Everyone online is arguing about something that Architects guitarist Adam Christianson reposted on X, but why? The conversation now also involves Spiritbox and Falling in Reverse, so we’re going to break it down the best we can.
The controversy has all transpired in the last couple of days after Christianson reposted a transphobic post written by an account on X, and Architects and metalcore fans in general have been discussing what it means on various social platforms.
What Did Adam Christianson Repost?
Christianson reposted a post that was written by political commentator Tim Pool, who quoted a video shared by American MMA (mixed martial arts) professional Sean Strickland. In the video, Strickland was doing a press conference and was asked about a comment he’d made years ago where he said if he had a gay son, he would feel that he’d failed as a man [via Sportskeeda].
Strickland immediately appeared irritated that the journalist had brought this up, and hurled insults at him, saying that he’s a “weak fucking man” if he has no problem with his son being gay. The journalist then pressed further, bringing up another remark Strickland made about the trans community after Bud Light announced its partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
“Here’s the thing about Bud Light — 10 years ago, to be trans, was what, a mental fucking illness? Now all of a sudden, people like you fucking weaseled your way into the world,” Strickland said. “You are an infection, you are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the fucking world is because of you. And the best thing is, the world’s not buying it.”
Note: As reported in 2012 by the National Institute of Corrections, an official website of the U.S. government, “The American Psychiatric Association has revised its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and it no longer lists being transgender as a mental disorder, among other changes announced this past weekend. Transgender people will now be diagnosed with ‘gender dysphoria,’ which means emotional stress related to gender identity.’Gender identity disorder’ had been listed as a mental disorder since the third edition of the DSM more than 20 years ago.
“Holy fuck,” Pool wrote in his repost of Strickland’s video, followed by a series of flame emojis. “Fucking A+ guy right here. Thanks [Bud Light] for bringing us this message on the infection that is the woke left.”
As pointed out by some online, Christianson reposted Pool’s tweet, but it no longer appears on his profile. He then wrote a statement on his profile apologizing for accidentally reposting it.
“Shit! That retweet was a total accident!! I don’t endorse anything that guy says other than fuck Trudeau. Sorry for the panic everyone! Complete all-thumbs moment,” the guitarist said.
What Are Fans Saying About Adam Christianson’s Repost?
Many Architects fans have since been discussing Christianson’s repost on X and on Reddit, with many skeptical that the repost was actually an accident.
“Hey [Adam]. Just wondering why you RT’d this hate speech? Sincerely, a trans guy who is actually a big fan of Architects and seen them live 4 times. My gender isn’t a mental illness, I’m not an infection, and I’m certainly not the cause of everything wrong in the world,” a fan wrote to Christianson, with a screenshot of Pool’s tweet reposted on the guitarist’s page.
As noted by a user on the Metalcore Reddit page, fellow Architects member, drummer Dan Searle, quoted Christianson’s apology, calling him a “knob.” He’s since deleted it, though.
“Very messy to be retweeting that sort of stuff, especially when you’re in a group that has a reputation for their politically-charged and inclusive lyrics. When your fanbase is sold that image of inclusivity you’ve cultivated, of course they are gonna be livid when you end up doing stuff behind the scenes that totally contradicts that,” a fan commented on the thread.
“Yeah, not buying the accidental retweet excuse. The American right love to use Trudeau as a poster boy for ‘communism,’ even though they have no clue what that word even means. It’s totally fine to disagree with Trudeau, but non-Canadians are getting all of their info about Canadian politics from people like [Joe] Rogan, Pool, [Elon] Musk, etc. The fact he still needed to mention the Trudeau thing is kind of a red flag,” someone else wrote.
Others on the thread noted that Christianson reposted several other controversial tweets prior to the Pool one, which muddies the waters further in terms of the repost being an accident.
One of them read, “If you have your pronouns or political views in your profile, then you’ve been afflicted by mass-psychosis,” while another argues, “Just wait until the Leftists fully embrace the Transhumanism Movement. We’ll be called ‘Bigots, Racists, Xenophobes’ for not accepting Cyborgs into the Human race. Good times ahead!”
Now, some are concerned about Architects’ upcoming tour due to the controversy.
In a post on the Architects Reddit, someone asked whether the tour will happen, and if Christianson will be dropped from the band as a result of his repost.
“I looked at Sam [Carter]‘s Twitter and he liked Adam’s excuse and all thumbs moment. So I think they’ll ignore it and just play the show,” someone commented.
“I don’t want him to get kicked out. I want him to be better. I hope under the caring support of his friends and colleagues he can understand why his transphobic beliefs are misguided at best and grow from this experience,” another fan expressed.
How Are Spiritbox Involved?
Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante reposted a tweet written by Silent Planet vocalist Garret Russell condemning Pool’s post that Christianson retweeted.
“These people are fascists. Which is to say: they want to dominate every facet of society and reduce women to the role of male property. But we shouldn’t censor them, it’s better that they go public with their abhorrent views so we can laugh at their stupidity and choose progress,” reads a post from Russell, which LaPlante reshared.
The Spiritbox singer then started firing back at people making further transphobic comments.
“Yeah I love all the respect given to me by transphobic people, they are never also extremely misogynistic, which is why the whole reason that they fear trans women,” she wrote to one individual.
“Trans is not a thing. It’s a guy dressed as a woman. I like your music. But stay in your lane. People are not transfobic [sic] if they don’t believe in the false narrative. Man and woman. Respect runs both ways,” the person replied to LaPlante.
The vocalist then told the person to stop supporting her band. She then replied to another person, who said that gay and trans rights are shoved “down the throat of society,” writing, “The only thing gay and trans people are shoving down throats are whatever results come up in your incognito mode obviously.”
READ MORE: Rock + Metal Album Covers That Had to Be Changed Due to Controversy
What Is Ronnie Radke Saying About Architects + Spiritbox?
Spiritbox are just about to embark on a tour of the U.K. with Architects, so Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke joined in on the discussion on his own X profile, referring to the time Spiritbox pulled out of a tour they were supposed to go on with his band.
“Damn is Spiritbox dropping off the Architects tour like they did mine cause of transphobia? Let’s see it Spiritbox let’s see you not compromise your integrity and drop off the tour to stand in solidarity with your fans that feel unsafe,” the singer wrote.
“They were okay to play this show with us and hang out backstage. Damn I wonder what changed?” he said in a follow-up post.
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Gallery Credit: Loudwire
