i’ve blogged a bit about one of my favorite musicians, namoli brennet, a few times in the past, and have been looking for her older, out of print cd’s. i found a copy of welcome to the afterglow on the internet, and received it just yesterday. it’s even a signed copy.

my collection will be complete after i find boy in a dress for less than $58.84, which is what it’s selling for on amazon.com.

beside the fact that she’s a great songwriter, musician, and performer, namoli represents a rare breed in the trans community. trans role models are difficult to find, especially outside the context of activists or authors. many of us are broken to a certain degree, perhaps as a result of the way trans people are seen in our society. it makes for a difficult life at best when you are formed and grow in an environment in which you are seen as “mentally ill”, and “dangerous, sinful and not in keeping with basic morality”.

lynn conway maintains a page on her website with many examples of successful women who have fully transitioned, and that’s a great start. but to most people, we are hardly human, no less successes. i fully support namoli’s efforts, not only because she’s a wonderful musician, but because she personifies just one example of a successful person, who just happens to be trans.