Tom Gabel, lead singer of the punk rock band Against Me!, has come out as transgender in a new issue of Rolling Stone magazine that will hit stands this Friday.
Gabel at her recording studio in St. Augustine, FL
Gabel (hereto referred to with feminine pronouns) formed Against Me! in 1997, and the group soon became a staple in the underground punk scene with albums such as “Reinventing Axel Rose” and “As the Eternal Cowboy.” The band hit it big in the mainstream in 2007 with their first charting single “Thrash Unreal” from the album “New Wave.”
In an interview with Josh Eells, Gabel speaks of her private struggles with gender dysphoria, her decision to transition and the process by which she will do so. The singer will eventually take the name Laura Jane Grace, and will soon begin undergoing hormone therapy and electrolysis treatments.
Gender dysphoria, classified in the DSM-IV as gender identity disorder, describes the condition of individuals who experience discontent or disconnection with the biological sex and/or the gender they were assigned at birth. While this is by no means an uncommon condition, Gabel’s revelation marks the first time a major rock star has admitted to these struggles and has undergone the transition in the public eye.
For this reason, it is important for the singer to come out publicly and be open about her decision. “I’m going to have embarrassing moments,” she says, “and that won’t be fun. But that’s part of what talking to you is about—is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.” The singer will remain married to her wife Heather, who has been “super-amazing and understanding,” according to Gabel. Continue reading ‘Against Me! Lead Singer Tom Gabel Comes Out as Transgender’
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