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Kim Petras, a singer-songwriter of German origin, has long been in the music industry. Catapulted to global recognition after featuring in Sam Smith's chart-topping single Unholy, the singer has since utilized the space she accomplished to bring to light how she had to suffer as a transgender woman.
In Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast that took place on June 28, 2023, the singer spoke on how society is plagued with anti-trans hate and retaliated against such hatred by advocating people's freedom to live life the way they want to.
"Everybody deserves to live their lives how they can," said the singer.
In the podcast, the 30-year-old singer song-writer touched upon how "brutal" are how trans people are discriminated against and how a very close bonding shared by the trans community assuages the onslaughts brought on by the wave of anti-trans hate. She also talked about her trans identity and approach to music. However, the key takeaway from the interview was her message on deserving of being seen and not settling for anything less.
Kim Petras speaks on the glaring amount of transphobia in society and the unbreakable bond in the trans community
Kim Petras is not new to the music industry, and being in the limelight has often made her vulnerable to some unwelcome comments about her gender. In the interview, however, she talks about how trans people are treated in general, considering the current political scenario in the States, which is creating waves of anti-trans rhetoric.
She said:
"It’s brutal how people treat trans people."
The Unholy singer painted a picture of the current situation of the trans community and how their lives are rendered precarious by the anti-trans sentiment spreading across the country. She specifically drew attention to the shaming and judgment one must endure after coming out as a trans person, and sometimes the anti-trans can get so violent that it can escalate to "murder."
She went on record to say:
"The judgement around it is still so intense and scary — there’s so much actual murder and things like that happening [to] the trans community that’s really terrifying."
However, every cloud has a silver lining; the silver lining for the trans community has always been their bonding and the love and support they give each other. According to Kim Petras, that's essential for the community's survival.
She said:
"That’s the one thing that I want people to know — the dolls have each other’s backs."
The Alone singer took a moment to appreciate the support that her circle of trans friends has given her, stating that she "couldn't live life" without them. She also had some advice for trans people struggling to find acceptance. She has to experience this often in getting called a "man," but she knows how to combat such "horrible" situations.
She continued:
"Find the people who get you and who support you and focus on that...I still get called a man every single day...I know how like horrible that situation can be."
Kim Petras on making music and not settling for anything less
The singer also reflected on her trans identity and how that impacted her music. She said that it didn't matter who she was when it came to music. In a way, music allowed her the space to express herself without any discrimination; instead, once inside the studio, she focused more on her voice and songwriting skills.
"What's so special about music is that, when I started going to studios, it really didn't matter who I was. All that mattered was: Is my songwriting good? Can I sing?"
Kim Petras had undergone gender confirmation surgery at 16 and has always lent a voice to her community. In the interview, she spread the message of loving oneself and knowing that one is worthy of deserving "love" and not settling for "anything less."
Kim Petras made history by being the first transgender woman to win a Grammy for collaborating with Sam Smith in Unholy. In her speech, she thanked all the transgender icons before her and Madonna for consistently supporting the LGBTQIA community for paving the way before her.
