SF Pride Fest cancels Twisted Sister song over Dee Snider’s ‘transphobic’ tweet.

San Francisco Pride Drops Classic Rock Song and Dee Snider Over Tweet

What Happened?

The San Francisco Pride Parade & Celebration has dropped the classic ’80s rock song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and performing artist Dee Snider from this year’s event. The reason? A tweet Snider wrote questioning radical transgender activism.

According to local news outlet KRON4, the Twisted Sister song was going to be the “unofficial rallying cry” of this year’s event, but now, neither Snider nor the song will be showcased.

The Drama

The drama started when KISS frontman Paul Stanley posted a lengthy statement calling normalizing gender reassignment surgery on children “a sad and dangerous fad.” Stanley went on to say that “many children who have no real sense of sexuality or sexual experiences get caught up in the ‘fun’ of using pronouns and saying what they identify as.”

The statement drew attention from both sides of the debate, with some prominent musicians and activists weighing in. On Monday, Snider shared his thoughts on Stanley’s message.

“You know what? There was a time where I ‘felt pretty’ too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions! Well said, [Paul Stanley],” he replied to the original statement.

The Fallout

The festival released a statement indicating it was parting ways with Snider because of the tweet.

“San Francisco Pride was on the cusp of announcing Twisted Sister’s ‘We’re not gonna take it’ as the unofficial rallying cry of this year’s SF Pride Parade & Celebration, with the band’s frontman Dee Snider performing the song on our center stage. Dee has always been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights,” the statement began.

“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 message perpetuated by that tweet casts doubt on young trans people’s ability to self-identify their gender,” it continued.

The statement went on, “Transgender people, particularly transgender women and children of color, are disproportionately affected by hate and violence. And with transphobia proliferating and becoming more and more enshrined in law throughout the country — we have to stand up for the most impacted among us.”

“We have mutually agreed to part ways, but appreciate Dee seeing this as a teachable moment and a reminder that even allies need to be educated to ensure that they are not casually promoting transphobia,” it concluded.

Takeaway

The fallout from a tweet can be swift and severe, as Dee Snider has learned. It’s a reminder that even allies need to be careful with their words and actions, especially when it comes to sensitive issues like gender identity. The San Francisco Pride Parade & Celebration has taken a stand against transphobia, and it’s up to all of us to do the same.