In case you missed it,
@RightByHerRoots
interviewed me about my work & life for
@nprmusic
@NPR
/ All Things Considered and it’s just … everything to me. Read the article and listen to the interview here.
I need y’all to know how personally important it was to me that
@MarenMorris
got onstage and said to a huge audience that trans people have a seat at this table. 💜🙏🏼🏳️⚧️ Thank you, Maren.
So my video for “It Don’t Fade” is live & in rotation on
@CMT
! Which means
@RealSwanSong
& I just made history as the first kiss btwn two trans women *anywhere* on broadcast TV, as far as we know. Wowzers.
@JasonIsbell
Nailed it, Jason. Has anyone told him yet that I’m the trans poster girl on the Gibson artist roster? Oh no! Wonder if KR is gonna decimate a couple of Les Pauls in his backyard now 😆
I really want all the white, straight cis country stars who secretly had abortions or paid for them to stand the f up right now and say something.
#CountryMusic
#Nashville
First out trans woman to be on a bill at Bridgestone Arena? I don’t know for sure… but it feels damn great to represent our community on literally one of the biggest stages in North America, wowzers.
A friend of mine died. I’m tired of trans girls dying. It’s a shame and indicative of the pressures we are under. We live in a society that wants us dead. When I yell & scream for equity I’m screaming for our lives. This isn’t a joke. Do better. Make a world to keep us alive.
Babes: I. Got. Signed. To
@killrockstars
. The label that gave us Bikini Kill & Sleater-Kinney. I’m labelmates w legends like
@BitchMusic
. I’m over the moon, & my first single for KRS is out today, produced by
@gregorylattimer
: “Where the Lavender Grows”,
I mean no disrespect towards anyone specifically, I don’t even mind
@Travistritt
.
I just think insulting transgender people is completely wrong because we live in a country where we can all just be who we want to be
It’s a great day to be alive I thought
My message in
@TeenVogue
: “The most important thing right now is to be out, to be fighting, to not let anybody undervalue who or what you are, & to know that the love that you have is the revolution…& just by existing, that's enough. Just keep going.” ❤️🙏🏻
The last 24 hours has shown there is trans support at top levels of Nashville artistry. This needs to start translating into hiring /promoting trans artists, too. Put us on stages as ourselves—up front, not just sidepeople—so trans kids know they can have a future in country.
Country/America artists: I’ve been saying you can show your allyship in a big way by platforming trans artists—and today,
@JasonIsbell
is modeling this easy action because
@AdeemTheArtist
is gonna be opening for him soon! Congrats Deemie, and right on, Jason!
I’m beyond proud & excited to be part of Love Rising at
@BrdgstoneArena
in Nashville Mar 20 to benefit those fighting queer + trans oppression in TN. Thank you
@outsidechild13
@JasonIsbell
& friends for making this happen & making me part of it. Let’s GO !
Still waiting for Americana / country / roots festivals to book trans women & nonbinary transfeminine ppl. We’re out here makin the best damn music but we aren’t on those stages. I’m asking music professionals in position of power to step up & talk about it. We need to work.
@brandicarlile
@MarenMorris
It’s super important and heartening to know you stand behind trans people in Americana/country music. I’ve seen too many trans lady peers leave our genre because of the pushback. I’ve stayed, and statements like this really keep me going. Thank you both for your solidarity.
Been getting a lot of calls lately asking me about all the “firsts” attached to my name. I love it! But let’s talk for a minute about a living legend trans woman in country music: Deena Kaye Rose. Under her old name, she wrote “Some Days Are Diamonds” & “Eastbound & Down”. 1/
Trans love is holy. Queer love is holy. Our holiness is joy. And our joy is revolution.
(I’ve been giving interviews abt Love Rising—this is the basic message I am sending out to the world in this great moment. Thank you
@outsidechild13
&
@JasonIsbell
for the chance to speak.)
In case you’re wondering, yeah I’ve been playing it really cool but holy crap I can’t believe that I played in front of 10k+ ppl on Monday. It didn’t really hit until today how many ppl there were. It is so beautiful. I love you all.
Taking a break from socials. Thank you all our allies who are saying and doing the right things. Be strong, and believe in the work we are doing. To all trans kids out there right now: I love you. Do anything you can right now to believe you are beloved, because you are. - Mya
A person on a skateboard just rolled up to me, said: You’re kicking ass & doing everything great; you’re beautiful, don’t let anybody tell you anything different or believe them if they do; I see you;” rolled off, yelled back “I love you, love your converse too” 💜😭🌈🏳️⚧️
I dare someone in Nashville to put me, an out queer trans woman, on a major stage during
@AmericanaFest
, just to prove to the country stars pandering to the MAGAs that trans people are loved, valued, & embraced by the righteous folks in our community.
Stayed at a seemingly random hotel outside of Dayton last night to escape the rain & this morning at checkout the clerk recognized my name & told me a very obscure song of mine found him on YouTube at a time of need &got him thru, and he was so grateful & I was too.
#humbled
So
@KidRock
decided that in response to
@budweiserusa
putting a beautiful trans woman’s face on a commemorative beer can to get an assault rifle & shoot up cases of Bud Light. Don’t you dare tell me he wasn’t thinking of killing trans people.
Go fuck yourself, Bob. You suck.
I’ll say it again: if your music festival claims LGBTQ+ inclusion but isn’t putting trans women on the bill, you’re not being inclusive.
Trans women in music deserve to have stable careers in all genres. Do better.
I wanna say plainly that everything I’m doing right now wouldn’t have been possible without
@aaronleetasjan1
believing in me, standing behind my music, welcoming me to Nashville—telling me in these words that I *was* good enough & deserved to be listened to. I love you so much 💜
I see so many liberals of a certain generation saying stuff like this. Pretty much *any* nonviolent resistance is “illegal.” MLK wasn’t in that jail writing about the complicity of white moderates for “peacefully” chanting behind a police line. SMH. Guess y’all forgot.
“Violent protest is not protected; peaceful protest is. ... Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes ... none of this is peaceful protest.”
— President Biden condemns many campus demonstrations.
This ain’t right. bc of
@TheRealLadyA
having her name taken by
@ladya
, her appearance on my pal
@folkrockdiva
’s new record caused a dispute &
@Spotify
@spotifyartists
pulled the album. So: 2 black women’s voices are being literally silenced by this. Resolve it today, Spotify!
Y'ALL!!! I JUST FOUND OUT WHY MY ALBUM WAS PULLED FROM SPOTIFY!! LMAO!! IT'S BECAUSE THE ALGORITHM DOESN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REAL
@TheRealLadyA
AND THE BAND THAT STOLE HER NAME, BAND DISPUTES THEIR APPEARANCE ON MY ALBUM AND MY RIGHTS TO THE CONTENT!!! LMAO!!!
I’m so so happy we made such a huge impact. I’ve been getting DMs for days from queer and trans people who tell me how much
@RealSwanSong
& I bring out on that stage gave them hope and told them they had a place to belong. Thank you
@outsidechild13
@JasonIsbell
for having us
I am gonna speak this into reality for 2022:
My record will be released in a big way
I’m gonna tour with my heroes in cool venues
I’m gonna play
@theryman
&
@BasementEast
I’m going to have enough money to get a new car & quit my side hustle
I will live in East Nashville
Let’s talk about
@kimpetras
, the Grammys, media suppression, why her win is important, and transmisogyny: A thread.
Kim is indeed the first out trans woman to ever win a Grammy, the very first to win in a pop category. This should be front page news but it’s not. Why? /1
Just a quick note that along with turning drag into “adult entertainment” the bill Gov Lee signed BANS TRANS KIDS FROM TRANSITION AND FORCES THEM TO DETRANSITION. Both are utterly important but we really gotta talk about the latter more, friends.
Highlight of yesterday’s set at Outlaw Pride: a man came up to me wide eyed, excited, saying “Oh my GAWD! I’ve never seen that kind of representation-trans representation-in country before! Right on!”
This is why I do what I do, &why I won’t quit. People need this.
For this, the 9th anniversary of my coming out and the 1st day of pride, a reminder that I am an utter badass-& that trans people are part of the country music canon, as told by
@RightByHerRoots
for ATC on
@nprmusic
.
@killrockstars
Tonight I perform w my partner
@RealSwanSong
by my side. I promised
@aaronleetasjan1
when he opened doors for me that I would do the same for other trans women. Swan isn’t the only one I wanna platform; there are many of us. Platforming trans women is essential; do it everywhere.
Just a reminder there are plenty of country/Americana trans artists deserving of stage and air time. We are out here making amazing music. Solidarity also means action. Elevate and amplify our voices so we can help build a more equitable future for country.
The last 24 hours has shown there is trans support at top levels of Nashville artistry. This needs to start translating into hiring /promoting trans artists, too. Put us on stages as ourselves—up front, not just sidepeople—so trans kids know they can have a future in country.
Oh wow! Me and
@joyoladokun
are both on the
@TIDAL
Pride Rising playlist, and Joy’s the cover…right next to each other where I’m the cover of the Country Rising list!
At 80, she’s alive &well, & is proud as punch of me, sending me encouraging messages often. I adore her, & want ppl to give her her roses right now. Nashville has ALWAYS been queer. Our stories get paved over like so many others. But our stories ARE what country is built upon. 4/
Sincere thanks and gratitude to
@LauraJaneGrace
and her whole team of amazings for bringing us along on this tour. We’re having a blast. See y’all in Denver for NYE!
I mean this, a lot. I've been really inspired by the dialogue from
@CassadeePope
and
@MarenMorris
among other amazing people in our country community. I'm grateful
@freemanjm
put this quote of mine in his article today!
“If you claim to be a country artist and you’re not fighting for the rights of people to have their own sense of self-determination, you’re failing.”-
@MsMyaByrne
9 years on HRT today.
If it wasn’t for accessible, safe trans healthcare I wouldn’t be alive today.
Every trans person at every age deserves that access.
#TransRightsAreHumanRights
#protectTransKids
To my cis followers: a reminder that, even though you see me doing well, anti-trans laws &attitudes are coming in fast & furious, all over the globe. This news is being suppressed by major news outlets, including the New York Times. It is essential you educate yourself & show up.
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.“
-Elie Wiesel
Here’s one reason I devote so much of my activism to Nashville: It’s radical af. More social revolution is happening at the local level in Davidson County than almost anywhere in the US. They just beat freakin’ San Francisco to have an openly trans elected official for one.
Tonight Olivia Hill made history when she swore an oath to serve Nashville and became the first openly transgender elected official in the state of Tennessee.
It was an amazing feeling to be there among trans folks of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate this massive moment 🏳️⚧️
Quick note to say: I have no bookings at any 2023 festivals or Pride events. I’m so excited for the excitement around my album, y’all, but please please friends, if you’re on a bill with no trans people advocate for us, advocate for me. We aren’t getting booked.
I got denied reconstructive facial surgery - a revision of my FFS to reduce pain and fix scars - upon appeal. I’m tired and in a great deal of agony and need to raise 5k. DM if u can help. Info in pic.
“Rhinestone Tomboy” releases FRIDAY. I’m still in shock that it’s real. Got my copies, and omg they are so gorgeous. Thank you
@aaronleetasjan1
and
@killrockstars
for making my dreams come true. Pre-order:
I’m proud to make this statement and glad
@AmericanaFest
amplified it on this space, which is unprecedented. AMA needs to be representative of the entirety of Americana across genres & all trans women, artists like
@eevieechoes
&
@lafemmebearmgmt
.
"If the sole representation of Trans women at this festival is me, that's a huge...problem. There needs to be a space for Trans women to be visible at the highest levels - and until that happens, people will walk away from this community."
@MsMyaByrne
#americanafest
We had a line-dancing moshpit at our sold-out show tonight. Jfc. Queer country *is* punk. Sometimes I see ppl putting out as what I can only call punk purity — punk as a specific genre instead of a movement. Punk is punk. Clinging to genre isn’t.
Thank you
@annkpowers
for writing about Love Rising, highlighting me as “the warrior this crisis requires“, & quoting my babe
@RealSwanSong
’s strong message to protect trans love. We are humbled & grateful to you for seeing us & elevating our voices.
Kim thanking her mother for *believing her* when she said she was a girl? That is what scares folks the most. To say that sentence in the US when parental support of trans kids is literally being criminalized is a radical act of kindness & revolution. /7
“We who have been liberated by love cannot be bystanders…” -
@RevJacquiLewis
this morning. We cannot be complacent. Take action right now in whatever way you can, for justice. 🙏🏼💜🌈🏳️⚧️🇺🇦
This IS what an inclusive bill looks like. And for real, this is REAL outlaw country. Not just cos some of us are literally outlaws but it helps. This is my final
@americanafest
appearance; come for everyone (I’m on at 4:20 sharp).
Someone please explain to me why I have no gigs on my calendar and the answer isn’t Covid. I need to play and I need to pay bills. Hire me. Take me on the road with you. Solidarity means putting trans girls on stages.
Today is 8 years since I came out publicly. It’s also roughly 10 years since I had my “eureka-I’m-trans” moment, 12 years since I realized I needed to embrace my queerness, & over two decades since I first allowed myself to explore my gender as a teen. The last week of May ftw
I haven’t made a statement abt
@AmericanaFest
bc I wanna concentrate on the new LP I’m making. but: I haven’t yet received an apology from anyone in senior leadership at AMA tho I had many talks w AmFest fam who want to help.
I hold my community often. I need to be held, too.
If anyone is wondering why I haven’t commented yet on the lack of allyship shown by Miranda and other crap that’s happened in trans news it’s because it is a LOT to handle on a personal level. I stand with trans kids, for bodily autonomy of all people. Y’all has to mean all, wtf
Article spells this: Yes we are in danger; we aren’t offered gigs as much anymore bc of fear of “Bud Light” moments;It’s bad out there. I’ve said & I’ll keep saying that until major artists / industry platform trans women it’s gonna get worse. But our community … 🧵1/
It’s my birthday and I’ve realized that my entire pathway of outlaw country music was paved when I was 8 years old in a movie theatre—thanks to
@BigBird
and Waylon. Y’all have a pleasant day.
The incorrigible action of an elected official blaming trans women for the Texas massacre is fascist violence. I’m in my little corner of Oakland, my girlfriend in tears, both of us afraid to leave the house. They are trying to exterminate us. This is deliberate. Speak out, ppl.
Mixes of my LP are in. Listening last night w’
@lafemmebear
I got chills.
@aaronleetasjan1
is a brilliant producer. Working with him &
@gregorylattimer
is a joy. Can’t wait for y’all to hear this record. It’s special. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼!
Go listen to the Grammy-nominated “Outside Child”. Not only is the album aurally spectacular and
@outsidechild13
a stunning performer, the topics discussed within the record are unprecedented within our industry and the level of songcraft is beyond words. Congrats again, Allison.
I’m gonna be btwn Nashville &NYC 9/13 to 10/8. If you’re a country/Americana artist willing to make a badass statement of trans allyship, invite me to be onstage to open or to play one of my songs. Trans kids *need* to see trans ppl under those big lights as your peers.
I’m so moved that
@annkpowers
wrote about my new
@killrockstars
single, now playing on
@nprmusic
@npr
. Among other sweet things: “[It] resonates as a declaration of rage and a pledge to fight. You could call ‘Come On’ the ‘I Will Survive’ of early 2023.”
Due to the state of the nation many of my favourite gay/ trans artists have also relocated to New York, which means I get to cowrite & be in close community. not saying it’s a silver lining but I’m grateful for every artist coming here. Got to revolution.