Queen’s Brian May Says Journalist ‘Ambushed’ Him, ‘Subtly Twisted’ His Trans Comments
Queen guitarist Brian May says his comments about gendered categories being removed from the 2022 BRIT Awards ceremony were twisted after he was “ambushed and completely stitched up by a journalist.”
In an interview with The Mirror on Wednesday, May said that in today’s world, Queen would have been considered not diverse enough, that, “We would be forced to have people of different colours and different sexes and we would have to have a trans [person].” He added, “You know life doesn’t have to be like that. We can be separate and different.”
In an Instagram post on Saturday, May clarified his comments.
“Yes – I was ambushed and completely stitched up by a journalist at the recent ITV event. And it’s led to a whole mess of press stories making it look like I’m unfriendly to trans people. Nothing could be further from the truth. My words were subtly twisted. I should have known better than to talk to those predatory Press hacks. Sincere apologies to anyone who has been hurt by the stories. My heart is open as always to humans of all colours, all creeds, all sexes and sexualities, all shapes and sizes – and all creatures. We all deserve respect and an equal place in this world. And my grateful thanks to all of you who stepped up to defend me in the last couple of days. It means so much that you have faith in me. With love – Bri”
Fellow bandmate Adam Lambert showed his support by replying, simply, with four heart emojis.
May also mentioned in that story for The Mirror that the band’s legendary Freddie Mercury — who died in 1991 after contracting AIDS — would have found the woke culture difficult.
“Freddie came from Zanzibar, he wasn’t British, he wasn’t white as such – nobody cares, nobody ever, ever discussed it,” May said. “He was a musician, he was our friend, he was our brother. We didn’t have to stop and think: ‘Ooh, now, should we work with him? Is he the right colour? Is he the right sexual proclivity?’”
“None of that happened,” May continued. “And now I find it frightening that you have to be so calculating about everything.”