Anti-Trump trans star sends message to JK Rowling as he blames Potter writer for hate
Trans singer Ryan Cassata, 32, touring Europe, has blasted Donald Trump, conservative Christians and US policing, saying “Everything the US does affects the rest of the world”
Ryan Cassata, 32, from New York, USA
A trans singer-songwriter has hit out at US President Donald Trump, conservative Christians and the police. Ryan Cassata, 32, from New York, USA, who is widely recognised for being one of the first openly transgender young people to share his story on a global stage, has spent the month touring venues across Europe.
Cassata, who has spoken out on shows including Larry King Live, said his live shows have become a rallying point for LGBTQIA+ fans, including people who feel unable to be open in their home countries, and he believes American politics is fuelling hostility far beyond the US.
Cassata said: “Everything the US does affects the rest of the world.
“Trans people around the world are affected by the United States government. There are no frontiers.”
Cassata, whose lyrics include “F— Trump” and “I don’t f— with cops”, said Trump repeatedly targets trans people. Cassata claimed: “Every other week, the fascist president of the United States is going to say something negative about trans people.”
Cassata, who was invited to the White House twice, said the honour is unlikely to happen a third time under the current president, as “now I’m sure I’m on a ban list, because now I’m a terrorist quote unquote to Trump”. Despite the confrontational language, Cassata insists he is committed to peaceful activism.
He said:“I don’t believe in violence. I’m a pacifist. I believe in peaceful demonstrations.
“Disrupting traffic is something I believe in.” Asked about conservative Christians who condemn trans people, Cassata argued they are betraying the faith they claim to defend.
He explained: “God just wants us to love each other. He doesn’t want us to hate each other.”
He added: “Jesus was a pacifist. He was an activist. He hung out with all of the outsiders.
“He would be friends with me. He would be friends with all trans people.
“He would not hate me.” Cassata continued: “He’d be friends with all LGBTQIA+ people, queer people.
“He would probably himself want to flip over tables at these conservatives that are just causing destruction and hate.” Cassata also claimed right-wing politics is designed to force trans people out of public life.
“The right-wing conservatives want us to go in the shadows and not be seen,” he said. “They don’t want trans people existing.”
Cassata added: “I’m willing to sacrifice anything, including my safety, for the trans liberation movement.” The singer also performs a track called “We Don’t F— with Cops”, describing it as “anti-police state”.
“I’m definitely against the current state of the police,” he said. “In the United States, it’s very corrupt.”
Turning to the UK and Europe, Cassata said acceptance varies widely by city and claimed trans exclusion happens even in LGBTQIA+ venues. He recalled: “I went into a gay bar in Prague and they said no trans men are allowed in here.
“The same thing happened to me in Amsterdam.” He also criticised author J.K. Rowling, saying: “It’s gotten worse.
“A lot of it’s because of J.K. Rowling. I wish that she would open up her eyes and her heart.
“See that I am a human being.” For Cassata, the message remains simple: “There’s nothing bad about being trans.
“All we want is love. All we want is to love and to be loved.”
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