Carlos Santana, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, has issued an apology to the transgender community and everyone he offended by his anti-trans comments he made during a show in New Jersey in July.
A video of Santana’s remarks resurfaced on social media this week, sparking criticism and backlash. In the video, Santana is seen saying that “a woman is a woman and a man is a man” and that people should keep their gender identity “in the closet”. He also expressed his support for comedian Dave Chappelle, who also faced controversy for his anti-LGBTQ jokes in his Netflix special “The Closer”.
Santana deleted his original apology from his Facebook page and posted a new one on Thursday, saying that he was “sorry for my insensitive comments” and that they did not reflect his intention to “honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs”.
He added that his personal goal was to “honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not” and that he wanted everyone to “believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear”.
He concluded by saying that “it takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic” and that he hoped everyone would have a “glorious existence”.
Santana’s comments came amid a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in the US, with over 400 bills introduced in state legislatures since the start of the year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Many of these bills target transgender youth’s access to health care and education.
