Former Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider stood his ground on saying that children are not old enough to make life-altering decisions via gender reassignment procedures.
Paul Stanley, the lead singer and co-founder of the band KISS, spoke out against gender reassignment treatments for minors in a public statement on Sunday. He declared that there is significant difference between "teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging young children into questioning their sexual identification," later adding this has become a "sad and dangerous fad." Snider, who rose to fame partly for his drag-inspired stage persona in the Twisted Sister rock band defended Stanley’s post, "You know what? There was a time where I ‘felt pretty’ too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions!"
After initial criticism, Snider defended his position, "Parents need to be less reactionary; Right and Left. No need to steer the child in either direction. Let the kid figure it out for themselves knowing their family is supportive. I had a vet/cop harda-- dad who, while he shook his head A LOT...let me do my thing." His comments caught the attention of SF Pride, one of the world’s most famous LGBTQ+ events.
The organization wrote, "San Francisco Pride was on the cusp of announcing Twisted Sister’s ‘We’re not gonna take it’ as the unofficial rallying cry of this year’s SF Pride Parade & Celebration, with the band’s frontman Dee Snider performing the song on our center stage. Dee has always been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights."
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It continued, "However, when we were notified about the tweet in which Dee expressed support for Kiss’s Paul Stanley’s transphobic statement, we were heartbroken and angry. The message perpetuated by that tweet casts doubt on young trans people’s ability to self-identify their gender."
Snider responded with a post on Facebook that called out his critics for calling him "transphobic" despite his progressive-friendly track record.
He recounted that the San Francisco Pride Parade had previously invited him to "be a Grand Marshal in their parade and sing 'We're Not Gonna Take It' on the center stage at what could possibly be the most important LGBTQIA+ gathering in the organization's long history," and balked at how he has since been accused of being "transphobic" for disagreeing on transgender surgeries for minors.
"I was not aware the Transgender community expects fealty and total agreement with all their beliefs and any variation or deviation is considered 'transphobic,'" he wrote. He went on to explain why children are not old enough to make life-changing decisions about their bodies.
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"I've recently stated I do not believe young children are ready to decide their gender allocation," he wrote. "I believe their choices should be supported and accepted by their parents, but I do not think kids have the mental capabilities to make rational, logical decisions on things of a magnitude that will affect them for the rest of their lives. I do not believe they are mentally developed enough."
After citing scientific research from Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein on brain development in children, he defended his status as a proud moderate.
"I am a proud moderate. I drive a Tesla and a Hummer. I have too many guns but strongly support intelligent gun control. I have four children yet fight for a woman's right to choose. I am a motorcycle riding environmentalist. I am a heterosexual who proudly supports LBGTQIA+ rights," he wrote. "To me (and I believe to many of you) none of these things are mutually exclusive. The Transgender community needs moderates who support their choices, even if we don't agree with every one of their edicts."
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He added further, "For some Transgender people (not all) to accuse supporters, like me, of transphobia is not a good look for their cause. Don't reject people who are willing to march, sing and stand with you just because we don't perfectly see eye-to-eye. We are still your allies."
In contrast to Snider, Stanley walked back his comments on Thursday, saying, "While my thoughts were clear, my words clearly were not."
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