Punk rocker Laura Jane Grace, a transgender artist, recently performed at Senator ‘ “Fighting Oligarchy” rally.

Regalrumination.com has reached out to Sanders’ office via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Many have called billionaire ‘s rise to political power a “.” Musk, President ‘s ally, leads the nongovernmental task force, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In its first month of operation, it has restructured multiple federal agencies and recommended mass layoffs, sparking backlash and concern from Trump critics, as well as from some .

Meanwhile, Grace’s performance comes as Trump has taken steps to unravel protections for transgender people.

On Inauguration Day, January 20, Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government.” The order mandated that his administration would use “clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.”

What To Know

Grace, the 44-year-old singer and guitarist of punk band Against Me!, took the stage at a “Fighting Oligarchy” rally hosted by Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the , in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday.

The rally marked the kickoff of a new campaign by Sanders, a two-time presidential candidate who has , which is aimed at resisting Musk’s recent actions with DOGE to “dismantle government agencies,” describing it as “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”

The tour, announced last month, began on February 21 in Omaha, Nebraska, and has continued with stops in Kenosha on Friday and Altoona, Wisconsin, on Saturday as Sanders aims to visit “working class” districts that former President won in 2020, but House members took in 2024.

Following her performance, Grace took to social media to express gratitude to Sanders.

“Thank you for the opportunity to perform,” she wrote on adding that she holds “so much respect” for Sanders’ actions.

However, Grace’s performance, which featured a live rendition of her track “Your God (God’s D**k)”, quickly became a lightning rod for criticism from right-wing commentators.

The social media account Libs of , managed by Chaya Raichik and known for its frequent targeting of the LGBTQ+ community, shared a clip of the performance, calling it “absolutely sickening.”

Libs of TikTok is known for its inflammatory anti-LGBTQ+ posts and opposition to so-called “woke” ideology in professional environments.

The backlash comes as ongoing cultural and political divisions surrounding transgender rights have been at the forefront since Trump began his second term, subsequently unraveling protections for transgender people with executive orders including .

Trump’s efforts come as transgender Americans have been the target of hundreds of Republican-backed bills in recent years, including for bathroom usage, sports participation by transgender athletes and restricting certain content in schools or libraries that refer to transgender identities.

Sanders, a long-time advocate for equality and progressive causes, has yet to respond publicly to the criticism against Grace.

Friday night’s rally in Wisconsin, a state that flipped to the Republicans in last November’s Presidential Election, saw around 3,500 people come out to see Sanders speak.

Who Is Laura Jane Grace?

Grace first discovered the rebellious spirit of punk rock during her junior high years, finding solace in the genre as she navigated depression, drug use, legal issues, and struggles with gender dysphoria.

In 1997, Grace founded the band Against Me!, dropping out of high school to pursue music full-time. The band quickly built a devoted grassroots following, gaining traction in the punk scene for its raw sound.

Then in 2012 Grace came out as a transgender woman, in what Rolling Stone called a first for a major rock star.

Grace’s story reached new audiences in 2016 with the release of her memoir, Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout. The candid book offered insight into her journey, from her early days in the punk scene to her experience coming out as transgender.

Grace has since remained both a musician and an activist as she continues to champion transgender rights, using her platform to advocate for equality and share her story with audiences worldwide.

Previously speaking to Regalrumination.com in 2016, Grace spoke out about the a week after North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a sweeping new law that bars any new LGBT anti-discrimination legislation from being enacted in the state.

She recalled one of the first times she experienced violence in a public restroom at her daughter’s soccer practice.

“A guy jumped out in front of me and blocked me from entering the restroom. He stood there with my daughter on the other side of him inside the bathroom,” Grace told Regalrumination.com in a telephone interview. “Seeing a way bigger person than me obviously willing to enact violence” was frightening, she said.

What People Are Saying

Senator Bernie Sanders in his video announcement of the tour last month: “The oligarch’s nightmare is that we will not allow ourselves to be divided up by race, religion, sexual orientation or religion and will together have the courage to take them on.”

RoseAnn DeMoro, a longtime friend of Sanders and a former labor leader, told Politico in February: “I think he’s trying to inspire a very strong resistance to the oligarchy…If the Democrats listened to Bernie, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I assume he feels a deep level of disgust.”

President Donald Trump, during his inaugural speech: “This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson, in a statement: “The incoming administration is trying to divide our communities in the hope that we forget what makes us strong. But we refuse to back down or be intimidated. We are not going anywhere. And we will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything we’ve got.”

What Happens Next

The “Fighting Oligarchy” tour is expected to continue, but it’s unclear when the next stop is.

Slashes to federal government spending are expected to continue and will need to expand substantially if Musk is to reduce expenditures by anything close to $2 trillion annually.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s policies regarding transgender rights, which have been a flashpoint of controversy throughout his presidency, are expected to spark legal battles and deepen national divisions over gender.