Laura Jane Grace on "True Trans"
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- čas přidán 27. 12. 2017
- Before Bruce came out as Caitlyn, punk rock singer Thomas came out as Laura Jane Grace. The lead singer of Against Me! a joins us to talk about her Emmy-nominated AOL Originals series True Trans, which follows her journey of self-discovery and shares the stories of others in the transgender community fighting to simply just be themselves. Interview at AOL HQ in NYC for AOL BUILD. Interview at AOL HQ in NYC for BUILD Series. For full schedule and more videos go to aol.com/build
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I'm a teenage punk and trans so I relate to her so much. I found Against Me! while I was figuring myself out and struggling with a lot of stuff. When I stumbled upon the song "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" I thought I was blessed. Never heard a trans related song before and that one was from a punk rock band. It was everything I could've asked for. After that I became a huge fan of this band and of Laura Jane Grace herself. Her book also helped me so much. She's my favorite punk icon
Laura Jane Grace is the most punk rock person alive and I adore her
Havent seen anything more true
skeerk Then you’d probably love her cover of Adore by Amy Shark.
I don't appreciate the deadnaming of Laura in the description. That is a BIG no-no. Deadnaming implicates that a trans person isn't "really" who they say they are, and that is a very dangerous micro aggression to perpetuate. The correct wording is "Laura Jane Grace came out as trans." Period.
true, but the rest was done very respectfully and professionally
I'll respectfully disagree. I had 47 years as Tom and while much of that was confused it doesn't change who I was then. My frustrations and anger were, in retrospect, partially from being a trans woman and not knowing it but it was also a general angry adolescent boy. I don't know your age but to many of us close to 50 or older the idea of being trans didn't exist so we have an entire life "before". I don't hate him and I don't want to forget him, he was who I was even if it wasn't a choice. I completely respect your view point but remember your path isn't the same as everyone else's. There is no "correct" wording other than that which doesn't offend who is being referred to. Please don't assume your opinion speaks for all trans people.
Laura has said several times that she's fine with her deadname being used in the past tense, it's okay in this context. I'd generally agree with you though.
this was actually a good interview, the host seems well-educated on trans issues :)
Honestly, I fuckin' relate. I knew something was "off" as early as 2 years old. As a kid I knew something wasn't quite aligned the way I wanted it to be, but I had no context for how I was feeling and I had no words to describe it. All I knew when I was that young was that I was just uncomfortable with myself, and I knew it was making me sad and anxious and I would gravitate towards any form of escapism I could. I came across the word transgender somewhere on the internet when I was around 12 years old; I googled it, immediately freaked out upon finding out what it meant and vowed to never think about it again. I was so scared because I had felt self recognition for the first time in my life. Evidently vowing to never think about it again didn't work because about a year or a year and a half later I stumbled across an album review for Transgender Dysphoria Blues while looking for new music to listen to. I remember in the review there was a link to Laura's Rolling Stone interview.. Laura was the first trans person I was ever truly exposed to, reading that article gave me actual context for how I felt. The entire time I was reading her Rolling Stone interview I was thinking; "That's me, that's me but in reverse. I am that."
Jax C Sounds similar to me when I was really young, except there was _no_ discussion of this topic in the media or anywhere else, especially in my Mormon household. This was the 80’s. First representation I saw of a trans person on TV was the Jerry Springer show. That coupled with the same & guilt Mormonism gives _everyone_ going through puberty, on top of the shame & guilt over being trans and Mormon, seeing that really, really freaked me out, and I too vowed to never even _think_ about this kind of stuff. It really enforced, at a young age, how “horrible” this all was and that if I went down that path, I’d be a miserable, sad & lonely person who nobody wanted around.
It’s really good that there are positive role models now, and the internet resources that are available. Had the internet existed then, and had I been able to access _any_ sort of positive resources, I wouldn’t have gone through so much hell for so long before breaking down and transitioning. I put it off so long that by the time I did it, I didn’t have a choice. It was do or die, literally, as I couldn’t handle life any more as a man. I didn’t want to even try anymore, it just wasn’t worth it. Had I not been able to transition then, I’m positive I would be dead.
Things have gotten better in general for trans people in America, but it’s still just as backward as ever in fundamentalist religious circles, especially Mormonism. As they’ve doubled down against all things LGBT, what with society’s acceptance and the pressures to make the church conform. There’s a reason that the youth suicide & homelessness rates, especially among LGBT youth, are astronomically high in Utah. Far higher than anywhere else in this country. It’s extremely risky and unhealthy to be a Mormon LGBT young person.
Needless to say, getting out of any fundamentalist religion like that if you’re LGBT is a must!! Unfortunately the ‘true believers’ (as we call them) are so brainwashed that they don’t see it, so those who are LGBT continue punishing themselves over and over until something breaks. As they still think there’s something wrong with _them_ , not the church, and that praying and being a good Mormon will “cure” this little problem. They still see it as a temptation that you must not succumb to. Like anyone is subject to this “temptation” to be morally corrupt by “becoming” gay or trans. I’m sorry, but I’ve never, ever heard of a straight person being “tempted” to be gay, or a cis person being “tempted” to risk everything and transition. Just ‘cause. Like they’d bring all that onto themselves voluntarily.
We still have a long way to go, with all those people stuck in religious cults who suffer needlessly with this. When the answer is so damn simple.
I love Laura so much. She's an inspiration.
Is that Gerard Way?
AvocadosAtLaw I think it is
As a 40 something in-out-in gender dysphoric no person, I say thank you for being a role model to me! I bought your bands music and only later discovered your transyness(?). I've struggled with issues you have handled so gracefully. I am so proud of your work. Thx.
Benjamin BlueBell-Black Well she won’t ever see this, but I agree that she did handle this graciously and I’m glad she speaks out about it. She is an inspiration for all of us.
Wow she spoke SO well about Caitlin Jenner, definitely gonna use her way of speaking about her more.
She's beautiful.
Thank you for existing Laura Jane Grace. 🥺 Didn't know I could relate with someone so much. I didn't come out untill I was 30 less than 2 years ago, finally started HRT!!!! Can't wait for big changes!! Also didn't even know the word *transgender* untill I was 20. Our coming out time line and learning of terminology was almost the same!! I've never found a person with so much similarities!! Also both musicians!! I love this woman! 💗💗 Much love to all of you LGBTQ & allies in chat! 🥰🏳️⚧️
Laura Jane Grace is my hero, Thank you so much Laura.
i love this person she's so smart and talented and so brave and I really like what she has to say and can take alot from what she's said
Bon Greed It always irks me when people call trans people “brave” just for doing what we often have to do and transitioning. It’s brave that she’s being so open about it and discussing it, but for most of us, we transition because we _have_ to. Especially in situations like hers and mine where we put it off as long as possible, trying to make things work living as our birth sex. We hit a wall and just can’t continue any longer. For most of us, our eventual transition isn’t bravery, it’s sheer survival. It’s do or die.
Not trying to discount her or her story, just trying to make a point about the overuse of that term when speaking about trans people. I just hear it so much when referring to this trans person or that trans person.
Laura my inspiration!!!! I connect so much to her music and to her story. She's great.
This was excellent. I’m so glad I accidentally stumbled on this series of videos. They made my day(s)!
Wonderful episode, thank you.
Indeed, it is not an "option." Laura Jane rocks, really rocks.
I knew I was a girl by the time I was 4 but just felt like I was wrong, broken somehow, because the world insisted I was a boy and there was just nothing, not literature out there, I felt like I was a freak and that if I tried to talk to anyone about it I'd be thrown away because I wasn't who they thought I should be. For years I just waited to die, and when I was 25 I tried to get help and I was soundly rebuffed and told I was just depressed, yeah of course I was depressed, finally I tried again when I was 35 and this time people listened to me when I spoke about how I'd been feeling all these years and understood what I'd been going though and I was formally diagnosed as being trans, it was such a relief, I felt for the first time that I had a chance to finally start being myself, I transitioned on the 1st of May 2010 and I finally feel like I'm able to be myself and face everything life can throw at me as me.
Omg! Laura Jane looks like my old 7th grade science teacher! I’m 41.lol.
I love you LJG!! I love your music...I love your story...I love your strength......I love your bands!!!! I love you, LJG!!!! Keep up the great work, girl!
That tattoo on her arm looks like it was painful as hell
She already had a sleeve full of tatts. One day she thought she would black out one. Then as she was thinking about it, she told the artist to blackout the next one, and the next. It took 8 hours to blackout that entire sleeve.
Disturbing
Laura is so fucking cool.
love hearing her talk :)
#LauraJaneGraceForPresident
Love you and much respect.
i love this woman
you're a very awesome human Laura Jane Grace
She's such an inspiration to me. I was a punk rock kid, and I always knew something was *off* with me when it came to my gender identity. I was a boy- and boys were supposed to look, act, think, dress, in certain ways. And I just didn't. But people didn't treat me like a girl, they treated me like a failed boy. I was punished- often violently- for failing to meet the expectations placed on me- expectations I had no interest in.
I was a punk rock kid, so I was always ready to tell them to go fuck themselves- I used to cross dress constantly, I was openly bisexual, chased an androgynous image whenever I could.
But I'd always be a boy. I didn't know I could be anything else. I listened to a lot of Against Me! growing up- but I tuned out of the scene as a whole just before Laura came out. I tuned out of everything. I felt so out of step with society, like I couldn't find my place in it being a "a man" who felt the way I did- I immersed myself in video games, alcoholism, and work- little else mattered to me.
When I finally learned about what it meant to be transgender- aged 24, It hit me like a truck. This was how I had felt my entire fucking life. "oh *fuck* I'm transgender?". I hid from it.
Four years later the masculine persona I had built up for myself in response to rejecting the realisation was creating such conflict with who I knew I was inside- I couldn't take it any more.
The songs Transgender dysphoria Blues and True Trans Soul Rebel absolutely carried me through my coming out. I wont lie and say it's been easy- but it wasn't as bad as I imagined. I live in a very right wing area- but even so my friends didn't care- one even came out too, my co-workers are respectful to a point (probably because I'm just too good at what I do to risk pissing off and losing that experience), I never gave a shit what my family would think- but even they seem to understand that they can't stop this even if they want to.
Honestly, if my allegedly pansexual wife wouldn't keep doing a complete 180 on being okay with me being trans every time we have a minor argument- I'd say it was almost painless in comparison to my fears.
I have a gender neutral first name that I think I'm comfortable keeping (So far- I might adopt a more feminine one later down the line)- but there's a reason my new middle name is always going to be Laura.
Hey Laura!! Thanks...
26:20 is that Joanna and Chris from Joanna Rants?!
Laura on it totally as always, impressive, same age as me, sussed ;)
I love her
Who else has loved Laura since she was Tom? Her music has always been the shit.
Wow, coming out must have been difficult
I can’t believe she’s wearing yellow lmao
twostartownes lol. I like yellow.
She's beautiful, but that yellow is NOT flattering!!! Lol
HHHNNNNGGNGNGNGG WOMEN
That's not Laura Jane Grace. That's a young Ozzy Osbourne.
I wonder how many kids got dis owned from their dads because of this chick.
just kidding hahaha
I like that Lauren has not changed Tom's voice. I met a lot of trans gen boys trying to be girls at the last show, and they give them a voice
Sorry, I'm trying to be better. But even I still am trying
Chris Meadows lol
Your comment is a little confusing. "Trans gen boys" would be men assigned female at birth, BUT it almost sounds like what you're trying to say could be "early transition trans women presenting female" but the way you said it would be rather offensive.
However you could be saying "trans men who are still not being out about it and still presenting as female" which is also a weird comment.
Just letting you know that the comment is a bit confusing.
Is he a man or girl no fockin idea here?
Sari Farsi TV she’s a woman, dipshit
"is he" so you already decided, even though she's got a woman's name, and you know, they talk a lot about gender in this fucking video.
She's a woman, as monarch said, dip shit.
Obviously a man making little effort to appear as a woman but saying that he IS a woman.
She's a woman
She still has manly shoulders and muscles .i take it no surgery just meds only work halfway Would be safe to bet still has male parts . Great music though ! Don't matter to me what she does
Wtf. If it doesn't matter than why are you sitting there critiquing things that have nothing to do with you and not your business?
Of course a trans woman is likely to have broad shoulders, it's a source of her dysphoria, and her parts don't matter. She doesn't need to have bottom surgery and if she does that's her business.
Would be safe to bet you are pretty close minded and small. Don't matter to me what you do.
(it's funny, because it's mocking what you said)
@@totkrieg because it's a public forum and I live in the 🇺🇸 where we have freedom of speech 💬
"She still has 'manly shoulders' and muscles",
Buddy, have you ever actually studied peoples shoulders? I've studied anatomy for YEARS and I gotta tell you, gender isn't based on your shoulders. There are women with broad shoulders and men who don't have broad shoulders, I know a lot of cis women who have shoulders just like hers.
And "she has muscles"? All women have muscles in their arms. How big a women's muscles are usually depends on how often she works out.
My own mother spent years working on construction sites and her arms are about the same as Laura's.
@@kodomoshawn6729 I am not ur buddy you fool
@@kodomoshawn6729 is just an feminine man not a she
Weird af
João Rupp How so? There are millions of trans people all over the world. It’s not _real_ common, but not all that uncommon either. Just another health issue that some of us have to deal with, something we didn’t ask for but still must handle.
Your *mom* is weird af
Weak ass comment.
Someone needs to stop skimping on the hormones
fuck off
Someone needs to start minding their on business
someone needs to fix their hairline (hint: it's you)
Brianna MacEachern lol touché
Jeff Brehove What are you talking about?
this is obv a distressed dude who just trying whatever to cope with his problems
he's a real mess
burned oils she’s never been happier. How is she a mess?
Burned oils, are you talking about yourself? Laura is a woman, and she beautiful, bright, and happy. She's pretty well put together, and I'm sorry that you're such a mess that you can't deal with us all living our fucking lives
Burned oils, I sorry your parents didn't hug you enough, and now the only way you can cope is to assume everyone else is as miserable as you are.
Crazy how you just described every insecure conservative with an American flag in their profile picture.
EEEWWW
The only disgusting thing here is your transphobia.