{Dorothy Smith, 25/9/24}
I love this song! Little Richard did the original, and the Beatles covered it.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/O06L2lnmRfU

People on here cite Lola and Walk on The Wild Side as early songs about trans-ness. I'd like to do a shout-out for Little Richard, for giving white pop musicians like the Kinks and Lou Reed the confidence to come up with these songs, by writing lyrics like this:

"I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary about Uncle John, he says he has the blues but he has a lot of fun…"

"I saw Uncle John with long tall Sally, he saw Aunt Mary coming and he jumped back in the alley

"Now Long Tall Sally she's built for speed, she's got everything that Uncle John needs, oh baby."

Someone named an outsize women's clothes shop after Long Tall Sally, but that's another story. Though I did go there years ago and got clothes and shoes that my ex-boyfriend liked a lot, So yes, I've seen how Long Tall Sally affected Uncle John!
As captured in the excellent documentary on BBC-Iplayer, Little Richard King and Queen of Pop, he was the original queer icon. And with his makeup and bouffant hair, he was certainly gender-nonconforming, an inspiration for Marc Bolan, Bowie, Elton, Jobriath, Boy George, Prince, and all who came after.
See the programme and the power of his performance, and his hold on the audience! Absolutely nothing wrong with indie, blues, punk, prog rock, folk, metal and all the other genres, but when it comes to a shot of instant rock uplift, you can hear Little Richard's full-on delivery in everyone from the Beatles and the Stones to Slade and Led Zeppelin - and fifty years later, whoever's playing in your local pub this weekend.
D xxx