Gerard Way's Defiance of Gender

Gerard Way, singer of famed emo band My Chemical Romance is well known for his beautiful yet intense vocals. However, what many don't know about Way is their elusive history of gender expression and defiance of gender as a concept in its whole.

That's right. "Their." As in they. Gerard Way expressed usage of he and they pronouns. 

For the sake of consistency of this blog, we will be using he/him pronouns in reference to Gerard Way in order to avoid any possible confusion.

Gerard Way initially expressed his gender back in 2014. In a Reddit AMA, Way stated he can relate to the experiences of many transgender individuals. In addition to that, Way noted that he can relate greatly to the female gender identity, and tries to emulate that in part with his performances in the band. In the AMA, Way also mentioned how masculinity had never felt right for him. 

In another interview, Way talked about how he never grew up with any sort of interest in sports or other stereotypically masculine activities. Way also mentioned that there were points in his life in which he was called a girl so much that it eventually looped him around to the existence of transgender people. 

Way also has many iconic stage outfits in which he presents himself wearing feminine clothing. During MCR's delayed reunion tour, Way's outfits designed by Marina Toybina ranged from women's business casual to a cheerleader uniform.

All of this information that Way tells us about his gender seems to bring up a question: how does Gerard Way label himself?

Gerard Way actually has brought up on numerous occasions that he dislikes labels, stating "I don't use labels for anything. Using labels only gives others the leverage needed to categorize you or use you as a political tool." Way's opinion on the matter, however, opens up a conversation about celebrity culture.

Celebrity culture is something that has had an effect on all members of MCR. Parasocial relationships, fetishization of the band members, and pressure to look and behave a certain way has taken its toll on the band. In fact, it was the main factor driving the band's initial breakup in 2013. 

Way doesn't owe us a label. He is a human, just like every single one of us. People often treat him as if he were a fictional character, and that often leads to a bit of discomfort on his part. Way is entitled to his own opinion on the matter, and frankly, Way's opposition to labels brings an interesting and unique perspective to how we all perceive gender and labels as a whole.