Shawna Virago

Singer-Songwriter Shawna Virago is one America’s first openly transgender women to perform and tour nationally, to critical acclaim. She has been performing as her true self since the early 1990’s. Her career, spanning decades, is a storied journey of breaking barriers, challenging norms, and creating a powerful blend of punk and country music that resonates deeply with listeners from all walks of life.

Her work, a blend of lyrical brilliance and musical innovation, calls on listeners to engage deeply, to recognize the humanity in each other, and to appreciate the beauty of living authentically. Her songs capture individuals on a quest for belonging, navigating a world rife with tensions that are not always resolved. Virago explores the complexities of identity, the passage of time, and the struggle for belonging.

Her music, while deeply personal, speaks to broader themes of resistance, empowerment, and the ongoing fight for visibility and rights within the trans community. Virago is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, America’s first and longest running trans film festival, and a filmmaker whose films have screened in over 50 festivals around the world.