CJ McMahon responds to being fired from Thy Art Is Murder, says he was forced to make apology

Thy Art Is Murder vocalist CJ McMahon was recently fired in a surprise decision by his band, the same day as the release of their latest album Godlike. Originally pushing back the album's release one week, the band re-recorded the album last minute with an unnamed vocalist. On the day of it's release the band made the announcement to release the singer, which McMahon said he was informed of via social media. The digital version of the new album features the new vocalist, while the physical editions, and the one sent to reviewers, features McMahon. 

McMahon stated:

"I just woke up and saw the news. Yes this is how I found out. And yes it's not the whole
story. I'll be going live tomorrow at 5pm Sydney Australia time.

Burn everyone to death 😉"

Shortly after, McMahon posted a video, one he says is the original video he meant to release, after controversy over statements made on social media landed him in hot water with fans and his own band. McMahon explained that he was forced to make the original statement in which he apologized for his statements. 

The caption on the video read:

This is the 2nd video I made weeks ago the band never posted, the apology video you all saw I was forced to make. I actually told the band to fire me as I didn't want to apologise as I didn't have anything to apologise for, the band said that if I left the band would be done so for the band I made the apology video you saw but this is the video I meant. I was shut down about posting this

In that video, transcribed by ThePRP, McMahon says: 

CJ here. I wanted to talk about what's going on and about what I posted, but also apologize to everybody that's been upset and offended by this because I can now see how that has come across that I've offended the trans community. But I wanted to let you know that I apologize for this. None of this was my thought of doing at all. I wasn't trying to target the trans community. My issue with the video is you have a child that six months to one year old that can verbalize a word that is 'Yeah.' And that is it.

This woman could have said anything to this child, she could have said, 'Do you want to be an Islamic terrorist and blow up cities around the world?' The baby would have said 'Yeah.' 'Do you want to identify as a dinosaur and live as a dinosaur for the rest of your life?' And the baby would have said, 'Yeah. '

I think the world is fucked up enough as it is, with everything going on. Nothing to do with LGBTQ family, anything like this. at whatsoever. Snd I'll always stand with everybody with whatever their belief or whatever they want to be announced as or spoken to as or identify as. But the people that I will always stick up for first and foremost before anybody, is the people that can't stand up for themselves, and that's children. I feel that there's a lot of different walks of life other than the LGBTQ+ family that indoctrinate children and force feed children information and ideals many years before the these children should be spoken to him about these things.

I think around the world the sex ed conversation between school and children and parents and children range from about 10 or 11 or 12. And I think that's a that's a decent age to have these discussions about sex and gender and how the birds and the bees and all these sorts of things work. And I think for me, my opinion is that children should be protected from all of these things until these ages.

And I'm sure of course there is a very, very small percentages of children that have these feelings of, of being gay or being trans before the ages of 10, 11 and 12. And I think that these kids should be protected, nurtured, loved, respected, and looked after. If they do have these views. I've fully back all of this 100%.

The thing I don't back is these kids that the only information is the closest people around them. And then people force feeding these things that I feel are highly inappropriate for children to begin with at these young ages. I feel it's inappropriate, that is my opinion. And I stick by my opinion. I'm sure some of you if not all of you have seen videos of the LGBTQ+ family doing burlesque slash stripping shows in front of children.

Whether it's at a daycare center or a center that's been hired out for mothers to bring their infant and extremely young children to these events. I also feel that this is highly inappropriate. Whether the woman identifies as a woman and is straight in gender and sex and that is still highly inappropriate.

In Australia you can't go to a burlesque show, or a strip show until you're the age of consent, and the age of being able to drink alcohol, which is 18. I feel that this is the age in America would be 21 and I feel sure you're allowed to make that conscious decision for yourself. That me being a parent of two kids, I find that this behavior is completely inappropriate.

Again, none… my posts wasn't targeted at the trans community. It was there to protect children. That's all I want to stand for. I'm probably fucking up everything I'm saying right now, but I'm really trying to defend myself and also apologize at the same time for how it's come across. I shouldn't have said 'burn her to death.' But I was infuriated. I'm sure if I wrote that about a police officer or politician or priest or something like that they wouldn't be wouldn't have had gained any traction, everyone would have backed me.

Again, I apologize for the wording I used.

I don't know how I've been called a rapist. I don't know how I've been called somebody that wants to kill children. I don't know how the fuck we've gotten to that point.

But all I wanted to do is protect children at all costs from all things, including trans children. I would protect every child, black, white, trans, straight, gay, poor, rich, uneducated, educated, whatever it is. I don't care. I stand with fucking kids. And I stand to protect them at all costs. Whether they have anything to do with my life will be on the other side of the planet and I have information about it.

The two most things I can't stand in this world are rapists and fucking pedophiles and I believe they all deserve to burn in fucking hell. I'm not calling anybody from the trans pedophiles or rapist or any of these sorts of things. I apologize to all the people that have been offended the LGBTQ+ family, the trans people. All my intentions were was to protect children and this is all gone way too far and it's affected my life, my career, my friends, my family, my business, my staff, everybody.

I'm sure my trans friends that know me well would understand where I'm coming from and if they don't, I apologize. For that I've probably lost friends in this process.

But yeah, I don't know much what else to say. But all my intentions were, were to protect all kids trans straight, poor, rich black, white, yellow, pink, whatever they identify us protect our kids at all costs.

Falling In Reverse vocalist Ronnie Radke, former Bad Wolves vocalist Tommy Vext, and Slaughter To Prevail vocalist Alex Terrible offered McMahon support. 

In response, McMahon released a thank you video, as transcribed by Lambgoat:

Hey guys, I just wanted to make a short little video. I don't really want to go into anything else. It's more of a thank you for everyone with your support  and your kind words, it means a lot. And also, for the people who have come out of the woodwork that I don't know, and they don't really know me. The guys, Tommy Vext, Alex Terrible, and Ronnie Radkie, for reaching out. It means a lot to me that you guys have reached out and given me a lot of advice moving forward, thank you to everyone, as you can see I've got my little ones here who have no idea what a rockstar is, they just know what their dad is. So, I'm trying to look after my kids. Thank you so much for everyone, and the three guys I mentioned