Ne-Yo has apologised for recent comments he made regarding parenting and gender identity ā saying he plans to take a more āempatheticā approach going forward.
- READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Ne-Yo
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.
āI just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders, and thatās just how I rocked,ā he said in the clip. āYou could identify as a goldfish if you feel like ā I donāt care. That aināt my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. Iām 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: āI feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is. If your little boy comes to you and says, āDaddy, I want to be a girl.ā And you just let him rock with that? Heās 5 ā¦ If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, heās 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
āWhen did that happen? I donāt understand,ā continued the father of seven. āHe canāt 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 ābetter educateā himself on the topic.
āAfter much reflection, Iād 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). āIāve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments couldāve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive.
āGender 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.
āAt the end of the day, I lead with love and support everyoneās freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness.ā
Iād like to express my deepest apologies… pic.twitter.com/M5aTFN40tn
— NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) August 7, 2023
As reported by Billboard, the night prior he also made more comments, clarifying his stance on the topic, saying that while he doesnāt ācondemnā anyone for their decisions, he should be allowed to express his honest opinion when asked.
āWho am I to condemn anybody? Your life, your kids, your choice. I was asked a question and I answered it. My opinion is mine. Iām not asking anybody to agree with me nor am I telling you what you can and cannot do with your children,ā he said.
āAgreeing to disagree is not a declaration of war,ā he also added. āYāall do whatever the hell yāall want to. But my feelings on the matter are mine. Same way yours are yours. Meanwhile, I love everybody. Donāt agree with some of yāallās idealsā¦.but love you no less.ā
In other Ne-Yo news, last month the musician revealed that heās a huge fan of the game Street Fighter. It was also reported that he takes his PlayStation 5 with him on tour in a ānew 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.