J.D. Samson Examines the Hardship of Being a "Gender Outlaw"

Musician J.D. Samson says she has an amazing career but being a queer entertainer has made her poorer than her heterosexual counterparts.

In an op-ed written for The Huffington Post, Samson, who besides being a founding member of acclaimed bands like Le Tigre and Men, is also a respected DJ, writes that she feels "lucky to have gained so much from my life and my amazing career, but I'm ready to feel secure." Samson laments living "in a society where people equate success with money," reveals she can't afford good health insurance, and shares the difficulties she faced trying to rent an apartment in Brooklyn due to being considered a "tattooed gender outlaw" who is unsure of her next paycheck.

Samson determined that this is partly due to the disparity as a wage earner between straight men and queer women, estimating that as a woman she makes "77 cents to the man's dollar, and [as] a queer [she] makes 23 percent less than the heterosexual."