Absu’s Melissa Moore (aka Vis Crom): “I Lost My Band When I Came Out” as Transgender
With the Trump administration making moves to define transgender people out of existence, tensions within the transgender community — and amongst all of us who support every marginalized person’s desire to live freely and happily and enjoy the same rights as everyone else — are understandably high.
That prompted Melissa Moore, also known as Absu guitarist Vis Crom (now ex-Absu), to post an impassioned statement on her Facebook page this morning, as reported by Brooklyn Vegan. Melissa came out as a transgender woman to those close to her last year, but hadn’t made any public announcements until now. Her statement reads in full:
“ACHTUNG! Most of you know me from my time as Vis Crom of Absu, even though I probably didn’t look like a Melissa then. I am a transgender woman. If you live in the USA I ask all true heavy metal brothers and sisters to NOT VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN SCUM on Nov 6. They are initiating a literal inquisition against trans people. I hate politics and never post but this is real and desperate. This is not politics, this is an attempt to exterminate. Word on the street is trans aggressively are being viciously attacked physically and denied documents (like passport renewals) to even flee this dystopia. I intend be a knife to the throat of these evangelical scum, but I can’t fight alone.
“Thank you for your time. We are all on the same team. Sex, Drinks and Metal for life!!! 666”
An exchange on Twitter later in the afternoon contained a screen shot from a Facebook group that showed Melissa calling her now-former Absu band members transphobic, blaming the dissolution of the band in part on her coming out:
“It’s a long story and today is a busy day, but basically the most fucked up transphobia from my bandmates is what happened. The band is broken up and I am still at a loss on how to handle it. It [isn’t] ONLY because I am trans. RSG [Rumpelstiltskin Grinder] doesn’t play often but we are still tight!”
On behalf of everyone at MetalSucks, we are on TEAM MELISSA all the way. Bravo to her for summoning the courage to come out, speak up, and rally behind a very important cause. We’re with you, Melissa!
Melissa has since linked up with Philadelphia band Sonja, who released an EP earlier this year; stream it below.
