KISS bassist Gene Simmons has weighed in on the ongoing debates around gender identity and political division. He offered his own perspective on unity in a recently shared video.
Simmons began by reflecting on his own history with LGBTQ colleagues in the music industry, noting that such differences never bothered him.
“Look, our first manager was gay,” Simmons said. “His lover was our first road manager. So what I had a marketing company my partner was gay this is before they them and you know the ad infernitum adnauseium and so what? You know, I don’t like spinach you do I like this and you don’t so what?”
He then expanded on the idea that people have more in common than they realize, even across political divides.
“We share lots of lots more stuff than we don’t share so you take the most extreme person on the left and the most extreme person on the right,” Simmons continued. “You disagree about they, them, gender, they, you know, all that kind of stuff. Great. What do we have in common? Do you love your children? You’ll find that both. Yeah, they do. Do you love America? Yeah, predominantly. And if somebody doesn’t, then leave. You’re allowed to leave here. You can’t leave North Korea.”
Simmons went on to share a personal anecdote about his wife’s differing political views and the importance of democratic process.
“The greatness of this country is you don’t have to agree,” he said. “My wifey and I don’t agree. When she sees the president on television, she has a few words, but I point out that he was duly elected by the, you know, and we went together and my wife and I sat next to the president and the first lady and we were just chatting because we got the Kennedy Center honors and stuff and history will decide whether he was an amazing president or somebody you didn’t like. But you can’t avoid the will of the people.”
He closed with a blunt message for anyone who takes issue with others’ choices.
“It is of the people, for the people, and by the people,” Simmons said. “So, just remember kids, if somebody disagrees with you and they don’t like what you’re doing, things offer them. Anybody can use it my hashtag hashtag go f*ck yourself.”
These remarks fit a broader pattern that has defined Simmons’ public commentary in recent months. That pattern consistently urges Americans to stop fixating on other people’s politics and personal choices.
The rocker delivered a similar message during a CNN appearance, telling Americans to “shut up and stop worrying” about the political beliefs of their neighbors. He argued it wasn’t anyone’s concern who someone else chooses to support. He added that it’s “their America too” regardless of which side of the aisle they fall on.
Simmons has taken an even harder line when it comes to celebrities using their platforms for political commentary. In a separate interview, he didn’t hold back on entertainers who weigh in on government affairs, saying, “Basically, shut the f*** up. Do your art, and shut up. Nobody’s interested in your opinions, and that includes me, who I vote for, who I like. Who the f*** you think you are?”
Simmons has also acknowledged that his own outspoken views have come at a cost. He admitted his political opinions have affected his career opportunities. However, he brushed off the impact given his financial standing. Even so, he has continued to push the same underlying message: people should get along with each other despite their political disagreements.
Simmons’ comments on the they/them debate echo the same philosophy he has repeated across multiple platforms this year. Shared humanity and common ground matter more than ideological differences, and the freedom to disagree without hostility is what makes the country work.
