Dee Snider, lead singer and songwriter for metal band Twisted Sister, released a statement on Facebook on Friday defending himself as a longtime supporter of the trans community, days after the San Francisco Pride organization dropped him from its upcoming celebration. Snider replied, “So, I heard I’m transphobic, really?”

Snider came under fire earlier this week after quoting and tweeting KISS singer Paul Stanley’s statement of his own thoughts on the trans community and gender-biased child care. “You know what? There was also a time when I felt pretty. I’m glad my parents didn’t jump to conclusions,” he wrote.

Snider’s comment reached the San Francisco Pride organization, who announced they were parting ways with the artist for their upcoming event. The organization said “We’re Not Gonna Take It” was to be the celebration’s unofficial rallying cry before Snider tweeted his support for Stanley. But not anymore.

“When we were notified of the tweet in which Dee expressed his support for Kiss’ Paul Stanley’s transphobic remark, we were heartbroken and angry,” the organization wrote. “The message sustained by this tweet casts doubt on the ability of young trans people to self-identify their gender.”

SF Pride acknowledged that Snider “has always been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights” and that the decision to split was mutual.

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“[We] I appreciate that Dee sees this as an educational moment and a reminder that even allies need to be educated to ensure they are not casually promoting transphobia,” SF Pride said.

But the farewell surprised Snider. “So I heard I’m transphobic, really?” The 68-year-old musician captioned the statement posted to Facebook on Friday. He wrote that while he’s spent his life defending the rights of the trans community, he double-emphasised that he doesn’t “believe young children are ready to make decisions about their gender.”

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“I don’t think children have the mental capacity to make rational, logical decisions about things of a magnitude that will affect them for the rest of their lives,” he wrote. “I don’t think they’re mentally advanced enough.”

Snider, who has identified as politically moderate or “purple,” said in his statement that he would continue to support the trans community, signing himself “your ally for cisgender and cross-dressing.”

You can read Snider’s entire statement by clicking here.

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