SAN FRANCISCO (CHRON) – Two days after he was pulled from a main stage appearance at this year’s Pride Celebration in San Francisco — and after his song, “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” was canceled during the festival’s unofficial rallying cry — Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider gave a response.
“I didn’t know that the Transgender community expects honesty and total agreement in all their beliefs and any diversity or deviation is considered ‘transphobic,'” wrote Snider on a Facebook post.
“So, my life is not enough supporting the right of the Transgender community to define what they want and respecting any changes they may make in how they present themselves to the world?” he continued, in a post titled, “So, I hear I’m transphobic. Really?”
At the center of the brouhaha with Pride was a tweet that Snider sent out earlier this week, in which he expressed his support for a statement from fellow rocker, Paul Stanley of Kiss, that was widely panned for being anti-trans.
Stanley’s post read, in part: “With many children who have no real sense of sexuality or sexual experiences caught up in the ‘fun’ of using pronouns and saying what they refer to as, some adults mistakenly confuse acceptance of teaching with normalizing and encouraging a situation. That is a struggle for those truly affected and has made it a sad and dangerous trend.”
The post led some to criticize the Kiss singer for mischaracterizing gender-affirmation care as “some kind of game.”
Snider retweeted Stanley’s remarks, adding, “You know what? There was a time where I felt pretty too. My parents are glad they didn’t jump to conclusions.”
The tweet resulted in Pride kicking Snider off its main stage where he was set to perform Twisted Sister’s hard-rock anthem “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
“Dee has always been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights,” SF Pride said in a statement on the matter. “However, when we were notified about the tweet where Dee expressed support for Kiss Paul Stanley’s transphobic remarks, we were offended and outraged. The message perpetuated by that tweet questions the ability of trans youth to identify with their gender.
In his lengthy response to Pride’s removal, Snider attempted to explain his point of view, saying, “I recently said that I don’t believe that children are ready to decide their gender assignment. I believe in their choice must supported and accepted by their parents, but I don’t think children are capable of making reasoned, logical decisions on matters that have a major impact that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
Snider describes himself as a “proud moderate,” and a heterosexual who proudly supports LBGTQIA+ rights.
“The transgender community needs moderates who support their choices, even if we don’t agree with every one of their mandates,” Snider continued. “For some Transgenders (not all) to accuse supporters, like me, of transphobia is not a good look for their cause.”
The singer, who signed off her statement as “Your cisgender, crossdressing ally,” said she will continue to support the transgender community and their right to choose, “even if they reject me.”
to Snider full statement can be read on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Kiss Paul Stanley said the wording in his first post was not “clear”.
“Most importantly and above all, I support those who struggle with their sexual identity while enduring constant hostility and those whose path leads them to reassignment surgery,” Stanley wrote Thursday on social media. “It’s hard to fathom the kind of conviction a person must feel to take those steps.”
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