Beauty influencer Jeffree Star sparked controversy by criticizing parents who encourage their children to choose their gender, calling them “f**king weirdos.”
The 40-year-old, known for his viral makeup tutorials, weighed in on the debate during an appearance on The Skinny Confidential podcast.
Star, who often sports vibrant hair and makeup, said he has always been interested in aesthetic choices associated with femininity, but his family never asked whether he identified as a girl.
Highlights
- Jeffree Star took aim at parents who encourage their children to transition to a different gender.
- Star, known for his flamboyant style and makeup brand, said children are too young to fully understand or express their gender identities.
- The beauty influencer criticized gender-affirming care for minors and the exposure of children to LGBTQ+ media.
Image credits: jeffreestar
“Why are we encouraging our kids to be a different gender and feed them false information when they’re so young?” he asked on the podcast on Tuesday (November 18).
“When I grew up and started looking different, my mother encouraged me to just be myself.
“When I started wearing makeup and being more feminine and wanting to do certain things… it wasn’t like, ‘Oh my God, Jeffree needs, what do they call it now — gender affirming care?’”
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The beauty icon slammed parents who assume their children are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria simply because their interests don’t align with the activities culturally associated with their biological s*x.
“It’s like when you’re a tomboy. Did your mom… did she cut your t*ts off at 13? Nowadays, it’s all these f**king weirdos telling their kids, ‘OMG you like a Barbie? You’re a woman!
“No, that's just a little boy experimenting and not knowing what the f**k he’s doing.”
Star said he always felt drawn to activities associated with femininity, but he never questioned his gender identity
Image credits: The Skinny Confidential
Star, who said he was never “s*xualized and weird” as a child, later took aim at TV producers and parents who expose their children to LGBTQ+ media.
“Why are we putting in cartoons, trans flags and all this stuff? I don’t agree with it, I think it’s too young. I don’t agree with 8-year-olds wearing makeup, either,” he expressed.
“Why does a 5-year-old watching a Netflix cartoon show need to know about that right now?”
Image credits: The Skinny Confidential
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The content creator also said the LGBTQ+ acronym should be stripped back to just LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual), separating orientation from gender identity.
“Q (queer) and T (transgender) — get off the alphabet sweetie. You should be in your own category,” he exclaimed, adding, “You can only be a man, female, or trans.”
The beauty mogul said parents shouldn’t expose their children to trans media or encourage them to transition
Image credits: The Skinny Confidential
A number of viewers perceived Star’s remarks as transphobic and accused the influencer of wanting to silence trans and queer voices.
“Cisgender people have absolutely no place talking about transgender issues,” said one Instagram user.
“The last person I’d take advice from,” another user wrote.
“People act like seeing trans folks is ‘too much for kids,’ but kids see identities every day. If we follow that logic, then we shouldn’t show straight couples, moms and dads, weddings, families, or anyone expressing gender at all,” commented another.
“Let kids be kids. Leave adult discussions until they are old enough to,” agreed another.
“He gets it.. im glad he said these things..Some people are very confused 🫠” commented another fan.
“If you really think psychologically you were born in the wrong body, unfortunately, it’s like a mental illness. But people hear ‘illness’ and they just have a full spiral,” he said.
Star was previously criticized for his remarks on non-binary pronouns being used by individuals who identify as neither male nor female. For instance, some identify with a gender that blends elements of both a man and a woman, while others don’t identify with any gender.
Star also criticized non-binary individuals, saying, “You’re not ‘they’ and ‘them'"
Image credits: jeffreestar
According to the Trevor Project, 35% of Gen Z know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns.
“You’re not ‘they’ and ‘them,’” the Jeffree Star Cosmetics founder said in 2023. “You’re trans, you’re male, or you’re female.”
He continued, “‘They’ and ‘them’ and all that extra s**t that we added during the pandemic. Because everyone is so bored in their f***ing houses they just started to make up more s**t.”
He added that he has “common ground” with Donald Trump supporters because they all “believe in reality.”
The 40-year-old said MAGA “love” him and that he shares “common ground” with the political group
According to a recent report by the non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD, hate-fueled incidents against trans people in the United States have increased by 14% compared to last year.
Between May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2025, the organization’s ALERT Desk tracked 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 49 US states, half of which specifically targeted trans individuals. Violent attacks included 84 injuries and 10 fatalities.
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