Ne-Yo apologises to LGBTQ+ community for controversial comments on transgender children

Grammy-winning recording artist Ne-Yo recently came under fire for making objectionable comments about transgender children and their parents.  The singer-songwriter condemed those parents who allowed their children to identify with a gender other than assigned to them at birth. In recent developments, Ne-Yo issued an apology to everyone he hurt with his remarks. 

3 things you need to know 

• Ne-Yo recently got divorced from Crystal Renay after 7 years of marriage. 
• The singer is a father to 7 kids.
• Ne-Yo's comments on gender identity came during an interview with Gloria Velez for VladTV.

Ne-Yo apologises for his insensitive comments 

Ne-Yo shared a long note on his X handle on Monday apologising to the LGBTQ+ community. It read, "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. 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.” 

The singer went on to explain that he is planning to get more informed on this topic. He stated. "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. At the end of the day, I lead with love and support everyone’s freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness."

(Statement issued by Ne-Yo on his Twitter handle)

What did Ne-Yo say? 

Ne-Yo in an interview with Gloria Velez,  said that he feels a disconnect with the topic of gender identity. The Grammy winner continued by declaring that in his opinion, some people have "almost forgotten what the role of a parent is,". He compared a child coming to their parents to express their gender identity to a toddler who is begging for more candy than they should be. Ne-Yo claimed to have grown up in "an era" when "a man was a man and a woman was a woman."