Tranny (book)
| Company type | Autobiography |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | November 15, 2016 |
| Founder | Laura Jane Grace, Dan Ozzi |
| Products | Book |
| Owner | Hachette Books |
Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout is an autobiography authored by Laura Jane Grace in collaboration with Dan Ozzi, editor at Noisey, and released by Hachette Books on November 15, 2016. Utilizing detailed journals, the book explores Grace's upbringing, her early participation in anarcho-punk culture, and her tenure as the lead vocalist of Against Me!, including her public declaration as a transgender woman in 2012.
Background
Laura Jane Grace, the lead singer and songwriter for punk group Against Me!, publicly identified as transgender in 2012. The memoir draws heavily from personal journals she has kept since the third grade.
Originally published under a different title, either Kill Me Loudly or Killing Me Loudly, with another publisher in 2015, the final title Tranny was chosen to signify Grace’s reclamation of derogatory language previously directed at her, transforming it into a symbol of empowerment. Despite initial surprise at the publisher’s acceptance of such a controversial title and discomfort with its vocalization, she selected it to emphasize themes such as "shame, internalised transphobia and self-loathing." While portraying the challenges of undergoing a public gender transition, Grace intended to offer an optimistic perspective that challenges common transgender stereotypes.
Synopsis
Drawing from her personal journals, Grace details her upbringing as a military child moving throughout the United States and Italy. She established Against Me! in 1997. After turning down an EP opportunity with NOFX, she collaborated with Fat Wreck Chords to release Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy. Following commercial achievements, Grace faced struggles with cocaine dependency and gender dysphoria, both of which deeply influenced her songwriting, notably on the 2007 track "The Ocean". Beginning her gender transition in 2009 by removing a tattoo, she publicly came out in 2012. The band's 2013 tour supporting Transgender Dysphoria Blues attracted a more diverse audience.
Reception
In 2016, the memoir was listed by Billboard among the top 100 music books. Joan Jett commended it as an unfiltered work that promotes greater understanding of transgender experiences. Publishers Weekly praised the narrative for its "brutally honest" approach and underscored Grace’s depiction of gender dysphoria as a powerful aspect of the story.