so I decided sorry I’m taking one of my songs and reading some information I’m
songs and reading some information I’m
songs and reading some information I’m gonna do it very fast I’ve been out for
gonna do it very fast I’ve been out for
gonna do it very fast I’ve been out for thirty almost thirty years as
thirty almost thirty years as
thirty almost thirty years as transgender I have I have been into rock
transgender I have I have been into rock
transgender I have I have been into rock and roll out in rock and roll as
and roll out in rock and roll as
and roll out in rock and roll as transgender for 28 years it was a
transgender for 28 years it was a
transgender for 28 years it was a different world back then when I came
different world back then when I came
different world back then when I came out to cross-dressing laws were across
out to cross-dressing laws were across
out to cross-dressing laws were across all of the nations so everything that I
all of the nations so everything that I
all of the nations so everything that I did as a trans person was illegal 1993
did as a trans person was illegal 1993
did as a trans person was illegal 1993 the Minnesota did Human Rights Act and
the Minnesota did Human Rights Act and
the Minnesota did Human Rights Act and they included transgender that was the
they included transgender that was the
they included transgender that was the first time in the nation that that
first time in the nation that that
first time in the nation that that happened in 1995 I was on jury duty and
happened in 1995 I was on jury duty and
happened in 1995 I was on jury duty and I was kicked off by a ruling which ruled
I was kicked off by a ruling which ruled
I was kicked off by a ruling which ruled that I was not a protected class and
that I was not a protected class and
that I was not a protected class and therefore I could be assumed to be bias
therefore I could be assumed to be bias
therefore I could be assumed to be bias in favor of child molestation when the
in favor of child molestation when the
in favor of child molestation when the press got ahold of that and interviewed
press got ahold of that and interviewed
press got ahold of that and interviewed me they weren’t interested in how that
me they weren’t interested in how that
me they weren’t interested in how that conflicted with the 1993 Human Rights
conflicted with the 1993 Human Rights
conflicted with the 1993 Human Rights Act they were only interested in how
Act they were only interested in how
Act they were only interested in how bizarre it was that a trans person was
bizarre it was that a trans person was
bizarre it was that a trans person was trying to do their duty and going to
trying to do their duty and going to
trying to do their duty and going to jury duty I’ve toured the u.s. and I’ve
jury duty I’ve toured the u.s. and I’ve
jury duty I’ve toured the u.s. and I’ve toured overseas but I’ve had to
toured overseas but I’ve had to
toured overseas but I’ve had to self-finance that because the music
self-finance that because the music
self-finance that because the music industry didn’t know how to deal with a
industry didn’t know how to deal with a
industry didn’t know how to deal with a trans person and we sell finance that me
trans person and we sell finance that me
trans person and we sell finance that me and my spouse of 34 years out here
I also learned how to self dehydrate
I also learned how to self dehydrate myself so that I could avoid bathroom
myself so that I could avoid bathroom
myself so that I could avoid bathroom stops while I drove across the country
stops while I drove across the country
stops while I drove across the country for eight maybe ten hours if I do it
for eight maybe ten hours if I do it
for eight maybe ten hours if I do it right and I do this still today because
right and I do this still today because
right and I do this still today because I’m more nervous now about using the
I’m more nervous now about using the
I’m more nervous now about using the public washrooms than I was before
public washrooms than I was before
public washrooms than I was before because of the political atmosphere with
because of the political atmosphere with
because of the political atmosphere with trans people presently that
trans people presently that
trans people presently that self-financing resulted in a attack from
self-financing resulted in a attack from
self-financing resulted in a attack from an audit from the Minnesota Department
an audit from the Minnesota Department
an audit from the Minnesota Department of Revenue where my auditor other me by
of Revenue where my auditor other me by
of Revenue where my auditor other me by saying that I was a big transgender rock
saying that I was a big transgender rock
saying that I was a big transgender rock star and he was just a white suburban
star and he was just a white suburban
star and he was just a white suburban guy but what he did is he accused me of
guy but what he did is he accused me of
guy but what he did is he accused me of pretending to be an artist and getting
pretending to be an artist and getting
pretending to be an artist and getting tax refunds undeservedly because of that
tax refunds undeservedly because of that
tax refunds undeservedly because of that it took me two years and hiring a lawyer
it took me two years and hiring a lawyer
it took me two years and hiring a lawyer in $12,000 which i got in donations from
in $12,000 which i got in donations from
in $12,000 which i got in donations from individuals to win that and I did win I
researched the life expectancy of trans
researched the life expectancy of trans people for regular Americans it is 78
people for regular Americans it is 78
people for regular Americans it is 78 for trans people it is 30 to 35 years
for trans people it is 30 to 35 years
for trans people it is 30 to 35 years that is because of violence against my
that is because of violence against my
that is because of violence against my community because of medical issues
community because of medical issues
community because of medical issues through transition because so many of us
through transition because so many of us
through transition because so many of us are underground in our transition and is
are underground in our transition and is
are underground in our transition and is also not really understood completely
also not really understood completely
also not really understood completely yet and suicide in the mid 2000 I lost
yet and suicide in the mid 2000 I lost
yet and suicide in the mid 2000 I lost my sales person because she shot herself
my sales person because she shot herself
my sales person because she shot herself because she had a horrible divorce and
because she had a horrible divorce and
because she had a horrible divorce and she lost custody of her three kids we
she lost custody of her three kids we
she lost custody of her three kids we talked about her suicidal feelings I’ve
talked about her suicidal feelings I’ve
talked about her suicidal feelings I’ve been suicidal before I didn’t take it
been suicidal before I didn’t take it
been suicidal before I didn’t take it seriously I am still guilty about that
seriously I am still guilty about that
seriously I am still guilty about that two years ago I saw a suicide note on
two years ago I saw a suicide note on
two years ago I saw a suicide note on Facebook one of my fans I have 5,000
Facebook one of my fans I have 5,000
Facebook one of my fans I have 5,000 people I don’t know them all I didn’t
people I don’t know them all I didn’t
people I don’t know them all I didn’t know this person but I did not want to
know this person but I did not want to
know this person but I did not want to see somebody who is trans who might be
see somebody who is trans who might be
see somebody who is trans who might be killing themselves and I didn’t do
killing themselves and I didn’t do
killing themselves and I didn’t do anything so what I did is I called 911
anything so what I did is I called 911
anything so what I did is I called 911 night I had to self self advocate for
night I had to self self advocate for
night I had to self self advocate for myself
myself
myself because my voice sounds male I didn’t
because my voice sounds male I didn’t
because my voice sounds male I didn’t want I didn’t want myself to be miss
want I didn’t want myself to be miss
want I didn’t want myself to be miss miss gender but I also didn’t want her
miss gender but I also didn’t want her
miss gender but I also didn’t want her to be misgendered so I ad self advocated
to be misgendered so I ad self advocated
to be misgendered so I ad self advocated for her as well we were able to connect
for her as well we were able to connect
for her as well we were able to connect through 911 the East Coast City where
through 911 the East Coast City where
through 911 the East Coast City where she lived from what I found on Facebook
she lived from what I found on Facebook
she lived from what I found on Facebook they found her name they were able to
they found her name they were able to
they found her name they were able to call her and they did stop that and we
call her and they did stop that and we
call her and they did stop that and we are now friends in 2014 I was able to
are now friends in 2014 I was able to
are now friends in 2014 I was able to tour with Laura Jane grace and against
tour with Laura Jane grace and against
tour with Laura Jane grace and against me and I saw what happens when the music
me and I saw what happens when the music
me and I saw what happens when the music industry accepts people who are trans
industry accepts people who are trans
industry accepts people who are trans and I was able to see all of these trans
and I was able to see all of these trans
and I was able to see all of these trans kids in the audience with parents that
kids in the audience with parents that
kids in the audience with parents that were my age
were my age
were my age some parents younger than me and I would
some parents younger than me and I would
some parents younger than me and I would stand with them in my corset and my
stand with them in my corset and my
stand with them in my corset and my fishnets and my stilettos because I had
fishnets and my stilettos because I had
fishnets and my stilettos because I had to prove that I was trans when I was in
to prove that I was trans when I was in
to prove that I was trans when I was in rock-and-roll Laura doesn’t have to do
rock-and-roll Laura doesn’t have to do
rock-and-roll Laura doesn’t have to do that and I saw these kids and they were
that and I saw these kids and they were
that and I saw these kids and they were so hungry for raw models and it was so
so hungry for raw models and it was so
so hungry for raw models and it was so moving to me that I was seeing this in
moving to me that I was seeing this in
moving to me that I was seeing this in my lifetime I never thought I would see
my lifetime I never thought I would see
my lifetime I never thought I would see this in 2000 in 2015 President Obama
this in 2000 in 2015 President Obama
this in 2000 in 2015 President Obama used transgender in the State of the
used transgender in the State of the
used transgender in the State of the Union address that was the first time
Union address that was the first time
Union address that was the first time anybody in government acknowledged trans
anybody in government acknowledged trans
anybody in government acknowledged trans people in 2016 he overturned the ban on
people in 2016 he overturned the ban on
people in 2016 he overturned the ban on trans people in the military and my my
trans people in the military and my my
trans people in the military and my my sales person who shot herself she was in
sales person who shot herself she was in
sales person who shot herself she was in the military previous my current second
the military previous my current second
the military previous my current second guitarist trans woman is also was also
guitarist trans woman is also was also
guitarist trans woman is also was also in the military
in the military
in the military last month President Trump reestablished
last month President Trump reestablished
last month President Trump reestablished the ban and he also used other ring
the ban and he also used other ring
the ban and he also used other ring language to to vilify trans people and
language to to vilify trans people and
language to to vilify trans people and to say that trans people would want to
to say that trans people would want to
to say that trans people would want to undeservedly take tax money to finance
undeservedly take tax money to finance
undeservedly take tax money to finance their transition costs
so what I want to say is that we can
so what I want to say is that we can make a difference individually onstage
make a difference individually onstage
make a difference individually onstage as a rock and roll person and we can
as a rock and roll person and we can
as a rock and roll person and we can also do it with one phone call
[Music]
[Music] take my hand take my shoulder understand
take my hand take my shoulder understand
take my hand take my shoulder understand I can holder I know you can use
I can holder I know you can use
I can holder I know you can use something bolder there is no plan and
something bolder there is no plan and
something bolder there is no plan and it’s getting cold
[Music]
[Music] oh my brother see my sister there are no
oh my brother see my sister there are no
oh my brother see my sister there are no others is no difference I could be you
others is no difference I could be you
others is no difference I could be you [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you could be me we struggle Oh
you could be me we struggle Oh
you could be me we struggle Oh [Music]
[Music]
[Music] desperately
[Music]
[Music] there’s too much
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
[Music] holman sister hold me hold me brother
holman sister hold me hold me brother
holman sister hold me hold me brother hold me hold me father for be hold me
hold me hold me father for be hold me
hold me hold me father for be hold me mother hold me hold me sister all be all
mother hold me hold me sister all be all
mother hold me hold me sister all be all my brother hold me hold me father hold
my brother hold me hold me father hold
my brother hold me hold me father hold me hold me mother
okay we you we could be stronger and we
okay we you we could be stronger and we could be true make me wise make me
could be true make me wise make me
could be true make me wise make me breathe
make me feel you make me grieve
make me feel you make me grieve [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
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