The past 18 months have been nothing less than a whirlwind for Australian musician G Flip. The 27-year-old moved to the US during a global pandemic, publicly came out as non-binary in June last year, and most recently made global headlines after their relationship with Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause was revealed. Plus, they just broke their hand last month which is far from ideal when you’re a drummer and singer.
“I snapped a bone in two places and I’ll be in the cast for a while,” they tell Refinery29. “I’m still playing all my drums parts, just learning how to do them all one-handed.”
Determined is the perfect word to describe the artist originally from Melbourne — whether that’s referring to their determination to play the drums with one hand or in delivering a powerful message in their newest song, Waste Of Space. Released on International Non-Binary People’s Day (July 14), the emotional track unearths the confusion and pain G Flip experienced as a young child while navigating their gender identity.
They would wear the boys’ uniform to school but be rejected by the other boys for being a “girl,” and then isolated by the girls who said they were a “boy” because of what they wore. That’s when G Flip first realized they didn’t fit in the binary, and other kids would call them a “waste of space.”
“I grew up uncomfortable,” the song begins. “Eleven years old and I wanted to die, I don’t feel like I’m a girl, nor a boy so where do I lie?”
Releasing the song now is intentional and a long time coming. G Flip’s determined to assure young non-binary people that they’re not alone. They’re also determined to educate the masses, particularly after the heightened public attention about their identity since dating Stause. “I’ve got a lot of messages [about me being non-binary], because my name has been in quite a few headlines, especially out in the US,” they explain.
“Whether it’s people messaging me wanting to further educate themselves to educate their children, or I’ve copped a lot of hate as well — people telling me that I’m not non-binary, that ‘You’re a girl, you’ve got a vagina.’
“A lot of hurtful things! So it felt like now is a good time to put the song out… to help further educate the world on what being non-binary is.”
Growing up, the musician rarely saw any non-binary visibility or representation in the media. They now hope to be the role model for other young people that they so desperately needed years ago. “I didn’t even have a character on TV or a musician or singer to listen to and consume their art or consume their words to feel less alone and to feel seen,” they say. “I want to be that person that I never had as a kid, because I know how it feels. I know that if I can make one kid feel less like I did, then my job is done.
“If I can make anyone hear this song, watch this music video, consume any of my art and have that person feel seen and feel like they have someone to look up to or lean on or message, I know it can change lives… because I know if I had that it would have changed mine.”
The whole cast of the Waste Of Space music video identified as non-binary or gender fluid, and the crew behind the camera’s over 85% queer and 55% gender non-conforming. “We all came from that same spot in our lives where we felt like a waste of space because we felt like we didn’t belong and we may have been ostracized or teased,” says G Flip. “It was very important to me that the whole cast and majority of the crew really understood the message that I want to portray with this song and how I do believe that it can change people’s lives because it’s authentic.”
Since sharing a snippet of the music video on their Instagram account yesterday, G Flip has been showered with positive messages and support on social media and clocked up almost 400,000 views on the post. They’re next set to perform at Adelaide’s Spin Off Festival and Byron Bay’s Splendour In The Grass next week.
As much as their focus is on the music, the curiosity from the public about their private life is inevitable. The star says they and Stause try to ignore the outside noise. “I think with us, it’s just our happiness comes first,” they say. “As long as we’re happy, all the craziness around us doesn’t matter. As long as we’re smiling and having a great time, everything’s all good.”
Waste Of Space is available to stream now.
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