DJ Ten Walls issues apology for vile homophobic rant

Lithuanian DJ Ten Walls has issued a public apology more than three months after a Facebook rant in which he compared gay people to paedophiles and described them as a “different breed.”

The dance music producer enjoyed a UK top 10 hit last year with the song Walking With Elephants, but soon found himself dropped from festival line-ups and other commitments once news broke of his swiftly-deleted Facebook post back in June.

“I remember producing music for one Lithuanian musician, who tried to wash my brain that I don’t need to be so conservative and intolerant about them,” he wrote at the time.
“When I asked him ‘what would you do if you realised that your 16-year-old son’s browny (anus) is ripped by his boyfriend?’ Well he was silent.”

He also said that, in “the good 90s … these people of different breed where [sic] fixed,” and went on to compare homosexuality with paedophilia:

“One of my first gigs in Ireland, on my way to [my] hotel I saw a church with a fence decorated with hundreds of baby shoes. Naturally I wondered why? Unfortunately a priest’s lie for many years was uncovered when children were massively raped. Unfortunately the people of other breed continue to do it and everyone knows it but does nothing.”

Now, in a statement released to DJ Mag and other media outlets, Ten Walls – real name Marijus Adomaitis – has said that he “deeply regrets” making the statements, but denied he was homophobic:

“I’m Marijus Adomaitis aka Ten Walls. Earlier this year I posted comments on my Facebook page, that I deeply regret. My post was linked to homophobia and was very offensive. I am ashamed to have hurt so many people: my family, my country, my colleagues, my friends, the Global LGBT community and many others. Since then I have taken time out to reflect on what I did and work out a way of apologizing that expresses how sorry I am.

I am saddened by my own behavior and the impact of my actions on others. I offended a lot of people, was the cause of horrible debates, wrecked both my own and the confidence of others and ruined the plans for many people I was working with. Understandably, I was labeled homophobic and I am not and never have considered myself to be this way. I have to tell you that my action was completely out of character and done at a particularly angry and stressful time in my life. This is not an excuse, but I would like you to know that the content of my post is not a true reflection of my feelings. For many years I have been happily working and collaborating with people from different cultures, religious and sexual attitudes. I have always respected everyone.

My post made no sense, even to me. I’m a musician. My music is for everyone in this world. I always try to unite people to promote respect, equality and tolerance, love and peace. It is my priority as a music maker, in music there is no space for discrimination. It is my intention to do something in my home country of Lithuania, to support LGBT groups and educate others on acceptance and tolerance. I am now part of a group of people who have created an electronic opera ‘Carmen’ with a strong message of this. I hope my involvement in this project will be the first step to educating others in my home country that homophobia is simply not acceptable and that everyone should be free to live the life they choose.

I am sorry for what I have done. I am sorry I let myself down. I hope you can forgive me and that one day through my actions and future behaviour, I will once again be accepted for my music.”