Frank Iero of Frank Iero & The Future Violents performs during the Vans Warped Tour 25th Anniversary on 20 July 2019 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero has said he “may not be a lesbian in the classical sense” much to the confusion of the internet.
The statement came after the famous emo band member was promoting his new merchandise line on Twitter. The line includes a black hoodie with the word “violence” and another with Frank Iero’s new band’s name on it.
One fan on Twitter commented on the merch saying: “In order for me to purchase the violence hoodie, I’ll need an excuse for me to explain to my mom why I need another black hoodie as a depressed lesbian.”
in order for me to purchase the violence hoodie i’ll need an excuse for me to explain to my mom why i need another black hoodie as a depressed lesbian
— kri (@sin__i__sin) February 8, 2021
To which Frank Iero replied: “Although I may not be a lesbian in the classical sense, I do feel your plight and also appreciate your descriptive nature.
“In return, may I offer you the term ‘depresbian’ and encourage you to wear ‘this black hoodie’ as the quintessential ‘depresbian uniform’.
“I’ll be getting one too.”
although i may not be a lesbian in the classical sense, i do feel your plight & also appreciate your descriptive nature. in return may i offer you the term “depresbian” & encourage you to wear “this black hoodie” as the quintessential “depresbian uniform”
i’ll be getting one too https://t.co/EaKdb1I8D1— frnkiero: Party (goth) Dad (@FrankIero) February 8, 2021
The statement is especially confusing considering that Iero, to the internet’s knowledge, identifies as a cisgender man.
Reactions to Iero’s comments were mixed, with some fans finding them amusing and others not so much
Many fans took the “depresbian” title in stride, saying they didn’t expect this kind of energy out of 2021.
well. now can cross off the “frank iero publicly acknowledges his lesbian energy” square of my 2021 bingo card
— batty 🥀 (@TOTHEM0RGUE) February 8, 2021
One Tweet declared Iero the “king of lesbians”.
frank iero king of lesbians
— lis (@ventricletaste) February 8, 2021
Another user asked Iero if his comments also applied to bisexual people, and Iero replied that ‘depresbians’ apparently are a “depressed yet all inclusive group”. He added: “However, we reserve the right to not actually want to be in a group because being around other people can often times suck the life out of you.”
we are a depressed yet all inclusive group…however we reserve the right to not actually want to be in a group, because being around other people can often times suck the life out of you. so 🤷♀️ y’know.
Also stop making me talk to you, Vix. i already said it was a 1 time thing https://t.co/K4dqcRNVGo— frnkiero: Party (goth) Dad (@FrankIero) February 8, 2021
And then bi fans rejoiced in the news they were welcomed under the ‘bipresbian’ flag.
i’m gonna start describing my sexuality as “bideprsexual” because of you frank
— rhea strawbaby⁷🍓✡︎ (@BULLTPROOFHEART) February 8, 2021
frank 🤝 lesbians 🤝 bisexuals
wearing black
hoodies— put gerard back (@EDGE0FABLAD3) February 8, 2021
But still, some people were upset by Iero’s comments. One Twitter user wrote: “This is totally not funny.
“I don’t understand how you thought you could say that without consequences.
“Now, you have to tell us in what way you’re a lesbian. Unacceptable.”
this is totally not funny. i don’t understand how you thought you could say that without consequences. now you have to tell us in what way you’re a lesbian. unacceptable
— ceb thneed girl (@cebadisim4) February 8, 2021
This isn’t the first time the My Chemical Romance guitarist has said he’s a lesbian
A couple of people on Twitter posted the same video of Iero a la ‘this u?’ style in which Iero is seen in a bookstore. The person recording the video asked Iero if he had read the “new Ellen DeGeneres book yet?”
Iero replied he had, and the person asked him how it was.
“It made me a lesbian,” Iero said. “I only date girls now.”
— cum 41 (@fortheflies) February 8, 2021