Celebrating Gender Diversity in Song - Part Two

If you have listened to the first of this two part series celebrating gender diversity in song, you will be aware of the hyperlinks on the transcript page for this episode, found on my website supporting this podcast at, www.twts.co.uk.

However if not, or perhaps you are new to Trans Wise Trans Strong, in which case, welcome, you will find on the transcript page, that the song’s title is in green text and this is a hyperlink to Spotify, where you can hear the song.

The songs availability on Spotify was a factor for its inclusion, as was excluding songs containing sexual expletives, so no “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” by Against Me!, given that it dropped the C-Bomb, and also songs containing certain prejudicial words were also excluded.

However I have made an exception for the last song, where the F-Bomb was dropped twice, but given the subject of the song, its dropping seemed appropriate.

The blue text is a link to a webpage, and the turquoise text are song lyrics.

Also, as before on the transcript page, there is a Playlist link to Spotify where if you want to, you can listen to all of the songs one after another, and if you enjoyed listening to this discussion of the 21st century songs that celebrate gender diversity, perhaps you may like to listen to part one which explored the songs from the 20th century.

Welcome to “Trans Wise Trans Strong”, I am Carolyne O’Reilly.

Episode Twenty, “Celebrating Gender Diversity in Song - Part Two”

I couldn’t find any songs from the first year of the new century, although some would argue that the new century started in 2001, the reasoning being that there was no year zero, the Western calendar went from 1 BCE, Before the Common Era to 1 CE, Common Era.

Which is probably why the science fiction film released in 1968 by Stanley Kubrick, and a definite favourite of mine, was called “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

Therefore perhaps one could argue that Androgyny by Garbage from their album, “Beautiful Garbage”, is a song from the start of the new century, and with its release on the 24th of September 2001, was somewhat overshadowed, given that the world was still preoccupied with an event, that had happened thirteen days earlier.

The song explores being nonbinary which is less well covered than songs about being trans, and starts with a feeling of despair, When everything is going wrong, And you can't see the point of going on.

But with, Nothing in life is set in stone, There's nothing that can't be turned around, expressing that although things can seem hopeless, they can become better.

And, Boys, Boys in the girl's room, Girls, Girls in the men's room, You free your mind in your androgyny, is a rallying cry for being nonbinary.

And, Boys, Boys in the parlour, Girls, They're getting harder, is about the subversion of imposed gender roles, and, Get on board and have some fun, Take what you need to turn you on, is an invitation to assert ones gender identity, and the narrator offers to help the person they are addressing, I'll free your mind.

Also from Garbage’s album, “Beautiful Garbage”, is Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!) released in January 2002, which has an interesting back story, it was based on, “The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things” published in 2001, and “Sarah”, published in 2000.

The song’s title was taken from a character in “Sarah” and both books where supposably autobiographical and written by JT LeRoy, why do I say supposedly, well because they were both a work of fiction by Laura Albert.

Before Laura was revealed as the author, they had as well as Shirley Manson, other admirers including; Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, John Waters and Asia Argento, daughter of Italian horror maestro Dario.

For a more detail explanation of what “The Guardian” referred to as a modern literary hoax, you may be interested in an article by the paper, JT LeRoy unmasked: the extraordinary story of a modern literary hoax.

It was in articles by the New York magazine in October 2005 and the New York Times in January 2006, where the truth of the books provenance was revealed, and upon this revelation there where those who felt betrayed, including Asia Argento who possibly may not have been inclined to forgive, quote, “I was f-ing manipulated”.

However, Shirley Manson was one of the few people not angry at the deceit, and for a episode celebrating gender diversity, their comment at the end of March 2026, in the Scottish “The Herald”, Shirley Manson of Garbage slams transgender Guides ban, shows her support for trans people is not just in song.

This ban of trans female members of Girlguiding, adds to the growing list of trans exclusion, or more accurately, trans female exclusion, following that Supreme Court ruling in April 2025, and here’s the thing, I’ve not come across one instance of male trans exclusion, over to you dear listeners, do you have any examples?

But having described the origin of “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)”, what is the song about?

With the lines, You're such a delicate boy, With your cherry lips and golden curls, In your hot pants and high heels, Because you looked just like a girl, we learn that although the subject of the song was assigned male at birth, they are a trans girl.

Confirmed by, You bought yourself a second chance, and the song ends with encouragement and support, Yeah, we're looking at you, Go baby, go, go, Oh, we're right behind you.

Then later that year in December 2002 is, Boy in a Dress by Namoli Brennet, who is a folk singer and is from her debut album of the same name, and is an autobiographical description of growing up as a trans girl/woman, and the difficulties she experienced, as expressed in the chorus, What I call hard, Seems so damn easy for everybody else.

A few years later is, For Today I Am A Boy by Antony and the Johnsons & ANOHNI released February 2005, from the album, “I Am a Bird Now”.

From the first two lines of verse 1, we know it is about the longing of a trans girl to affirm her gender identity, One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful woman, One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful girl.

Then in verse 2, expresses their certainty that when they are older they will be able to affirm their authentic self, One day I'll grow up, I'll feel the power in me, One day I'll grow up, of this I'm sure.

Six years later comes, Born This Way by Lady Gaga released in May 2011, which is generally considered, which I found quite surprising, to be the first song to used the word “transgender” in its lyrics, and is from the perspective of a trans woman, and her supportive mother, as revealed in the first verse.

My mama told me when I was young, "We are all born superstars", She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on, and, "There's nothing wrong with loving who you are", She said, "'Cause He made you perfect, babe, So hold your head up, girl, and you'll go far.

The chorus echoes the song’s title, I was born this way, which is an understanding the narrator has of themselves, that is not shared by everyone, transphobes or even certain broadcasters.

It is in verse 4 that transgender is mentioned, along with four of the most well known sexualities, No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgender life, and the song ends with repeats of, I was born this way.

A couple of years on, is Cameron from Jillette Johnson’s debut album, “Water in a Whale” released June 2013, and inspired by a friend of Jillette’s.

It opens with the prejudice Cameron faces, Cameron's in drag, makes his father mad, and People call him "fag”, teachers turn their backs, and the use of this offensive f-word is to quote from the language used ignorant transphobes.

And in verse 4 the unacceptable violence that some trans people may face, Powder and a brush can cover any cuts, And quickly running cotton under cold water rinses out the blood marks.

In verse 5, These days the world is full of aliens, the world is full of aliens, expresses that the world is full of people who have been ostracised from society for not being cis-hetronormative.

And in the chorus the narrator gives Cameron positive affirmation, You're not an alien, and the song ends on a positive note, You are a real, live human, Aren't you, Cameron?

And from the same year, Annabel from Goldfrapp’s album, “Tales of Us”, released September 2013, which was inspired by a novel of the same name by Kathleen Winter, which was about a child born with an Intersex/DSD condition and raised as a boy in 1960s Canada.

From the first verse we learn that this imposed gender is wrong, When you dream, you only dream your Annabel, All the secrets there inside you, Annabel, and tragically imposing a gender that can include surgery is still happening today, even though people born transgender demonstrate that gender identity and physiology are separate aspects of a person.

In verse 3 the narrator asks, Why they could have let you be both, Annabel, why could they have not imposed a gender on Annabel, and in verse 4, You are the truth they denied, refers to the protagonist’s true female gender that has been ignored.

And the last two verses, highlights how isolated the protagonist is, On your own, Lonely girl.

Then three months later is Salt by Bad Suns released in December 2013, which would later appear the following year on their “Transpose EP”, and debut album, “Language & Perspective”.

The song was inspired by a transgender friend of lead singer Christo Bowman, and their transition journey.

And from the first verse is a sentiment that resonates with me, Stuck inside of the wrong frame, I don't feel attached to this name, and how the narrator wants to affirm their gender identity, My body, I must reclaim.

Although in verse 2 there is perhaps a slight degree of hesitancy, But I'm taking this route, It's alright, right?

With the chorus they reveal that they are unsure why they initially accepted their imposed gender, I believed, What I shouldn't have, I don't know why, and how the past beliefs are as insubstantial as grains of salt, These memories are nothing to me, Just salt.

And with verse 3 that they know longer believed in their imposed gender, And I don't believe in the truth, truth, 'Cause all of my life's built on lies.

Then one month later in January 2014 is, True Trans Soul Rebel by “Against Me!”, written by Laura Jane Grace from the album, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”, the song had originally been released as an acoustic version on the EP “True Trans”, in Jul 2013.

The song has a narrator addressing and questioning the protagonist, and from the first verse we learn that they have gender incongruence, Another night to wish that you could forget.

And with verse 2 that they are lonely, Who's gonna take you home tonight?, Who's gonna take you home?, then the narrator asks an existential question, Does God bless your transsexual heart?, and ends with affirmation, True trans soul rebel.

And with verse 3 that they are depressed perhaps suicidal, ending with the narrator suggesting, Slit your veins wide open, you bleed it out, not exactly helpful, but reflective of the despair felt by not being able to affirm one’s gender identity.

With verse 5 they list who the protagonist could have been if they had been a cisgender woman, You should have been a mother, You should have been a wife, and regrets about a delayed transition, You should have been gone from here years ago, You should be living a different life.

And ends with repeats of, Who's gonna take you home tonight, Who's gonna take you home?, and finally defiance, True trans soul rebel, True trans soul rebel.

Four years later and, The Village released in February 2017 by WRABEL, which begins with the narrator expressing how no one will understand the protagonist, No, your mom don't get it and your dad don't get it, Uncle John don't get it.

And continues with the expressed parental advice, They say, "Don't dare, don't you even go there, Cutting off your long hair, you do as you're told", Tell you, "Wake up, go put on your makeup, where we realise that the protagonist is trans male, which like trans coverage in general, is a somewhat rarer point of view.

The song was inspired by two transgender fans that Wrabel met, and also the rollback of federal protection for trans students in public schools, courtesy of Trump 1.0.

The first verse concludes with a sentiment that even now is voiced, This is just a phase you're gonna outgrow".

And the chorus uses village as a metaphor for the prejudice of the wider world, but the narrator offers reassurance, There's nothing wrong with you, it's true, it's true.

With verse 2 detailing the lack of acceptance the protagonist experiences, Feel the rumours follow you from Monday, All the way to Friday dinner, You got one day of shelter, then it's Sunday hell to pay, and which the narrator has also experienced, Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chair.

And ends with two repeats of the chorus.

The following year is Nvr Pass by She/Her/Hers which is the name of the project that Emma Grrrl created in 2015 to explore her coming out as a trans woman, the song was released in March 2018.

The song begins with how isolated the narrator feels, Never felt less alone than I do right now, and then addresses passing from the first verse, I'll never pass, and rejecting passing, Not that I would want to, anyway.

Perhaps it is worth explaining what is meant by “passing”, essentially it is when a trans person is perceived as cisgender and always wanting to pass can result in a significant psychological strain.

And with verse 2, those around the narrator, trying to impose the wrong gender on them, I was told all the time how to be a man, Fit a mold, cut your hair, we'll tell you what to wear.

And with, Tryin' to squeeze into a box that's even smaller, The only difference I could find is that it's painted pink, It's not the color I don't like, it's the obligation, questions the requirement to conform to someone’s idea of how a woman should look.

And with verse 3 they reiterate about not passing, And I'll probably never pass, and say, I'd rather live my life visibly trans, a sentiment that I would imagine psychologist would endorse, as do I, and continues, And I'll never pass, Not that I would want to, anyway.

And ends with a repeat of verse 1, and an additional two, I'll never pass.

And from the end of the second decade is Bird, You Can Fly released in October 2019 by Eyemèr, which coincided with their decision to come out publicly as nonbinary, and begins with the narrator saying to the person they are supporting, that it is time, like them to accept their gender identity, Stop the façade, even though there is a lack of acceptance, Though the world is not ready for you and I.

And with, Bird, you can fly, as a metaphor for how freeing this can be, and how empowering it can be, You're starting your life, and gives reassurance, Out of your shell today, Kid, you'll be fine, and with, Not a girl, you're not a boy, Nor am I, that they are both nonbinary, and that they will be okay, Kid, you'll be fine.

Two years later and, The Tyranny of Either/Or from April 2021 By Evan Greer, which in the Intro, expresses the challenges that trans people face, We're forced to fight for every breath, and with, The tyranny of either/or, challenges societies’ gender dichotomy.

And continues to highlight the dangers trans and nonbinary people face, But we were not the ones who declared war, Every year we read the names of those we lost.

And the chorus begins with a justifiable demand, We just want to be ourselves, We just want to live our lives.

And continues with an assertion, And we refuse to comply, We deserve to do more than survive, and in verse 1 highlights the prejudice of transphobes, You weaponize biology, twist science into bigotry, You debate about our right to be alive.

And ends with the Outro repeating, The tyranny of either/or, and on the transcription page of this episode is a link to the Official Music Video of The Tyranny of Either/Or, which is well worth a watch.

Later in the year and another song by Eyemèr, featuring Ryan Cassata, Reborn was released in November 2021 and, is also a rarity like, “The Village” and, “Young Lion” by Sade, which we will come to a bit later, as it is from the trans male perspective, and was released to commemorate their top surgery.

Top surgery, is a mastectomy to give a flatter chest, the song is part of Eyemèr's EP, "Transition Town".

And begins with how happy the narrator is, Feel true love from within battle scars, Now I'm reborn, and how their autonomy is circumvented by the medical profession, With doctors making decisions, About your life.

And asserts, My body, my choices, and laments, I am so fed up, Of asking for approval, but how liberated they now feel, Surgery gave me freedom.

But then the next verse reflects on past emotions, No more waking up at 3 o' clock, Panic mode, I'm still not as flat as the boy next to me.

And with, Your life is the joke in a Hollywood cartoon, is perhaps a critique of the superficiality presentation by main stream media of gender diversity.

Then in June 2022 is, We March (Stronger Together) by Ryan Cassata which is a protest song and with the accompanying video, was released during Pride Month to support the transgender community and advocates for trans rights, with the first line about denying trans identity, They want to rip off my identity.

And how trying to explaining what is to be trans falls on death ears, So we go around, we preach and preach, But it seems they’re still stuck in 1943, possible due to nurture, Maybe their mamas told them to fear, Those who are authentic and brave.

And continues that they will not be silenced, And we’re raising our voices we march, and how there is strength in unity, We’re stronger together than we are apart.

And the Trump’s ban on trans people serving in the military is also mentioned, We're the soldiers who are unfit to serve.

Although I have already discussed “The Village”, in January 2024 by WRABEL released The Villag - mtf version, and if you’re not familiar with the initialism MTF, it stands for male-to-female.

However, although not necessarily pejorative, MTF, like FTM, female-to-male, is generally considered an outdated reductive term, as it focuses on a person’s sex assigned at birth, as many trans people never identified were their assigned sex.

The song’s popularity within the trans community led to a wish for a version from the trans female perspective, and this version was lyrically the same as the original version, with the exception, for obvious reasons, of two lines from the first verse, Growing out your long hair, you do as you're told", Tell you, "Wake up, take off all that makeup.

And ends with the chorus only sung once, and although released before Trump was elected for a second term, the fact that Trump 2.0 has resulted in an even greater roll back of trans rights, particularly trans female rights, makes it even more relevant to have this version of “The Village”.

And with the penultimate song, we come to in October 2024,Young Lion by Sade which is a love letter to her trans son, Izaak Adu, and as mentioned is a rarity being a song about being trans male, and from the first verse we learn it is a plea for forgiveness, Forgive me, son, I should have known.

And in verse 2 that her son was hiding the true self, You were hiding down, Where you almost drowned, and ends with a chorus celebrating her son, Feel the light, Shine like a sun, Young gun, See how far you've come.

We end with a song from last year by Kate Nash, written in response to the Supreme Court ruling that redefined the Equality Act 2010, which I gave my thoughts about in the episode Trans Lives Matter.

And if you would like another take on the song there is an article by Pink News, “If you think you can troll Kate Nash out of having an opinion, then bring it the f*** on, motherf***er!” bellowed Kate Nash at her set at queer music festival Mighty Hoopla on Sunday.

But what was Kate’s response in GERM released in May 2025.

In the first verse we learn that the song’s title is an acronym, Girl, listen up!, and Exclusionary, Regressive, Misogynist (GERM, GERM), GERM being Kate’s variant of TERF, Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, which describes cisgender feminist transphobes.

And with verse 2, uses facts to decimate the ignorant transphobic views, starting with, I feel no threat from any trans person that might be in the toilets, and details the threat that some cisgender men pose.

Then the chorus that reiterates the first verse, and verse 3 details more of the dangers cisgender and transgender women face, again with facts not fantasy.

With verse 4 Kate berates transphobic feminists and the harm of toxic masculinity, and ends with a longer version of the chorus, and yes I really love this song.

And so we come to the end of my review of 21st century songs that celebrate gender diversity.

And as ever, I would love to hear from you, and in case you do not want to be the first, I have already had a question from a listener, which was, “If you became an MP today, what would be the first policies you would implement?”

And to read my answer, check out the Have Your Say page of my website supporting the podcast at www.twts.co.uk.

This episode was written and presented by me, Carolyne O’Reilly, thank you for listening.

Next time, “Portrait of…Caroline Cossey".