Ne-Yo performs during 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 07, 2023

Ne-Yo has apologised for recent comments he made regarding parenting and gender identity ā€“ saying he plans to take a more ā€œempatheticā€ approach going forward.

The singer-songwriter stirred controversy over the weekend during an interview with Gloria Velez for VladTV. In the discussion, he questioned parents who support their children identifying as a different gender than that which they were assigned at birth.

ā€œI just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders, and thatā€™s just how I rocked,ā€ he said in the clip. ā€œYou could identify as a goldfish if you feel like ā€“ I donā€™t care. That ainā€™t my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. Iā€™m not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. We live in a weird time, man. We do.ā€

He went on: ā€œI feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is. If your little boy comes to you and says, ā€˜Daddy, I want to be a girl.ā€™ And you just let him rock with that? Heā€™s 5 ā€¦ If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, heā€™s gonna do that. 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 themself?ā€

ā€œWhen did that happen? I donā€™t understand,ā€ continued the father of seven. ā€œHe canā€™t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?ā€

Now, Ne-Yo ā€“ whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith ā€“ has issued an apology for his comments, and stated that he wants to ā€œbetter educateā€ himself on the topic.

ā€œAfter much reflection, Iā€™d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity,ā€ he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) last night (August 6). ā€œIā€™ve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments couldā€™ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive.

ā€œGender 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,ā€ he continued.
ā€œAt the end of the day, I lead with love and support everyoneā€™s freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness.ā€

As reported by Billboard, the night prior he also made more comments, clarifying his stance on the topic, saying that while he doesnā€™t ā€œcondemnā€ anyone for their decisions, he should be allowed to express his honest opinion when asked.

ā€œWho am I to condemn anybody? Your life, your kids, your choice. I was asked a question and I answered it. My opinion is mine. Iā€™m not asking anybody to agree with me nor am I telling you what you can and cannot do with your children,ā€ he said.

ā€œAgreeing to disagree is not a declaration of war,ā€ he also added. ā€œYā€™all do whatever the hell yā€™all want to. But my feelings on the matter are mine. Same way yours are yours. Meanwhile, I love everybody. Donā€™t agree with some of yā€™allā€™s idealsā€¦.but love you no less.ā€

In other Ne-Yo news, last month the musician revealed that heā€™s a huge fan of the game Street Fighter. It was also reported that he takes his PlayStation 5 with him on tour in a ā€œnew personal traditionā€ in order to handle the stresses that his work throws at him.

The post Ne-Yo apologises for comments on parenting and gender identity appeared first on NME.

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