Paul Stanley and Dee Snider are both responding to the backlash they received over Stanley’s recent tweet about gender confirmation treatment for children, where he suggested it’s been “turned into a sad and dangerous fad.”
In a new post on social media, the KISS guitarist seems to regret his initial statement, saying, “While my thoughts were clear, my words clearly were not.”
Stanley insists he supports those struggling with their sexual identity, especially considering the “constant hostility” they experience, noting, “It’s hard to fathom the kind of conviction that one must feel to take those steps.”
But Stanley didn’t actually clarify what he meant by his original statement. “A paragraph or two will remain far too short to fully convey my thoughts or point of view,” he explained, “so I will leave that for another time and place.”
Meanwhile, Snider, who was dropped as a performer from SF Pride because he agreed with Stanley’s initial tweet, just released a statement regarding his position.
“I was not aware the transgender community expects fealty and total agreement with all their beliefs and any variation or derivation is considered transphobic,” he writes, insisting he has spent his lifetime supporting the transgender community’s right to “identify as they want.”
He does say, however, he does not “believe young children are ready to decide their gender allocation.” While he believes their choices “should be supported and accepted by their parents,” he doesn’t think they’re “mentally developed enough” to make such drastic decisions that could affect the rest of their lives.
He adds that he will continue to support the transgender community no matter how they feel about him, and also shares, “I am open to educating myself so I can be a better ally.”
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