If you haven’t already heard of The Cliks - and the band’s ĂŒber-hip lead singer Lucas Silveira - you’ve probably been living on my parent’s farm.  Over a few short months this summer, Silveira, who was raised in a village of 600 on Portugal’s Azores Islands, became North America’s best-known transgender man.

The Cliks (thecliks.com) have had quite a year, releasing their major label debut album Snakehouse with Tommy Boy Records and joining Cyndi Lauper on the True Colors Tour before hitting Europe on their own.  The lead single from Snakehouse, “Oh Yeah” made it to LOGO’s Top 10 Countdown, while the videos for “Oh Yeah” and “Complicated” have played on LOGO’s Click List for weeks.  

On the verge of becoming veritable rock gods, The Cliks wrapped their European tour this week and are now gearing up to open for The Cult.  This month they’ll perform everywhere from Northampton, Mass. to Toledo, Ohio, and then it’s back to Canada where the Toronto-based foursome will heat up the great white North with numerous November gigs.

More often than not, it’s been Silveira’s transgender identity that initially draws media attention, but it’s the band’s rocking beats that garner the group critical acclaim. The all-queer band has busted out of the gay ghetto, drawing attention from both gay and mainstream presses, including coverage in The Village Voice, CBS, MSNBC and an appearance on The Late Show with Craig Ferguson.   

The praise hasn’t been universal, though, and some critics even accused Silveira of identifying as transgender for the publicity - speculation he dismisses.  “To say I got a double mastectomy for publicity is insane.”  But he will milk the attention. “Everybody needs a story to get people to listen. Thankfully, mine is real and unavoidable to those interested. If I were Amy Winehouse it would be that I’m troubled and in rehab, or if I were Keith Richards it would be that I’m the human cockroach.”

As one of the first openly trans artists to be signed to a major label, Silveira recognizes that his gender identity is “a focal point to begin with,” but he’s been pleasantly surprised at the outcome. “It is my story and it’s what initially draws people in. But truly, I haven’t heard or read much that hasn’t put that on the backburner and decided that we’re just a good band with good music.”

Concerned that being out as trans might hurt his career, the singer songwriter originally feared the reception wouldn’t be so positive. “In the beginning
I truly thought that it was the end of my career, but I was willing to lose that because I needed to be who I was.” And, he acknowledges, “It has impacted my career.  Oddly enough, what I feared the most has been what’s helped me the most:  just being myself. I think my songwriting in the past, and the way I came across, wasn’t strong enough to carry a band like this.  I wasn’t
at a place of honesty and people can see right through that.  My songwriting grew [as] I got to know [myself] better and that honesty came out as good ol’ rock n’ roll.”

That rock n’ roll has attracted some influential fans, including Cyndi Lauper, who bumped The Cliks from five dates to eight on the True Colors tour, and comedienne Margaret Cho, who helped make and appeared one of The Cliks’ music videos.

Preferring to be known for his music, Silveira isn’t interested in being a trans poster boy.  But he believes,  “People will look at us as political no matter what.”  And he says, he welcomes the chance to pave the way for other trans musicians.  

“Musicians like us shouldn’t be overlooked simply because of who we are. It’s what we do that makes the difference.  [And that] is just good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.  I can guarantee that when you get past the trans thing, you’ll still stick around - because we’ve got what it takes.”
Trans writer, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, co-authored Blind Leap, the second book in the Blind Eye Mystery series, available in October. Contact  or visit Anderson-minshall.com for more information.