Carlos Santana, renowned guitarist and namesake of the rock band Santana, is facing criticism following remarks made during a recent concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His comments, confirmed by Santana himself, have been interpreted as offensive towards the transgender community.
In a video clip shared across multiple platforms, Santana can be heard stating, “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. 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.”
During the same concert, Santana expressed support for comedian Dave Chappelle, who has previously made controversial statements about the trans community. Following the backlash, Santana released a statement to Billboard, emphasizing his respect for all individuals’ ideals and beliefs, regardless of their LGBTQ+ status.
However, Santana’s comments come at a time when nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills are circulating across U.S. legislatures, many of which target transgender youth. According to current statistics from the Pew Research Center, about 5% of Americans under 30 identify as trans or nonbinary. Despite increased visibility, violence against trans individuals remains high.
Over recent years, the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those involved in drag, has faced accusations of “grooming” from some far-right and conservative groups. The Anti-Defamation League explains that such language is typically intended to imply or explicitly state that LGBTQ+ individuals are pedophiles preying on children by discussing sexual orientation and gender identity.
The trans community has been a frequent target of such attacks, with false accusations of indoctrinating children into trans identities. Despite this, only a small percentage of transgender individuals regret undergoing surgery, and even fewer detransition.
The rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has had significant effects on the mental health of queer individuals. A 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People by the Trevor Project found that 41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered suicide within the past year. The same survey found that trans and nonbinary youth whose identities and pronouns were supported by their families reported lower rates of suicide attempts.