Paul Stanley, the longtime guitarist for KISS, sharply criticized child sex reassignment surgery, describing it as a “sad and dangerous fad” in a lengthy social media post.
“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,” wrote Stanley, 71, in a post on several of his social media accounts.
“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,” the father of four continued.
“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,” he concluded.
It’s not clear what prompted Stanley—the co-founder of the popular hard rock band—to write the post on Sunday. However, sex reassignment surgery for children as well as male athletes competing in female sports has turned into a hot-button issue in recent months, as a number of GOP-led state legislatures have moved to pass bills in response to the trend amid a widespread parent-led backlash.
At least one fellow glam rocker shared Stanley’s statement. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider responded by saying his social media post was “well said” and was thankful “my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions.”
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 30, 2023
At the federal level, the House of Representatives passed a measure in April barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, although President Joe Biden has signaled he would veto the measure if it ever reaches his desk. It’s not clear if the Democrat-led Senate will even take up the bill anytime soon.
The bill stated: “It shall be a violation for a recipient of federal financial assistance who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.” Democrats, in turn, have claimed the bill would be tantamount to bullying transgender students.
