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U of G student group under fire after calling iconic song 'hurtful' and 'transphobic'

Central Student Association issued apology for playing Lou Reed's Take A Walk On The Wild Side at student event
take a walk

The University of Guelph's Central Student Association is receiving international criticism after apologizing for playing the song Take A Walk on the Wild Side at a student event, claiming it was "hurtful" and contains "transphobic lyrics."

The apology appeared on the CSA 's Facebook page but has since been removed.

"We now know the lyrics to this song are hurtful to our friends in the trans community and we’d like to unreservedly apologize for this error in judgement," said the apology.

"The playlist was compiled by one of the Executives with the intent of feeling like a road trip from the 70s and 80s. The song was included solely on those terms and made in ignorance as the person making the list did not know or understand the lyrics."

The CSA's apology has since been criticized and ridiculed both locally and across the globe.

"I have officially read the Dumbest thing ever!!" wrote Curtis Morris, one of hundreds of Facebook comments.

"Lou Reed (rest his soul) was a goddamn hero and an important ally to the trans community," added Jesse James.

Twitter was also all over it.

Several attempts to garner comment or context from CSA President Chelsea Mulvale and other members of the CSA executive were not successful.

Take A Walk on the Wild Side was played during distribution of bus passes on campus recently. The author of the apology was not named, nor was it clear if the apology stemmed from a complaint.

Many feel the song was actually an homage to friends Reed met in New York, most notably transgender actress Holly Woodlawn and a number of other drag queens that Reed knew.

"Walk On The Wild Side" is not transphobic. Sorry. It's just not. It was written by Lou Reed about trans women and gay cis men and women he knew, to celebrate them at a time when they were mocked as lunatics and deviants and monsters," wrote Joshua Ellis.

The United Kingdom's The Guardian news agency reached out to Reed's longtime producer, Hal Willner.

“I don’t know if Lou would be cracking up about this or crying because it’s just too stupid,” Willner told the Guardian. “The song was a love song to all the people he knew and to New York City by a man who supported the community and the city his whole life.”

The CSA apology asked anyone with questions to contact their president and concluded with "Please know that we are taking the steps to educate ourselves further to ensure this error is avoided going forward."

Take A Walk On The Wild Side

Holly came from Miami F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

Candy came from out on the island,
In the backroom she was everybody's darling,
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She says, hey baby, take a walk on the wild side
Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls go,

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City is the place where they said:
Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said hey Joe, take a walk on the wild side

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin' for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should have seen him go, go, go
They said, hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, alright, huh

Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls say

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

 


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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