ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY: The musician Carlos Santana has recently spoken out about transgender people, which has led to fierce reactions from the community and the internet.
A video of his last live concert in Atlantic City went viral on the Internet, in which he expressed his opinion about transgender people.
Carlos Santana wants trans people to 'stay in the closet'
Santana said trans people should "stay in the closet." In the viral video reportedly recorded at his concert in New Jersey last month, Santana said, "When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are," Variety reports.
Santana added, "Later on, when you grow out of it, you see things, and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good, but you know it ain’t right."
He went on to say, "Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man. That’s it."
Santana said, "Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that’s your business. I’m OK with that."
It is unclear, however, what prompted Santana to make these statements, which, however, caused quite a stir on the Internet.
Carlos Santana compares his views on trans people with Dave Chappelle
During his 'anti-trans' tirade, Carlos Santana also expressed solidarity with Dave Chapelle, the controversial comedian known for his anti-trans opinions.
Santana revealed that he has views similar to Chappelle's on transgender issues.
Santana said, "I am like this with my brother Dave Chappelle." Chappelle has long used transphobic material as a key part of his comedic arsenal.
Chappelle often joked about trans women and their genitalia and also claimed that "gender is a fact," and said LGBTQ people are "too sensitive," TIME magazine reports.
Carlos Santana apologizes for his 'anti-trans' rant
Carlos Santana issued an official apology on his Facebook soon after the musician's video went viral on social media, Entertainment Weekly reports.
His apology read, "I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don’t reflect that I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs."
Santana added, "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. Here is my personal goal that I strive to achieve every day"
Santana noted that he wants to honor and respect all person's "ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not."
The musician further said that this is the planet of free 'will and we have all been given this gift.'
The Grammy-winner artist claimed that he would now pursue this goal to be "happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in their hearts without fear."
He concluded his apology by saying that. "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."
Who is Carlos Santana?
Carlos Santana, a Mexican-born American musician, the music featured a blend of rock, jazz, blues, and Afro-Cuban rhythms with a Latin sound. Santana began playing the violin at age 5 and switched to guitar by 8.
As a teenager, he played in bands in Tijuana, Mexico. Influenced by the San Francisco Bay Area's burgeoning rock scene, in 1966 he formed the Santana Blues Band, which came to the attention of rock music impresario Bill Graham.
The band later became 'Santana' released multiple hits and won several accolades including Grammys.
