KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley felt compelled to offer his thoughts on sex reassignment (or gender affirmation) treatment for children, saying that “normalizing” it has “turned it into a sad and dangerous fad.”
In a seemingly unprompted post on his social media pages on Sunday (April 30th), the veteran rocker stated that there is a “big difference” between “teaching acceptance” and encouraging children to pursue a life-changing path.
His full statement reads as follows:
“There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification as though some sort of game and then parents in some cases allow it. There ARE individuals who as adults may decide reassignment is their needed choice but turning this into a game or parents normalizing it as some sort of natural alternative or believing that because a little boy likes to play dress up in his sister’s clothes or a girl in her brother’s, we should lead them steps further down a path that’s far from the innocence of what they are doing. 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 identify as, 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.”
As expected, Stanley’s thoughts were met with strong responses from both sides of the debate. The Offspring’s guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman commented, “This is a very disappointing take, especially from someone who wore high-heels, makeup, & teased up hair his whole career. As a young kid your band helped teach me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I guess it was just gimmickry after all. #thatsashame.”
A fan on Instagram wrote, “Paul, I’m a lifelong fan. We’ve met a few times. I know you’ve got a big heart and I’m not sure you’ll even read this but worth a shot. Please reconsider this statement and consult with some trans people of any age and some parents of trans kids. Your statement not only comes off as transphobic and out of touch.”
Another person remarked, “Normalization is not encouraging or confusing children. Normalization is allowing people to live happily and freely without fear. Gender dysphoria isn’t fun.”
Others defended Stanley, with one person writing, “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and as a KISS fan from the 70s, I couldn’t agree more. Perfectly said!”
Stanley’s comments come as KISS wrap up the South American leg of their farewell tour. The band has dates scheduled throughout the year, ending with a North American leg in the fall.
See Paul Stanley’s post on Twitter below.
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 30, 2023
