Stevie Wonder has been forced to explain some controversial comments that he made to Britain’s The Guardian about homosexuality.
Stevie Wonder image by Ros O'Gorman
While talking with the paper’s Paul Lester, the subject of Frank Ocean’s recent announcement that he was gay came up. Ocean is not shy about telling of Wonder’s influence on him and Lester asked Wonder if he was surprised there was “a furor at the revelation that a rapper might be gay?”
“I think honestly, some people who think they’re gay, they’re confused,” he says. “People can misconstrue closeness for love. People can feel connected, they bond. I’m not saying all [gay people are confused]. Some people have a desire to be with the same sex. But that’s them.”
The statement kicked off a flurry of comments on the paper’s site which soon moved out to other venues around the world. This weekend, he issued a statement to try and clarify what he meant in the interview.
I’m sorry that my words about anyone feeling confused about their love were misunderstood. No one has been a greater advocate for the power of love in this world than I; both in my life and in my music. Clearly, love is love, between a man and a woman, a woman and a man, a woman and a woman and a man and a man. What I’m not confused about is the world needing much more love, no hate, no prejudice, no bigotry and more unity, peace and understanding. Period.
