Tom Gabel, Against Me!’s Frontman To Become A Frontwoman

May 9, 2012 8:05 AM

Photo: Cody Black

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Against Me, Punk, Sex Reassignment, Tom Gable, transgender

[UPDATE]

Gabel’s story below as sparked intense debate. People are heated over the transgender topic. Read here.

Tom Gabel, lead singer for punk powerhouse Against Me! reveals he’s been living as a woman and will begin the trans-gender process in the current issue of Rolling Stone.

Gabel tells RS that he’s battled with gender dysphoria for years and will begin taking hormones and undergoing electrolysis treatments to start the transformation. According the report, Gabel will change names to Laura Jane Grace, and stick with wife Heather.

The St. Augustine, Florida resident has treated this as a private ordeal until now.

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

Looking back at lyrics from Gabel’s song “The Ocean,” it’s clear that he was ready to tell the story to his fans.

And if I could have chosen, I would have been born a woman
My mother once told me she would have named me Laura
I’d grow up to be strong and beautiful like her
One day, I’d find an honest man to make my husband
We would have two children, build our home on the Gulf of Mexico
Our family would spend hot summer days at the beach together
The sun would kiss our skin as we played in the sand and water
And we would know we loved each other without having to say it

At night, we would sleep with the windows of our house left open
Letting the cool ocean air soothe the sunburned shoulders of our children

There is an ocean in my soul where the waters do not curve
There is an ocean in my soul where the waters do not curve

Against Me! is currently in studio recording their sixth studio album and will head out this month for U.S. and European tours with alt-rock legends, The Cult.

To better understand who this band is and what they stand for, watch their 2004 tour DVD titled Never Going Home.

[metrolyrics artist="against me" song="the ocean"]

Tom Gabel, Against Me!s Frontman To Become A Frontwoman

Nuggs

For all of you Religious wack jobs that claim high ground because of your faith and disapprove of what Tom/Laura is doing- What about individuals born with both male a female parts? Are they going to hell? What about women who get breast implants? What about men who get hair implants? What about facelifts and all the other plastic surgery??? These are all examples of people changing their apperance! What about Garth Brooks becoming Chris Gaines? David bowie becoming Ziggy Stardust?
After reviewing all the hateful comments (mostly by what look like Christians) I safely say that these religious wack jobs cause far more harm than good! If people could just treat other like they would like to be treated and forget all the other bullshit the world would be a much better place..

If you believe god made you then how can you alter your apperance without going to hell? Hair color, weight, hair length, tanning etc??

Keep drinking the Koolaid Wackjobs the real world is a fascinating place.

Whatistheworldcomingto

your comments are insulting. If you truly understood what transgender-ism does to people you would understand that it causes more harm then good. Why is the suicide rate almost 50% with transgender individuals? Instead of caring about the true well being of people, any sick wacko psychiatrist will approve hormone therapy and approve surgery to pretty much any of these individuals.. And as far as using arguments that try to make parallels between getting a boob job and chopping of a penis.. its completely different.. when is that last time you heard of someone committing suicide because they decided they didn’t like their boobs.. Boob jobs are reversible.. chopping your penis off isnt.. Take a logic class idiot and make a better case for this next time.

Nuggs

I am very proud that I insulted you! espically after calling me an idiot.. If the suicide rate is 50% (which I doubt) it is more than likely because of hate, judging, and insults by people like you who think Santa Clause will save the world and anyone living a different lifestyle will burn in Hell. I guarantee you are a conservative, christian, right wing republican, straight, white, american

My comment and the logic is pretty simple UNLESS you drink the Koolaide, which you obviously do..

Good luck with that
Whatistheworldcomingto

you are wrong in your assumptions about me.. I never would hate or insult a transgender person.. they are people who are going through alot in their life… one of my good friends is going through it right now.. and it breaks my heart to see how rough it is on her just from a medical standpoint..I have done alot of research on this and talked to many people AND even had my friend admit to me that the suicide rates are very high in the TG community not only from people hating them (which is the wrong reaction for anyway to have) but because they dont find satisfaction after they mutilate their bodies.. (you should read more before you act like you know what your talking about)..

Let me guess.. you drink the Obama koolaid?? As for your logic.. all you do is spew attacks on unfounded judgements… you have not said anything of real value in your comments. You should seriously learn how to argue so you dont make yourself look like and uneducated fool.
Nuggs

Haha I was right about you being a Right Wing Republican..

I am not an Obama supporter!

You have called me an “idiot” and a “fool” and I have made no personal attacks on you.

Rather than resorting to name calling (like you). I want to Thank you!!!

Thank you for reminding me that it is impossible to have a reasonable discussion with an adult who still believes in santa Clause.

Ollie

Hypocrisy at its best. All you pointing the finger can’t see where the other four are pointing at? You all mostly men come to a website that’s full of lusty women when I’m sure you’re disrespecting your wife and marriage that falls into religion and who’s bashing you no one so live and let live. Gosh all the negative cmnts come from ppl who still have a cavemen mentality.. Dudes c’mon sucks!. The day we accept eachother how we are that day we all be at peace. if you don’t agree good for you. Just don’t hate and kill in the name of God I’m 100% sure that’s not his teachings! God love us all exactly how we are and feel. God makes no mistake. He doesn’t choose who he loves and forgives he loves us all there is a covenant! Just carry on, don’t destroy others just because they don’t drive religion to their convenience. Peace out!
marissa9513

tom gabel is amazing and will still be the same inside, but now, outside as well. i think he should be respected in his choice and no matter what certain people say, he shouldn’t be hated.
Kathy

This is Laura’s decision. Plain and simple, a human being has the right to do what they want to themselves. Tom wants to be a woman? I give her props. Huge fan of Against Me! for years and always will be. A human being should be comfortable within their own skin, and if they’re not, should do what they can to feel this way. Ignorant people’s comments should be left out. Society should be more open-minded, and less judgmental. It’s amazing that he’s doing this. It really is.
Keith

You ignorant people saying these horrid things need to focus on your life. If you’re on here hate-spewing, chances are YOU’RE the one that needs the psychologist/psychiatrist to figure out why you’re getting so worked up over someone you’ll never meet. This person should be loved like any other, and I hope I have half the courage when life’s next struggle hits me.
betty

“When you live in a just, principled society with an established value system, it’s normal to have taboos. One Statist agenda is to remove such taboos in order to create an unprincipled, laissez-faire society, where the populace is too busy getting doped up and having sex with anything that moves to care what the few elites in power do.”

and

“Look I feel for this Mr. Gabel and his “gender dysphoria” Maybe there is even an underlying genetic component that has caused his suffering.

However, if an individual is genetically predisposed to psychosis, do we call his mental disorder “normal” or do we treat it with medication? How about a biopolar disorder? ADD? Are these not all mental illnesses with genetic origins? Why is gender dysphoria any different? Shouldn’t gender dysphoria be treated like any of these other mental disorders?”

Both excellent points, thank you! Another point i wanted to add is that adults discuss the criticism, while crybabies discuss how everyone feels about the criticism. Here’s an example:

Adult: I notice that group X engages in harmful behavior and here’s my evidence.

Crybaby: You’re phobic! I’m not gonna discuss your assertion or your evidence at all cos it’s all phobic! wah wah wah.
Slim

I just hope someone has the balls to beat this guy, “her”, IT, to death. And why is this in the news? What is the media trying to promote by promoting this as if it is acceptable. Tom Gabels is a sick, disgusting individual. The only reason IT’s doing this is because ITs rich from taking teenagers money.

All you pussy atheist liberals want to talk about equal rights? I have the right to my opinion, as well as any other rational person. And this story is sickening, and all you people who are like “leave him alone”, anti-”bigots”, who support this are just as disguisting.

Against Me! and their lead singer, and the whole punk scene is officially a joke. And when IT dies, Tom Gabels will forever will remembered as a sicko and a pervert.

“Woman inside a Man’s body”? Get out of here.

You’re saying God (not that any of you who disagree with me believe in or personally Know) made a mistake when he was born? A mistake that only 21st century science and cosmetic surgery could corrent? Like I said, he would even be able to be a tranny if not for all the teenagers who pay to support his life style.

So if a black person feels ‘caucasian’ on the inside they should bleach their skin?

What the hell is the media trying to promote?

This news article represents the degradation of rational thought in this world.

his wife is clearly on something else, anything she’s sicker than he/it is

you people who support this clearly don’t have children of your own, and if you’re the kind of person who accepts a man turning into a drag queen, do the rest of the planet a flavor and don’t reproduce.

stupid idiots=drag queens, gays, lesbians, democrats, bi-curious teenagers, are doing nothing to make this world a better place. they are not fit to live.

i hope someone(s) does the world a favor by taking the person who used to be call tom gabels out of it.

and know they are people out there who concur.
YHVH

who am i kidding? its not his fault. it’s bushs, not its reagans.

truthfully i don’t care, he’s just another attention whore like lady gaga or justin bieber.

they feed off the masses thinking and talking about them.

I don’t care, this news article was very disappointing. its a shame he couldnt be a postive remodel for young males.

All I know is I will not be listening to Against Me!

See Tom Gabel? Look at all this time you made me waste focusing on all the unimportant details from your stupid personal life, youre no better than the rest of everyone whos starving for attention.

i hope you get what you ask for.

anyways this is the last time i’m going to be paying attention to this individual.

this is exactly want he wants from people, a reaction.

screw tom gabels (as in physically piercing)
http://kroq.radio.com/2012/05/29/against-mes-singer-plays-first-show-as-a-woman-laura-jane-grace/ Against Me!’s Singer Plays First Show As A Woman, Laura Jane Grace

[...] concert venue in San Diego. This marks the singer’s first performance since declaring herself transgender. The topic of transgenderism became debated in the days following Gabel’s announcement two [...]
http://buzz103.radio.com/2012/05/29/against-mes-singer-plays-first-show-as-a-woman-laura-jane-grace/ Against Me!’s Singer Plays First Show As A Woman, Laura Jane Grace

[...] concert venue in San Diego. This marks the singer’s first performance since declaring herself transgender. The topic of transgenders became hotly debated in the days following Gabel’s announcement [...]
http://khitschicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/11/joan-jett-joins-laura-jane-grace-of-against-me-to-cover-the-replacements-androgynous-at-terminal-5/ Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous” At Terminal 5 « 104.3 K-Hits Chicago

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
http://wods.cbslocal.com/2012/06/11/joan-jett-joins-laura-jane-grace-of-against-me-to-cover-the-replacements-androgynous-at-terminal-5/ Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous” At Terminal 5 « 103.3 WODS

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
http://kroq.radio.com/2012/06/11/joan-jett-joins-laura-jane-grace-of-against-me-to-cover-the-replacements-androgynous/ Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous”

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
http://929dave.radio.com/2012/06/11/joan-jett-joins-laura-jane-grace-of-against-me-to-cover-the-replacements-androgynous-at-terminal-5/ Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous” At Terminal 5

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
http://1059sunnyfm.cbslocal.com/2012/06/11/joan-jett-joins-laura-jane-grace-of-against-me-to-cover-the-replacements-androgynous-at-terminal-5/ Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous” At Terminal 5 « 1059 SUNNY FM

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
http://womc.cbslocal.com/?p=123873 Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous” At Terminal 5 « 104.3 WOMC

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
http://kearth101.cbslocal.com/2012/06/11/joan-jett-joins-laura-jane-grace-of-against-me-to-cover-the-replacements-androgynous-at-terminal-5/ Joan Jett Joins Laura Jane Grace Of Against Me! To Cover The Replacements’ “Androgynous” At Terminal 5 « K-EARTH 101

[...] formerly known as Tom Gable, announced she will begin living her life as a woman, citing that she dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years. Jett has kept her sexuality out [...]
Caz

What a pity to see so many people making hateful, bigoted comments about a subject they obviously know nothing about. Gender dysphoria isn’t “sick” or perverted, it’s definitely not a choice you make and gender reassignment surgery IS the treatment for it, in some situations. Further, gender has nothing to do with sexuality and we should applaud Laura Jane’s wife Heather for loving the person she married unconditionally; would that everyone transgender individual had someone so supportive in their life! To all those who’ve typed something hateful on the basis of YOUR interpretation of the Bible.. go look up where Jesus says “thou shalt not trade thy penis in for a vagina” or vice versa and post a reference.. I’d love to see it.

Ron Marlar

You have approached this subject with dignity and decorum. I will do the same.
What a pity to see you struggling to justify the unjustifiable, encouraging tolerance of the intolerable, making hateful, bigoted comments about others while accusing others of making hateful, bigoted comments. A clue for you: Labeling others and their opinions hateful and bigoted is hateful and bigoted of you.
Also you make obvious you know nothing about gender dysphoria and the options open to Gabel/Grace short of sex change/gender reassignment or of the Bible, since you mentioned it.
Although I doubt it, you might benefit from reading definitions of dysphoria with particular attention to such words as disquiet, restlessness, malaise, dissatisfaction, anxiety, fidgeting, unease, restlessness, malaise, dissatisfaction, anxiety, fidgeting, unease, unhappy, unwell emotional state and depression. A few of those words clearly indicate sickness. None of those words nor actual practice limit treatment to surgical sex change aided with chemicals – over-the-counter or prescription drugs.
So, surgical sex change is unarguably a choice, not a requirement.
It is perverted if for no other reason that an innocent child is involved.
You could not be more wrong on these points: 1) Gender has a lot to do with sexuality. 2) Heather married Tom Gabel a male with a penis and testicles, and man breasts. After Gabel’s choice she is married to Laura Jane Grace with an artificial vagina, no ovaries or womb and if Gabel goes all the way womanlike breasts. 3) There is no rational reason to applaud anyone involved in this mess. 4) Unless you were at the wedding or have read or heard the vows you have no way of knowing the conditionality or unconditional nature of their marriage. 5) The situation was of a man married to a woman and them the father and mother of an innocent child. The situation after the voluntary sex change surgery is of an artificial woman married to a woman and a child most likely to suffer horrendous confusion in its so changed by a selfish, self-centered father uncaring for the child in this situation.
Your command for readers of your warped stack of opinions, totally without merit, to go look up where Jesus says … something you know good and well Jesus did not address.
Sadly for you, Tom, Heather, their daughter and others foolish enough to support the two adults in this situation, God did address homosexual, lesbian behaviors and cross-dressing in the Old and New Testaments. God called it an abomination.
That’s what you and they need to see, but it is most likely too late in their cases. Indeed, Tom has said he has been living as a woman even before becoming Laura Jane.
God and Christians still love all of you, but your punishment is certain unless all of you repent, beg forgiveness and accept Jesus the Christ-Messiah as your personal savior.
That is not a hateful, bigoted statement but rather a statement of love offered in hope for all of you.
I am curious why it took so long for your post to get to me.

palomagenios

Ron,

That was a good factual and truthful response.

I would concur that there are no winners in this self-serving manner of dealing with an identity crisis, but quite pointedly, a child growing up in this environment can only emerge totally twisted as to the role of father and mother and protector and nuturer.

These are the result of twisted sexual spirits that may have gain entry into his life possible through his own trauma of childhood sexual abuses, which is quite common….non the less, repentance and forgiveness and healing is the antidote….not the further propagation of the perversion.

This truly is a scourge on society and yet predicted sign of the times. God can still reach the man,…if he is willing to be reached.
Nuggs

So let me get this straight… I will be punished if I don’t accept Jesus the Christ-Messiah as my personal savior?

do you realize you are a fucking lunatic?
Ron Marlar

Nuggs, no, I do not realize that, but I see and hear clearly you are an obscene denier of truth and have not read the Book with any comprehension at all.

http://news.radio.com/2013/04/10/against-mes-transgender-leader-on-life-as-a-woman-it-was-never-a-sexuality-issue/ Against Me’s Transgender Leader On Life As A Woman: ‘It Was Never A Sexuality Issue’ « Radio.com News

[...] May of 2012, Tom Gabel, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, shocked the music world by announcing that he was transgender and had started the process of becoming a woman, taking the name Laura Jane [...]
http://kroq.cbslocal.com/2013/04/10/against-mes-transgender-leader-on-life-as-a-woman-it-was-never-a-sexuality-issue/ Against Me’s Transgender Leader On Life As A Woman: ‘It Was Never A Sexuality Issue’ « The World Famous KROQ

[...] May of 2012, Tom Gabel, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, shocked the music world by announcing that he was transgender and had started the process of becoming a woman, taking the name Laura Jane [...]
http://x1075lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2013/04/10/against-mes-transgender-leader-on-life-as-a-woman-it-was-never-a-sexuality-issue/ Against Me’s Transgender Leader On Life As A Woman: ‘It Was Never A Sexuality Issue’ « X107.5

[...] May of 2012, Tom Gabel, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, shocked the music world by announcing that he was transgender and had started the process of becoming a woman, taking the name Laura Jane [...]
http://live105.cbslocal.com/2013/04/10/against-mes-transgender-leader-on-life-as-a-woman-it-was-never-a-sexuality-issue/ Against Me’s Transgender Leader On Life As A Woman: ‘It Was Never A Sexuality Issue’ « Live 105

[...] May of 2012, Tom Gabel, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, shocked the music world by announcing that he was transgender and had started the process of becoming a woman, taking the name Laura Jane [...]
http://whfs.cbslocal.com/2013/04/10/against-mes-transgender-leader-on-life-as-a-woman-it-was-never-a-sexuality-issue/ Against Me’s Transgender Leader On Life As A Woman: ‘It Was Never A Sexuality Issue’ « HFS at 97.5 – Baltimore's Rock Alternative

[...] May of 2012, Tom Gabel, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, shocked the music world by announcing that he was transgender and had started the process of becoming a woman, taking the name Laura Jane [...]
http://klli.cbslocal.com/2013/04/10/against-mes-transgender-leader-on-life-as-a-woman-it-was-never-a-sexuality-issue/ Against Me!’s Transgender Leader On Life As A Woman: ‘It Was Never A Sexuality Issue’ « Indie-Verse

[...] May of 2012, Tom Gabel, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, shocked the music world by announcing that he was transgender and had started the process of becoming a woman, taking the name Laura Jane [...]