Laura Jane Grace (born Thomas James Gabel) is a name you may have heard a lot in the past year. Last month, she and her band Against Me! released its sixth studio album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, and will be playing the West End Cultural Centre on April 1. As you have probably guessed, the album mostly deals with Laura’s experiences coming out as a transgender woman. 

Grace might not have as much of a reputation as Kathleen Hanna (noted feminist and member of Bikini Kill/The Julie Ruin/Le Tigre) or Wendy O. Williams (noted horrifying person and singer for The Plasmatics) but what these three women all possess is an individual voice. A voice that doesn’t just regurgitate the same ideas we hear from the same perspective day in and day out. 

There’s nothing wrong with consuming media created by typical straight males. Be it art, music, television or otherwise. No one is getting mad at you for watching Breaking Bad. A problem arises when the only stimulation we receive is from a straight, male perspective. 

Punk has always been about giving a voice to people who don’t get to hear themselves represented. It’s not as simple as “music for the weird kids”, it’s about giving a voice to those weirdos. Not just a voice, a voice behind a big loud microphone. Punk has acted as a podium, as a soapbox, for these voices that clearly want to be heard. It’s allowed these perspectives that do not typically represent the mainstream to branch out and reach an audience. 

Transgender Dysphoria Blues, the first Against Me! LP released since Grace began living as a woman, was a way for the singer to voice some of her life experiences as a transgender musician. In the future I would love to see more musicians, actors, painters, (hell, even bus drivers!) find a way to share their experiences. Grace has stated publically that part of the reason she wants to be visibly trans is so that it’s no longer a “big deal” and is no longer seen as a fringe thing in most of society. It’s also important to note that it is no transgender person’s job or responsibility to educate the general public on transgender issues or to answer any highly personal questions you might have. What goes on between someone’s legs is their own damn business. Laura is a public figure, and she has done her part to voice her experiences and thoughts, but she is just one person. 

The last year or so has been a good start for mainstream recognition of transgender people. Laura is a prime example of that. Another significant example is Laverne Cox’s portrayal of Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. The character struggles with family issues, acceptance and prejudice in society. Moving ahead, I would love to see more and more positive portrayals, until whatever stigma is dissolved.

Be it riot grrrls in the ‘90s giving a voice to young feminists, or modern day trans soul rebels like Laura Jane Grace speaking up for gender issues, we are headed in the right direction. It’s just going to take some work, and perhaps more importantly, some listening from the mainstream.

Ashton Khan is a student at the University of Manitoba. He loves Bikini Kill and genuinely finds Wendy O. Williams to be terrifying.

Published in Volume 68, Number 20 of The Uniter (February 13, 2014)