Following backlash to social media comments that many viewed as transphobic, both Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider and Kiss’s Paul Stanley have released statements attempting to clarify their views.

Last week, Stanley tweeted out a missive echoing anti-trans talking points and misinformation suggesting that young children who identify as trans are participating in a “dangerous fad” and criticizing parents who affirm their children’s gender identity. Snider retweeted the statement, saying, “There was a time where I ‘felt pretty’ too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions!”

Both rock stars’ comments perpetuate the current moral panic around transgender youth that has led to Republican efforts to ban gender-affirming care for young people in states across the country.

...In a statement, San Francisco Pride noted Snider’s longtime support for LGBTQ+ rights. “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 statement said. “The message perpetuated by that tweet casts doubt on young trans people’s ability to self-identify their gender.”