Social media users are outraged by Tommy Lee’s anti-trans re-post
The drummer for the internationally successful rock band Mötley Crüe, Tommy Lee, has caused a stir by posting a video on his Instagram account.
The video featured Liz Wheeler, host of One America News Network, ranting against transgender persons as well as those who identify as “transracial” and “transabled.” Many of Lee’s fans and prominent personalities, such singer Questlove, spoke out against him.
Lee has responded to the matter by deleting the post and clarifying that he is not transphobic or prejudiced against any group. He clarified that he fully stands behind the LGBTQIA+ community and its individuals; he just thinks certain things have been taken too far. He was particularly perplexed by people who claimed to be kids or animals.
There has been a rise in anti-LGBTQ laws in the United States, which this instance highlights. A record number of 340 bills, many of which specifically target transgender minors, have been introduced this year, reports the Human Rights Campaign. One of the most prominent politicians in this movement is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has called for restrictions on transgender people receiving gender-affirming care and on transgender people of both sexes participating on sports teams that match their gender identity.
However President Joe Biden has made it clear that he stands with the transgender population. He promptly reversed Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military and restored rights for trans people receiving healthcare.
Biden has also pushed for a vote on the Equality Act, which would add protections against discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
How public individuals like Tommy Lee will handle the transgender rights argument in the future is an open question.