A US conductor copes with transexual change
NewsMessage on social media from James Gaffigan, incoming music director at Komische Oper, Berlin:
It’s tricky to talk about things besides music, food and my kids on social media but I would like to say how proud I am of Cam Kjøll.
Although we are not a couple anymore, we share a miracle of a child together and are great friends. Cam is on a journey that many people including family members don’t understand.
Cam is a proud member of the trans community, a genius parent, brilliant musician, a great listener and an example to people around the world that it’s okay to be yourself and listen to your inner voice.
They are a shining and guiding light for other generations to come, and working to opening passageways both in the society and within people. I continue to educate myself and the people around me about gender and identity. I also realize ignorant people get angry only because they don’t take the time to understand.
Cam is taking part in the pride parade today in Oslo! #OsloPride #Pride2023 🌈
As the incoming General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, we have the reputation of welcoming all types of people into our performance spaces.
I encourage all my colleagues and friends to accept and try to understand people who seem different. We are born without prejudice. We are born curious and loving. Let’s try to reconnect with that.
Kudos! Brave of the Maestro to go on the record supporting the trans community.
Good ! And courageous.
Congratulations.
How is this “courageous”? It is commonly accepted behavior in our modern liberal society.
not really- it seems like you folks on the right have tilted the balance and now most people are anti-trans. So good work, bigots
“We are born without prejudice. We are born curious and loving. Let’s try to reconnect with that.” AMEN! Sounds like the perfect “Universal Code of Life”! Or like the old song promises: “What the world needs now is LOVE, SWEET LOVE!”
Sorry, these bogus refulgences just won’t fly. Because these activists turn very nasty indeed in the face of any kind of dissent.
You mean dissent from people like yourself. Mr. Gaffigan’s honest and clearheaded statement hardly qualifies as activism.
For someone named “Sonata form” you exhibit a remarkable lack of development.
Most clever comment on slippedisc ever. Sonata form! Lack of development! Bravo
What kind of “dissent” are you talking about? Why would anyone object to this person’s decision to live their life the way they want?
What a touching message. A pity it’s for a cause he clearly completely misunderstands
The cause being…caring for and loving a family member? Seems to me it’s quite straightforward.
Bravo
This is such a strange headline. If this is news at all, why not something that simply describes the statement, “James Gaffigan Issues Statement In Support Of Spouse’s Gender Transition”? I don’t see anything about how he is “coping” with a change here. Absent any context,I’m also wondering why this statement about a conductor’s personal life merited this kind of attention from this blog. I don’t see it reported upon elsewhere. This seems very routine and unremarkable to me.
Routine? Can you name one other conductor or soloist whose spouse changed teams?
No, but who cares. Not me. Just get on with it. Nothing to see here.
Routine, when your wife turns into a bloke?
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cope
To defend Lebrecht on part of the point, this is squarely in line with what this blog posts about. Musicians announcing weddings, children births and other personal milestones are routinely reported. Gaffigan made a public post, intending it to be discussed – I see nothing wrong with picking it up.
“ I also realize ignorant people get angry only because they don’t take the time to understand.”
Oh, you “realize” that, do you? Wow, what a pearl of wisdom. Aren’t we just lucky that you deigned to descend among the economy class passengers for a second to share that? Well, all this worldwide controversy is sorted then. Turns out all along, it was just a matter of “taking the time” to understand! Are those “ignorant” people still “ignorant” once they’ve “taken the time”? But of course, I’m sure you’ll let us know when YOU decide. Thank goodness you, the great and powerful James Gaffigan, are here to ”educate” the “people around me about gender and identity”. Maybe that should be a new career, telling others what to think. You’re so good at it!
Yeah, screw you, James, typical woke elitist. I notice you don’t go so far as to commit to “he” or “her” when it comes to “Cam”. Maybe “they” are “non-binary” (or, excuse me and so, so sorry – ‘enby’)?
Since the “proud” and “brilliant” “Genius” “Cam” has also deigned to let “people around the world” know that “it’s okay to be yourself and listen to your inner voice”, I’m going to do just that, and like the vast majority of others, including a probable silent contingent of your own colleagues and musical collaborators, OPPOSE AND BLOCK YOUR FAKE, BANKRUPT IDEALOGY. Unlike you, we won’t make sure to tell you about it, though.
Stick to conducting, if that’s what you call it.
What a load of BS
Oh dear
Your hysterical rant speaks volumes about you. It also clearly demonstrates why it is so important to publicly support trans people. I shudder to think that they are exposed to the primitive hate that you display.
The real issue is that there are children in this dysphoric mix. Nobody cares about them in the slightest. It’s all about me, me, me, me………..
That certainly would explain the way you turned out, you must have had dysphoric parents.
What a horrible, spiteful, and hateful diatribe.
Is this comment a bad example of AI? (artificial ignorance)
Skeptic, let me ask an important question: Why does it upset you how someone else lives their life in a way that maximizes their own happiness?
I thought your vile rant on Joel Grey would be enough to satisfy you today but no. You had to continue denigrating others. Feel better now? What a sorry excuse for a human you are. And also why can’t you give us your real name instead of hiding your venom under a pseudonym?
Looks like you’ve proved his point.
Angry elf!!! Chill out. You take yourself way too seriously. Nobody cares that much about your opinion.
Show me on the doll where the conductor hurt you.
Be careful. You will be the recipient of more hate and intolerance from the woke “inclusives” than you can imagine. They will send you to the cancel gulag because they only believe in diversity so long as you toe the line and prate the woke cant and submit to their anti-science absurdity without reservation.
He’s another us empire clown in the american degenerate circus.
The abuse of language marches on. There are two genders. What gender a person might „identify“ with does not change the definition of the word gender.
Language evolves faster than people…
Non-binary genders (i.e. more than two) have existed throughout history and cultures around the world, what you mean is sex, where there are two plus intersex.
You are literally using a mere peculiarity of one isolated language (English) to support nothing more than an ideology. In many languages there is no difference between words “sex” and “gender” because it’s the same word as it should be.
I’m using it about the language I speak, yes. And as you say there are many that don’t alongside being many that do.
My other point does completely negates yours, there have existed non-binary genders in cultures spanning millennia. The concept of gender binaries in the history of humankind is a relatively recent development, brought about by a variety of manmade constructs used to define, put in a box and, ultimately, control. These are the same constructs that had women confined to kitchens and corsets a century ago.
Gender dysphoria as terminology in itself suggests a psychological condition or disease of the mind, rather than something natural, innate and completely acceptable.
I have close friends who have transitioned and I have seen the weight lifted from their shoulders as they are finally able to live the life they know they were always meant to live. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t make it wrong, just because you can’t relate to something doesn’t give you the right to deny its existence.
If half the people on this comment thread opened their hearts to understanding the lived experience of these people rather than denigrate or deny them, then the world would be a much happier place.
That doesn’t mean that there is absolutely no validity in concerns on both sides about how we move forward, I would rather though that we all worked together to find meaningful solutions, rather than use those concerns to wage polarized culture wars on classical music gossip sites.
Non-binary is a social construct, not a scientific one. Are we going to take away rights from parents when their kid thinks he is of another “gender” just because some pagan lads at some point believed in something? Because that’s where it’s heading in some states.
Ever since transgender ideology embarked on extremism (it wasn’t always like that), it started being detrimental to other groups we are supposed to care about – from women’s rights in sports and safety of women’s bathrooms to the health of the children that now can be chemically castrated.
You bring up feminism, that’s interesting. The last time I checked amount of children raised by a single parent in the US nearly quadrupled since first half of 20th century, up to 28% nationwide, which is several times higher than in the rest of the world average (7%), impacting especially negatively financially disadvantaged communities, with the biggest burden placed on mothers (sorry, I meant to say birthing person identifying as a female) and eroding the concept of nuclear family. It might have worked out okay for an upper middle class, but overall, this is just one of examples of progressive ideas that have negative outcomes some choose to not think about.
If anything, transgenderism in its nowadays form reinforces “gender” roles, now every tomboy supposed to think she is a man and vise versa.
Every argument will always boil down to kids, sports and toilets. As I eluded to, if we, as a society, could actually discuss those issues with a view to finding solutions rather than divisions, life would be so much easier.
We could discuss the philosophical and scientific ad nauseam with neither of us ever being willing to concede to the other’s point.
The one point I do want to make is that until relatively recently, the concept of non-heteronormative sexuality was largely considered mental illness, illegal, immoral and dangerous. The tide on that comes in and goes away in certain parts of the world (DeSantis’ Florida being a current cause for concern). However, various recent peer-reviewed studies point toward genetic factors involved in the development of a person’s sexuality, something that, as a gay man, I have known my whole life. Homosexuality and lesbianism existed throughout history but were covered up, suppressed and oppressed, as were trans people. I believe it will only be a matter of time before science is able to reveal and rationalise transgenderism on a biological level. If that were found to be the case, would your opinion change, or does your nuclear family exclude all non-conventional parental groupings?
Thank you for approaching this discourse with respect.
Yes, there are two and only two genders, and anyone who thinks otherwise is grossly misinformed. And it’s just as certain that the earth is flat, and anyone who suggests otherwise should be put to death.
The concept of ‘gender’ was explicitly developed to account for a diversity and plurality of identities, expressions, performances of gender (in the broadest and positive sense). That’s literally at the root of it.
I think you mean two *sexes*. “Gender” is often used with a different meaning–or several different meanings–in this neck of the woods.
Nothing wrong with someone expressing support for a former partner.
As for the other person’s journey, I don’t have to believe, understand, or support a person who decides to attempt a gender change. Gender dysphoria is a mental health condition, not a physical ailment; it does, however, receive a great deal of praise in some circles, so I’m sure my appreciation isn’t necessary.
You don’t have to “believe” or “understand” it; just not to be a jerk about it is perfectly ok. Live, let live, and respect other people even when you don’t understand them is perfectly sufficient.
Seems like “copes” and “transexual” are both poor word choices. It looks like what James is doing is celebrating and affirming a trans loved one. I hope this isn’t another anti-LGBT dogwhistle of the type we see on here far too often.
That appears to be the case. Look how many prejudiced, angry remarks are turning up here. I wish this blog wouldn’t so constantly incite these people in the name of clicks.
All I can say to them is, let the transgender people be. They’re not hurting you in the least.
“I hope this isn’t another anti-LGBT”
It says and implies nothing whatever about gay people (I use “gay” generically). Gay people do not consider themselves to belong to the other sex.
I meant the T part of LGBT when I said anti-LGBT, if you need it spelled out so clearly. And I don’t take lessons in queer terminology from a TERF who says “The other sex”.
“the T part of LGBT”. Why do you insist on grouping LGB with T? They are different sorts of people. It is as though someone decreed that in future all single parents (SP) and all divorced people (DP) were to be spoken of collectively as SPDP people.
You use the phrase “queer terminology”. Ah, “queer”. I remember being publicly humiliated in 1961 by my boss’s use of the word when, completely out of the blue, he called out to me, in front of everyone else, “All the girls in here think you’re a queer.” The word didn’t have quite the dash and cool vibe in those days that it has now.
It’s a bit odd, your calling me a TERF, because you don’t know whether I’m a feminist or not.
As for your dislike of the phrase “the other sex”, what’s wrong with it? I am aware that *sometimes* “gender” is used as signifiying something different from sex; but it is also used as interchangeable with sex. Isn’t it being used interchangeably with “sex” when a request is made to alter a birth certificate in line with gender identity?
No surprise you’re one of the people trying to separate the “LGB” from the “T”. LGBT rights movements have been led by trans people since the very beginning and anyone who doesn’t support the T in LGBT is not a true supporter at all. Pretty sad life you must live honestly that you can’t just let people live in peace when their actions have no effect on you.
“LGBT rights movements have been led by trans people since the very beginning”
This is simply not true of the gay rights movement. For example, the primary gay rights campaign in England was the Campaign for Homosexual Equality. That in Scotland was the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group. Students in British universities set up gaysocs. These did not announce themselves as LGBT groups and did not deal with trans matters. This arose not from anti-trans attitudes but from a recognition of the fact that being attracted to people of one’s own sex is very different from conceiving oneself as belonging to the other sex or to none. Insisting on conjoining them is, as I said before, like insisting that all single parents and all divorced people must forever be referred to as the SPDP community.
“anyone who doesn’t support the T in LGBT is not a true supporter at all” Not a true supporter of *what*, exactly? I speak as someone who for four years edited a gay rights newsletter and set up a university gaysoc.
“Pretty sad life you must live” You do not know anything about the tenor of my life so isn’t that a silly thing to say?
“when their actions have no effect on you.” You do not know this., And, that aside, your remark could be interpreted as pointing towards an acknowledgement that gay people and trans people are significantly different after all.
A very good career move for an undistinguished musician. There is nothing particularly brave or interesting in saying something that every western government, the entire public sector, all large corporations and all arts funders agree with and reward financially.
What are your criteria for distinction and in what way(s) does Cam Kjøll not meet them, please?
“I continue to educate […] people around me about gender and identity.”
Probably very charming!
I, me, mine……those overworked personal pronouns are a symptom of our self-absorbed, narcissistic age.
There will be an opportunity cost; oh my word, yes.
Oh, look who’s policing pronouns!
Perhaps another example of when less said is more, and staying away from global pronouncements to anyone and everyone on social media is a good thing.
I really, truly, DO NOT CARE what gender a musician is or identifies with. All I want from them is a decent performance. We are *all* on a journey of one sort or another. It matters zilch to someone listening to an artistic interpretation, and even less in ensemble.
“We are born without prejudice.” “We are born curious and loving.” “Let’s try to reconnect with that.”
I beg to differ. We are born with a tabula rasa, as a boy or girl, utterly dependent to the parents and environment that will have an imprint on us. The loving and curiosity must be nurtured by adults with the caring and raising of the new born, otherwise the infant will experience behavioral problems, if not death. Gender is so unproblematic and inescapably obvious that no amount of education can change it. Identity is much more problematic which is why we have Psychology and Psychiatry. The zeitgeist is such that it is much braver to affirm traditional Judeo-Christian values than the choice of transgenderism. Let’s reconnect with tolerance instead of affirmation for all.
And there was me thinking that my Mrs wore the trousers..
Well, James has sailed to younger so called “soloists” a while ago.
This trans stuff seems so sudden and all over the place. But then I recall one of my teen years idols was WALTER Carlos who then became WENDY Carlos (Switched on Bach) and what difference did it make? None. Didn’t hurt me. That was 50 years ago. I’m no psychologist and sure don’t understand that angle and don’t know if the need to transition is real or a mental disturbance. But live and let live. I just feel troubled for the kids. How do you explain that your mommy is now a dude? What a weird world we live in.
I wonder why people are so angry about what he said and does? Why is it necessary to spew vitriol and hatred? Can’t you just disagree without waving your ideology around? It all sounds like political posturing. The clue is the misuse of the word “woke.” Why are you afraid of people being aware? I don’t care one way or another what people do with their lives as long as they aren’t trying to force me to agree with them. The music remains the same.
“Can’t you just disagree without waving your ideology around?”
That is precisely why people are angry.
So, we’re free to be ourselves so long as we don’t express it openly. Thanks so much for that kindness.
Gender, like race, exists on a spectrum.
Whites and Blacks like to think everyone revolves around them, but Asians in fact make up the majority of this world, with all sorts of other races in between.
If you are White or Black, I am sorry for you, but that doesn’t mean I have to be one as well.
Same thing with gender, males and females think everyone revolves around them, but there are lot of intersex combinations in between, and the precise percentage we will never know until people stop talking about gender as binary.
If you are male or female, I am sorry for you, but that doesn’t mean I have to be one as well.
This might be the most laughable of all the comments here. On the street, most people would label/identify me as a 50+ white man. In your world I’m free to self-identify as a black woman and everyone else must learn to agree with my feelings. This is nothing but a bunch of nonsense and the extremist positions taking over the Left will come back to haunt them. Women are losing opportunities and safety. Gay and Lesbian peoples are being led to believe, at a young age, that they are not women who like men (or women who like women) but rather that they are in the wrong body.
The Trans folks will allow the Left to implode politically. Reasonable people will their voice concerns at the polls because the public space has become rife with the prickliness of cancel culture.
It is fine for a person to dress how they wish, but putting on a dress and wearing make up does not maketh a man into a woman; should he think he is, he has a software issue (not to be solved with a hardware update).
Leave children alone. If ‘belief’ is what all this is about—leave alone those who disagree with you and your fantasies, on both sides.
Faulty headline, Norman. It’s transgender.
“Ignorant people get angry because they don’t take the time to understand.”
I guess it’s not a sign of anger when he calls people with whom he disagrees “ignorant”? Typical of the self-styled compassionate crowd, who don’t even see how they’re violating their own ostensible precepts, usually in the very same sentence in which they laud their own supposed excess of compassion.
So one cannot say someone else is ignorant except in anger? I never knew. I must be ignorant.
This is OK, but tweeting about spanking kids isn’t!! Absolutely priceless hypocrisy.
As a society moves more towards its obsession with self and away from shared core values, we are going to see more and more of this.
How convenient to describe anyone who disagrees with your values as ‘ignorant’. But who am I to argue with the towering intellect of Jimmy Gaffigan? Telling also is the silent assumption that the children caught up in this are not affected adversely. Or maybe that’s just tough luck when my ‘rights’ are the centre of the world.
You sound like your values are the proper ones. Someone with other values is to be disparaged. I bet you are fun at parties.
us empire degeneracy spreading to its eu colonies/vassals
Leave it to Lebrecht to frame the transition of a former partner through the man’s perspective. God forbid we support a trans musician before stopping to think about how the husband is “coping”.
Your posts are always a highlight. This one is a perfect blend of depth, clarity, and engagement.