Culture

So, I’m not surprised at what Trump and his administration are pulling. I’m honestly more annoyed than anything, because I’m still gonna do me. I’m still gonna have fun. I’m still gonna be gay as f–k. I’m still gonna do what I want. Yeah, honestly, Trump is sus for even caring this much about what queer people are on. Like, bro, we don’t care about you at all. We don’t bother you, we don’t bother anyone, so everyone just needs to leave us alone.

“To queer artists; do not stop. In fact, go even harder, especially if you are a person of color, especially if you are Black, because people literally want to kill us. So don’t let them. To executives; honestly, give us fair deals, give us more money, give us guidance with those funds and in this business, because at the end of the day, that’s what all of this is about. Try to give a f–k. Care. Be present with artists, especially queer artists.

As a trans entertainer, I have to be hyper-cognizant of sociopolitical violence and micolevel shifts within the culture. Legislatively, there has been an active witch hunt launched against trans and queer individuals, virtually affecting every aspect of modern life for these people within our communities. Watching loved ones have to change gender markers on travel documents, and to have to struggle to be able to find gender-affirming, life-altering surgeries has truly haunted me.

“I urge you to call your representatives, and to participate in organized protests against these disgusting policies. And, if you can’t do that, you can also contact organizations and donate to organizations like The Trevor Project, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and Trans Lifeline. I hope you have a wonderful day, and stay safe out there. I love you so much.

I’m here in Austin, Texas for SXSW right now, and the scariest thing that I’ve experienced so far was coming through immigration into Texas with my band of four trans women. We’ve heard so many horror stories of things like immigration officers using strip searches as a humiliation tactic for trans women. We’ve heard about so many horrible things happening to trans women in men’s prisons here in Texas, and we were terrified. We were so afraid of using public bathrooms here that we took a self-defense class before coming out. We aren’t allowed to use the bathrooms in North Carolina, where we’re changing planes on our way home.

This is something that no other musicians really have to think about, and that we have to think about every day while having to deal with the constant threat of violence around us — and thinking about all of the horrible things that are being done to our trans siblings every day in prisons, on the streets. So, yeah, protect trans kids.

I’ve been out as nonbinary since I was about 15 years old — for context, I’m 20 years old now — and it has been one of the greatest joys of a lifetime getting to live as my most authentic self, openly, as a non-binary person. However, it does come with its own unique set of challenges, as over the span of those five years, I, along with many of my other trans siblings in the music industry, have received a litany of death threats and otherwise invalidating and dehumanizing comments in regards to the validity of our identities.

To any of my trans siblings and any of my trans and queer family who are struggling right now; you are not alone. The negligence of not only the music industry but also our government is not going to go unnoticed. People are finally starting to pay attention and realizing that the mistreatment of our community and many other people around the world are not fixing the issues that we need to be addressing. So please, stay strong and stay happy. I know, it’s much easier said than done, but trust me, we need to do it.

I am a transgender woman who has been transitioning for almost four years now. On this day of trans visibility, I would just like to speak to all of my trans sisters here in the U.S. and beyond and say, despite our rights being taken away from us on a near daily basis and being talked about negatively in the mass media on a daily basis, and the anxiety that comes along with all of that, we need to stay focused on building our local communities and creating the channels that will allow us to continue to get the care that we need. And I love you.

I guess my message to the music industry, those who are in the music industry, artists, creatives, executives is, ‘Joy.’ I am so grateful that, as a Black trans woman, I have a platform that I can use to tell the stories that I want, to spread love, to do what I love the most, and what I’m the most passionate about. I know that marginalized communities have it really tough right now. And I do think that, eventually, many of us are going to have difficulty getting and doing the things that we usually would get and do the way that we would usually get and do them. And, when times are tough like that, the human spirit needs fuel to prevail. I think the fuel that the human spirit needs, that will help it prevail in the darkest of times, is joy. Artists and creatives, we help bring that. That’s a gift that we can bring.

If you’re not a creative, if you can’t sing, if you don’t play the guitar, but you’re an executive, consider mentoring, paying, hiring an artist, making way for an artist to do those types of things. Maybe a different type of artist that you wouldn’t normally help, sign, mentor, facilitate. It is getting real. It is. The gift that we have is to uplift people when they can’t do it for themselves. So let’s get out there, let’s work on our communities, and let’s help lift people up. I’ll see you out there.

Under the current administration, we’ve witnessed an alarming number of attacks on the trans community. These attacks go beyond policy and are literally actively affecting the lives and the lived experiences of trans people in America. At this time, it is important to remember that we are advocating for equality, for acceptance, and to make America a safe space not just for trans and non-binary people, but for people in general.

The fight for change transcends policy within our own government, so it is crucial that we push for change in our communities, in our workplaces and in the industries that shape our lives. So it is imperative to use our voices and stand united in advocating towards a better world for trans and non-binary people, and a better world for humanity.

I’m a 25-year-old artist and pop star based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and I am a transgender woman. The transsexual artist experience … I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s passion, and I think it’s resilience. Being a trans artist, and to make music, to make art, to produce things is inherently an act of resistance. With the beautiful parts of being an artist, there also comes a downside. There have been many times at gigs where I have been talked down to, misgendered and degraded because of my transness and my Blackness. And it sucks.

So how can the industry help? Acknowledge us. Acknowledge trans women and trans people when they are up, and not just when we are passed away. Uplift our trans artists and our trans entertainers while they are still here with us. Don’t just engage in trauma porn to talk about us. Book the dolls! Hire the dolls! Work with the dolls!

Zora Nation, what can y’all do? Be active in the streets, be active in your community, using your voice to be heard and to stand up for what’s right. Use your voice to stand up for trans people. Anybody who is Zora Nation truly knows that we get active in these streets.