The University of Guelph student association has finally responded to the criticism it received for calling Lou Reed's song Take A Walk on the Wild Side "hurtful" and "transphobic." But it's not apologizing for doing so.
The U of G Central Student Association received international condemnation last weekend after posting an apology for playing the song, a 1972 tribute to friends of Reeds, at an on-campus student event.
But the CSA said their apology, despite being posted on Facebook, was not intended for the general public, only for students.
"We understand that airing the song and its lyrics caused discomfort to some students," reads the statement from CSA president Chelsea Mulvale.
"The Facebook message was intended for our internal student audience; we subsequently removed the post from our page after it generated negative and transphobic comments. By this time, the incident had begun to attract media and public attention."We recognize Lou Reed’s involvement in and contributions to the LGBTQ+ community, and regret that our post was perceived by some to mean otherwise. We appreciate Lou Reed as an artist, and did not speak to his character in our post. Our sole intent was to acknowledge that the lyrics, in current day, are now being consumed in a different societal context."
The CSA said the news release was its final word on the subject and that there would be no interviews.
"Public dialogue about complex issues is critical to improving understanding and acceptance. As student representatives of a public university, we believe it is our role to support respectful debate, discussion and the voicing of differing opinions. The University of Guelph’s Central Student Association remains dedicated to transparency and inclusivity," said the release.
