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Carlos Santana Apologizes for Anti-Trans Comments Made During Concert
The Mexican-American guitarist recently said that trans people should stay “in the closet.”
Carlos Santana was filmed during a recent concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey making very insensitive comments about trans people. This was seemingly done in an attempt by Santana to stand with comedians like Dave Chappelle, who has made transphobic comments in the past.
As captured on video, Santana can be seen saying the following:
“When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are. Later on, when you grow up, you see things, and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good, but you know it ain’t right.”
He added:
“Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man. That’s it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that’s your business. I’m okay with that.”
At first, when reached by Billboard for further comment, Santana issued a lengthier statement that didn’t necessarily backtrack on anything that he originally said. He wrote in a statement to the publication:
“Here is my personal goal that I strive to achieve every day. I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ+ or not. This is the planet of free will and we have all been given this gift. I will now pursue this goal to be happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear. It takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic. We grow and learn to shine our light with Love and compliments. Have a glorious existence. Peace.”
After that initial statement, Santana issued another statement to Billboard that actually offered an apology. He seemingly also shared this apology on Facebook. However, that post has since been deleted from his official Facebook page and isn’t found anywhere else on his social media platforms. The updated statement read:
“I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don’t reflect that I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs. I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended.”
These were very unfortunate statements from the “Smooth” guitarist, particularly at a time when trans people are already in constant danger simply for existing. It’s also strange that his apology was shared on Facebook but was subsequently deleted.
Needless to say, this whole situation is very upsetting to the LGBTQ+ community.
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Bernardo Sim is a writer, content creator, and the deputy editor of Out. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
Bernardo Sim is a writer, content creator, and the deputy editor of Out. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
