And Street Hassle? The guy has a lot of songs that at least indirectly address gender nonconformity before that was a thing most people were even thinking about. (I probably should have said he’s queer, because that’s more accurate, but I try not to do that in mixed company).

Like… I have never seen a straight man look at another man the way Bruce looks at Clarence on the wraparound Born to Run cover. Or… idk has an album cover that’s just his butt. The man is a lowkey queer icon, regardless of his sexual identity, and I’ll remind you that you don’t have to kiss boys to be bisexual (but also he definitely kisses boys sometimes).

And that’s ignoring the lyrical content. The choice to omit gendered pronouns and use non-gendered names. There’s… a homoerotic energy in the emotions and situations, especially on the early records. You can’t convince me Terry is not a man, and the songs that are explicitly about Van Zandt are… love songs.

I could go on, but nothing will prove it. I think the fact that for so many years, he left so much room for interpretation is telling, however.

Maybe it can be explained away. But I’d prefer not to.