In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong spoke out against anti-trans rhetoric, calling the current moral panic surrounding transgender youth “close-minded.”
The Green Day singer, who came out as bisexual in a 1995 interview with The Advocate, spoke with The Los Angeles Times about his thoughts on the ongoing moral panic surrounding trans youth in the United States.
“I think they’re f*cking close-minded,” said Armstrong, referring to parents who aren’t supportive of their trans children. “It’s like people are afraid of their children. Why would you be afraid? Why don’t you let your kid just be the kid they are?”
While Armstrong has been openly queer since 1995, the singer claims that his music has always been influenced by his queerness, including the band’s upcoming album, Saviors, which Armstrong claims features a new “queer singalong” track.
The track in question, titled ‘Bobby Sox’, features the lyrics: “Doesn’t matter when we are in love / You’re not just any type of girl / My one true love and you’re my world / Do you wanna be my girlfriend? / Do you wanna be my boyfriend?”
@billiejoearmstrong @greenday never letting us down 🏳️⚧️💞 #TransKidsDeserveToGrowUp
Celebrities speaking out about their support for Trans youth is VITAL, whether they are part of the community or not!
🏳️⚧️#TransKidsDeserveToGrowU pic.twitter.com/72oS5H4Xxw
— Dee Whitnell | Accredited Sex Educator (@S3xTheoryDee) January 18, 2024
Despite the fact that the track has been dedicated to Armstrong’s wife, Adrienne, the singer claims that it felt freeing to sing openly about having a male love interest.
“I’m kind of playing the character of the woman, but it also felt really liberating to sing, ‘Do you wanna be my boyfriend?’” Armstrong added. “It became more of a queer singalong.”
Armstrong went on to tell The Los Angeles Times that, when he played the track for a queer friend of the same age, his friend teared up. The pair then reflected on how far the LGBTQ+ community has come since Green Day released their first track in 1987.
“It brought a tear to his eye when he heard the second verse. Nowadays, it’s more common for kids to be LGBTQ, and there’s more support,” said Armstrong. “But for us, back in the day, that was like the beginning of when people were able to openly say things like that.”
Green Day’s latest album Saviors debuts tomorrow, January 19, and will be available for streaming on all major music platforms.
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