It’s a slow movement, but it’s gaining momentum. We are excited to see the beginning of this movement really happening, as more and more celebrities and public figures are coming out as transgender or gender queer or even just non-binary. In a world where, not so long ago, a celebrity coming out as gay was career suicide; we are starting to see transgender people taking the stage and established personalities coming out as well. EVEN IF we might not agree with what all of them say. If you know what I mean, and I am willing to bet you do. Which leads us to an Australian comedy trio releasing a video entitled “What Happened to Jordan’s Beard”
In the states you may not be as familiar with Jordan Raskopoulos or her group “Axis of Awesome”, but in Australia they are a very well known comedy troupe that has been around for a very long time now. In the states they are probably most well known for their song “4 Chords” which pokes fun at all pop songs using the same four chords.
Recently Jordan and the Axis made news with a statement about Jordan (still using her birth name) coming out as transgender and revealing that she has been in transition since March of 2015.
Jordan very quickly gets to the heart of the matter by addressing the elephant in the room.
“The truth of the matter is that there is a very good reason I got rid of my beard… that reason is that I am transgender.”
The reasoning was simple, and her experience all too familiar.
“Gender dysphoria is something I can remember dealing with ever since I was a kid, but I learned early on to be ashamed of it, and keep it a secret.”
In 2014, Jordan was on tour in the UK and found herself facing her biggest realization. She knew at that moment that if she wanted to be happy she would have to transition. Despite the fears over the reactions of her partners in the Axis as well as their fans, Jordan decided to start her journey towards happiness and fulfillment.
Part of her strength came from the trail blazed by trans women in entertainment, specifically naming Lana Wachowski and “Against Me!” frontwoman Laura Jane Grace. Their strength helped her own inner resolve and determination to be happier. And, as Jordan says in her video:
“Being trans does not mean you have to give up on your life, your friends, your family, your career, or your achievements.”
The response following the video’s release has been overwhelmingly positive, with their fans offering support and love to Raskopoulos and her group. Jordan has stated that she is completely relieved by the response and happy to finally get back to what she loves doing.
But she did leave viewers who might not agree with her decision a little bit of advice.
Check out the entire video below. And say good bye to Jordan’s beard. Let us know in the comments what you think.
Check out Axis of Awesome’s website here or on social media at Facebook and Twitter. You can also see their official YouTube channel here.
