of grassroots athletics.

 

"Pack is Here" is what a roller derby referee yells to signal skaters to form tightly together on the track. Through learning about these two skaters and the packs they form, this film will put faces to the controversial trans athletes the public loves to argue about, replacing bad science and political rhetoric with the stories of real people just trying to play the game like everyone else.