Josie Scott, the guitarist in Australian alternative metal band The Mark of Cain, has shared that she is transgender.
The band has been a constant presence on the Australian live music scene since the late 1980s, and have five albums of material under their belts.
Scott, who founded the band alongside brother Kim, shared the news on the group’s Facebook page.
“As I’ve aged, and mortality is ever closer, I’ve decided to embrace, rather than endure, who I am.” they said.
In a detailed post Scott shared that she had experienced gender dysphoria since childhood and it had led her to be attracted to writing about life as an outsider.
“The real background to my decision now though harks back to when Covid hit. The first bout in 2022 left me with long covid and while I was sick, it caused me to reevaluate how I felt about growing old, navigating sickness, and whether when the time came to leave earth, I could do so, with no regrets.
“My answer was a big, ‘No, you’ve never been authentic’. I knew I would always regret not having the courage of my convictions to live my life. Seeing so many young people now able to embrace who they are and live authentically without as much bullshit as existed when I was young helped shine a light on the possibility that maybe i can finally be me in my autumn years.” Scott said.
Scott also noted that Mark of Cain was often interpreted as a very masculine, testosterone driven band.
“Much of what was interpreted as masculine was often being generated from my internal rage about my own dissatisfaction about myself and the paralysis I felt in being unable to live as me.
“It’s been liberating to finally live as myself albeit challenging at the same time, but the happiness I feel outweighs any obstacles I’ve faced so far.
“My family and close friends know me as Josie, Jo for short, and given where I identify on the gender spectrum, I fit within the paradigm of being a trans woman.
“I feel that the real fans of the band, who found us through their own feelings of alienation or otherness will understand the difficulty I’ve faced, of feeling different, and being on the outside, and will be ok with my announcement.”
Scott, who is now 63, formed the band alongside brother Kim in Adelaide in 1984. In 2022 they were inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.
