Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed on Nov. 20 and is meant to be a day that “honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence,” according to GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). The tradition of having a specific day to honor trans lives was founded in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith to commemorate the life of Rita Hester, a transgender woman killed the year before.
To commemorate this day when we mourn those lost and honor those continuing to fight for justice, here’s a playlist of exclusively queer tracks featuring largely trans artists.
“I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” — Ezra Furman
Furman gives us a touching track dripping with romantic yearning, all while she rocks twangy electric guitar notes and reverberating voice effects. The track is completely dreamy with a hint of angst, and its lyricism speaks to Furman coming out as a trans woman in April, 2021.
“But me, I was considering ditching Ezra / And going by Esme / Baby, would you find that so odd?” Furman paints the complexity of being a woman, a mother, and the difficulties of the journey getting there in this track.
“Transgender Dysphoria Blues” — Against Me!
This track is raw, punk, and unapologetically trans — i.e. it’s an absolute banger. It’s an anthem to the struggles of gender dysphoria by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, who came out as a transgender woman in 2012. The drums are loud and in your face; the guitar riffs in the chorus are intense and electrifying; the lyricism is both angry and forlorn.
Grace sings: “You want them to notice / The ragged ends of your summer dress / You want them to see you / Like they see every other girl / They just see a f*ggot / They hold their breath not to catch the sick.”
According to Alt Press, alt-rock is a heavily male-dominated industry, and within that realm Grace is telling us about her experiences — and she doesn’t hold back.
“Pussy Is God” — King Princess
King Princess, aka Mikaela Straus, blesses us with this candid, playful, no-fucks-given track. It unabashedly celebrates gay love in its chorus: “Your pussy is God and I love it / Gonna kiss me real hard, make me want it.” Straus continues to release queer hit after queer hit, revolutionizing what queer music sounds like while cultivating her own identity as a genderqueer person.
Straus said it best in an interview with RNZ Music: “I feel proud to be a part of a piece of art that is kind and loving toward women, while also appreciating the anatomy that has been marginalised through all of our history.”
“Malibu” — Kim Petras
Petras is the queen that gave us “Heart to Break” — that song that became so big it now plays in box stores on the regular (the epitome of success, I think). This talented singer-songwriter has been touted as one of the youngest people to undergo gender confirmation surgery and is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Malibu” is pure bubblegum in audio form. It’s beach days, bikinis, and a sangria with fresh fruit. In a world that seems set on discriminating against trans identities, this song is refreshingly bubbly and happy. It’s a reminder that trans joy can be an act of resistance.
“Slow Dance” — Evil
This is the cute song that was featured in an episode of Adventure Time. Marceline, who was largely rumoured to be in love with another female character named Princess Bubblegum, sang this to an audience. Many immediately assumed it was about her longing to be with Bubblegum, while others were quick to claim it was completely heterosexual — that is, before the songwriter, Evil, confirmed she intentionally wrote it to be queer.
This slow, sultry song has a hint of that sweet country twang as Evil laments an unrequited love: “I? wanna slow dance with you / I? know all the other boys are tough and smooth / But I just wanna slow dance with you.“ Stay mad, TV moderators and concerned parents. Your cartoons are gay.
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.