Kim Petras made history with her Grammy win and here are the reasons we love the transgender artist

As well as working on her music during lockdown, Kim also reveals that she’s been testing the waters in the acting world and will be part of LGBTQIA+ dating app Grindr’s first-ever original content TV series, a comedy called Bridesman.

“I love Grindr, period. I think it’s so cool that they’re making content,” says Kim. While she won’t be drawn on specific details of the project, it does lead us to talk about dating and I ask if she ever uses dating apps. “Obviously all my friends use Grindr, but no actually, I don’t,” she says.

“When I was a kid and I was on TV, I felt weird about dating online, because then I’d have to put transgender into my stuff. And then suddenly, people who only like transgender women would contact me, and then I’d be like, oh, but I want to be seen as a woman. I don’t want someone who just wants a transgender person, doesn’t see me as a woman… So I’ve always only dated friends of friends, and people I’ve actually met in real life.”

Kim also points out the very real danger that transgender women can face on dating apps. “Violence against transgender women is so real, and especially in America,” she says. “It’s pretty dangerous as a trans woman on dating apps. If you don’t disclose it and then someone finds out, someone would mess you up.”

This sad reality leads me to ask Kim what she believes are the biggest challenges facing the transgender community today.

“I think it’s hard to see violence against trans women all the time, especially in America. It’s hard for people just constantly trying to ban transgender people from going to the restrooms they want to go to,” she tells me.

“Some countries are more progressive than others, but I think just in general, so many people have just never met a transgender person, and still don’t know that that transgender people are normal people. And I think there’s this fear surrounding transgender people that is like, ‘Oh, so you woke up one day and now you want to go to girls’ bathrooms?’ It’s just not at all what it is.

“I think the main thing that still needs to change is education about it, that it’s something that has existed since forever. “I always wonder why people care so much about other people’s lives. I think anybody who wants to change their gender or adjust their gender to how they feel inside should do it. And why would you want to have anything to say about it?”

We discuss how it is fear of the unknown and fear of difference that drives so much prejudice, which circles back to why celebrating Pride is so important.

“So many people are like, OK, people can marry now, trans people can be trans now, what else do you want? [But] people still need visibility”