Powerful trans and non-binary music video begs government for ’empathy and understanding’
Artist Skaly hugging Quinn Birkholz in the music video for “Redundant”. (Supplied)
Non-binary artist Skaly has made a powerful new music video pleading with the UK government to show empathy to the trans community.
It’s almost 20 years since the UK government passed the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), giving trans people the right to have their gender legally recognised for the first time.
At the time, the act was a breakthrough for trans rights – but almost two decades on, it’s woefully out of date. Needlessly complicated, the GRA is rooted in mistrust for the trans people it’s supposed to serve, critics say, and provides a total lack of recognition for non-binary people.
Plans announced by the government (under Theresa May) to reform the GRA were shelved amid spiralling transphobia in the UK. Newspapers are overflowing with anti-trans hit pieces, and both of England’s biggest political parties are more than willing to weaponise trans rights when it suits them.
It’s not an easy time to be trans or non-binary. All the community can do is use their voices to speak out against the oppression that’s being unleashed upon them.
That’s exactly what artist and songwriter Skaly is doing with their new song “Redundant”. Originally written about a relationship, the song took on new meaning for Skaly when the government started flip-flopping on whether it should include trans people in its long-discussed conversion therapy ban.
“I felt a similar emotion to the one I felt in this very different context,” Skaly tells PinkNews.
“And I thought about the social power in empathy and that every person must have known this feeling in one way or another throughout their lives
“The feeling of sadness and distress when someone doesn’t acknowledge what or who you really are and your importance as a human being, feeling redundant.”
Working with director Kevin King, Skaly came up with a two-part video project inspired by YungBlud’s “Mars” and Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush’s “Don’t Give Up”.
In part one, text flashes on the screen detailing the UK government’s attacks on the trans community – blocking Scottish GRA reform, Boris Johnson’s attempt to exclude trans people from the conversion therapy ban, plus the ever-increasing rate of hate crime – while an array of trans and non-binary artists lip-sync to Skaly’s song.
At the end, Skaly speaks words that could be directed at an ex-lover or the current government:
“You empowered me but you couldn’t handle it once I was powerful. Always making me feel like I should be smaller. …
“You made me feel like a stranger and that’s what my song was about, the song you say sounds unauthentic, that’s how out of touch you are with feeling empathy towards me. How dare you.”
The second part is made up of interviews with the artists featured, who reflect on their own experiences of coming out to parents who rejected them, repressing their true identity, being abused and othered, the threat of conversion therapy, and of being made to feel unsafe.
“It’s scary, because you never know what could potentially happen,” says one person.
UK government is ‘careless and biased’ when it comes to trans rights
A project like this has never felt so urgent. In the face of legislative attacks, creaking healthcare systems and outright violence, trans and non-binary people are suffering.
“The experiences of trans and non-binary people differ a lot but if there’s one thing in common at least to all trans and non-binary people that I’ve met in my life is that we all have traumas related to being unaccepted and abused for our gender identity and our often noticeably different than expected gender expressions,” Skaly says.
“Most people I’ve met who are trans or non-binary struggle a lot on a daily basis, often with gender dysphoria and the related difficulties around their bodies and the effects of traumas on their minds, and then also feel very unsafe expressing themselves authentically to the people around them because they’re often met with negative reactions that trigger post traumatic responses or experience even more physical and emotional abuse.”
In the face of those injustices, the UK government has been “careless and biased” in its approach to the community, Skaly says.
“It feels that many MPs see gender diverse people as a risk instead of at risk and since there’s no basis to see the community as dangerous, I believe it shows that they are scared of what they don’t understand. This is why this project calls for empathy and understanding.”
Skaly feels that the UK government doesn’t see the trans community as “important enough” to bother protecting. As they unleash “Redundant” on the world, their message to prime minister Rishi Sunak is clear: it’s time to take action and move away from hateful rhetoric.
“Do something great,” Skaly says. “And if you still think we are dangerous just because we’re not cis men and women, let’s speak. Let’s work together for a better outcome for all. Surely there are more experienced political activists than me who’s primarily an artist. They should be heard, and I’m happy to take part as well. I just might end up writing songs about it and making you feel things but I think that’s a risk worth taking.”
Things might not be ideal right now, but Skaly remains hopeful for the future.
“I don’t believe this is a war against evil but rather deep differences in backgrounds and we should never forget that most people want the same, to live safely and authentically and humans are so greatly capable of change.”
