Jess Glynne apologises
These Days singer Jess Glynne has apologised after she caused outrage for using a transphobic slur in a recent interview.
The artist insists she's, 'wholeheartedly sorry,' and is, 'ashamed,' she was, 'unaware of the potency,' of the slur.
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She used the t-slur during a chat with comedian Mo Gilligan on his podcast.
It happened while she was telling a story about the time she brought her friend to a transgender strip club.
Glynne recalled how, "funny," it was watching his discomfort in the club.
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"He’s this bad man like, "What is this?" The singer recalled.
"There was just men dressed as… he was stood in the corner like, "Oh my days.""
Many took to social media, slamming the singer over the interview.
As the owner of a “tranny strip club.” I’d ask Jess Glynne not to use slurs to describe us or call us “men in wigs.” Infact just leave us out of your funny anecdotes, we are not a laughing stock, we are human beings. 😩😩😩😩 pic.twitter.com/oZ6rWR5Ipw
— Lucia Blayke (@luciablayke) March 7, 2021
The Jess Glynne video is double trash. There’s the slur of course - and the punchline of the whole story in which she uses the slur is that she takes a (presumably) straight/homophobic man to a queer safe space and how funny it is for her to see his reaction. She can get to fuck.
— Holly Stars (@hollywstars) March 7, 2021
The apology
After facing serious backlash online, the 31-year-old artist took to social media to apologise.
She wrote, 'Firstly, I want to say that I am wholeheartedly sorry.'
'I know that in this case, sorry is not nearly enough, throughout my life I have made a lot of mistakes and what I have come to know is that the only benefit to making one is to learn from it.'
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'I didn't want to simply put out a PR apology on social media because I know that I have caused offence and pain to the community that I love and have always wanted to support.'
'To be in the knowledge that I have negatively impacted the community through my own ignorance has ripped out a piece of my heart.'
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'The language that I used... was unacceptable'
She continued, 'I know I needed to address my mistake head on and educate myself about an issue I was frankly ignorant of.'
'The language that I used on the podcast was unacceptable, as someone that has always been immersed in the LGBTQ+ community, I have witnessed first hand the progress that has been made when it comes to language...'
'I am ashamed that I was unaware of the potency of the T-slur until now,' Glynne wrote.
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The artist went on to reveal she's been speaking to transgender model and activist Danielle St James.
The model has been educating her, 'about the power of that word and how it has been historically used as a weapon against so many.'
She continued, 'Today I have learnt something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.'
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'I hope by using my platform to apologise I can also start the conversation and others may benefit from being educated by braver souls than myself.'
She finished her statement by guiding her followers to a number of organisations where they can learn more.
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No further comment has been made.
