Dee Snider Reflects On Provocative Stage Wear And Homophobic States In USA

Dee Snider recently talked on X about the way he used to dress on stage in the ‘70s and ‘80s. A new fan’s question started the discussion:

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“Dee Snider was absolutely ahead of his time, but he obviously dressed that way to be provocative. Dee, I’m a huge fan and have to ask, if you were getting started today, would you still dress the same way?”

Snider replied:

“It depends… Would a**holes in the crowd still be getting upset and starting sh-t with me? Then, yeah…”

Homophobic States Won’t Accept It

Later, he added to his first answer by tweeting:

“This guy asked a good question. This was my response. Thinking about it some more, I know the answer to the questions I asked back are ‘yes,’ so I’d like to add the word ‘definitely’ to my original answer. There’s still a lot of mutha effers out there who need to be schooled.”

Snider also talked about how he would be received in certain states if he were to wore his old costumes:

“Imagine the reaction to me in Texas, Florida & some of these other homophobic states (I know not everybody in those states, but it’s the laws of the land)! I was arrested in Texas in ‘84 for disorderly conduct & abusive language. Imagine what they’d get me for now 40 yrs later!”

Things Didn’t Change Much In 40 Years, He Says

The arrest Dee Snider mentioned happened in Amarillo, Texas, during a Twisted Sister tour and led to some canceled shows. This period also saw him fighting against the PMRC’s censorship against LGBTQ+ elements in music.

Republicans’ attitude toward rock music changed in recent years, though. Some politicians started using Twisted Sister songs in their campaigns. So, another fan commented on the change:

“Not sure wearing the costumes would go over today. It’s not radical or striking anymore. 3-piece suits and being clean cut is r&r now. Oddly. Times have changed for sure.”

Snider wrote:

“Have you tried dressing up in feminine clothing with woman’s makeup in Texas lately? Let me know how it goes…”

Check out the tweets below.