On Monday, music fans all around the world were devastated to learn that rock legend Tom Petty had passed away at age 66.
After the rocker's death, a particular tribute to the transgender community has once again resurfaced on social media, and plenty of LGBTQIA+ people are celebrating the musician speaking out about trans rights during such a difficult time for the community in the US.
On Petty's last-ever tour earlier this year, he performed his 1976 hit 'American Girl' with his band The Heartbreakers, while displaying an image of Alexis Arquette, the transgender actress who passed away from HIV-related complications the year before.
While montage itself had featured throughout the tour, the inclusion of the image of Arquette took on particularly newsworthy significance during their New York show at Forest Hills Stadium. That day, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he would be banning transgender service members from the US military.
Petty's tribute to Arquette, a prominent voice in the transgender community for many years, struck a chord with many in the LGBTQIA+ community, and was written about by a number of pop culture and music publications.
Alexis' brother David Arquette posted a message of thanks to Petty at the time for honouring his late sister:
Since Petty's death, people have been remembering his nod to trans rights, as well as his other contributions of allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community:
