Kiss frontman Paul Stanley posted a statement on social media Sunday cautioning parents against allowing young children to undergo sexual transitioning procedures.
“There is a big difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children,” Stanley began.
The statement goes on to detail his concerns about children and to express his support for people who make the decision as adults.
The post garnered more than 4 million views in about six hours.
Stanley provided an example of young children dressing in the clothes of an opposite sex sibling, calling the activity “innocent,” and cautioning parents against making more of it than it is.
“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,” Stanley wrote.
He concluded his statement by saying this “sad and dangerous fad” has grown as a result of adults normalizing and encouraging it in the name of promoting acceptance.
Responses to the post were mixed. While some people expressed support for Stanley’s sentiments, others were quick to hurl insults and call him a “transphobe.”
“All too often, we see celebrities keep quiet on these topics for fear of being called a bigot, but there is nothing bigoted about wanting kids to be kids and waiting until adulthood before making permanent decisions about their lives!” trans activist Sara Higdon told BlazeNews.
“… adults can do what they want but there is no need to medicalize children? When we know 88% end up growing out of their Dysphoria by the age of 20 … He’s right, accepting and promotion are two different things,” Higdon tweeted, in part.
A Twitter user with over 100,000 followers who goes by @DefNoodles defended Stanley, saying people on the Left were misinterpreting Stanley’s intent.
“I think a lot of people are missing Paul’s point. He’s not condemning trans people and/or transitioning. He’s saying that encouraging children to participate in it will have permanent effects on them before they’re fully developed and knowledgeable of what they’re doing,” @DefNoodles began.
“While I believe this topic is far more nuanced than the way Paul is laying it out here, I think the Left rushing to condemn him as a transphobe completely misses his point. Dude is on the Left’s side, he supports trans rights but thinks children transitioning is a little premature, which is a pretty Leftist take.”
Chris Bertman a journalist currently with Timcast, simply called Stanley’s statement “based.”
Ben Collins, a senior reporter at NBC News, took a jab at Stanley, apparently referencing Stanley’s manner of dress, as an adult, while performing in Kiss.
“The idea of KISS (!) of all bands complaining about gender nonconforming people is just… chef’s kiss,” Collins tweeted, adding in a separate tweet that “they wore heels and were head to toe in dom-style leather.”
Paul Stanley, also called “Starchild” was an original member of Kiss and created its iconic logo.