Ryan Cassata

Did American Idol try to jump on the transgender bandwagon? That's what 21-year-old musician Ryan Cassata -- a transgender singer, songwriter and activist -- claims happened when he was contacted by a casting director after initially being rejected by the show.

Cassata tells Billboard that in October of last year, he was invited to audition by producers the night before the San Francisco tryouts. The Bay Shore, N.Y., native isn't sure how the show found out about him but guesses that producers saw his YouTube channel, which currently has more than 23,000 subscribers.

"I never reached out to them," he said. "Never in my life would I have been like, 'I'm going to try out for American Idol.'"

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The show never said a word about the singer being transgender, and the singer decided to give it a shot. “They allowed me to skip the first three stages of auditions,” he said.

Alas, it was not to be. Cassata was cut (he said he was told he wasn’t “contemporary enough”), and that was the end of his Idol journey -- or so he thought.

Cassata says he got a call from the show this spring asking him to audition again. This was around the same time Olympian Bruce Jenner was reintroduced to the word as Caitlyn Jenner with high-profile interviews, a Vanity Fair cover and a new reality series on E! Cassata says he outright refused the offer.

Caitlyn Jenner Revealed: See First Post-Bruce Photo in 'Vanity Fair'

“I was contacted again in June after Caitlyn Jenner was in the media, and the first thing they said to me is, 'We want a transgender person on this show,'” he said. “They don’t want a singer and transgender; they want someone that’s transgender and a singer, and that’s not the right reason to go on the show. So now I’m 'contemporary enough' because being trans is such a hot-button issue in the media right now.”

He says he argued for a full nine minutes on the phone, resisting the offer. “They were begging me to go on the show," he said. "I am making a record right now -- the only good thing that would come from American Idol is I would be able to make a record, and I am already making a record. I have a name in the indie music world. I have toured nationally. I don’t really need American Idol.”

In a YouTube video and an impassioned note posted to his Facebook page last week, Cassata derided the show for exploitation:



When contacted by Billboard about Cassata's claims, American Idol sent this statement: “American Idol searches far and wide to ensure that talent in any part of the country has a chance to audition. There are various ways for individuals to audition including our open calls, posting their auditions online, our east and west coast bus tours, through partner apps, etc.

“Our audition team has often reached out to former participants to audition again," the statement continued. "Many find that their voice improves over a year and they have greater success in their second or third attempt. American Idol is about finding great talent and the show welcomes diversity in its participants. We will look into the veracity of the statements in Ryan Cassata’s open letter.”

Before American Idol came calling, Cassata says he was part of the “first wave” of educational and positive representation of non-binary identities in the public eye, having appeared on Larry King Live and The Tyra Banks Show. “I think every television show is trying to get a trans person on their show [now]; it’s trendy," he said. "I have been out for a long time now and I was out when there was no positive representation at all in the media. I was one of the first waves that [helped hosts get] the terminology correct on television, and now it’s blowing up really quickly and the media does not know how to deal with it at all.”

He added that he doesn't think the media is handling the subject correctly. “It’s a lot of exploitation, and most of the representation in the media right now is very binary and they are just showing gender as male and female and stereotypical feminine and very stereotypical masculine,” he said. “They are not showing anyone in between, and there are so many people that are in between, and I am afraid that all of those people are left out and feel alone.”

When asked if rejecting the show is a missed opportunity to showcase his talent and represent other aspects of the transgender community on a larger platform, Cassata stuck to his guns. “I think American Idol controls their contestants,” he said. “I don't think I would have the freedom to express myself exactly the way I want to on their show.”

Cassata said he has other ways to express himself now. He is currently in New York recording an album with Barb Morrison, who has worked with Blondie and Rufus Wainwright. He said he has already put out nine albums, including the recently released Soul Sounds. Samplings from the record can be heard on his website.

“I got into music when I was 6,” he said. “I always knew it was a passion for me.”

Cassata came out as transgender shortly after, and ever since the age of 13, he has been an outspoken activist on transgender issues. “I gave a keynote speech at a Long Island conference when I was 13 years old and began making motivational speeches when I was 13,” said Cassata, who added that he travels all over the country speaking and playing music at colleges and “sharing my story in the hope that other youth won’t feel so alone.”

In the meantime, Cassata said he has been making strides on his own by being featured in the documentary Songs for Alexis and in the film Beemus, directed by Lauren Wolkstein. He also performed at dates on the Vans Warped Tour in 2013 and this summer after winning the tour's Battle of the Bands contest both years. “I think I am the first openly transgender person to play the Vans Warped Tour,” he said.

Cassata said his album is coming along nicely and has all kinds of flavors on it, including folk, hip-hop, punk and even his American Idol audition song: Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” “It’s funny that I am doing it now,” he said, “And it sounds good, so I guess when they hear it, they will be like, 'Oh no!'”

Watch Cassata perform at the 2015 Warped Tour: - Billboard

American Idol has never been about the singing. It styled itself as a singing competition for years, but it's always been just a TV show. Its latest controversy proves it.

Transgender singer Ryan Cassata took to Facebook on Thursday to share a disturbing interaction he recently had with representatives from the Fox show, a Billboard story released Tuesday reports. The show had recently reached out and begged Cassata to try out, not because they appreciated his talent, but because they wanted a transgender person to compete.

But according to Cassata, they were looking for a specific kind of transgender person.

"You don't want someone 'that people might make fun of, or [someone] who looks too much like they are men who transitioned to women, or look FAKE or GIMMICKY,'" Cassata quoted representatives of the show as saying in a Facebook post. "You said you don't want a transgender person 'WHO STICKS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB.' You also referred to trans people as 'MEN IN DRESSES' and 'TRANSGENDERS.' That is very ignorant, and transphobic."

But Cassata refuses to be that "TOKEN TRANS person for America to gossip about, to hype up the show."

Greasy: "American Idol isn't punk rock, punk rock is about being honest, and American Idol isn't honest. It's mostly pre-casted, and deep down, it probably isn't even about singing anymore," his post reads. Cassata would know better than most. He competed on the show last year, at the show's request, but got cut because he wasn't "contemporary enough." But now that transgender issues are "trendy" topics, he appears to be what they're looking for.

"I was contacted again in June after Caitlyn Jenner was in the media, and the first thing they said to me is, 'We want a transgender person on this show,'" Cassata told Billboard. "They don't want a singer and transgender; they want someone that's transgender and a singer, and that's not the right reason to go on the show. So now I'm 'contemporary enough' because being trans is such a hot-button issue in the media right now."

Cassata further elaborated on what the show was looking for. "You told me that American Idol wants 'sexual BLONDE GIRLS who are DUMB' and 'BLACK GIRLS who are DRAMATIC.' That is sexist and racist," his statement reads.
Source: Mic/Facebook

What do you have to say for yourself, American Idol? The show has responded to Cassata's claims, saying their reaching out had more to do with giving contestants a chance to see if their voices have improved. They did not directly address Cassata's claims of sexism and racism.

"American Idol searches far and wide to ensure that talent in any part of the country has a chance to audition," the show said in a statement issued to Billboard. "Our audition team has often reached out to former participants to audition again. Many find that their voice improves over a year and they have greater success in their second or third attempt. American Idol is about finding great talent and the show welcomes diversity in its participants. We will look into the veracity of the statements in Ryan Cassata's open letter."

But Cassata doesn't need what American Idol is trying to offer. He's already working on his 10th album. He's performed on stages around the country, including the Vans Warped Tour in 2013 and 2014, after he won the tour's Battle of the Bands contest both years. He believes he's the first openly transgender person to play the Warped Tour.
Source: YouTube

Cassata says American Idol would try to exploit and control him if he agreed to take their stage. But the pop show is far from the only culprit. He says much of today's media is exploiting transgender communities right now, portraying only a narrow sliver of what transgender identities can look like.

"It's a lot of exploitation, and most of the representation in the media right now is very binary and they are just showing gender as male and female and stereotypical feminine and very stereotypical masculine," he told Billboard. "They are not showing anyone in between, and there are so many people that are in between, and I am afraid that all of those people are left out and feel alone."

Similar criticisms were aimed at Vanity Fair following Caitlyn Jenner's cover for playing into a stereotypical, highly sexualized portrait of femininity. The way media reinforces these standards that persists across the space, and it doesn't seem like American Idol is going to be show to change them. But Cassata's public response helps us take that first step. - MIC

As The Voice found talent in seeking out potential auditioners from local music scenes instead of waiting for an open call, Idol had also turned that route, and had even tried to court visibly queer performers like YouTuber Ryan Cassata, who hit back at Idols' request for him to audition with a video that called out Fox's attempt to capitalize on the "popularity" of transgender issues. Cassata tried out for Season 14, but says he was told he was not "contemporary enough" only to have producers reach out and ask him to return for Season 15 because he was not someone who "stick out like a sore thumb." In the end, no one of the final season was an out LGBTQ contestant, either thanks to failed casting attempts or LGBT singers knowing they didn't stand a chance.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/why-lgbt-performers-never-won-american-idol-20160404#ixzz46wgNVrkj
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook - Rolling Stone

It’s been seven years since Ryan Cassata came out as trans at 15 on The Larry King Show. And after being in the news last year when he called out American Idol for taking advantage of his trans status, he’s grown to embrace his identity as a trans man who has chosen not to take hormones as part of his transition. BuzzFeed News caught up with Cassata on a New York rooftop a couple of weeks before his new album Shine comes out, which he considers his best yet.

Jared Harrell / BuzzFeed News

For Cassata, the song that best expresses his thoughts about being trans is “We’re the Cool Kids,” an upbeat dance anthem that squarely counters the idea that young trans people are freaks and outcasts. “It’s about not fitting into the lines of the gender binary,” Cassata said. “We’re all gonna rise up together because we’re doing this new thing, and it’s cool, and it’s hip, and it’s about coming together and rising up, battling the ignorance and hopefully beating it.”

Jared Harrell / BuzzFeed News

It’s taken a long time for Cassata to fully come to terms with his gender identity, and especially his decision not to take testosterone as part of his transition. “When I was 16 years old I wanted nothing more than to go on testosterone and to pass as male and to fit into that stereotype,” he said. “And luckily my parents were like, you cannot start hormones until you’re 18. So I had two more years to think about it and I spent those two years thinking about it almost every day, like obsessing over it. And then I came to the decision that I don’t need testosterone in order to be happy, and I don’t need testosterone in order to be a man.”

Jared Harrell / BuzzFeed News

Now, the singer feels comfortable not fitting into people’s gender expectations. According to Cassata: “I identify as male but I feel like I don’t fit into the gender binary. Sometimes I like to wear stereotypically feminine clothes, and sometimes I wear stereotypically masculine clothes. For most of it I fall in the middle and I don’t really feel like I have to act ‘male.’ I feel that I just need to be myself, and if my gender expression reads more female than male then that’s okay. I know who I am, and I don’t need other people to know who I am to feel valid.”

Jared Harrell / BuzzFeed News

His decision not to take hormones also has to do with his passion for singing. Because testosterone typically thickens the vocal cords and lowers the voices of trans men, Cassata wanted to make sure to preserve his sound. “I worked really hard on my singing voice. I used to not be able to sing at all and I would just talk-sing,” he said. “And now I could sing, and I don’t want to trade that for anything. It’s something that I take pride in and it’s something that didn’t come easy for me at all. I had to work on it a lot and I don’t wanna risk it at all.”

Jared Harrell / BuzzFeed News

Cassata hopes that his example would allow trans and cis people alike to feel comfortable just being themselves, and to find comfort in his music. “I want my music to touch people,” he said. “I want to take people away from pain and I think that the good thing about music is that when you hear music it takes you away from whatever you’re going through. You could totally get lost in music and I think that’s why music is such a powerful tool and why I love music so much.”

Jared Harrell / BuzzFeed News

Shine comes out on March 15 and is available for pre-order on ITunes. The music video for, “Bedroom Eyes,” the first single from the album, is out today. - Buzzfeed

Ryan Cassata isn’t new to the spotlight. At 21 years old, he’s already produced four full length albums and established a solid YouTube presence. After coming out on Larry King Live in 2009, Cassata became one of the first openly trans artists to play Warped Tour. Today, he releases his fifth full-length album, Shine.

Part Blink-182 and part The Get Up Kids, Shine is an upbeat, anthemic collection of songs built as much out of emotion as genres produced by gender-fluid artist Barb Morrison. There’s the Kesha-esque rapping of “Shine” grating up against the strumming singer-songwriter guitar of “Alcatraz, and the folksy harmonica of “Hot Springs, Arkansas.” But though the songs of Shine feel a bit disjointed, Ryan never does.

I spoke with Ryan briefly over email late last week to talk about the launch of this album, his creative process, and working as a transgender artist. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
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When did you realize that you wanted to make music as a career?

When I was 5 or 6 years old, I realized that I wanted to play guitar. I got madly obsessed with it and it became a passion from the start even though I was really bad at it. When I was in the 6th grade I had a guitar teacher named Lou. He would ask me “Is this going to be a hobby or a passion?” I knew I wanted to make something more of it. Lou died that Spring and I became very depressed. The only thing that kept me going was playing guitar.

I started songwriting when I was just 12 years old. That’s when things really made sense to me. I had found my calling.The singing thing really came this last year. It took time and a lot of practice. This thing didn’t happen over night.

When did you realize that your gender was different than the one you were born with? When did you begin telling people?

I remember realizing I was different than my brothers at a really young age. It bothered me a lot. I started getting called a boy when I was really young. People called me “little man” and “he” and “son” because I looked and presented like a boy. I realized that I was transgender when I was 13 years old and I started transitioning socially when I was 14. It was a life saver to transition. I received a lot of support from my friends but not much from my parents. My older brother was always really supportive, that made things a lot easier. My parents eventually came around.



You almost participated on American Idol for this final season, but you chose not to. Can you tell us why? American Idol admitted to me that they wanted me because I’m transgender and a singer not because I’m a singer and happen to be transgender. They also said a lot of racist, sexist, transphobic things on the phone that really irritated me. I couldn’t go on the show after that. […] I had to decline their invitation. I want positive things for my community and American Idol isn’t positive. Did I give up an opportunity for fame and fortune? Maybe. But it’s not worth hurting my community for it.



The trans movement has become a much more public conversation in the last two years. How has that affected you?

In some ways it’s been good and in some ways it’s been bad. I don’t enjoy having Caitlyn Jenner as a spokesperson for me and I’m not sure if I ever will. She just doesn’t represent me. I feel like her coming out [put] trans people in the media a lot more and it’s not a representation of what it really means to be trans.
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Most trans people don’t have access to surgeries and support like she does and most people aren’t that binary like her. I just want the world to know that every trans person is different and most of us don’t have her experience.

The act of transitioning is a complicated one even without a spotlight. How do you maintain your mental health and stability? What do you do for self-care?

I started gender therapy when I was 14 years old and I still continue to go to therapy. I’m lucky that I have access to it—most people do not. The thing that helps me the most is talking to my fans, getting to know as many of them as I can, and relating to them. I relate a lot to my fans and they help me a lot to grow as a person and to maintain a positive outlook on life and to stay grateful.

How do you hope your fans receive your songs and this album in particular?

There are a lot of queer people as well as non-queer people. Young people and old people. I see everyone at my shows. It’s not so specific and I love that. I try to write songs to lift people up and encourage them to hang on and to keep going. “We’re The Cool Kids,” the leading track off of Shine, is a song to inspire the kids that fit outside of the box to come together, rise up, and change the world.

“Shine On” is a song based on a true story, a story that is brought to my attention way too often, an experience that many of my fans go through. I wrote it about a young trans boy that had written to me. He told me that he had taken a handful of pills to commit suicide because the bullying was getting so bad. I too had been bullied a lot, especially from people within the transgender community. While this boy’s iPod was on shuffle, my song, “Hands of Hate,” started playing and it inspired him to call 9-1-1 and to continue his life.

That kid is still alive today and I am more than grateful that my song had an influence. “Shine On” is a song to call out the haters, to tell the queer people to keep going, to rise up against the hate, to march on.

Your fourth album comes out today. Are you nervous?
I’m so nervous. It got built up a lot in my head. A lot of big things are happening… I still have that feeling of fear, that it’s going to tank. However, just with the release of the preview, we are already getting such great reviews. People are really excited. I feel it will be well received. I’m lucky.

Do you think that transitioning changed the way you produce art? Or the perspective you have as a creator?
Yes. I think I’m a lot more open-minded because I transitioned. I have access to this whole other world that a lot of people don’t know about. I’m really grateful for that. A lot of my songs have to do with the community and rising up and I wouldn’t have that if I wasn’t transgender and queer.

Ryan Cassata is playing at the Jackalope on March 15th at 11 a.m. CST at the Bay Area Showcase at South by SouthWest. His album is available for purchase on iTunes and streaming on Spotify and Tidal. - Fusion

Last week I was sitting on Nan's porch in Arkansas - You know, that state where they still have confederate flags blowing on street corners. I am Nan's house guest when I come to Arkansas to play music. We have bonded through our deep conversations about life experiences. Nan has lived over half a century, traveled to 80 countries, and is very wise. I listen carefully to everything she says and I trust her immensely. I was about to head off West, Denver-bound with San Francisco as my final stop. This was my 5th time crossing America from coast to coast, but my first time doing it alone. I expressed my fears to Nan. "I'm nervous to be doing this alone." Really, I'm afraid of someone figuring out I'm transgender and killing me in the men's bathroom on a dead interstate highway.

"You know Ryan, when I think of you I just see a boy, I don't think 'transgender,' I don't think anybody notices unless you announce it." Her words gave me the confidence to get moving.

When I came out as transgender 7 years ago I was afraid to use the boys bathroom in my high school (where Harvey Milk graduated from). I was letting fear direct my life. "Nope, I can't go to that restaurant because I won't be able to use the bathroom." It wasn't that I couldn't...I was just afraid, incredibly and awfully afraid.

Well, I just used the mens bathroom at a truck stop 1,000 miles away from home in the South! Truth is, I haven't changed much physically aside from the two fading scars across my chest. I haven't taken hormone treatment. I'm still 5 feet tall. I look the same as I did when I first came out, maybe just a little older. But something is different mentally. I let go of the stereotypes telling me that I wasn't "man enough" and I realized that I just needed to be "Ryan enough." I'm finally at peace with my transgender identity and that peace has washed away a great deal of fear.

I'm on a national tour where I get to play music and motivationally speak about being transgender to thousands of people. I feel really lucky. I've gotten to grow with the road. 7,500 miles down and I finally see that I don't have to fit a stereotype, I just need to be Ryan and that Ryan is good enough just as he is. - The New York Times

Since hearing singer/songwriter Ryan Cassata belting out tunes at the San Francisco Trans March this year on the Dolores Park Stage, I’ve become huge fan of his music and passionate activism. Ryan has been making headlines with his entertaining and informative Youtube videos, and busting onto the music scene with his new album Shine, where he heads face on with oppression and the gender binary in a game of chicken, but never turns away, and hits dead center, starting and encouraging conversation. Ryan Cassata is one to keep a close eye on, because soon he will be untouchable at the rate he is climbing. Ryan has that ‘it’ factor that you just can’t put into words, but is an important component in becoming a super star. Shine on Ryan!

After some Twitter nods and nudges back and forth, I sent Ryan a group of random questions to get to know him a little better and have some fun.

…..
Who are some of your musical influences currently and when you were growing?
Ryan: I grew up listening to Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Bruce Springsteen. I still listen to them today but I also listen to a lot of emo and punk rock (Alkaline Trio, The Get Up Kids, Black Flag, Minor Threat) and some rap like Macklemore. I relate to Macklemore because he’s sober and I’m sober too so I enjoy his lyrics a lot.

Growing up were there any visible people, famous or not, who you could look to as a trans role model?
Ryan: There were some indie musicians that I really looked up to. To name a few: Joe Stevens, Joshua Klipp and StormMiguel Florez.

Today, thankfully, there is a lot of talk and passion behind trans rights. Besides yourself, who do you applaud as a positive trans role model today. And who do you think could be doing better!
Ryan: My friend Skylar Kergil is a great activist and my friend Eli Erlick is great too. I think Caitlin Jenner could be doing such a better job.
…..
You just released a new album, Shine, Tell me about the album, the message as a whole, and what you would like people to get from the music and lyrics.
Ryan: The album is a compilation of a lot of different ideas. “We’re The Cool Kids” “Shine On” and “Hot Springs, Arkansas” are about beating oppression and rising up. “Bedroom Eyes” and “Don’t Count Me Out” are the love songs on the album. “Check Engine” is about beating addiction and getting sober. “Sunrise Highway” is about drag racing. “Alcatraz” is about mental illness. The other two songs are cover songs.
“Shine On” is true story that I got from a letter I received from a young fan. They were being severely bullied and they attempted suicide and my song “Hands of Hate” came on and they decided to call for help and continue their life. I wrote this song to inspire more people to keep going and not to give up. Rise up!
Find “Shine” on iTunes
SHINE_FINAL
What is the demographic of your fans and listeners? What are the crowds like at your live shows?
Ryan: The crowds are very diverse. I get people from all different backgrounds of all ages. I hope my music is for everyone because I make it for everyone.
…..
Do you ever feel that you being trans out shines you creating music at times in the media headlines and articles?
Ryan: Yeah, It definitely happens a lot. The media is really focused on the trans aspect of everything right now. It’s both good and bad.
…..
What are you summer plans? Tour?
Ryan: I’ll be in the studio all summer starting to record my next record and I’ll play some shows.
…..
Are you single? I’m sure you have fans throwing their undies at you all the time ha ha ha! How has your dating life changed as you become more and more recognized from your music and activism?
Ryan: I have a boyfriend and I just announced it to the world. He’s trans too. People are really supportive so far! It’s been sort of hard to date, especially in the community. A lot of people know who I am and it makes it weird sometimes. My boyfriend knew who I was before we started dating but he didn’t make it weird.
…..
What is something about “Ryan Cassata” that no one knows that we really might find interesting?
Ryan: I still ask my mom if I like certain foods or not. LOL
…..

What is the future looking like for you? Projects? Videos?

Ryan: I just want to write more songs and put them out into the world. I want to make a ton of albums. That’s my passion.
…..
Are there certain artists that you would like to collaborate with?
Ryan: I’d collaborate with anyone, really…as long as they are talented. - Accidental Bear

I had a chance to catch Ryan Cassata perform live this year at the Trans March here in San Francisco and what a refreshing delight it was.

I just caught wind of this story this morning about his interaction with American Idol and had to share.

By Leo Joelle Wolters for FTM Magazine

Last year in San Francisco, musician Ryan Cassata was invited to audition in front of the Executive Producers for the popular television show American Idol. The feedback he received was less than encouraging. Carefully worded as “not contemporary enough” the producers decided to pass on Cassata.

Fast forward one year and the entire paradigm has shifted. This year has been the year of Laverne Cox and the Transgender Tipping Point as well as Caitlyn Jenner, not to mention the tragic loss of Leelah Alcorn and murders of 11 trans women. From sitcoms to social media, the transgender community is the focus of trending conversation.

In a conversation on July 31 with Cassata, he stated that he was contacted in June of 2015 by producers with a plea to participate in the show. This began a frantic attempt on the part of the show to persuade Cassata to compete.

In his recent YouTube video titled American Idol: Turn Down 4 What, Ryan made a final and definitive statement to Fox as well as the transgender community which he is an authentic advocate for.

While participating “would bring more awareness to the transgender community… the negatives outweigh the positive and I don’t want to risk hurting the community. Transgender people deserve respect.”

“LAST YEAR I was interested, and I tried out but you DIDN’T WANT ME, I wasn’t “contemporary enough” and being transgender wasn’t such a hot issue in the media like it is now. This year, I see what American Idol is all about, another pre-casted show, that’s looking for “singers” to boost their ratings, and now they just need that TOKEN TRANS person for America to gossip about, to hype up the show. I realized that YOU ONLY WANT ME BECAUSE I’M A TRANSGENDER PERSON who happens to be a singer, not because I’M A SINGER WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE TRANSGENDER, and because of that I’m not interested.” – Cassata - Accidental Bear

(New York) Ryan Cassata is an award-winning transgender singer-songwriter, actor, YouTuber, and LGBTQ activist based in New York. With features in Billboard Magazine, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and The Daily News, Ryan has made the most of his young career, which started when he was just 13.

As a musician with over 500 performances touring across the United States and internationally, including dates on the Van’s Warped Tour, SXSW and at the world's biggest pride festivals, Ryan has been praised by The Advocate saying he’s a “Transgender singing sensation”, and LOGO put him on the “9 Trans Musicians You Need To Get Into” list.

As an actor, Ryan was the main focus in documentary “Songs for Alexis” which screened at such seminal film festivals as Frameline, Raindance, Toronto Hot Docs, and DOC NYC. His role in indie film "Collective: Unconscious," which received praise from Rolling Stone Magazine, won him the "Best Breakout Performance" award by the Victoria Independent Film Festival.


As an activist, he is the first recipient of the Harvey Milk Memorial award, became the youngest keynote speaker to ever be selected for the largest transgender conference in existence, and has made appearances on shows such as The Larry King Live, and The Tyra Banks show.

Currently, Ryan is in the early stages of writing a memoir and a new album of original music as a follow-up to his most recent album SHINE now available on iTunes. - REVOLUTION 360

Ryan Cassata unsuccessfully auditioned for the show but was contacted again after increased media interest in trans people such as Caitlyn Jenner
Ryan Cassata performs at the San Francisco trans pride march in 2015
Ryan Cassata performs at the San Francisco trans pride march in 2015. Photograph: Ryan Cassata

Fred McConnell
@fredmcconnell

Monday 3 August 2015 21.55 EDT

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A 21-year-old musician says he has turned down repeated invitations to reaudition for the reality TV show American Idol because he fears the show’s producers are seeking to exploit his transgender identity.

Ryan Cassata auditioned for the 2015 season last October but was unsuccessful. The producers told him his performance was not “contemporary enough”. This year a casting director got back in touch, inviting him to reaudition for the 2016 season.

He has posted an open letter on YouTube, addressing the producers of the show, which he describes as “pre-casted”. In it, he says: “I’ve received many phone calls and emails begging me to try out in front of the executive producers of the show in the past couple of months.

“I’m not interested. Last year I was interested and I tried out but you didn’t want me … being transgender wasn’t such a hot issue in the media like it is now.

“I realise that you only want me because I’m a transgender person who happens to be a singer, not because I’m a singer who just happens to be transgender.”
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Ryan Cassata’s open letter to American Idol on YouTube

Cassata quotes phone conversations which he believes reveal American Idol’s motivation for getting back in touch: “You want someone that’s transgender and you don’t want someone ‘that people might make fun of’ or someone who ‘looks too much like they’re men who transitioned to women’.”
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He points out the stereotyping is not limited to trans people: “You told me that American Idol wants ‘sexual blonde girls who are dumb’ and ‘black girls who are dramatic’.”

Since Cassata’s audition, the former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner has come out as transgender in a high-profile TV interview, followed by a documentary series focusing on her transition. She won an ESPN courage award and is now nominated for a Teen Choice award. The profile of trans people has also been raised by Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, which stars trans and non-binary characters played by Laverne Cox and Ruby Rose.

Cassata has a YouTube channel, with more than 23,000 subscribers, where he posts songs and talks about issues affecting the trans community. As well as live gigs and talks, he appeared on several US TV shows in 2009-10 to talk about his transition and, he says, remind young people ‘there are other youth like them’.

But he did not tell the producers he was transgender and believes they found his prominent online profile before getting back in touch. He says he had to refuse the invitation to reaudition several times.

American Idol’s producers said in a statement: “American Idol searches far and wide to ensure that talent in any part of the country has a chance to audition. There are various ways for individuals to audition including our open , posting their auditions online, our east and west coast bus tours, through partner apps, etc.

“Our audition team has often reached out to former participants to audition again. Many find that their voice improves over a year and they have greater success in their second or third attempt. American Idol is about finding great talent and the show welcomes diversity in its participants. We will look into the veracity of the statements in Ryan Cassata’s open letter.”
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Fox announced in May that the show, which used to top the ratings but has been in steady decline, is to be cancelled after 15 seasons.

The top comment on Cassata’a video is a message of support left by another trans YouTuber with a growing profile. Aydian Dowling received extensive media coverage after he entered and won the public vote in Men’s Health magazine’s Ultimate Guy competition. The competition has a broad focus on “overcoming obstacles, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, giving back to their community and loved ones, and defining success”.

He writes to Cassata: “So glad you stood up for us and didn’t just take the role they wanted you to play.”

Cassata says he is not looking for an apology from American Idol, but is trying to raise awareness among trans people of the risks of being manipulated by the media. He told the Guardian: “We need to protect transgender people and part of that is positive and educational representation … I just want the media to be more honest.”

In his open letter he says: “I feel that American Idol would exploit me and maybe exploit the transgender community for the purpose of TV ratings and profit. That’s not the right reason to go on television and that’s not the right thing to do for my community.” - The Guardian

A transgender activist is scheduled to perform and give a talk Thursday evening at Needham High School, but student organizers are disappointed they couldn’t hold the event during the school day, when it would reach the students who are least likely to be educated about transgender rights.

Jonah Miller, a junior who is a member of the high school’s All Genders and Sexualities Alliance, which is hosting the event, suggested Ryan Cassata as a speaker after becoming a fan of his music.

On the plus side, a night event means people from outside Needham can attend, he said, but an event during school hours would have involved more students, including those who are less tolerant of transgender people.

“We would reach people who are making rude comments to people,” said Miller. “When you make it at night, it becomes a completely optional event. The people who are going to take the time to show up are the people that are already going to be open-minded enough to care to come.”


Principal Jonathan Pizzi said the biggest reason for not having it during the school day was logistical.

A day event ‘would reach people who are making rude comments to people.’


Needham High has only two schoolwide assemblies during the year because administrators don’t want to take away from instruction time, he said.

“There are so many perspectives around sexuality that we wanted them to have an event that could be accessible to a lot of different people,” said Pizzi. “Sexuality isn’t a topic we shy away from.”

Cassata, who came out nationally as transgender on “Larry King Live’’ when he was 15 years old, said he has given talks at about 50 high schools, colleges, and conferences since then. Originally from Long Island, he is now 19 and a freshman at San Francisco State University.

His appearances at high schools usually occur during the day, he said. He said it’s unfortunate this one won’t be, adding “but it’s okay, because I’ll be able to give students all the information they need.”

Cassata said he sings some songs and talks about being transgender, covering topics like bullying, suicide, and terminology, as well as surgery and hormones.

The free presentation will start at 7 p.m. in the high school’s auditorium. Student organizers said they hope they can bring Cassata back next year for a schoolwide assembly.

Pizzi said that having the event at night allows parents and people from other communities to attend.

Another alternative discussed was to hold the presentation during the day, but to make attendance optional. Pizzi said the school has tried that in the past, but then some students in a class want to go and others don’t.

“We talk about issues of sexuality. It is a very charged topic,” he said.

Pizzi said having the event during the day might have caused some friction in the school (“There might have been some pushback, hard to say”), but that isn’t why the decision was made to have it at night.

One of the two all-school assemblies is an annual event called “Own your Peace-Piece,” which allows students to share difficult stories with their peers. In the past, students have talked about struggles with eating disorders, sexual orientation, and other adversities, said Pizzi.

Greg Raubach, a junior in the school’s All Genders and Sexualities Alliance, echoed classmate Miller’s concerns.

“We wanted it to happen during the day so people who really needed to see the presentation,’’ who weren’t always interested in LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) activism, or weren’t exposed to it, “that they would have a chance to see it,” said Raubach. Having the session at night, he said, means that “the people who will most need the message that Ryan Cassata will be able to bring won’t show up.”

In February, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued guidelines on how to foster a safe and supportive school environment for transgender students. The 13-page document, which builds on a Massachusetts law passed last year that prohibits discrimination against transgender students in public schools, informs schools that they must allow transgender students to use the bathrooms and play on the sports teams of their preferred gender.

Further, the guidelines advise that schools should weave education about transgender students into their antibullying curriculum, student leadership training, and staff professional development.

Jesse Begenyi, interim director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, said those guidelines, which the coalition supports, have made for a tense environment in some schools where they have run up against criticism.

“In some ways, this is a time when people really need to see positive role models and positive representations of transgender students and transgender people,” said Begenyi.

“I think that it’s definitely going to start shifting, but I think it’s still in that tricky place, where opponents still have enough - Boston Globe

Ryan Cassata performs at the 2019 ASCAP Foundation Honors at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 11, 2019 in New York City.

Ryan Cassata is appreciative of his role as a rising trans and queer artist: since gaining public attention following his 2014 documentary Songs for Alexis, Cassata has campaigned for transgender equality around the world. But sometimes he wishes that he could be recognized for something outside of his gender identity.

So when the ASCAP Foundation presented Cassata with their Sunlight of Spirit Award on Wednesday night (Dec. 11), the singer knew that he was being honored for something that had little to do with being trans. The award is given annually to an artist who is "under the age of 30 who is exemplary in recovery and in music creativity," according to ASCAP's website.

"I think it shows that the industry is moving to a place where trans artists are getting closer to equal opportunities," Cassata tells Billboard. "A trans artist winning an award that is unrelated to being LGBTQ ... I think it shows young trans people that they can accomplish anything, regardless of being trans."

Cassata chatted with Billboard about his relationship with his sobriety, his gender and what he hopes his fans can take away from his success. - Billboard