6 Transgender Musicians
By Kathryn D.
For this project I decided to do some research on transgender musicians. It is important to note that the definition of transgender that I am using is the one that encompasses much more, as agender, two-spirit and non-binary individuals are included here. This list is not comprehensive, but my hope is that it may inspire and encourage folks to listen to some of these artists or find others on their own.
Shea Diamond - I Am Her
(image source) Shea Diamond is a transwoman from Flint, Michigan. In order to gain the financial means to start her transition, she committed a crime in 1999 and was sentenced to ten years in a male prison. She spent this time connecting with other transgender people and writing a song, “I Am Her”, which she later recorded in New York after being released from prison. You can read more about her here, on her website. Shea Diamond has a couple songs on Spotify and YouTube.
Angel Haze - Battle Cry
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Angel Haze is a 25 year old singer and rapper who identifies as agender and pansexual. Haze is of African American and Cherokee descent, and was born in Detroit, Michigan. Haze has appeared alongside Nev Schulman as a co-host on MTV’s Catfish, and was nominated on MTV’s Video Music Awards for Best Video with a Social Message in 2014, and as an Outstanding Music Artist by GLAAD Media Awards in 2015. You can follow their social media pages by visiting their website. Check out more of Haze’s music on Spotify.
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Lucas Silveira (The Cliks) - Savanna
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Lucas Silveira is a 38 year old singer, songwriter and guitarist from Toronto, Canada. He is a transgender male who came out in 2004 to close family and friends and later began hormone replacement therapy in 2010. His primary genre of focus is now rock, but he has experience with folk music as well. He has published several articles on his transgender identity, and has discussed bullying and the importance of supporting transgender people across the globe (source). You can listen to The Cliks on Youtube and Spotify.
Shawnee Talbot - Mirror Me
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Shawnee Talbot is from Toronto Canada, and identifies as a two-spirit lesbian. She is a Canadian Mohawk singer with a powerful voice, and she has performed in both Canada and the U.S. She has even appeared on the Disney channel, and sung alongside Lady Gaga (source). One of her songs, “Mirror Me” focuses on her personal struggle with identity. You can check out her Soundcloud, bio, and merch on her website.
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Cash Askew (Them Are Us Too) - Eudaemonia
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Cash Askew was a 22 year old transgender woman who created music with her friend, Kennedy Ashlynn, in their band, “Them Are Us Too”. Cash passed away in the 2016 Oakland Ghost Ship fire, and has been sorely missed by her friends, family and fans. As a teen, Cash found herself drawn to the new wave and goth aesthetic, mostly because she liked the expression of androgyny. These things influenced her and helped her discover her identity and grow comfortable within herself (source). You can listen to “Them Are Us Too” on Spotify and Youtube.
Laith Ashley - Can’t Wait
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Laith Ashley is a transgender male model and pop singer. He has appeared on various magazine covers and was one of the first transgender male models to be featured in a national campaign. Although he came from a religious family, his parents were supportive of his choice to transition and encouraged him to be himself (source). Currently, he only has two songs on Spotify.
I gathered these artists from a couple articles, this one from PBS and another one from Billboard.
