Pride Month Music 02-Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!
Friday, June 20, 2025
Happy Pride Month! 🌈🏳️🌈
As we approach the
end of Pride Month, I’m creating lettering pieces celebrating music
related to LGBTQIA+ community. My goal is to expose people to good music
and artists while also help bringing the community filled with diversity
together, since music is like a universal language that can touch
anyone’s heart.
This time, we’ll discuss the song “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” by Against Me!—a story about the experience of gender dysphoria, particularly for transgender people. The song highlights the struggle against societal rejection and the pain of not being recognized or accepted as one’s true self. It becomes increasingly difficult to act as if you belong in this world. Some people may even exploit your insecurities, self-hatred, and self-doubt, which only deepens your dysphoria.
Being misgendered is heartbreaking, but the self-hatred that can follow is even more painful.
Gender dysphoria disrupts your inner sense of self. At first, you begin questioning yourself and every decision in your life—who you should be, how you should behave. Worst of all, you may start to question your very worth: Are you truly deserving of existence? Were you somehow born wrong, not meant to exist at all? Amidst this battle with identity conflict and self-hatred, there is also a deep longing for companionship and acceptance from others.
I believe that if even one person reaches out to affirm that you are worthy of love and that it’s okay to be exactly who you are, it can make a profound difference. You don’t have to try to be anything other than yourself; simply being who you are is more than enough. While this support can help, ultimately, it is your internal dialogue—you alone—who can ease your dysphoria. The truth is, it seems almost impossible to feel loved when you cannot love yourself.
In essence, what I’m trying to say is this: every human deserves to live, to love, and to be loved. It’s okay to feel confused about your identity, as long as you recognize that life is about more than just identities. The world can still be beautiful, even when you don’t fully understand yourself. You don’t have to figure everything out right now; you just need to remain open to the possibilities that life offers.
For this lettering, I chose a neon light style to symbolize the light that lives within you—even when you struggle to see it yourself. Your inner light can always shine brightly, no matter how much the outside world tries to cast shadows upon you. This inner glow is constant and resilient, ready to illuminate even the darkest moments—if you allow it to.
Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Your tells are so obvious
Shoulders too broad for a girl
Keeps you reminded
Helps you to remember where you come from
You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see every other girl
They
just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could have spent the whole
day alone
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could have spent
the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could
have spent the whole day alone with you
With you, with you
You've got no cunt in your strut
You've got no hips to shake
And you know it's obvious
But we can't choose how we're made
You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see every other girl
They
just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could have spent the whole
day alone
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could have spent
the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could
have spent the whole day alone with you
With you, with you
You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see every other girl
They
just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could have spent the whole
day alone
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could have spent
the whole day alone
Rough surf on the coast,
I wish I could
have spent the whole day alone with you
With you, with you