He has never wavered in supporting the marginalized, and once again, Charles Barkley is speaking his piece. The basketball legend is known to be one of the most outspoken voices in sports, and for years he has used his platforms to advocate against racism, sexism, and homophobia. Barkley recently sat down with CNN to discuss Kanye West, Kyrie Irving, and Dave Chappelle, and he made statements that caused controversies of their own.
"First of all, this disturbed me as a Black person, which really bothers me about the Kyrie Irving situation and the Kanye West situation." He said, "First of all, being Black in America is already hard enough. And, for us to go at other ethnic groups just makes things worse. 'Cause it's hard enough being Black."
Read More: Charles Barkley Calls For Kyrie Irving’s Suspension
Barkley added that "one thing that always disappointed" him is Black people are "the worst" in how gay people are treated.
"That's one of the things growing up that always bothered me," said Barkley. Don Lemon recalled when he came out as gay, and Barkley was one of the first people to call him.
Barkley told Lemon: "I wanted to reach out to you. And all my gay friends, all my transgender friends, I tell you, man. I got nothing but love and respect for you. I want you to be you. And I wanted you to know that, that day."
Read More: Charles Barkley Believes The Lakers Have Ruined Russell Westbrook
While Barkley's remarks were supportive on the surface, several social media users complained he was placing blame on the Black community. Further, they believe he ignored statistics showing LGBTQIA+ hate and attacks that aren't spawned from the Black community.
Take a look at Charles Barkley on CNN below.