Diversity Rules Magazine

4 Diversity Rules Magazine September 2015 Diversity Rules Magazine welcomes Ryan Cassata as its September feature interview. Ryan is a singer-songwriter & transgender motiva- tional speaker who – all by age 21 – successfully cut 9 records, toured the States nationally, performed at some of the world's big- gest Pride Festivals, won Bay Shore High School's first- ever Harvey Milk Memorial Award, became the youngest keynote speaker for the largest transgender conference in existence, appeared on TV several times, wrote two movie soundtracks, played on the Van's Warped Tour and starred in and toured with internationally screening documentary "Songs For Alexis." The Long Island-native who is now based in San Francisco, can play many instruments but is most frequently seen performing foot-stomping folk rock with a vocal mic, a harmonica slung around his neck and his beloved Ovation guitar. As a one man show, Cassata never leaves an audi- ence bored. Ryan Cassata writes very passionate lyrics. His words are positive and inspirational to every generation. Cassata hopes to continue living the dream of spreading this posi- tivity across the country and around the world with ef- forts to make people smile and catch on to kindness. Ryan Cassata is doing much more than the average young folk-singer. He demands peace, he demands love, and…he demands REVOLUTION. Ryan Cassata also recently turned down an offer to appear on AMERICAN IDOL. Ryan explains why in the September issue. He will also give us his perspective on other impor- tant topics impacting the transgender community. JRK: Can you give Diversity Rules readers an idea of who Ryan Cassata is -- where you are from and all that good basic information? RC: I was born December 13th, 1993 on Long Island, NY where I grew up. I came out as bisexual when I was 12 years old and came out as transgender when I was 14. I graduated from Bay Shore High School in 2011. I moved to San Francisco in August of 2012. JRK: Recently you made news with your rejection of American Idol's offer to appear on the show. Can you enlighten readers about the issue and what transpired that led to your decision to decline the show's offer to appear? RC: American Idol first contacted me in 2014. I am not sure how they found me but I'm guessing through my youtube channel since that has the most subscrib- ers out of any of my social media. ey got in touch via email through my manager the night before the San Francisco auditions and I figured "hey, I might as well give this a go, I have nothing else going on tomor- row." ey called me again this June asking me to go on the show, they first told me that they were looking for someone who is transgender to go on idol. ey ad- mitted to transgender being a hot topic right now and even told me that all the shows would be calling me. ey called me again in July and basically begged me to go on Idol. It took me 9 minutes to tell them that I wasn't interested at all. e things that the casting director said on the phone were extremely racist, sexist and transphobic. ey admitted that American Idol is a TV show and not a singing show. JRK: You have been in New York recording your next album in collaboration with Barb Morrison – who, by the way, was a guest feature in Diversity Rules and simply ROCKS! Can you tell us about the new album? RC: e new album is different than anything I have ever done. It contains a wide range of genres from rap to pop to rock with a punk rock edge. A lot of the songs focus on staying true to oneself, standing up for what you believe in, rising up against bullying, rising Stay True, Stay You An Interview With Ryan Cassata By Jim Koury, Editor/Publisher

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