Mötley Crüe’s drummer Tommy Lee is under fire after he shared a clip from 2017 on Instagram, featuring Republican commentator Liz Wheeler talking about trans people on far-right channel One America News Network. In the video, Wheeler makes false claims, suggesting that accepting trans people has led to white people pretending to be Black and able-bodied people injuring themselves as they feel disabled, as well as equating trans people’s existence with adults identifying as children.
Lee received criticism for sharing the misinformation and later deleted the post, saying that he is not anti-trans or against the LGBTQIA+ community. He pledged his support for the community but expressed his concern about people identifying as babies or animals.
His original post caused controversy among his fans, with many explaining in the comments of Lee’s apology why his original post was contentious. They argued that the “transracial” concept was invented by the alt-right to make the transgender community look insane, and that anti-trans laws were passing in US states while Lee was focusing on posting inflammatory content about a group of people.
This incident comes at a time when more than three hundred pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation have been introduced or passed in US states, with many targeting trans youth and trans healthcare. Tennessee has even gone so far as to outlaw public drag performances. The wave of anti-trans hatred has drawn criticism from celebrities such as Patti LuPone, Lily Tomlin, and Kevin Bacon.
In the face of such prejudice, it is essential to continue standing up for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and to oppose hate speech and misinformation, especially when it comes from public figures like Tommy Lee.