In 2012, Laura Jane Grace – singer, guitarist and chief songwriter for seminal Florida-based punk band Against Me!, and the woman formally known as Tom Gabel – came out publicly as a transgender woman, revealing her lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria, and declaring her intentions to make the transition to being, and to live the rest of her life as, a woman.
The announcement highlighted the struggle faced by transgender people in a way previously unseen in such a public light – Grace is arguably the most prominent musician to ever publicly “come out”.
Since then she has lead public campaigns and used her travels with her band to meet fellow trans people, dedicated much of the lyrical content of her band’s most recent album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, to her experience and struggles, and after partnering with AOL Originals, she is now on the cusp of releasing a hugely important 10 part web series entitled True Trans with Laura Jane Grace.
The series takes her across the US, meeting and interviewing other trans people as they discuss coming out, transitioning, their hardships, and the not even close to black-and-white concept known as gender.
Grace also touches on her experiences as a wife and mother (prior to coming out Grace married and had a child with wife Heather Gabel, the family remains together to this day).
The first trailer for the series has been released, and it looks to be a hugely moving and important look into the lives of people who have faced struggle and hardship simply because of the way they were born. As Grace says, “It’s about people.”
The first four episodes of the ten-part series will be released on October 10th, in honour of National Coming Out Day in the US.
Do yourselves a favour, kids. Watch this one.
Photo: Taylor Hill via Getty Images.
