A concert held at London’s Wembley Arena will aim to send “a bold and loud message” of solidarity with the trans community, co-organiser and pop singer Olly Alexander has said.
Trans Mission is taking place this Wednesday (11 March) and will feature star performances from a number of music artists, including Alexander himself, rock band Wolf Alice, Christine and the Queens, Imogen Heap, poet and musician Kae Tempest, Kate Nash, the Sugababes, Tom Grennan, Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto and Adam Lambert.
The event, which will be hosted by TV presenter Harriet Rose, will also host special appearances from allies such as actors Sir Ian McKellen and Russell Tovey, drag queens Juno Birch and Tia Kofi, and authors Shon Faye, Juno Dawson and Munroe Bergdorf.
“These times are challenging for many of us and especially the trans community,” Alexander told The Independent. “I know that many people want to show their support but aren’t sure how to do it or are afraid of backlash or repercussions. Trans Mission is about joy and positivity – it’s an opportunity to send a bold and loud message that we stand with the trans community, we are stronger together and we won’t be silenced.”
The Independent spoke with some of the artists and organisers involved about why they wanted to take part, their messages for the trans community and the queer artists who inspire them (answers have been condensed and edited for clarity).
Olly Alexander
What inspired you to create this event?
There has been a growing tide of anti-trans sentiment for many years now and after the Supreme Court ruling last year and the completely unworkable EHRC guidance that followed, trans people in this country are facing some very difficult challenges. My hope is that an event like this can send a big statement that trans people are loved and that cisgender people care about what’s happening to them. I’ve been very close to trans people for most of my life and I see transphobia as an issue that affects all of us.
How did you go about curating the lineup and what was the response like?
After the Supreme Court ruling last year, I helped put together an open letter of support for the trans community signed by artists from the UK music industry. I was so happy that everybody I approached signed their name; also, it meant we had a roster of artists we knew cared about the cause – that’s where we started with building the lineup. I’ve known Glyn Fussell from Mighty Hoopla for a long time and he’s been wanting to put on an event like this for some time, too. Once he came on board, it felt like we had a lot of momentum.
We very quickly filled all the slots for performances and speakers, which was super encouraging! Our tagline for the event is a night of solidarity for a lifetime of change. It was important for us to have a mix of wonderful recognisable cisgender artists on the bill, as well as superb trans talent, to show that we are building a coalition and this is a time for cisgender people to step up and show their support.
Beth Ditto
Why is the Trans Mission event something you wanted to get behind?
Trans voices need to be heard and highlighted. And right now, there are debates about the basic existence of an entire group of people. This isn’t new. Marginalized people face this every day. And bringing joy, creating a place to spotlight them, celebrate them AND bring resources to help them is an honour. Just like knowing them.
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What message do you want to send to the trans community?
The message? It’s hard to choose one. But for now, I’ll say the message is: try as some might, whether through legislation, debate, discrimination, or even so far as violence, we will still be here. We have ALWAYS been here. We will still be living, and paying our bills, taking the bus, doing a crossword, cooking dinner, raising children. We will still be living. Just like anyone does. You can pretend. But it’s imaginary. We are here. Never needed permission to exist. We simply do.
Adam Lambert
Why is the Trans Mission event something you wanted to get behind?
Because joy is resistance, and creating a space where trans people feel safe, celebrated, and seen is powerful. Sometimes our community is only associated with negativity, sadness, and tragedy. I am all for an event that brings us together in joy, love, and positivity.
What message do you want to send to the trans community?
You never needed permission to exist exactly as you are. You belong here, and there are so many of us proud to stand beside you.
Is there a trans musician, artist or creator you’d like to shout out, and what about them inspires you?
I’m constantly inspired by trans artists who refuse to make themselves smaller for comfort; that kind of honesty is real rock and roll to me. Their courage expands what freedom looks like for all of us. So I’m into all of them!
Christine and the Queens
Why is the Trans Mission event something you wanted to get behind?
I am honoured and always happy to stand for freedom with my comrades in such strange times
Is there a trans musician, artist or creator you’d like to shout out, and what about them inspires you?
I don’t really dissociate transness from queerness in that regard – I see the artist’s art as a distillation of their soul knowledge, and for that Anohni is a mastermind, Bowie and Grace Jones too, I respect every one of them who bended assigned-at birth gender with something more threatening to the public order of fake sanity.
I see all the glorious dreamers and mavericks, from the great choreographers of our time to Prince and MJ, as a part of this deepening of the spectrum. I see them as a shaman of remembrance, blurring established lines into distinguished emanations of an incarnation that seeks its true essence. All great spirits of music, literature, cinema and dance somehow shaped for us exceptions that keep on inspiring us to be bold, in the way our inner child would want us to still be.
Harriet Rose
Why is the Trans Mission event something you wanted to get behind?
Right now, in this moment in time, whilst the world seems so divided, we need to come together and celebrate each other and the beauty of our community. For me, supporting my trans siblings is a vital part of being a queer woman. So I wanted to support in any way I could.
What message do you want to send to the trans community?
My message to the trans community is you are beautiful, you are valid and you deserve to be celebrated. You deserve protection and support just like everyone in the LGBTQ plus community and that’s what we are here to do. Support and celebrate.
Is there a trans musician, artist or creator you’d like to shout out, and what about them inspires you?
Jinx Monsoon truly is one of my favourite people on this earth, I love her and I love her impact on the community and the world – she speaks with such eloquence and also she is HILARIOUS. I also saw Jacob Alon (they are non-binary) – they just won Critics’ Choice [at the Brit Awards] and I feel like they are going to make a really positive impact on the world with their music and their energy. I’m a big Kae Tempest fan!!
Bimini
Why did you want to get involved with Trans Mission?
As soon as I heard about Trans Mission through mutual friends, I just thought it was the most incredible event to come together to not only rally and support the trans community but to raise important funds. When lack of services, lack of funding and smear campaigns are happening every single day in the media, it’s time for allies to really turn up, show up, show out and show the trans community that they’re not alone.
We need to show the trans community that you are not alone. You are loved. There are people that will be there for you and will support you right now. Your existence as a trans person is valid, it is important and you have the right as a trans person to feel safe. And right now, I know that not everybody feels safe. We will keep fighting.
Is there a trans artist or creator who inspires you?
Shout out to Planningtorock, a trans musician. I’ve recently had the pleasure of working with them and we will be putting out a song together, a remix of their track “Let’s Talk About Gender”. Working with them was just such an incredible experience, and they are a trans musician who has been in the game for a long time and has been a trailblazer, so to work with them has been hugely inspiring.
Simon Jones
I was asked to help as one of the core team for Trans Mission by my good friend Glyn Fussell, who runs Mighty Hoopla. I’ve worked for a long time in the entertainment industry, but right now I’m very focused on what I can do to help the LGBTQ+ community and everything we are currently facing.
The Trans Mission concert says we are with you, not against you. With you not just as an LGBTQ community, but also with allies and friends across the board. We will all fight for our rights together, just as we have for decades before this. We’re also saying we won’t accept an erosion of rights, that it’s time to stand up loudly and say, as allies and a community, we do not agree.
I firmly believe there is no LGB without the T. I’m so saddened by the people in our community who are working hard to divide us. History shows we will always be stronger together, and we should never forget the shoulders of the people we stand on today.
100 per cent of the profits raised from Trans Mission will be split between Not a Phase and the Good Law Project. Tickets are on sale now.
