(Corine Gatti, Headline USA) In a developing transgender twist, rapper Shaffer “Ne-Yo” Smith, who seemingly caved to his critics after questioning parents for allowing children to choose their gender, said the public apology issued was written by his publicist.
“I normally don’t give too much of a damn about what y’all think about what I do, what you all have to say about what I say. However, this is something I feel very strongly on and I need y’all to hear it from the horse’s mouth and not the publicist’s computer,” he said, sending mixed animal metaphors with a hat labeled “Lone Wolf.”
The star continued to defend his position and stated “First and foremost, I do not apologize for having an opinion on this matter. I am a 43- year-old heterosexual man raising five boys and two girls — that’s my reality.”
And while Ne-Yo said he has no beef with the LGBT community, he noted he’ll “never be OK with allowing a child to make a decision that detrimental to their life. I will never be OK with that. I doubt that there’s any book anywhere or any opinion that somebody’s gonna tell me that’s gonna make me okay with letting a child make a decision like that.”
He also addressed being canceled over his initial comments, and added, he’ll “figure it out.”
In his original remarks, Ne-Yo said on VladTV with Gloria Velez, “I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don’t care—that ain’t my business,” he said, sparking outrage from the transgender community.
On Sunday, however, the rapper’s publicist reportedly issued an apology on behalf of his client to the transgender community.
“I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive,” he wrote. “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.”
More and more male African-American performers, such as Ne-Yo, Ice Cube and Kanye West, are challenging leftist political dogma and expressing anti-establishment views. Some celebrities backed away from their comments after being condemned for their opinions. R&B singer Macy Gray was canceled for opposing transgenderism after stating that changing one’s body parts doesn’t make one a woman. She later retracted her comments.
