Arts & Entertainment

LCD Soundsystem’s Gavin Russom comes out as transgender

the musician says she has felt female since she was a child

Published

8 years ago

July 7, 2017

Mariah Cooper

?Gavin Rayna Russom?

A post shared by Gavin Russom (@gavinrussom) on Jul 6, 2017 at 9:41am PDT

LCD Soundsystem synth player Gavin Russom has come out as transgender in a candid interview with Grindr.

The 43-year-old musician explained she has been attempting to come out about her gender identity for years.

“This is my fifth decade being alive, and in each of those decades, there’s been a time where I’ve tried to say, ‘Hey, I think I’m transgender,'” Russom, who says she has identified as female since she was a child, told Grindr. “This was even before that word existed.”

Russom came out to her friends, family and bandmates earlier this year. She says the band has been “really supportive” of her transition and that “the general feeling in the group is that will make the band better.”

She is still currently going by the name “Gavin” but announced her new full name “Gavin Rayna Russom” on Instagram.

In an essay published in Pitchfork, she credits speaking with the transgender community in New York City with giving her the courage to finally be honest about her identity.

“I think the most helpful thing was talking to people with different transgender experiences, especially those with upbringings, economic circumstances, and ethnic backgrounds different than my own. It allowed me to hear all these different perspectives and see the ways in which the trans experience is so varied and so individual. But also, there are certain things that seem to be common threads,” Russom writes.

She says she hopes her story can help others struggling with their own gender identity.

“For anybody who is struggling with their gender identity or who wants to come out and is afraid to what would be better than giving someone permission to do that through my performance,” Russom says. “That’s the ultimate. It’s what other people gave to me, so I’d love to pass that along to other people, too.”

Russom will DJ her first show as a transgender woman at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago on July 13. LCD Soundsystem will release “American Dream,” its first studio album in seven years, in September.

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Calendar

Calendar: March 21-27

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

3 hours ago

March 21, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, March 21

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, March 22

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 11 a.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black lesbian. You do not need to be a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter or the Beta Phi Omega Sorority in order to join, but they do ask that you either identify as a lesbian or are questioning that aspect of your identity. For more details, email [email protected].

Sunday, March 23

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation” at 1:30 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for someone looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, March 24

“Center Aging Monday Coffee & Conversation” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].

Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This month’s read is “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. For more information, email [email protected].

Tuesday, March 25

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is for people who identify outside of the gender binary – whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.

Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group and a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.

Wednesday, March 26

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

LGBTQ Senior Spring Fling Dinner and Dance will be at 6 p.m. at the True Reformer Building. Join Capitol Hill Village, DACL, The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center, Iona, and Seabury for its first-ever event of this kind, where there’ll be a DJ, special party favors, and lots of good food. To RSVP, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, March 27

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.

Photos

PHOTOS: Ziegfeld’s/Secrets Reunion Party

Crush event celebrates legendary venue

Published

2 days ago

March 19, 2025

Michael Key

Ella Fitzgerald performs at the Ziegfeld's/Secrets Reunion Party at Crush Dance Bar on Saturday, March 15. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A Ziegfeld’s/Secrets Reunion Party was held on Saturday, March 15 at Crush Dance Bar. The event celebrated and remembered the legendary local LGBTQ venue Ziegfeld’s/Secrets, closed in 2020. Performers at the reunion party drag show included Ella Fitzgerald, Destiny B. Childs, Tatiyanna Voche and Kristal Smith.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)