I realize a lot of people aren't big into AM! or really know much more then a radio hit, but to see people like CM Punk, some professional wrestler I personally have never heard of tweet positive comments to it, that made me happy. That bring the issue into a whole nother realm outside of the music industry, this can only be positive for others in similar situations and for the issue in general. That's great.

I can't wait to see AM! May 31st, the amount of community, positivity, and music is gearing up to be fucking amazing.

I'm still in shock cause I love Tom's voice and Against Me! is amazing live.

The fact that the band started playing songs like Violence and Searching For A Former Clarity live right around the time Transgender Disphoria Blues came out....... It was all building up to this. I still can't believe this came as such a shock to me and most of the people on here!

Plenty of internet reactions have blown my mind so far. The internet is such a strange thing. The things you say can be read by anyone, misinterpreted, blown out of proportion, and so forth. It's important to remember that most people on the internet are speaking from a stream of consciousness, much like they would to their friends on the street. And it's a two-way street, people should know that not everything needs to be said, and their opinion is just that. Every one of us has a different perspective, we're all at different places in our lives, and who knows what's drawing us to feel the way we do/say the things we say.

But regardless of all that, I'm still going to voice my opinion on this whole subject in a detailed post, even if it's unnecessary.

I don't remember the first time I heard Against Me!, but I know it was the Crime As Forgiven By... record. I didn't stop listening to it for days. I rode the bus to school and stared out the window, completely lost in the music. I would play along on my guitar, which I didn't know how to play. I would sing along in my bedroom, even though I couldn't understand half the words. I was fifteen years old.

Over the years, I've always loved Against Me! the same. In 2005, I traveled to Edmonton to see them, then back home to Calgary that same night to see them the next day. After the encore at the Calgary show, we were kicked off stage to the side for jumping up and singing with the band. They came and sat with us and we talked for a while. They were very nice people, and Tom was very shy, but sweet.

After Against Me! signed to Sire records, they were written off by my friends. I kept listening to whatever they would put out, and for the most part, enjoying it heavily (I still listen to them nearly every day, and "White Crosses" is in heavy rotation on my iTunes as well as in the kitchen I work). I think they are an amazing band, and them having their records put out by Sire didn't make that much of a difference. Even though that period is over, they made great music.

I was laying in my bed, falling asleep on Wednesday night when I snapped out of it and opened my tumblr feed (which I have about four people on) and saw a post by a friend of mine regarding Tom Gabel. I thought he was being cute, making a joke, because none of my friends are very big fans of the band. But as I kept researching and realizing it was true, I went deeper. I thought about it. I thought about the lyrics. I looked up what Tom was going through. I let it soak all in. I couldn't sleep. I listened to the band all night, and all day at work the next day, and almost broke down crying on my way to work while listening to "Bamboo Bones".

I'm a man. I'm a 24 year old man. I've been called a faggot all my life because I can't live up to what many people's standards are for being a man. I don't want to. As much as I am a man, and people have called me "manly" in the past, I'm not comfortable. Still, I am a male. I am not going through what Tom is going through. I will never fully understand. I won't pretend like I do. But I can try to put myself in her shoes. I can try to be supportive and show my love for someone who affected my life more than any other musician has.

Last year I went through some tough times and was couch surfing in Vancouver. I met someone who was trans, female to male. We did drugs together, and they tried to fuck me, but I was too high to be into it. Instead, we sat on their bathroom floor with our shirts off and they told me their life story. I was amazed at how strong this person had to be. I learned a lot that night, and I can only try to apply that to my understanding of Laura Jane Grace.

All my support and love, this is the coolest thing that has happened in Punk Rock for years.

I normally just creep this board, but I thought it was worth signing up to share the article "Not Your Mom's Trans 101," for anyone looking to get a better understanding of what it means to be transgendered. Here's a quote from the article, but check out the link below for the full thing! It's definitely worth the read (and not as long as the scroll bar makes it look-- there are a lot of comments at the end).

"Let’s start at the beginning. A baby is born. The doctor says “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl” based on the appearance of the child’s genitals. If the genitalia cannot be easily categorized according to binary standards– that is, if the child is intersex– the doctor makes a decision. Surgery is then generally performed on the unconsenting infant to render its body more socially acceptable.

Whether the baby is intersex or not, the child is then raised as whatever arbitrary gender the doctor saw fit to assign.

“Cisgender” is the term for people who have no issue with the gender that they were assigned at birth. For whatever reason, they are able to live somewhat comfortably within the gender in which they have been cast. No one really knows why so many people are capable of fitting into such arbitrary categories.

Transgender people cannot accept our assigned genders. We know ourselves to be something different than what we were told to be. We do not see the random gender scripts we were given by society as relevant to us. We know that there is a different way, a way of autonomy, self-creation, and self-definition, and that this is the way we must follow, because we can never be happy with the parameters that have been mandated for our behavior and our bodies."


Turns out I can't post links. Just google "Not your mom's trans 101" and it'll link you to the article.

-Meaghan

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2012/05/ian_astbury_speaks_out_on_the.php

Good to hear that The Cult will be supportive during the tour.

This is just fucking amazing. But.

It's pretty annoying trying to talk about this with some friends. Especially closed minded people who cringe at even a self-deprecating gay joke or something that demasculinizes yourself. I,myself, am 100% hetero, but poking fun at yourself and 'flaws' is fun if you're the right person that can handle it well. But even at the slightest mention of any taboo subject outside of normalcy, people start to freak out. I've had random people come up to me, and mention that they heard or read about this. Even people I don't necessarily know, outside of like their status on Facebook before, contact me personally and discuss it briefly while showing support.

I used to think that I struggled with this same thing as I was trying to figure out who I was as a teenager, even before I knew that it existed. But, I later realized I was just comfortable with who I was, and could say or do whatever I wanted and not worry about what other people think. It's what I'm known for, and I wish other people could at least pretend to act the same way.

I applaud Laura in so many ways, and it's all I can really think about. I've had a different vibe surrounding me every since I read the news, and the music is even better to me than it ever was. I think it's incredibly courageous, and hope it can inspire people to do something out of their comfort zone that they've always wished to do (whatever that may be). It has for me. Even the aforementioned paragraph is something I've never felt like discussing, even a close friend, let alone a large group of people. Even more courageous speaking that this is definitely at the top of Laura's and Against Me's career/popularity. It's long road ahead, and I hope the outpouring acceptance continues.

There's a quote by Kurt Cobain I read at an early age that has stuck with me, and has given me something to always look back on.

“I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes.”
― Kurt Cobain

I hope this came out okay. "And just like Grace, I'm drinking Irish tonight"

The next time they come to Winnipeg, I'm going to do something fucking awesome for Laura.

I'm going to give her a hug. I still haven't hugged Tom yet... I've hugged James and Andrew

shes been trying to tell us since day one....


"...You can lie to yourself, you can abandon the world, you can pray on the cure nature's judgement still stands. Pray to the stars, cry to the sky,...."

I think Eden Quest is the most poignant song on this.

If Tom had really been trying to keep that a secret for THAT long, just think how hard that must've been!

8 full hours of sleep

"and if you asked her, she'd never let go. And you'd stay forever, and the suns always rising... in the sky somewhere... and if young hearts should explode, from all the lies they've been told. Let the new night bring you peace."

8 Full Hours of Sleep makes me feel so sad for Laura.

I don't see why that is specifically talking about transgender issues.

I also think the breaking point where we were told was on Unprotected Sex:

"Just how desperate can we be?
Go buy our record and see."

It's like saying, "Listen to the songs again and bam!"