Ne-Yo has responded to the backlash he received after his "controversial" comments on transgender people.
It all started over the weekend when a clip of the 43-year-old musician recently went viral after he appeared on VladTV in an interview with Gloria Velez.
When asked questions by Velez about parents who support their children identifying as a different gender than the sex they were assigned at birth, the 'Because Of You' singer responded: "I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman."
He continued: "And there was two genders, and that’s just how I rocked. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don’t care. That ain’t my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’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," he added.
However, Ne-Yo, who is a father of seven children, didn't just stop there, as he continued talking about the issue.
"I feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is," he said, doubling down on his views. "If your little boy comes to you and says, 'Daddy, I want to be a girl.' And you just let him rock with that? He’s 5... If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that. When did it become a good idea to let a five-year-old, let a six-year-old, let a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision for [themselves]? When did that happen? I don’t understand."
"He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?" Ne-Yo questioned.
After the interview was posted on YouTube, the 43-year-old then took to his Instagram to re-clarify a few points, opening up the conversation further.
"1st and foremost, I CONDEMN NO ONE," he wrote in the caption alongside a screenshot of a post by Hollywood Unclocked. "Who am I to condemn anybody? Your life, your kids, your choice. I was asked a question and I answered it.
"My opinion is mine," he continued. "I’m not asking anybody to agree with me nor am I telling you what you can and cannot do with your children. I stated my opinion on a matter and that’s that. Why should I care if my opinion upsets you when you don’t care if yours upsets anyone? Opinions aren’t special. We all have one. People voice them regularly whether they’re asked or not. I was actually asked mine. Agreeing to disagree is not a declaration of war."
He then stated that everyone should do "whatever the hell y’all want to," before adding: "But my feelings on the matter are mine. Same way yours are yours. Meanwhile, I love everybody. Don’t agree with some of y’all’s ideals... but love you no less."
But despite remaining strong in his stance initially, the 'Miss Independent' hitmaker buckled under the backlash he was receiving and took to Twitter on Sunday (August 6) to apologize to his fans.
"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," the singer wrote on the platform. "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."
Ne-Yo continued: "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."
Let's hope he remains to true his word.
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