Kim Petras was not the first trans person to win a Grammy

[Celerity]

That was electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/02/kim-petras-was-not-the-first-ever-trans-person-to-win-a-grammy/



“I just wanted to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,” Kim Petras said in her acceptance speech for Best Pop Group/Duo Performance at Sunday night’s 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

The 30-year-old pop star made history alongside Sam Smith as the first out trans and non-binary artists to receive the award for their song “Unholy.”

Petras made a point of acknowledging in her speech that she was “the first transgender woman to win this [emphasis added] award.” And while much of the media coverage of her win included that essential caveat, some on social media took the opportunity to set the record straight and acknowledge a trans pioneer of electronic music.

“While we celebrate Kim Petras’s historic win at last night’s Grammys, let’s also use this as an opportunity to show some love to electronic music pioneer and 3x Grammy Award-winner Wendy Carlos,” writer and podcast host Evan Ross Katz wrote in an Instagram post.

snip

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. Although to split hairs, Carlos won her Grammys under her dead name

Before she transitioned.

So both artists’ awards are significant, albeit in slightly different ways.

[NullTuples]

3. To split those hairs even further, she transitioned in 1968 & won the three Grammys in 1970.

She was offered a chance to do a BBC documentary on the synthesizer she created from Robert Moog's original design. but did not feel safe doing so as herself, so she actually *disguised* herself as a man. If you watch the BBC show, it's...well, she tried. Same with the awards. She may not have received them under her transitioned name, but she did still transition prior and she was definitely a trans woman in in 1970!

From my comment yesterday (contains a link to a PinkNews story that in turn contains a link to the BBC Documentary):

Journalists, please remember however that Wendy Carlos won three Grammys in 1970, making her the first trans woman overall.

Though, as with so much from the past, it gets...complicated. Wendy transitioned in 1968 (the year Switched on Bach was released) and had SRS/GRS in 1972. However, she disguised herself as a man for a well known 1970 BBC synthesizer documentary as she was not ready to deal with coming out professionally. It's also important to remember that in 1970 many cities still arrested trans people for existing in public (specifically, for wearing less than three articles of clothing that matched the sex/gender assigned at birth).

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17619294

Like you said, both artists are historically important and best of all, there has been a progression over time. That is something to celebrate!

[gay texan]

2. How I loved "Tron"

Early computer animation is still freaking cool

[progressoid]

4. I just sold a Switched on Back LP on eBay.

[Pinback]

5. Thank you.

Incredible genius. Her work is truly revolutionary. Listen to Beauty in the Beast sometime if you want your mind blown.