Mae Martin to host new documentary exploring gender and sexual fluidity in nature
Comedian Mae Martin is throwing on their lab coat to explore the science of gender identity and sexual fluidity in a new documentary fiilm.
The non-binary Canadian comic will front Fluid: Life Beyond the Binary, a documentary delving into the factual background of gender fluidity, while meeting with gender non-conforming youth and experts.
“I want to know what science has to say about gender and sexual fluidity,” Martin says in a trailer for the documentary.
Alongside filmmaker Michelle Mama, Martin officially confirmed the documentary in a social media post, with Mama saying they were “thrilled” to finally announce the project.
“It’s a fantastic and surprising look at what nature has to say about gender and will be a great tool for kids, teachers, and folks to open discussions about the complex science of gender,” Mama wrote.
Fluid: Life Beyond the Binary aims to debunk what producers describe as “zombie-science”, which aims to prove gender fluidity is nonexistent, while introducing the latest breakthroughs in the science of gender identity and how it exists throughout the world.
It will also look into how the belief that a gender binary is intrinsic in nature is actually a myth; showcasing animals that regularly change their sex and gender.
The film’s main goal is to disprove “old ideas” which include the idea that so-called “male and female brains” are inherently different and that trans people don’t exist.
“I think it’s easy for [anti-LGBTQ+ groups] to drum up this hysteria because there is still a sense from a lot of people that transness is in some way unnatural,” Martin says in the documentary.
“But maybe that’s because a lot of people don’t really know nature.”
Mae Martin is outspoken in their LGBTQ+ support, calling out anti-trans attacks and naysayers in their stand-up and sharing their experiences as a non-binary person.
In association with Kensington TV and the documentary organisation Gay Agenda, the project is set to premiere on Canada’s CBC on 28 March 2024.