Fans are not okay (they promise) after seeing Gerard Way perform in a cheerleading uniform.
At the My Chemical Romance concert at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, the group’s frontman showed off his team spirit in a green-and-white cheer dress decorated with a “W” in front.
While Way, 45, has never explicitly affirmed his sexual orientation or described himself as non-binary, he uses “he/she” pronouns and opened up about his “gender identity issues” during a 2015 Reddit AMA.
“I’ve always fairly identified with the female gender and at some point in MCR started expressing this through my looks and playing style,” they wrote at the time.
And fans quickly took to Twitter to cheer on Way’s genderfluid performance ensemble.
wrote one, “no bc, gerard has talked for years about their gender dysphoria, hinting at his fluidity, but that was when he was deep into drugs and alcohol. he is finally healthy, happy and sober and embracing his femininity so much more and this is so important to me.”
“Ok, all jokes aside, I’m really glad Gerard is comfortable enough to defy gender norms publicly, because in the past they’ve been very open about struggling with gender and feel more connected to femininity,” added another.
And a third fan wrote“You don’t understand. as a trans person seeing gerard i think it’s okay to be openly feminine and wear a dress and stuff, that makes me so happy and i’m so proud of them for being able to openly explore gender expression, i’m literally crying right now.”
Way has long expressed support for MCR’s LGBTQIA+ followers, a relative rarity in the early 2000s pop punk scene.
“Sometimes I do an autograph session after a show when there’s time, and I’ll usually meet at least a handful of non-binary or transgender kids,” he said. said Kerrang! in 2015.
“I think because I’m expressive, and because I’m pretty fearless with the expressiveness, maybe there’s a connection for them to feel safe at one of my shows. Because to be a kid who is transgender, you have to be fearless. There is a connection there.”
In May, MCR released their first song in eight years — the six-minute track “The Foundations of Decay” — after announcing their breakup in 2013.
The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed their highly anticipated 2020 tour after playing just one show after the reunion, but they are now embarking on a multi-date tour.
Maybe Way’s cheer costume will make another appearance.