'Twisted Sister' frontman rejects 'transphobe' slur for opposing gender surgery on minors: 'Not gonna take it'
Classic rock legend urges sensible Americans in the 'vast middle' to stand up to the fringes
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EXCLUSIVE – Former "Twisted Sister" frontman Dee Snider is continuing to criticize pushing puberty blockers and gender medical operations on kids while insisting he is still an ally of the of LGBTQ community despite recent efforts to cancel him.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the outspoken rock star claimed that allowing kids to make life-altering medical decisions at such a young age is evidence that "irresponsible parenting is the norm in society."
Snider also declared he’s "not gonna take it" when leftists call him a "transphobe" just because he doesn’t support the mutilation of children.
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He insists he’s "100%" an "ally" for the LGBTQ community despite his one point of disagreement and urged Americans to "push back" against the mob that’s willing to ostracize them if they don’t line up completely with their beliefs.
It was earlier this year that Snider caused a stir with his public stance against gender reassignment surgeries for minors.
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At the time, Snider came out in support of fellow rock legend Paul Stanley’s condemnation of the procedure, with the KISS co-founder calling the notion of "gender-affirming care" a "sad and dangerous fad."
Snider expressed support for Stanley’s post, tweeting, "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."
Stanley eventually walked back his initial comments, providing a subsequent tweet which claimed, "While my thoughts were clear, my words were not."
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Snider however, refused to back down. In response to criticism, the singer tweeted, "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."
Snider continued to stand strong even after SF Pride, the major LGBTQ organization behind the largest Pride celebration in the world, publicly denounced him and announced he would no longer perform his legendary song "We’re Not Gonna Take It" at the 2023 SF Pride festival.
The singer responded in blistering fashion on Facebook, writing, "I was not aware the Transgender community expects fealty and total agreement with all their beliefs and any variation or deviation is considered 'transphobic.’"
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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."
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During the interview, Fox asked Snider what he thought specifically about the idea of society promoting gender reassignment among children.
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After first reaffirming he’s "100%" for the LGBTQ community, Snider said, "I think irresponsible parenting is the norm these days rather than the exception. I’m amazed sometimes at just the missteps, and there are things that seem so obvious and yet some parents just don’t seem to get it."
"We’re all making mistakes here but as a parent there are certain things that you come to know, and one thing you come to know is that your kids don’t know everything when they’re in elementary school," he continued. "They don’t know everything when they’re in junior high school. They don’t know everything when they’re in high school."
"Certainly, the younger you are, the less ability you have to make really the smartest decisions, lifetime decisions," he declared.
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Mentioning his point against gender surgeries for minors which he gave to SF Pride, Snider said, "In my Facebook post, I quoted Johns Hopkins University child psychiatrists, you know, it’s a known thing… So, I think that people are giving too much credit to their children."
Also during the interview, Snider slammed the idea that he’s no longer an LGBTQ ally because he disagrees with the notion of providing gender surgeries for kids.
"My response with what happened to SF Pride was more of saying, ‘I’m not going to – I didn’t do anything wrong," he said.
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"No, I’m not going to do [that], just because you’ve decided that I am this. I am going to push back… And my end statement on Facebook with the SF Pride thing was, I am still an ally. I am still with you. I will still stand with you. I will still march with you," he added.
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Referencing his iconic song "We're Not Gonna Take It," Snider added, "I am not going to accept – I’m not gonna take it – I’m not going to accept that you said I’m this or that and that I’m transphobic, I’m going to push back on that."
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The singer expressed that the "extreme right and left" wings in the country have made it so people like him – people he sees as in the "vast middle" politically – are bullied for expressing a view that falls outside each camp.
"If you’re willing to accept any negotiation or any compromise, you’re in the middle, because [with] the extreme right and left there is no compromise," he said. "Look what happened to me. You know, I said one thing I disagreed with, and I’m transphobic."
Snider then asked, "Because I disagreed with one point out of you thousands of points? I said one I didn’t agree with, and I’m transphobic?"
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He added, "So I was sending a message out to that vast middle, saying, ‘Don’t accept any of this from any of them! Push back! We are the true majority, we are the vast majority, and we need to have the bigger voice. Don’t let the loudest voices in the room be the bullying minority."