It all started a week ago when Terry Crews reacted to an opinion piece in the New York Times by human rights lawyer, Derecka Purnell. In the initial tweet, Crews divulged his issue with Purnell, a woman, writing a piece called “Why Does Obama Scold Black Boys?” saying, “Another thing that bothers me is that this OP-ED was written by a WOMAN about how boys should be taught to grow into successful young men. How would she know? You can speak with us ― just not FOR US. There is a big difference.”
Progressively throughout the week, the conversation turned into specific roles mothers and fathers play in their children’s lives. Crews tweeted, “I’ve reiterated many times that same-sex couples and single parents can successfully raise a child. But I believe paternal AND maternal love are like vitamins and minerals to humanity. No matter where you get that paternal and maternal love. MY purpose is to give paternal love.”
His tweets on parenthood received widespread outrage from some of the LGBTQ community and their allies, who viewed his take as disparaging and homophobic. One Twitter user replied, “love is not gendered. a child will not starve with only one gender loving them.” Crews’ responded, “But they will be severely malnourished.” The tweet has since been deleted.
Sunday, Crews issued an apology for his statement via Twitter, saying, “I apologize to anyone who was hurt by my ‘severely malnourished’ tweet. It was in response to someone who said that kids wouldn’t ‘starve,'” he tweeted. “It was poorly worded, so I deleted it.”
This Twitter war of words comes not too long after Crews came under fire for his “transphobic” comments last July. He posted on Instagram, “Why is it considered perfectly fine to be transgender, but deemed totally unacceptable to be TRANSRACIAL?” Crews was referring to Rachel Dolezal, the white woman from Washington state who portrayed to be a black woman for years until she was outed in 2015 and identifies as “transracial.”
It was noted to Perez Hilton! So disrespectful and ignorant!!!