In a recent interview with VladTV, singer Ne-Yo blasted parents for allowing their children to be transgender just because the child claims they are of the opposite gender. Ne-Yo apologized in a Twitter statement but later clarified that it was his publicist who wrote the statement. He did not apologize for how his beliefs.
Ne-Yo said on VladTV that if you let a 5-year-old decide to eat sweets all day he will do it. When did it become acceptable to allow a child as young as five, six, or twelve years old to make life-changing decisions for themselves?
His Twitter account was updated with an apology shortly after the interview became viral.
The apology statement on Twitter began, “After much thought and reflection, I would like to apologize to anyone I may have offended with my comments about parenting and gender identification.” “I have always advocated for love and inclusion in the LGBTQI+ communities, so I can understand that my comments were interpreted as offensive and insensitive.”
The statement went on to say that “gender identity is nuanced”, and he wanted to “better inform” himself.
In a video uploaded to Instagram, Ne YO disavowed a statement made on his Twitter account.
He began the video by saying, “Alright, listen. I don’t normally care what you think about my actions, what you have to say about me, or anything else. I don’t normally care, because opinions aren’t anything special. Everyone has an opinion. This is something that I am very passionate about. I need you to hear it from the horse’s lips, not the computer of the publicist.”
Check this out. “First and foremost, I didn’t apologize for my opinion,” he said. “Okay, I’m sorry if you were offended by my opinion. That wasn’t what I intended. I never intend to offend anyone. But I have a right to feel what I feel. I’m entitled to how I feel, just as you are entitled to how you feel.”
“I ain’t asked nobody to follow me; I ain’t asked nobody to agree with me,” he continued. “I was asked a question and I answered the damn question, okay? I have no beef with the LBGTQIA+ community whatsoever. I got no beef with y’all; do whatever the hell it is you want to do. Do what you want to do with your kids. However, somebody asked my opinion on this matter, and this is how I feel. I will never be okay with allowing a child to make a decision that is detrimental to their life. I will never be okay with that.”
Ne-Yo says he doesn’t care if he gets canceled because of his beliefs. “I ain’t no problem with it,” he said. “I am a hustler and I will figure it out. I have kids to raise and I will do it regardless.
BREAKING: @NeYoCompound defends his statements on transitioning children. “I will never be okay with allowing a child to make a decision that detrimental to their life.” pic.twitter.com/1VW2vMgEcE
— Amala Ekpunobi (@amalaekpunobi) August 7, 2023