Chris Chameleon: I can’t imagine a world without gay people

Iconic South African artist Chris Chameleon has dedicated his new music video to the victims of the Orlando massacre, “with love, hope and faith”.

The video for the track Hurt was recently released on YouTube and features the former Boo front man dressed in drag; something for which he was known when with the band.

Chameleon, 44, told Mambaonline that he’d recorded the song last year and made the video in March and was about to launch it when the killings at the Pulse nightclub hit the headlines.

“When I saw the Orlando attack I thought it was a good association because of the contents of the video.” The SAMA-winning singer, musician and actor explained that, “a lot of people over the years have been challenged by my comfort in cross dressing. And I knew that it would be confronting people.

“Although my art isn’t about making statements but providing a vehicle for my own expression, and I’m very grateful for being able to do that, sometimes you have to make a statement. And the timing was right.

“The Orlando massacre was a fresh reminder of the insanity of the world we live in – of picking a bunch of people and snuffing them out. People need to think about the right of people to be who they are meant to be or feel comfortable with being,” he said.

Chameleon, who identifies as straight, said that he has always felt a connection with the gay community.

“There is so much I like about the gay community, I really enjoy their contribution,” he said. “If you take every gay person out of history, this world would be a hugely impoverished place. I cannot imagine my life without Tchaikovsky, for example.”

When asked what impact he’d like the video to have on its viewers, he responded: “Whatever judgement people reserve for gay people, whatever judgement they reserve for straight people, they should be less judgemental and be a lot more accepting and a lot more tolerant.”

Hurt is featured on Chameleon’s upcoming new English album Firmament. Watch the video below.