Prince On Prop 8 Stance: I Didn't Vote At All

Prince has spoken out about his position on Prop 8, a month and a half after the New Yorker quoted him as against it. He dodged the subject by saying his religion prevents him from voting at all.

From an interview with the LA Times:

He didn't vote at all. "I didn't vote for Obama either," he explained. "Jehovah's Witnesses haven't voted for their whole inception." The controversy over a recent New Yorker "Talk of the Town" item, which Prince feels implied he supported the gay-marriage ban, has upset him. It's the first thing he wanted to discuss when the Web geeks had gone and we were alone. "I have friends that are gay and we study the Bible together," he said. He added that two sides fighting "only benefit the third person" who instigated the fight.

Despite initially saying he was misquoted, the New Yorker stood by their Prince story.

Comments

[diogenes1967]

What I don't understand is why would Prince comment on this at all if he is a JW. I don't have a problem with JW not voting, it's their thang, it is what it is. But given the fact that he's a pop music icon (who's music has always been a crazy and seductive mix of sexuality and spirituality, it's one of the things I've always liked about him) why say anything at all...You never heard Michael Jackson take any political stances. Politely decline to answer the question, dude.

[MEM71]

The worst part of all religions is the hypocrisy surrounding them. Jesus's teachings of truth, tolerance, love and peace are hard to find in most American churches. It's all about the money and how big they can build the church / buildings and how many butts are on the pews each week giving their 10%. It's all a fraud and a joke. Jesus if he insisted at all would be horrified to see the perversions of his teachings.

[MEM71]

Correction Most Christian base religions.

[DawnK]

Correction, ALL ORGANIZED RELIGIONS!!!!

[kennedyosker]

That's a loaded thing to say. You don't have to be religious to be a good person but there are many good christians in the world doing very good things. End of story. I don't consider myself fully religious but it's easy to recognize that many religions mean well. You're entitled to what you think but I wish more people felt the way I do. I don't think it matters what you believe. Good is good. Wanting to believe in a higher power is a very human thing. Many people believe in something. It's really not as threatening as the Bill Mahers of the world want us to believe.

[dennybop]

Correction: NO Christian base(d) religions based on the true teachings of Christ.

[mnyobpres]

A gay rights advocate that can't distinguish between gays and blacks. We can always count on you.

Oh, and Prince will make another music debut. Now, the religious part is not something he will apply to this issue.

[yesyesyes]

If one is above sullying your spiritual life in how your country treats people, then go away.

[anthonylee]

Not sure I understand your remark . . . . are you saying that individuals who place their "spiritual life" above that of Country, (Man's Law) are irrelevant and/or non-contributing in making a better world?

"Render unto Ceasar, that which is Cesar's . . . . render unto God, that which is God's"

The two can be mutually exclusive as exemplified in the verse above, (don't understand Jehovah's Witness' doctrine, that prevents voting); fixing oneself spiritually (inside) IS the starting point, then prayer, leadership by example and voting your conscience.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

note to prince......in the future just say "no comment" on politics and stick to making music.........you are a musical genius, but unfortunately your lDl0CY re: all thing non-musical can be a turn off.........

[dennybop]

WRONG!!! I don't like Prince's stance, but I'm fed up with this "shut up and sing" nonsense. Artists have the right to express themselves just as anyone else. Don't like their message? Don't support them if it's a big deal to you. Tell them to shut-up? Never!

[bluguy8]

oh come out already

[helonias]

So when is going to give all of his wealth to the poor like Jesus says

[Durannie]

I think someone needs to beat Prince upside his head with a cuban-heeled boot.

[indigowatcher]

My take on Prince's attitude toward gay rights:
He's a spineless hypocrite whose entire money-making persona was built around androgenous sexuality, yet he has no problem acting like a holier-than-thou jerk.

Isn't Prince black? You'd think he'd know what it feels like to be discriminated against, yet he is out there lending his voice to a discriminatory cause. I used to be a fan, but since his announcement of bigotry I am done with him.
Prince = Spineless Christianist Hypocrite

[TiredOfLiars]

Here they go... A gay rights advocate that can't distinguish between gays and blacks. I knew you guys would show up.

[nevadagirl]

It's discrimination we're talking about. Fear of losing your job, not having the right to marry whover you want to. That is the same experience as many blacks had in the past.
It doesn't make black and gay people the same and no one has said they are, just that people should be able to empathize with each other. Why is that so hard for people to grasp, the idea of basic human understanding?

[harriettubman]

And Obama, Colin Powell, Al Sharpton, Sidney Poitier have ALL had the same life experiences per you?

[diogenes1967]

Yeah, that black=gay equation is getting old, esp. when you can't contextualize it.

I do agree with you on this...why answer any questions about this at all? A no comment based on religious grounds" would have sufficed.

[diogenes1967]

Let me add, I am not saying don't make a case for similarities in the black/gay experience. For example, the need to congregate in a space where it's just us simply to be able to breathe and affirm our humanity (it could be a church, a gay bar, etc.) Institutions in both the gay and black communities serve multiple functions, esp. for political action...and sometimes just to wind down. There are similiarities.

[nevadagirl]

Matthew Shephard was beaten to death just for being gay. Does that "contextualize" it enough for you?

[Takae]

Prince is idiotic on this issue, but those people - who are outraged that he still couldn't "sympathize" just because he's black and all - seem to be equally idiotic.

[nevadagirl]

Discrimination results in the same alienation no matter who the victims are. Why can't everyone have rights without another group trying to out-victim the people trying to get equality? No need to use words like "lynching, "holocaust", etc. Just let people keep their jobs, visit family members in the holpital and leave their money to whoever they want to. Refusing to do this is akin to climbing the ladder and then pulling it up after yourself, so yes, black people, you should have some empathy for gays or any other "out" group who has not yet achieved equality.

[AlphaMutt]

more pointless blather from the religious kookoisie...

[TiredOfLiars]

...says the all-wise and all-knowing anonymous Huffposter, "AlphaMutt." Go figure?!

[KCFreedom]

Prince is religious? He let religion get in the way of voting? The weird factor is growing.

I thought most people didn't vote because they think/know their vote doesn't count.

[Chlowina]

Jehovah's do not celebrate Christmas nor their birthdays either. But they'll bang on your door and harrass you to buy their pamplets "Watch Tower" and try to convert you to their way of thinking. We have one of their churches??? down the road from us. One kid went to school with my son and he was very obnoxious and offensive toward other religions. He also refused to pledge allegiance to the flag.

[eden4barack08]

I'm surprised the LGBT haven't flooded this thread to accuse yet one more AA of being a "homophope", for upholding his religious beliefs.

[knobandtube]

And your point?

[TiredOfLiars]

You're 100% correct. They'll be here in due time to blame blacks; worry not.

[woodcut]

If it weren't for gay people's money, many black singers wouldn't be rich (Whitney, Mariah, Prince...) Yet, because he was too gay, SYLVESTER wasn never famous.
Blacks still won't deal with AIDS and they have high rates of it, spread by men on the "down low".
We're angry to be betrayed by a group that should know better.

I take comfort that the entire religious community is losing steam....

[nevadagirl]

I am a fifty-year-old white woman, straight and married. I have friends who are black and friends who are gay. You are trying to divide people by defending black peoples' right to discriminate against gays. Their is no religion that teaches intolerance, only "believers" and terrible clergy who allow it to happen. No church requires its' members to go the polls and vote against basic rights for gay people. When you get in that booth to vote, do the right thing, not what some bigot told you to do.

[JScott]

All the Jehovah's Witnesses that I've know for the most part were weird.
Let's not forget that it's a made in America religion like Mormonism and Scientology and all the attendant baggage that goes with that. And to me it sounds like a too convenient excuse.

[HallStyle]

What do you mean made in America Religion? All religions have origin from some place. How does the country of origin facture into the Religions significance? I believe ALL RELIGION is divides people. It is the nature of Religion. To believe one it to Reject the other! I believe in Non Denominations.

[JScott]

I'ts all about aderence, exclusion, and in the case of JW publishing tracts and most of all about MONEY and POWER, come to think of it 'Made in America' religion isn't all that unique.

[coastalcarla]

Because the ones that have sprung up in the US over the past couple hundred years are just too funny to be taken seriously. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, fundamentalist Evangelicals, Rapturists, you name it - they're absolutely insane. Not that the older ones aren't loopy, but the crack pots that have come up with the seriously crazy ones have been here in the good old US of A.

[care4mypeeps]

Jehovah's witness are people of the word, they live out their convictions and don't make excuses why they can't follow religous instructions as it is taught to them.

The LGBT community will learn the hard way that they can't stuff their agenda's down peoples throat with out paying a price for lack of support due to their heavy handed tactics.

Good for Prince. Way to go.

[readreza]

the heavy handed tactics you mentioned are not being used by the LGBT community, but the mormon church and similar supporters of discrimination...

[coastalcarla]

And you don't consider the massive influx of money from the Mormon and Catholic church to get Prop 8 passed "heavy handed"? Because that's about as heavy handed as they come.

[Chlowina]

You're definitely not talking about LGBT...think again about who stuffs what agenda down peoples throats. Read a little further then the 1st paragraph on articles.

[nevadagirl]

How is the LGBT community hurting you? That is the most ridiculous idea, that someone elses sexual behavior effects you in the least little bit. Homophobic in the extreme.

[rockyb26]

stop judging people

[nevadagirl]

Stop judging gay people by voting to deny them rights.

[Hirnlego]

not if it means giving religion a freeride.. which all too many want to do.

[SiberianRat]

This is news?

[harriettubman]

Ok. Let's see. Prince is a celebrity. He was asked a question and answered it. He didn't call up this reporter about his personal views, just answered a question. Hmmm. If someone asked me a question, I'd have to give an answer whether you agree with it or not.