Why Do Trans Women Make Awesome Music?
Eugene Lang College Lib Arts: The Arts
CRN: 18209
Credits: 4
“Why do trans women make awesome music?!" So begins a recent Reddit thread. This course posits that part of what makes trans women's music "awesome" are the lyrics and sounds of their political demands in transmisogynistic cultures determined to silence them. To explore this question further, we will consider how music expresses transfeminist politics of race, class, gender, and sexuality in the post-"Trans Tipping Point" era of today. With a mixtape of songs by Ms. Boogie, Transcendence Gospel Choir, Arca, Susy Shock, SOPHIE, Ah-Mer-Ah-Su, Anohni, and more, we will explore how contemporary trans musicians have used music to amplify transfeminist politics as a soundscape that transmisogyny cannot drown out. The course will culminate in our own transfeminist album of original music inspired by the political aspirations and demands in the music we hear throughout the semester — a transfeminist chorus which students are a part.
College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)
Department: The Arts (ART)
Campus: New York City (GV)
Course Format: Seminar (R)
Modality: In-Person
Max Enrollment: 18
Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)
Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2025 (Monday)
Seats Available: Yes
Status: Open*
* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 11:30am EDT 3/15/2025