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Transgender

Punk Rock
Goddess: A
zine dedicated
to Laura Jane
Grace





**TW: Talk of Suicide**
When Laura Jane Grace was interviewed for Cosmopolitan - that
was the first time Id ever picked one up

Being a transwoman - living with her family who shes out to but
who ignore her transness - it compounds how interesting it was
to have a Cosmopolitan in the house


(And cant I just hear my dad, What does my son have this ladies magazine for?)

Part of the larger significance, at least for me, of having
Laura printed on the pages of a mainstream media magazine, was
that most of mainstream music history has white cishet men
wearing dresses on stage to seem edgy or for shock value.

While I respect that for what it is, I also disrespect it for
the (I hope unintended) consequences it has.

See, these cishet men get up and do their shock rock schtick and
then the first time I paint my nails and my dad finds out -

Firstly, he makes me remove the nail polish and

Secondly, he tells me, Here, Ill make a deal with you, you can
paint your nails black if you want to, like your shock rockers.

(For some context, if you care - my nails had been a dark
purple, I was in 8th grade and my dads reference to your shock
rockers was probably a stab at Marilyn Manson who I love(d) and
who he hate(s).)

But! This isnt about me

This is about another transwoman with much better pipes and
poetry than I

Laura Jane Grace came out into a world, working within a career,
where her real lived experiences, her gender expression, were
used by others to sell tickets and get space in magazines.


The New York Dolls all femmed up

And then something unusual and wonderful happened - the world,
especially the punk world said - Awesome! So whens your next
album coming out?

(And Im not/cant speaking on Lauras lived experiences since
coming out, only on my observations).

There was a really powerful moment when Laura was being
interviewed by George Stroumboulopoulos



They were talking about suicide statistics. About how its 41%
of transpeople who attempt suicide and only 1-2% of cispeople.

And George asked Laura, And how did you manage your way through
that?

And without missing a beat she says, Well, Im a part of that
statistic.

And George is stunned. Actually literally speechless.

I believe that we think that if people are alive and in front of
us that they arent apart of any suicide statistic - but thats
not always the case.

But what stood out most to me is that discernment we dont make
- that people attempt suicide and survive, or that people can be
a part of a group so often driven to suicide, and their lucky or
fierce or beautiful enough never to be driven to even attempt
such things.

Dont fill the people you know with empty platitudes about how
strong they are -

ask them how they are and mean it

ask them how they are hoping for hugs and expecting tears

And as always, love, respect, admire and cherish transwomen - we
are cosmic goddesses


True Trans Soul Rebel by Against Me!

All dressed up and nowhere to go,
Walking the streets all alone.
Another night to wish you could forget,
Making yourself up as you go along.

Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Does god bless your transsexual heart, True Trans Soul Rebel?

Yet to be born or already dead
You sleep with a gun beside you in bed.
You follow it through to the obvious end:
Slit your veins wide open,
You bleed it out.

You should've been a mother,
You should've been a wife.
You should've been gone from here years ago,
You should be living a different life.

-- From Transgender Dysphoria Blues (2014)





WE LOVE YOU
LAURA JANE
GRACE!

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