Twin Musicians From Bloomfield Inspire Pride With Transgender Journey

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — While growing up alongside his twin sister in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Dane Mautone always “felt like one of the boys.” It was a truth that that eventually took him on a tough-but-rewarding journey, which culminated with a coming-out video that he posted online after graduating high school. And now that Mautone, 25, has transitioned into a transgender man, the prolific musician is excited to be using his art to inspire other supporters of LGBTQ rights – including his proud twin.

Mautone and his sister, Stephanie, have been turning heads as a social media-savvy pair of musicians over the past few years, wowing an online audience with heartwarming posts like their cover of “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid, which has racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

The chemistry has been years in the making; the Mautone twins have been singing together for more than a decade. Their entertainment careers took an upturn in 2019, when they were featured on season 17 of NBC’s “The Voice” – an experience they both described as “amazing.” It was an especially meaningful experience for Dane, who got to share his story as a transgender man.

Since then, they’ve continued to follow their dreams together and separately. Dane has been working on and releasing his own solo music. Stephanie has been pursuing acting and is currently studying at William Esper Studio in New York City.

Two things remain constant, however, the Mautones told Patch. One, they’ll continue to be each other’s biggest fan.

Two? They’ll keep singing together, no matter where life takes them.

“Witnessing Dane’s experience as a transgender man has taught me the importance of embracing your true self fully – I am so proud of him,” Stephanie Mautone said.

“His journey has inspired me to be braver and more courageous when it comes to being myself with no apologies,” she continued. “I’ve seen Dane go through so much to get to where he is today, and he is so proud to be exactly who he is. It’s truly inspiring, and we must all keep fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community, because everyone deserves to live authentically and to be free to be who they truly are.”

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The twins’ journey will continue on Saturday, June 10, when they perform at the second annual Montclair Pride festival, spearheaded by Out Montclair. “Dane and Stephanie” will take to the Main Stage at Bloomfield and Fullerton as part of the 4 to 6 p.m. set (see the full schedule here). Fans can expect to hear some of the viral covers they’ve seen online, as well as Dane’s new single, “Fiery,” which will release later this summer.

Out Montclair executive director Peter Yacobellis, a town council member in Montclair, said local music fans can expect a treat when the Mautones hit the stage.

“We exist first and foremost to lift up our local LGBTQ+ community,” Yacobellis said. “So when we can literally give the stage to incredible local talent, that feels like the stars aligning. Dane and Stephanie are two beautiful souls and voices who I know are going to really wow the crowd.”

• See Related: Huge LGBTQ Pride Festival Returning To Montclair For 2023

Patch recently asked Dane to share some of the high points – and challenges – he’s seen as a transgender man. His reply follows below.

“I’d firstly like to start off by saying that every transgender person’s journey is different, valid, and beautiful. Speaking from my own personal experience, I was always a very masculine child. I was assigned female at birth, and while being masculine would not necessarily be an exact indicator that I was trans, it was a sign to me that this was always me. I was often labeled a ‘tomboy’ growing up. I played on all-boy baseball and soccer teams. I always preferred clothing from the ‘boys’ section. I simply just always felt like ‘one of the boys.’

“As I got older, I experienced it being less socially acceptable for me to be so masculine. I tried to fit in and play the part of what society says a ‘girl’ should be, but it was never right. I became increasingly uncomfortable with myself while going through puberty. I always dreamt about being male. It was a safe space to wander off to in my mind as I dreaded everyday life.

“I started to really figure out my identity during my freshman year of high school. After years of internal struggle, I found support and information online. I finally had the knowledge and words to put to my feelings. It all made sense when I realized what being transgender was. I took the time to accept myself. I researched everything I could about transitioning. Still, this felt like a very distant dream. Going through the rest of my high school years closeted was extremely difficult. I found some comfort in joining theatre in school. I was also a part of many singing groups. Being involved with the music programs in school always helped me to get through as well as make great friends. I was constantly trying to figure out how to come out and be able to live my life authentically. The fear of rejection held me back. I lived a very closed-off, unhappy, and secretive life.

“Despite my fear of backlash, I knew that in order for me to live this life I had to be true to myself. Gradually I came out to close friends and family. After high school, in 2017, I posted a video online coming out as transgender publicly. I utilized my passion for music in this video and covered Wrabel’s ‘The Village.’ This song accurately depicted what I was going through at the time as a transgender individual who just wanted to be seen and loved for who they were. I received a tremendous amount of support after posting that video online, but it was not smooth sailing from there. It was a long, difficult journey.

“I’m very happy to say that now, at age 25, I’m in a great place and feel very seen and supported for who I am by the people in my life. I am proud, happy, open and free. I started medically transitioning 4 1/2 years ago. I am extremely grateful to be able to have access to gender affirming care. It is life-saving. I’m able to live authentically in all that I do now. My journey will always inspire me to keep on pushing for trans and LGBTQ rights.”

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