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Despite what Rob Thomas thinks about him, Carlos Santana made some comments that weren't very smooth — the guitar legend is currently going viral for an anti-trans rant he went on at his New Jersey concert earlier this summer that recently resurfaced in an online video capturing the offensive quotes.
“When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are,” Santana mansplains to the concert-going audience.
Carlos Santana goes on anti-trans rant during New Jersey concert:
“When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are… a woman is a woman and a man is a man.” pic.twitter.com/fss8d4qukK
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 24, 2023
He continued, “Later on when you grow up, and you see things and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good but you know it ain't right, because a woman is a woman and a man is a man — that's it.”
Not quite as poetically argued as Free To Be… You And Me, and with the exact opposite message.
Santana dug the hole even deeper when he literally called for the LGBTQ community to go back in the closet. “Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that's your business, I'm OK with that.” He then decided it would be poignant to point out his closeness to his “brother Dave Chapelle,” who similarly faced criticism stemming from the anti-LGBTQ comments he made in his 2021 Netflix comedy special The Closer.
Santana comes off as a crotchety old man in the clip, with a bit of a Bobby Moynihan/Drunk Uncle SNL character vibe.
The mounting criticism faced by Santana prompted him to release a statement on Facebook, where he said “I am sorry for my insensitive comments.” He continued, “They don't reflect that I want to honor and respect all person's [sic] ideals and beliefs. I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended.”
Santana added that his “personal goal” is to “honor and respect all person's [sic] ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not. This is the planet of free will and we have all been given this gift. I will now pursue this goal to be happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear.”
He wrapped up the statement with the words, “It takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic. We grow and learn to shine our light with Love and compliments.”
At least Carlos Santana was able to apologize for his anti-LGBTQ bigotry and admit his mistake (although his Facebook apology message was deleted twelve hours after posting it). The LGBTQ community has been under attack more than ever this year, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union. There have been more than 400 bills introduced in state legislatures to limit their personal rights. In particlar, bills in the realms of health care and education — such as Ron DeSantis‘ deplorable Florida “Don't Say Gay” bill and other attempts at curriculum censorship — in addition to movements to ban access to gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender youth, are being pushed through state legislatures nationwide.
