05.08.2012 10:31 PM

Against Me! is dead, long live Laura Jane Grace

My daughter was at her cast party when she called me with the news: “Dad! Tom Gabel is becoming a woman!”

Checked out Twitter, the bee hive, and there it was: Rolling Stone reporting that the Against Me! singer is transgender.

This band has been my favourite band for a decade.  I’ve interviewed them, I’ve taken my daughter to see them backstage, I’ve hung out with them.  Hell, I get up to ‘Pints Of Guiness Make You Strong’ every single morning, as my alarm ring tone.  And their songs have gotten me through plenty.

I spoke to one of Tom’s friends tonight, and she told me it’s true.  So me and my daughter wished Laura Jane Grace best of luck, and shed a tear for the greatest punk band of the past decade.  Can’t see them going on after this.

Here he is from his solo album, perhaps providing hints.  The way I figure it, I told a slightly-confused 16-year-old daughter, he’s supported us through a lot, so now we have to support him.

11 Comments

  1. Visionseeker says:

    I… just er… He-no she… I mean… Man this is fucked! The whole world is fucked! But then Tom, or Laura Jane Grace already knew this. You keep trudging along to happy destiny Laura, the rest of us will catch up eventually.

  2. Jane says:

    How amazing that we live in a world where there is a help for this kind of suffering. Bless his/her heart.

  3. Reality.Bites says:

    A big start towards support would be to stop calling her “him.”

  4. Kre8tv says:

    If punk is the art of making the impossible possible, maybe this is exactly the band who can keep going after this.

  5. John says:

    Who’d a thought… :o|

  6. LBC says:

    Her voice is still gonna be awesome srsly

    • kre8tv says:

      I was thinking that, too. All I want in a singer is someone who believes in every word they sing. Whether it’s as Tom or Laura, it comes from the same soul.

  7. DanO says:

    Sad to see the end of the band. Best of luck to Laura Jane Grace. Do what makes you happy (as long as you are not hurting others).
    Glad to see that she is not hiding from it, and is open -hope it gives others hope who are under similar circumstances.

  8. Clive says:

    Not support him. Support her. Just sayin’.

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