Tom Gabel’s Transgender Journey

Saying he’s had to deal with transgender dysphoria for years, Against Me! lead singer Tom Gabel recently told Rolling Stone that he’s taking hormones and undergoing electrolysis treatments as he prepares to live the rest of his life as a woman.

Evidently Gabel was able to keep his plans under the radar before being interviewed by Rolling Stone, telling only a few family members and friends. The magazine describes Gabel’s transgender announcement as a first for “a major rock star” and that the artist “made a point of speaking openly about it.”

“I’m going to have embarrassing moments,” Gabel told Rolling Stone. “And that won’t be fun. But that’s part of what talking to you is about – is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.”

Gabel says he will eventually take the name “Laura Jane Grace” and will stay married to his wife Heather.

“For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news,” Gabel told RS. “But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.”