Run For Cover

Billie Joe Armstrong

In June i posted Billie Joe holding a trans flag. There was maybe 3 or 4 photos of that & then nobody ever talked about it after. However, that stuck with me & I’ll tell you why.

My experience coming out as trans in the Green Day community has been literal hell. Theres a mix of support & hate. More hate than support. That makes me sick to my stomach. Billie Joe has been a very strong advocate for trans people and trans rights & to see people being openly transphobic under the disguise of being a Green Day fan is disgusting. (Being transphobic in general is disgusting.)

When I came out as trans, i was met with hateful dms filled with slurs & people telling me to kill myself. That Billie didnt love me & he hated my “kind of people”. Talking to me as if I was diseased and the worst person to walk planet earth. So when I saw Billie with that trans flag in June, me & my friend made a promise that in Texas Billie would hold OUR trans flag.

I ordered a $7 flag off Amazon, worried that if i brought my own it would get lost or security would take it because thats been known to happen. I waited 9 hours in the 90°F heat after walking at least 2 miles. I trampled a security guard, pushed people out of my way, and bruised up my ribs to get to my spot on barricade. I pulled out my trans flag and waited patiently.

All night Billie would interact with me, glancing at my flag, pretending like he was going to take it & then not. I wasnt giving up hope though, I knew in my gut he’d take it. King For A Day started & ive never seen Billie march with such purpose down a cat walk.

Billie Joe picked up our trans flag, wrapped himself in it, waved it around & sang

“My daddy threw me in therapy, he thinks i’m not a real man. Who put the drag in the drag queen? Dont knock it till you’ve tried it.”

While looking directly at me and my friend. I was sobbing uncontrollably, shaking, etc. to the point my friend had to hold me up on the barricade because I couldnt believe a man i have idolized since I was 14, held my flag and acknowledged my community. Especially in Texas where they have the strongest anti-trans laws in the United States. He couldve ignored my flag. He couldve ignored me. He didnt though.

I’d like to do more than that..

This kid xd

It’s an old joke but this is my take on it