Ellen DeGeneres and singer Pharrell Williams have both given heartfelt responses to gospel singer Kim Burrell’s homophobic rant controversy.
Video footage of the gospel singer ranting about homosexuality recently appeared online. Kim Burrell serves as pastor of a Texas church. In an anti-gay sermon, she repeatedly referred to homosexuality as ‘perverted’.
Before the video surfaced, Burrell was booked to perform a song from the new movie Hidden Figures with collaborator Pharrell Williams on Ellen’s talk show. However, the video altered those plans. Ellen announced on Twitter that Kim Burrell would not now appear.
“I didn’t feel like that was good of me to have her on the show to give her a platform after she’s saying things about me.”
Pharrell Williams did still appear. He said there was no longer room in the world for prejudice.
“There’s no room for any kind of prejudice in 2017 or moving on. There’s no room.”
He said Burrell is “a fantastic singer and I love her, just like I love everybody else and we all got to get used to that.
“We all have to get used to everyone’s differences and understand that this is a big, gigantic, beautiful, colourful world.”
Inclusion and empathy
“And it only works with inclusion and empathy. It only works that way.”
Ellen agreed, saying the hate, prejudice and discrimination she’d experienced for being gay had only made her want to be more compassionate.
Pharrell continued: “Whenever you hear some sort of hate speech and you feel like it doesn’t necessarily pertain to you … all you got to do is put the word black in that sentence, or put gay in that sentence, or put transgender in that sentence, or put white in that sentence and all of the sudden it starts to make sense to you.
“I get that sometimes the divisive stuff works in life. We learned that lesson last year that sometimes divisiveness works.
“But you have to choose what side you’re on. I’m choosing empathy — I’m choosing inclusion — I’m choosing love for everybody and just trying to lift everyone.
“Even when I disagree with someone, I’m wishing them the best and hoping for the best because we can’t win the other way.”
Thank you, @Pharrell, for standing up for kindness and acceptance and love. pic.twitter.com/Y8aom61Akl
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 5, 2017
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) December 31, 2016
For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagra
No Comment