Carlos Santana apologises for ‘insensitive comments’ about transgender community

Carlos Santana has apologised for making “insensitive” statements about the transgender community during a concert.

In a statement sent to Billboard on Thursday, the Smooth singer addressed the backlash he’d received after a video of him ranting at a July gig began circulating online.

“I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don’t reflect that I want to honour and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs,” he wrote. “I realise that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologise to the transgender community and everyone I offended.”

In the video, Carlos could be heard talking to a crowd in Atlantic City, New Jersey about gender identity.

“When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are. 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 said. “Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man – that’s it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that’s your business. I’m OK with that.”

In another statement obtained by the publication, the 76-year-old guitarist asserted that he wanted to “honour and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not” and “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 added, “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.”