Against Me!'s transgender
singer-guitarist Laura Jane Grace says transgender fans inspire her.
Grace came out transgender last year in
an interview with Rolling Stone.
In a story titled My
First Year as a Woman published in Cosmo, Grace
discusses various points in her journey; from coming out to friends
and family to performing for the first time in a skirt.
On meeting fans at shows, Grace said:
“I met trans men and women from all walks of life, all at various
points in the journey. Many said I was an inspiration to them, but
they are an inspiration to me. I feel lucky to have friends around
the globe who share in the experience. I hope that I can be that
source of hope for someone out there who's struggling.”
“That's the lesson that I want to
impart to my daughter: It doesn't matter what people think of you –
you have to be true to yourself,” she added.
Laura's wife, Heather, said she never
considered leaving the marriage over Grace's transition.
“I know other couples split over
this, but I never considered leaving,” she said. “I did fear, at
first, that the thing that would make her feel most like a woman
would be being with a man. But she said, 'Just think of me as a
lesbian!' After that, lots of things started to make sense.”