by the way, fuck tom breihan:
http://stereogum.com/1026761/against-me-frontman-to-change-genders/news/
Well, here’s something I don’t think anyone saw coming. Tom Gabel is the frontman and founder of Against Me!, one of the best punk bands currently in existence. But he isn’t going to be Tom Gabel much longer. He’s currently planning to begin living as a woman, and he’s changing his name to Laura Jane Grace. This is apparently a real thing. More below.Rolling Stone reports that Gabel is planning to start taking hormones and undergoing electrolysis soon. He says he’s been living with gender dysphoria for years and that he (she, I guess?) feels the need to talk openly about it, since no major rock figures have done this before. Gabel’s wife is apparently entirely cool with this: “For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news. But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.”So: Good for her? I guess? My main takeaway from this, beyond the obvious surprise, is that I’m hoping Gabel’s hormone treatments won’t change her inimitable bleat of a voice.
Rolling Stone reports that Gabel is planning to start taking hormones and undergoing electrolysis soon. He says he’s been living with gender dysphoria for years and that he (she, I guess?) feels the need to talk openly about it, since no major rock figures have done this before. Gabel’s wife is apparently entirely cool with this: “For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news. But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.”
So: Good for her? I guess? My main takeaway from this, beyond the obvious surprise, is that I’m hoping Gabel’s hormone treatments won’t change her inimitable bleat of a voice.
― dayo, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:40 (twelve years ago) link
well that is quite the reaction isn't it
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:42 (twelve years ago) link
doing a lot of guessing there lol
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:44 (twelve years ago) link
jesus fn christ
― madame boo berry (donna rouge), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:45 (twelve years ago) link
Not sure how much his follow-up comment makes a difference:
After 20 minutes of reflection, I feel sort of bad that my tone in this post is more “WHUT?” than “YAY,” especially considering how much I like this person. But then again, “WHUT” is, I think, a perfectly understandable instant reaction.
― emil.y, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:47 (twelve years ago) link
IF ONLY THE ENTIRE WORLD WAS AS ENLIGHTENED AND LITERATE AS ILM
― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:49 (twelve years ago) link
So: Good for her? I guess?
this comes off as pretty shitty, regardless of if your first reaction is being surprised
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:51 (twelve years ago) link
"WHUT" is a perfectly understandable instant reaction for straight white dudes with little tg experience who barely dug to the Against Me albums they loved so much (hell, I'm basically one). Posting your instant reaction on a semi-professional news website is less so.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:52 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I think that's my main problem with that post - even if your reaction is "WHUT" it isn't an appropriate way of writing about it.
― emil.y, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:54 (twelve years ago) link
yeah i mean i shared the link with just a "!" because i was surprised by the news but didn't want to try expressing that surprise in words bcz i knew there was no way to do it well
i guess breihan didn't have that compunction
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:59 (twelve years ago) link
bcz i knew there was no way
do it well
How nice that selling out enables her to afford such an elaborate operation.
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 18:59 (twelve years ago) link
My excuse for missing the heads-up in "The Ocean" is that, the way New Wave is paced, I'm done by "Americans Abroad."
― da croupier, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:00 (twelve years ago) link
if you save up long enough, maybe you can get an operation that allows you to go fuck yourself
xp
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:01 (twelve years ago) link
Also "Born On The FM Waves" is one of the awesomest songs of the 2000's.
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:01 (twelve years ago) link
xp I meant that in the most supportive way possible while still frustrated at my own uninsured situation..
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:05 (twelve years ago) link
her inimitable bleat of a voice.her inimitable bleat of a voice.her inimitable bleat of a voice.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_0mDkN-TB4
people are apparently really having trouble expressing their support without coming off as total d-bags!
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:19 (twelve years ago) link
Stereogum dude is more of a d-bag than me. I'm happy for Tom Gabel and I'm not sure why I immediately thought of health insurance.
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:22 (twelve years ago) link
esp when you presumably don't know what his situation is, aside from being an ex-sire recording artist
― da croupier, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
There wasn't any mention of surgery. Just female hormones and electrolysis.
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
my mistake! i take it back.
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
i def hear the uninsured concern
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
health insurance rarely pays for sex change operations
― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:39 (twelve years ago) link
my city's health plan started paying for those a decade ago for city employees
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:40 (twelve years ago) link
but you live in San Francisco. That's not typical at all.
― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:53 (twelve years ago) link
i'm curious whether they pay for cosmetic surgeries as well (which many might argue this is)
― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:54 (twelve years ago) link
what's up poliopolice
― dayo, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 19:57 (twelve years ago) link
Ah shit, yeah, I didn't even think of the American thing. Over here you can get operations on the NHS if you've lived as the other gender for about three years. Though apparently the process can be incredibly frustrating.
― emil.y, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 20:04 (twelve years ago) link
unfamiliar w/ band, but looks like he was a cute boy so pourin' one out.
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 20:08 (twelve years ago) link
inimitable bleat of a voice
― these pretzels are makeing me horney (Hungry4Ass), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 20:08 (twelve years ago) link
she was, sorry
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 20:09 (twelve years ago) link
this is the first cool thing about against me, that's for sure
good for her!
― Bandersnatch Cumberbund (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 20:13 (twelve years ago) link
oh m@tt when will you know the joys of Reinventing Axl Rose
I think this is awesome.
― sleeve, Thursday, 10 May 2012 13:25 (twelve years ago) link
Over here you can get operations on the NHS if you've lived as the other gender for about three years.
honest question: how do you prove this?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 10 May 2012 13:46 (twelve years ago) link
you show your paystubs
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 10 May 2012 13:50 (twelve years ago) link
I would recommend reading the columns A Transgender Journey by Juliet Jacques - it's a personal account, and obviously people have different experiences, but it's very well written and covers a lot of the bases of what you need to go through.
― emil.y, Thursday, 10 May 2012 13:55 (twelve years ago) link
trying to recall the last time someone's music career was damaged by coming out of the closet
How's Ricky Martin these days?
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Thursday, 10 May 2012 14:25 (twelve years ago) link
Clay Aiken doing OK? I think so, right?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 10 May 2012 14:26 (twelve years ago) link
Martin came out in 2010 (way later than he should have imho) well after his career had peaked and he'd basically retired.
Aiken's on Broadway iirc, where they don't tolerate homosexuals
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:46 (twelve years ago) link
Martin's coming out so late into his career slough is precisely what was wrong.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:54 (twelve years ago) link
how about the village people?
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
what about them?
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
what's up Poliopolice
― dayo, Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:06 (twelve years ago) link
were they ever even IN the closet to begin with? that was 35 years ago, and even 5 yo me knew they were gay.
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:06 (twelve years ago) link
yeah his gay following was huge, I doubt it would have damaged his career to come out sooner - probably would have boosted it tbh
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:07 (twelve years ago) link
Hey Dayo! How's it hanging?
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:07 (twelve years ago) link
Ted Haggard seems to have lost a lot of followers
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:13 (twelve years ago) link
Hate to admit it, but this was sort of my first thought too.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:14 (twelve years ago) link