Whatever you call this span of the information age we’re living through, it seems to be forcing into mainstream conversation particular topics that never had a chance until now. Whether it’s outrage at the way the NFL handles itself or the overdue realization that we need to police sexist assholes on the Internet, people are talking about important stuff in huge numbers.
One of these topics is transgender identity, which can still seem new and confusing to a lot of people. But the conversation about trans issues is happening, and it has a figurehead: Laura Jane Grace. She came out very publicly just a couple years ago, after building a career as the leader of punk rock stalwarts Against Me! Since then she has lived constantly in the public eye, mostly of her own brave choice. The latest Against Me! record is Transgender Dysphoria Blues, which speaks with a raw directness about trans issues.
Following in that vein is a new show, True Trans, from AOL Originals. The trailer centers on Laura Jane Grace as both subject and host, sharing her own background while seeking out other trans people who are willing to share theirs. It’s humbling to see people sacrifice so much of their privacy, to watch them expose their inner selves for the higher goals of education and empathy. No one could have forecasted that trans issues would need a pop culture star during these particular years, but Laura Jane Grace has done a fine job of filling the role. Here’s to the next level of her commitment.
Here’s trailer for True Trans, which debuts today. And below is Against Me! performing on Letterman earlier this year:
Levi C. Byers is a contributor to The Stake. You can find him at leviandlaura.wordpress.com and on Twitter @Leviathan_B.
