During a live performance at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Aug. 23, the band’s singer, Gerard Way (who uses he/they pronouns), surprised concertgoers with a fashion choice sure to make a statement: a cheerleader uniform. “I do believe some of you have been waiting a very long time for this show,” Way was quoted saying by local reporters at The Tennessean during the beginning of the band’s set. “We have, too. Thank you so much for waiting around,” he added. Photos and videos from the band’s iconic performance were shared on Twitter late last night and by morning, many of them had reached viral status; earning Way his own vertical trend. Many fans were quick to show their support for Way (who has been open about his gender identity for some time now, tweeting in 2015 that he has “always preferred [using] he/they” pronouns) and also noted that many of the songs made famous by MCR detail relatable experiences for fans that are trans, nonbinary, or those questioning their gender identity. In one video, the band can be heard playing “Mama” from the 2006 album The Black Parade, as Way sang and danced his way across the stage in a green and white cheerleader uniform. While the inspiration for the original song is still rather muddy—Way previously told author Tom Bryant that the song is not about war, but rather “haunting, dark and scary,” and has an “essence of World War II coming over it,"—last night’s performance certainly amplified the tune’s themes of unabashedly defying gender norms. One fan tweeted lyrics from the song’s chorus alongside a video of the concert: “You should have raised a baby girl, I should’ve been a better son.” To which another quickly joked: “this song is for transmascs only” Last night’s performance also inspired several memes and an outpour of support for the artist. “mentally i will never recover from the fact that gerard shaved his legs for this,” one shared alongside two photos of the singer. “lord gerard,” one wrote above a screenshot of Way in their cheerleader uniform juxtaposed to lyrics from the song “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid” that read: “Well, don’t i look pretty walking down the street in the best d*** dress I own?” Fans didn’t stop there, here are a few more viral reactions: More Pop Culture:
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