Recording artist Ne-Yo has reportedly issued a public apology following some comments he made during an interview earlier in August where he expressed criticism of the transgender ideology as well as parents of trans-identifying youths.
The initial backlash against 43-year-old hit songwriter and R&B artist Shaffer Chimere Smith, who goes by the moniker Ne-Yo, originated from an interview conducted on VladTV that premiered on August 5th, where Smith initially expressed how he had no issue with trans-identifying individuals, but emphasized he has zero desire to affirm folks touting obscure identities.
“I have no issue with the LBGT…I have no problem with nobody. Okay? Love who you love, do what you do. I just personally come from an era where a man was a man, and a woman was a woman, and there wasn’t but two genders. And that’s just how I rocked. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like it. 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 fixing to call you a goldfish. You wanna be a goldfish? Go be a goldfish.”
Smith also expressed his befuddlement regarding the relatively novel trend of allowing adolescents take the lead between the child-and-parent dynamic in relation to decisions pertaining to sex/gender identity, stressing that modern parents have seemingly lost what it means to be a parent.
“I feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is. It’s like, okay, if your little boy comes to you and says, ‘Daddy, I want to be a girl,’ and you just let him rock with that? You just let…he’s five. If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that. Like, 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 they self? When did that happen?”
In an unsurprising turn of events, members of the LGBT community in tandem with the ardent ideologues who support them, castigated Smith over his opinions on the topical cultural matter.
The day after the interview premiered, Smith issued an apology via Twitter, noting in his released statement that he’ll “better educate” himself so as to not offend members of the trans-identifying community.
“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. 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.” – Official statement released via Twitter
I’d like to express my deepest apologies… pic.twitter.com/M5aTFN40tn
— NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) August 7, 2023
While members and supporters of the trans-identifying community verbally attacked the songwriter/recording artist over the original comments, Smith is now also getting pushback from those who see him as having bent the knee.
Aside from the original statement released on August 6th apologizing for the comments made during the interview, Smith has yet to further address the matter nor the novel pushback over his perceived caving to cancel culture.
Gregory Hoyt is a former contributor to outlets such as Law Enforcement Today and Red Voice Media, and current host of The Breakdown with Greg Hoyt. Based out of Sierra Vista, Arizona, Hoyt is a staunch and outspoken advocate of law enforcement and first responders, while also harboring the unique experience of having spent nearly 5 years in prison. Since then, he's used his unique perspective to offer support and commentary about the criminal justice system. When not working or combating bad ideas, Hoyt also leisurely studies economics, history, and law.