Jenni Rose, lead singer of the alt-country band Vandoliers, has come out publicly as a transgender woman, revealing a deeply personal journey that spanned more than three decades.
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In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Rose shared that she began coming out to close family and friends last summer. She told her bandmates later in the year. Now, after 36 years of trying to suppress her identity, she's ready to live openly.
"For 26 years, I've tried to be anything but a trans person, and it never went away," Rose said. "I didn't want anybody to ever find out. I've always kept people at arm's length because of this."
Letting Go of Fear
Despite her initial fears, Rose said the response has been more supportive than she anticipated.
"It's been great," she told Rolling Stone. "Jenni has way more friends. I never had friends before. Outside the band, I had no one. Now, I have a lot."
Still, the decision to come out wasn't easy. Rose described fearing the worst in nearly every conversation where she revealed her identity. Though most of those fears proved unfounded, she acknowledged one religious family member disapproved.
"I finally opened up, and I allowed myself to have friends," Rose said. "I allowed myself to take care of myself. I allow myself to just be me, regardless of what people are going to say or do."
She added that setting boundaries and practicing self-discipline helped her stop people-pleasing and embrace her identity. "That's when I gave myself permission to be who I am, and to be Jenni."
Lifelong Understanding
Rose said her awareness of her gender identity began in early childhood.
"When I was four, I didn't want to be a boy," she recalled. "But it was weird. I stopped. I was told it was bad, because that's what normal people would do: 'Stop wearing dresses. Boys don't play with dolls.'"
Rose added that the decision to live authentically comes at a time when many in the transgender community feel pressure to hide their identity. But for Rose, the choice is clear.
"I'm going to come out and see what happens," she said. "And so far, it's been better than I ever imagined."
