Carlos Santana deletes apology, posts poem after anti-trans rant

“When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are,” Santana, who grew up in San Francisco, said in the clip posted to YouTube on Aug. 19. “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.” 

An apology, initially shared via email with the Chronicle on Thursday and subsequently on Facebook, conveyed Santana’s remorse: “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.”

However, by the following morning, Santana removed that message from his Facebook page and replaced it with a more succinct post in the form of a poem: 

“the energy of 

consciousness generates its own kind. 

hate begets hate

love begets love.”

During his rant last month, filmed at one of his appearances on a 1001 Rainbows Tour stop at the Hard Rock Live at the Etess Arena and first shared on Reddit, Santana also praised comedian Dave Chappelle, referring to the comedian who came under fire for making transphobic jokes in his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer” as “my brother.” 

Santana’s remarks drew criticism from various quarters, including Suzanne Ford and Nguyen Pham, executive director and board president, respectively, of San Francisco Pride. 

“Carlos Santana’s recent anti-trans comments are particularly disheartening as he is a prominent Bay Area resident,” they said in a joint statement to the Chronicle. “The fact that he used his incredible platform, onstage, to spew hate underscores the gravity of perpetuating misinformation in a society where gender’s spectrum is well-established.”

The incident occurred as anti-LGBTQ bills were being considered in state legislatures across the United States. Nearly two dozen states have imposed bans or limits on transgender athletes’ sports participation at the K-12 or collegiate level. So far about 20 states have adopted laws or policies — including some blocked by courts — barring gender-affirming medical care, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for minors.

“Santana’s influence demands responsible discourse, especially considering the marginalized position of transgender individuals facing discrimination and violence,” Ford and Pham said. “As a community striving for inclusivity, we must channel this moment to reinforce empathy, education, and unity against the backdrop of discriminatory policies, and to encourage allies like Santana to wield their reach in promoting understanding rather than perpetuating detrimental stereotypes.”