Mario Lopez apologizes for comments he made in a June interview.
As we reported, while appearing on The Candace Owens Show, the Saved By The Bell actor suggested it was “dangerous” for parents of children as young as 3 years old to definitively label their kids as transgender.
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In a statement to People on Wednesday, the incoming Access Hollywood co-host says he is sorry for his remarks.
Per the 45-year-old:
“The comments I made were ignorant and insensitive, and I now have a deeper understanding of how hurtful they were… I have been and always will be an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community, and I am going to use this opportunity to better educate myself. Moving forward I will be more informed and thoughtful.”
In the clip, the conservative commentator brought up “this new trend where celebrities are coming out… and saying that their child is picking their gender.”
In response, the entertainment journalist divulged:
“Look, I’m never one to tell anyone how to parent their kids, obviously, and I think if you come from a place of love, you really can’t go wrong… But at the same time, my God, if you’re 3 years old and you’re saying you’re feeling a certain way, or you think you’re a boy or a girl or whatever the case may be, I just think it’s dangerous as a parent to make that determination then — ‘Okay, well then you’re going to be a boy or a girl,’ whatever the case may be. It’s sort of alarming and my gosh, I just think about the repercussions later on.'”
Owens then conflated sexuality with gender identity saying she was a tomboy as a child but grew out of it — which she believes backs up her point that no one is able to make decisions about “sexuality” at the age of 3.
Lopez followed suit, responding:
“When you’re a kid… You don’t know anything about sexuality, you’re just a kid.”
After Owens claimed parents who support their children in this way are narcissists bragging about their tolerance, Lopez replied:
“I think parents need to allow their kids to be kids but at the same time, you gotta be the adult in the situation. Pause with that and — I think the formative years is when you start having those discussions and really start making these declarations.”
Lopez has three children with wife Courtney: Gia Francesca, 8½, Dominic Luciano, 5½, and Santino Rafael, 3 weeks.
[Image via DJDM/WENN.]
