this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2025
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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 129 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The Kinks released Lola, a song about a trans woman, in 1970

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 100 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Swiftly followed by Bowie releasing Queen Bitch in 1971 and Lou Reed releasing Take A Walk on The Wild Side in 1972.

Bowie and Reed were both heavily involved in the New York drag scene at the time.

[–] bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 34 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Lou Reed also wrote Candy Says with the Velvet Underground about Candy Darling's desire to escape her gender assigned at birth.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Good shout. I'd also argue there's basically no way to read Bowie's Rebel Rebel that isn't about gender fuckery of some kind. I'd argue very strongly that it's an AMAB character presenting femme.

[–] DashboTreeFrog@discuss.online 26 points 3 days ago

The cover by the band Ripe is absolutely amazing.

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 5 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I just read the lyrics and it doesn't seem that positive. Am I wrong? It contains for example this line:

Well, I'm not the world's most masculine man
But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man
And so is Lola
La-la-la-la Lola
La-la-la-la Lola

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 39 points 3 days ago

It's just because the way we understand transgender people has changed a lot in the last 50 years. Ultimately the guy accepts Lola for who she is, so I don't see how that can be considered bad, especially when the band has said for decades that they wrote the song to give trans people perception in the public eye.

[–] Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works 26 points 3 days ago

Ray doesn’t really cuss Lola - he’s just a bit surprised / disappointed that the pretty girl is… not physically a girl. It was probably a bit of an eye opener for a dude that only left home a week before. That’s how I’ve always understood it…

For a guy in 1970 it’s pretty accepting I reckon.

[–] TrousersMcPants@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago

Not sure if the point is positive representation so much as representation, since in the original image the guy seems to be saying trans people simply didn't exist in the 80s

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago

It isn’t very positive, that’s for sure. But it is historical evidence that trans people have existed before 2020