Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider has been dropped from San Fransisco’s Pride Parade and Celebration after supporting a controversial statement made by KISS singer Paul Stanley about sex reassigntment
The 1984 hit ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ was planned to be used as the San Fransisco Pride parade’s unofficial rallying cry with Snider set to perform the song on its center stage. Those plans quickly came to an end after the glam-rock frontman shared his support for Stanley’s views that “normalizing” sex reassignment for children is a “sad and dangerous fad.”
Snider, who has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, took to Twitter to back up Stanley’s declaration sharing: “You know what? There was a time where I “felt pretty” too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions! Well said, @PaulStanleyLive”
You know what? There was a time where I “felt pretty” too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions! Well said, @PaulStanleyLive https://t.co/G80uNyzD7M
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) May 1, 2023
Stanley caused upset online when he posted on Twitter: “There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children.
“With many children who have no real sense of sexuality or sexual experience caught up in the ‘fun’ of using pronouns… some adults mistakenly confuse teaching acceptance with normalizing and encouraging a situation that has been a struggle for those truly affected and have turned it into a sad and dangerous fad.”
Responding, executive director of San Francisco Pride Suzanne Ford posted in a statement on their website: “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. We have mutually agreed to part ways, but appreciate Dee seeing this as a teachable moment and a reminder that even allies need to be educated to ensure that they are not casually promoting transphobia. To all our allies — we want to call you in — not call you out.”
This is not the first time Snider has caused controversy this year. Back in January, he stirred a debate about frontmen in rock saying that Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio weren’t “great frontmen”.
He later reflected on his comments and clarified that he had not aimed to trash their talents. he explained: “I don’t really sort of just blurt things out; I process ’em and I’m kind of deliberate. I say it and it comes out like it’s blurted. But I’ve got strong opinions.”
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