Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer reveals she is transgender. Here’s how she came out

Ela Melo, the lead singer for the popular alternative/indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, revealed she has found her “authentic self” in coming out as transgender.

She made the announcement on Wednesday, March 30 — about a week before the band hits the road for a highly-anticipated tour.

“Over the past couple of years, I’ve been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self,” Melo said on Instagram. “I’m happy to share with you that I am trans. My pronouns are she/her. I’m grateful to be able to express who I truly am and share in this moment with you.”

Rainbow Kitten Surprise hail from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina, and have been regarded as one of the rising alternative rock bands in the United States. They have more than 3.3 million monthly streamers on Spotify, with their upcoming tour taking them across the country and to several premier music festivals.

Twenty dates on their tour were sold out earlier this week.

The rest of the Rainbow Kitten Surprise bandmates also introduced themselves and revealed what they identify as in their social media post Wednesday.

“We’ve grown a lot as humans and as a band,” the group said.

They received an outpouring of support from their fans, as well as other bands.

“Congrats on coming out, Ela,” one person wrote on Instagram. “We love you so much!! It makes me so happy to see fellow trans people living as themselves authentically, and you will always have my support.”

“I’ve never met kinder or more welcoming people,” another commenter said. “It’s really exciting to see the band thriving and doing so well and it brings me a ton of joy every time I listen to your music.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer reveals she is transgender. Here’s how she came out."