A trans woman on TikTok has suggested that singer and Nirvana founder Kurt Cobain was “probably trans” because he often wore women’s clothing.
Cobain, who died by suicide at age 27, was one of the most popular rock musicians of the 1990s as he and his band helped lead the grunge revolution until his untimely death at age 27.
Cobain never expressed his views on transgender people, which was not a big topic of discussion in the 1990s, but he gave concerts in dresses and often appeared in photo shoots in dresses, with makeup, and wearing nail polish and eyeliner.
But in a one-minute video shared by @lillytino_the trans activist goes a step further and outlines a slew of evidence suggesting that Cobain was trans and may have even committed suicide due to his inner turmoil.
“I bet you didn’t know that Kurt Cobain was probably transgender. First off, Kurt wore a lot of women’s clothes and when asked about it, said they ‘always’ wore women’s clothes because they felt ‘comfortable and free,'” Lilly Contino from Atlanta, Georgia said on TikTok. “Just look at Kurt in these photos. They look so happy.
The video, shared by @lillytino_, quickly went viral when she suggested the late Nirvana frontman was trans because he often wore dresses on stage
Influencer Contino explained that ‘Kurt wore a lot of women’s clothes and when asked about it, said they ‘always’ wore women’s clothes because they felt ‘comfortable and free.’
“And in an interview about their childhood, Kurt said that they mostly hung out with girls and that at one point they thought they might be gay,” Contino continued.
‘Many transgender people who do not yet have the vocabulary to express their gender identity will describe what they feel as ‘being gay’. That’s exactly what I did in high school.
Kurt also quoted that they identify more with the feminine than the masculine. This is clear evidence that Kurt did not identify with the gender assigned at birth,” the influencer with 330,000 followers suggested.
“And the most compelling evidence that Kurt was trans — in an early version of Nirvana’s All Apologies lyrics, Kurt wrote ‘Let me grow some balls.’ And of course Kurt will never be able to tell us himself.
“The evidence makes it quite clear that they were transgender. That may be why Kurt is no longer with us. Maybe Kurt knew we weren’t ready yet?’ Contino puts an end to her bizarre theory.
Contino suggested that because Cobain enjoyed hanging out with girls as a youngster, this may have influenced his gender identity
Cobain often wore dresses on stage, but there was little talk about his sexuality
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana in concert at the Forum in Los Angeles, California, in December 1991
Online, the suggestion that the rock idol could be transgender provoked a fast and furious response.
‘Clothes have no gender. Kurt Cobain is dead. Let the man rest,” one user wrote.
“Don’t you dare disrespect Kurt Cobain like this,” another asked.
‘Let him rest in peace and don’t make any assumptions about him. He is not here to deny,” Tina wrote.
“I don’t think people are necessarily upset about the Kurt Cobain thing, but rather that you’re doing the exact opposite of what you’re preaching, which is assuming someone’s gender and metal history,” said another TikToker.
“Aren’t you the one who gets angry all the time when people call you the wrong gender?” You’re not Kurt Cobain, so there’s a lot to say,” one commenter said.
Viewers of the TikTok video were outraged that the trans activist would make assumptions about his gender identity based on such weak evidence
Kurt Cobain, center, is seen with RuPaul, Dave Grohl, far left, and Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, far right, and Courtney Love with daughter Frances Bean Cobain
Cobain, who died by suicide at age 27, was one of the most popular rock musicians of the 1990s when he and his band helped lead the grunge revolution.
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, right, with wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain in 1993
‘Please leave Kurt Cobain alone! You preach so much about adopting people’s gender identity. He’s not here to defend himself. Follow what you preach,” said another.
Contino, 30, from Atlanta, Georgia has not responded to any criticism so far.
Growing up male, Contino was teased throughout high school for being “flamboyant” and “fat.”
In the past, the influencer has posted videos explaining gender dysphoria as “a mismatch between the body you were born in and who you are.”
She says companies have now reached out to her for advice on how to be trans-inclusive and she’s even started her own company LillyContino Consulting LLC, which makes her “outing” with Cobain all the more surprising.