Wrabel Rocks My World
AN HOMAGE TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS WHO IS EFFECTING CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN | By Casey Weitzman, M.A., L.M.F.T.
In case you haven’t heard of him, Wrabel, is an American singer/songwriter born in NYC and based, today, here in Los Angeles — and his music rocks my world, in a good way, of course! He’s a 28-year-old musician that began playing piano when he was 15 or 16. Recently, the power of his music and lyrics really seem to be resonating for pop music fans. He records and performs himself and has also written songs for Adam Lambert, Ellie Goulding and more.
Many in the trans community may be familiar with the song, “The Village.” (If you’re not, you should be!) In an interview published by Huffpost, writer Eileen Shapiro describes it as “…urgent, poignant, heart-rendering and powerful…unleashed in the wake of the trans military ban…moved by two brave transgender teenagers who he befriended, Wrabel wrote the song on February 23rd, the day Trump took away Federal protections for trans students in public schools. It was released only days days after he tweeted to ban trans people from serving in the military.”
I had the good fortune of hearing Wrabel sing this beautiful song, performing it at an event in Los Angeles for MusicCares. It brought tears to many — regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or awareness of the transgender community. Embedded here, the music video shows a young trans boy living with his closed-minded family while the lyrics explain the difficulties in being transgender and a part of the LGBT+ community. The video ends with “#trans_rights_are_human_rights”.
In 2017, Wrabel was honored with a place in the OUT100, and earlier this year, Out.com further celebrated the artist, publishing “Wrabel’s Transgender Fans Help Him Find His Voice in The Loudest Sound: The musician and OUT100 honoree explains how one song changed everything.” Accompanying the article, and embedded here, is The Loudest Sound, a short doc-style video that reveals Wrabel’s coming out story and how “The Village” came to be.
Change is coming, America will be greater again, and trans people will be recognized and respected for their part in the process, despite recent Trump administration setbacks. Thus, I urge you to support artists like Wrabel who are making a difference, effecting positive change in our society.
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Casey Weitzman is the Founder & Director of Gender Wellness of Los Angeles and has been a licensed marriage and family therapist for almost 25 years, counseling children and adults who are exploring gender identity and/or sexual orientation issues. She is an active member of WPATH (World Professional Association of Transgender Health), CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists), and AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists).