Singer Ne-Yo is backtracking after he questioned the trans agenda and parents who enable their children to embrace it.
In a statement posted to social media, Ne-Yo, a Grammy-winning musician whose real name is Shaffer Smith, offered his “deepest apologies” to anyone offended by his decision to stand against trans ideology.
“After much reflection, I’d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity,” Smith said.
“I’ve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive,” he continued. “Gender identity is nuanced and I can honestly admit that I plan to better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy.”
As TheBlaze reported, Smith criticized trans ideology in a recent interview where he connected the rise of LGBTQ-identifying children to parents abdicating the role as shepherds of their children.
“I feel like the parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is,” Smith said in the interview. “If your little boy comes up to you and says, ‘Daddy I wanna be a girl,’ and you just let him rock with that? He’s 5. If you let this 5-year-old little boy eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that.
“Like, when did it become a good idea to let a 5-year-old, let a 6-year-old, let a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision for themselves? When did that happen?” he questioned. “He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?”
Smith, moreover, compared trans ideology to someone identifying as a “goldfish.” Smith said adults can identify however they want, but said he would not participate in their delusions. “I’m not going to call you a goldfish,” he declared.
Ne-Yo: When Did it Become OK for a 12-Year-Old Boy to Say He Wants to Be a Girl? (Part 3)www.youtube.com
It’s not clear what prompted Smith to apologize. His interview circulated on social media over the weekend and was widely applauded. By contrast, his apology was sharply panned, and he was labeled a “coward.”
The apology is even more confusing, because, after the comments gained attention, Smith initially defended his comments, according to Billboard, explaining that he was stating his opinion and he didn’t care if his perspective upset others.
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