Trans* Success

Lucas Silveira is the Canadian vocalist/guitarist and songwriter for the rock band The Cliks. He has recently released his first solo effort “MOCKINGBIRD” since founding They are currently touring the US and Canada promoting it.  Silveira also happens to be a transgender man. The Cliks made history as the first band with an overtly transgender male leader signed by a major record label, Tommy Boy Entertainment’s gay-friendly imprint Silver Label.

He was about three when “I knew exactly who I was at that age, which sucked, not having words for it and being told I was something else.”  He knew he was a boy and asked his mother to buy him a penis like his brothers. His mother told him that was “ridiculous”, but his yearning for a penis never went away. He suppressed his feelings about his identity and tried to make it go away, spending years telling himself that he had mental problems and that he needed to get help. Lucas didn’t talk to anyone about it, then when he was in his middle teens, the first time he heard about Transgender people was on Geraldo Rivera.

I remember seeing this guy with a beard, and they were like, “This man was born a woman!” I was like, “Holy shit! That’s me.”

Then he heard about the murdered transman, Brandon Teena and was “completely and utterly horrified”.  At 17, he then decided to come out and live as a lesbian, as a safer alternative.  After realizing he could not, in truth, live his life as a lesbian, he decided to undergo top surgery to be his true self.  Silveira chose not to take testosterone because of all the negative effects it could have on his singing voice.  He has had “top surgery” and says it makes him feel “grounded.”

Lucas founded The Cliks in 2004 when his musical and self identity transitioned from being a solitary folk singer/songwriter lesbian, to an ‘over the top’ rock n’ roll front man.  This shift reflected a vision he had carried his entire life and had now found the courage to make significant life changes and create a vehicle for the music in his head.  After six years, two major record label releases (Snakehouse 2006/Dirty King 2009) became international successes, many line up changes, major tours, TV appearances, and many awards including the Sexiest Man In Canada, he has broken entrenched societal boundaries, and garnered praise from his musical peers.