24/11/2021
Billy Bragg has been a consistent voice for equality and justice for the last forty years. His principled messages in music have inspired generations of activists for peace and workers' rights and at the same time he has avoided alienating music fans by joining any of the man left wing sects in the UK. Now, according to our colleagues at Trans Radio UK, one of his most memorable songs has been given a makeover to refer to trans rights. “Sexuality” was released in 1991 and was designed to show solidarity with the groups then proliferating such as OutRage! And the Lesbian Avengers, who were taking homophobia to task. Thirty years on, Mr Bragg says that lesbians and gay men are to an extent, a mainstream part of society, so he has reworked his song to show solidarity with transgender people, who have been bearing the brunt of demonisation in the right wing press and broadcasters.
