Transgender Day of Visibility by: Rowyn Belt

March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, and often the world forgets that being transgender is more than just changing names and pronouns. It often impacts a person's entire identity, leaving them with questions of how they must change to become the person they want. So many transgender people turn to music to cope with the shifts and see themselves through the music they hear. Artists like Jane Remover, Dazey and the Scouts, and Please Be Kind all have transgender members, and they have given transgender people the space to learn and grow for themselves.

Jane Remover, a multi-genre artist, came out in 2022 and has been on fire ever since. Among progressive pop, shoegaze, and other alternative styles, she has been creating a sound of her own for years. Her most streamed song, Dancing with your eyes closed, is nothing less than masterful with her use of ethereal synths and hyperpop energy.

Dazey and the Scouts is a queercore band made up of singer/songwriter Brennan Wedl, bassist Otto Klammer, and singer and guitarist Lea Jaffe. Having split in 2018 after their debut album Maggot, they've only done a single reunion show together. Klammer has been very open about their nonbinary identity, and even outside of the band’s members, they released the song Sweet Cis Teen on their only album. This track, amongst others on Maggot, is what brings queer people to this disbanded group of friends time and time again. 

Please Be Kind, fronted by nonbinary singer-songwriter TJ Perry, is a dream-pop band based in Orlando. Their most recent album, Silver Lining, is one of the most queer-coded dream-pop albums out there. Between setting new standards for pop music and bringing more people to the local Orlando scene, Please Be Kind has brought their fans an everlasting space for creativity and love, the exact place genderqueer people need. 

Transgender Day of Visibility is about more than simply recognizing the people in our inner circles; it’s also recognizing and engaging with the public figures who create safe, gender-affirming spaces. Jane Remover, Dazey and the Scouts, and Please Be Kind have all done an excellent job with this, as well as many more artists. Happy Transgender Day of Visibility, and remember to take care of everyone around you.