10 Musicians Who Have Spoken Out About Gender-Affirming Care: Ariana Grande, Ne-Yo & Extra

With healthcare for transgender youngsters changing into a scorching political matter in the previous few years, a variety of stars have spoken up both for or in opposition to it.

Because the struggle over trans rights escalates, stars reminiscent of Ariana Grande, Ne-Yo and extra are selecting sides.

Over the course of the previous few years, right-wing politicians have put transgender youth of their crosshairs by concentrating on gender-affirming care — a sequence of social, psychological and medical therapies that assist assist a person’s gender identification, particularly when it doesn’t match the gender they have been assigned at delivery.

Conservative lawmakers have argued that gender-affirming care represents “irreversible” life selections that kids shouldn’t have the ability to make till they’re at the least 18 years previous — and probably the most right-wing of these lawmakers (together with Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul) go so far as referring to such procedures as “genital mutilation.”

Gender-affirming care contains way more than simply “top” and “bottom” surgical procedure (procedures that each the Endocrine Society and the World Skilled Affiliation for Transgender Well being don’t suggest for minors). The time period serves as an umbrella for quite a lot of completely different therapies, together with social transition, puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone remedy (GAHT), all of that are largely reversible therapies.

Peer-reviewed analysis from prime medical teams together with the American Medical Affiliation (AMA), the American Psychiatric Affiliation (APA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) all present that gender-affirming care considerably reduces the chance of melancholy and suicidality amongst transgender sufferers. The AAP has even approved a scientific overview of their analysis on the topic to additional increase their tips for gender-affirming remedy.

With the controversial follow changing into a hot-button challenge in our trendy political discourse, a number of celebrities have spoken out about gender-affirming care, each selling and denouncing it. Under, see what musicians have needed to say about best-practice healthcare for transgender individuals.

• Ariana Grande

  As laws concentrating on trans youth started to extend in 2022, pop celebrity Ariana Grande made positive to place her cash the place her mouth was. Launching a fundraising marketing campaign with Pledge known as the Shield & Defend Trans Youth Fund, Grande spoke particularly in regards to the hurt attributable to laws aimed largely at banning gender-affirming take care of trans youngsters.

  “Right now, there are hundreds of bills pending in state legislatures across the United States that target trans youth and aim to curb their rights. The impact of fighting these anti-trans bills and policies is felt all year by trans people, their families and loved ones,” she wrote. “Please join me in donating to this fundraiser which will provide critical funds to organizations providing direct services to trans youth and advocating for the rights of trans youth in states currently targeted by anti-trans policies.”

  Thus far, the marketing campaign has raised greater than $3 million, with Grande pledging to match funds raised as much as $1.5 million.

  https://www.instagram.com/p/CbxVEqRLJBJ

• Brittany Aldean

  Again in 2022, Brittany Aldean — spouse of nation singer Jason Aldean — shared her opinion about gender-affirming care by spreading misinformation about what this care for kids might entail. It began when she posted a make-up video to her Instagram, thanking her dad and mom for “not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase” within the caption.

  She then elaborated on her authentic publish by way of a publish to her Instagram Tales, wherein she known as gender-affirming care “one of the worst kinds of evils” and equating the follow to genital mutilation. “I will always support my children and do what I can to protect their innocence. Some parents want to be accepted by society so badly that they’re willing to make life-altering decisions for their children who aren’t old enough to fully comprehend the consequences of those actions,” she wrote. “Love is protecting your child until they are mature enough as an adult to make their own life decisions.”

• Cassadee Pope

  Seeing what Brittany Aldean needed to say about gender-affirming care, nation singer Cassadee Pope was one of many first artists to problem her viewpoint. In a subtweet about Aldean’s feedback, Pope slammed the influencer for making transphobic feedback. “You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging,” she wrote. “But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their ‘tomboy phase’ to someone wanting to transition. Real nice.”

  In a later interview on the podcast Maintain My Hair?, Pope elaborated on why she clapped again at Aldean. “If I see something that is being said that I feel is harmful to a community that I care about, I’ll say something,” she mentioned. “Sometimes it’s better to just amplify the voices of that community because they know what they’re talking about way more than I do, sometimes I can’t help it.”

  You’d assume celebs with magnificence manufacturers would see the positives in together with LGBTQ+ individuals of their messaging. However as a substitute right here we’re, listening to somebody examine their “tomboy phase” to somebody desirous to transition. Actual good.

  — Cassadee Pope (@CassadeePope) August 26, 2022

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• Maren Morris

  Pope was not the one artist to reply to Aldean’s publish about gender-affirming care — nation star Maren Morris joined in, responding directly to Pope’s subtweet. “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie,” she mentioned of Aldean’s publish. When conservative commentator Candace Owens responded by claiming that the nation star was selling the “castration” of kids, Morris unleashed on her as properly. “My Grammy is positively sobbing right now. Also, why do y’all always go to ‘castration’ and ‘pedophiles’ to try and shut an argument down? It’s honestly concerning and worth looking into,” she mentioned.

  Morris later commented on the rise of anti-trans sentiment whereas selling a brand new shirt for GLAAD’s Spirit Day. “Sadly, there are a lot of people that believe things that are just completely untrue about trans youth and gender-affirming care and what it actually entails,” she instructed GLAAD. “We talk about having these hard conversations and doing it with a loving heart. Yeah, I think at the core, you’re coming from a good place. But I don’t think that you can do this all the time with, like, sunshine and rainbows. I think you have to have the tough conversations so people understand what’s actually going on, and you could actually save someone’s life having the right information.”

  In a canopy story roundtable with Billboard that includes drag stars Sasha Colby, Eureka O’Hara, Symone and Landon Cider, Morris went even additional, saying she felt the payments being launched all through the U.S. attacking gender-affirming care and drag aren’t actually about defending kids: “It’s obviously really meant to eradicate the existence of trans people.”

  Oh my god, not you. My Grammy is positively sobbing proper now. Additionally, why do y’all all the time go to “castration” and “pedophiles” to attempt to shut an argument down? It’s truthfully regarding and value trying into.

  — MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) August 26, 2022

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• Hayley Williams

  When the state of Tennessee handed laws in March 2023 that banned gender-affirming take care of minors and banned drag performances in public areas, Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams determined to name out her house state. “Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills. We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends and family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them,” she wrote. “Gender-affirming healthcare for all, including our youth, is a necessity.”

• Paul Stanley

  Whereas some stars noticed the legislative strikes in opposition to the trans neighborhood as an infringement of their rights, different noticed it as a curtailment to what they perceived as an issue. One such individual was Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley, who posted a prolonged word to his Twitter in Might 2023 sharing his disapproval for gender-affirming care. “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,” he wrote. “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 guitarist later walked his feedback again, saying that “while my thoughts were clear, my words clearly were not.” He added that he in the end supported “those struggling with their sexual identity while enduring constant hostility and those whose path leads them to reassignment surgery. It’s hard to fathom the kind of conviction that one must feel to take those steps.”

• Dee Snider

  One one who supported Paul Stanley’s feedback about gender-affirming care was fellow glam-rocker Dee Snider of Twisted Sister. The “We’re Not Gonna Take It” singer retweeted Stanley’s feedback and added a couple of of his personal ideas. “You know what? There was a time where I ‘felt pretty’ too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions,” he wrote. “Parents need to be less reactionary; Right and Left. No need to steer the child in either direction. Let the kid figure it out for themselves knowing their family is supportive.”

  Snider later reacted to the backlash he acquired — particularly after being dropped from San Francisco Pleasure’s roster in response to what he mentioned. “Why did the San Fransisco Gay Pride Parade invite me, Dee Snider, to be a Grand Marshal in their parade and sing ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ on the center stage at what could possibly be the most important LGBTQIA+ gathering in the organization’s long history,” he wrote in a prolonged word on Fb. “I was not aware the Transgender community expects fealty and total agreement with all their beliefs and any variation or deviation is considered ‘transphobic.’ So, my lifetime of supporting the Transgender community’s right to identify as they want and honoring whatever changes they may make in how they present themselves to the world isn’t enough? Why not?”

  I am not, Elle. Dad and mom have to be much less reactionary; Proper and Left. No have to steer the kid in both course. Let the child determine it out for themselves realizing their household is supportive.

  I had a vet/cop hardass dad who, whereas he shook his head A LOT…let me do my factor. https://t.co/qyDJabWijb

  — Dee Snider (@deesnider) May 1, 2023

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• Ne-Yo

  In an Aug. 5 interview with Gloria Velez of VladTV, R&B star Ne-Yo shared misinformation concerning gender-affirming care, repeating widespread claims that kids lack the maturity to know what their gender is. “If your little boy comes to you and says, ‘Daddy, I want to be a girl.’ And you just let him rock with that? He’s 5 … If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that,” he mentioned.
  “When did it become a good idea to let a 5-year-old, let a 6-year-old, let a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision for themself? When did that happen?”

  The next day, an announcement was printed to Ne-Yo’s X account, the place the singer appeared to apologize for “comments [that] could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive,” vowing to “better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy.”

  Nonetheless, Ne-Yo later revealed in a video posted to his Instagram that he was not the one who shared the apology, and that he was not sorry. The singer mentioned that he’ll “never be OK with allowing a child to make a decision that detrimental to their life,” and added that whereas he deliberate to learn up on gender-affirming care, “I doubt that there is any book anywhere or any opinion that somebody’s gonna tell me that’s gonna make me OK with letting a child make a decision like that.”

• Grimes

  In an interview with Wired printed Aug. 8, Grimes broke down how she approached a troublesome dialog along with her ex-boyfriend Elon Musk, after the X proprietor shared a slew of anti-trans tweets, together with one claiming that “consenting adults should do whatever makes them happy, provided it does not harm others, but a child is not capable of consent, which is why we have laws protecting minors.”

  The “I Wanna Be Software” singer mentioned that she defined to her now ex why she disagreed with what he mentioned. “Getting to the heart of what Elon says helps me get to the heart of what other people’s issues are, because it’s this über guy situation. And it came down to pretty much every way that you transition can cause fertility issues,” she mentioned. “I was like, ‘OK, you don’t hate trans people, you hate woke culture. I get that it can be annoying, and you have concerns about the fertility thing. So let’s figure it out, because there’s a lot of fertility tech that could be innovated that would help trans people have kids, which would be great and would solve a lot of problems.’ He’s just on Twitter, and he’s unhappy with woke people, and the arguments happened.”

• Alice Cooper

  Throughout an Aug. 23 interview with Stereogum, shock rocker Alice Cooper was requested about gender-affirming take care of trans youth. After saying that he was “afraid that it’s also a fad,” he went on to explain what he noticed because the “absurdity” of the transgender motion. “I find it wrong when you’ve got a 6-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and you’re confusing him telling him, ‘Yeah, you’re a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be,’” he mentioned. “I mean, if you identify as a tree … I’m going, ‘Come on! What are we in, a Kurt Vonnegut novel?’ It’s so absurd, that it’s gone now to the point of absurdity.”

  Cooper went on to additionally touch upon public restrooms, claiming that permitting trans individuals to make use of the lavatory that corresponded to their identification was mistaken. “A guy can walk into a woman’s bathroom at any time and just say, ‘I just feel like I’m a woman today’ and have the time of his life in there,” he mentioned. “He’s just taking advantage of that situation … Somebody’s going to get raped.”

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