Listen Live
97.9 The Box Featured Video
CLOSE
2016 Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner

Source: Steve Mack / Getty

Black celebrities are lashing out at gospel singer Kim Burrell for a recent video of her giving a anti-gay sermon that has been called “violent” and “hateful.”

Singer and actress Janelle Monáe took to Instagram to express her anger about the homophobia Burrell spewed in the name of the Lord. Sharing a recent IG post by Pharrell condemning hate, Monáe wrote the following lengthy response:

I shouldn’t even have to post this as you guys should already know where I stand but If you do not pls know I unequivocally repudiate ANY AND ALL hateful comments against the LGBTQ community. Actually I’m tired of that label. We all belong to the same community, a shared community called humanity. And today and tomorrow and the next day I will continue to stand with other like minded people who condemn any and all statements and actions that would seek to deny the basic humanity of our fellow brothers and sisters. We cannot sit Idly by nor will we speak silently when we are confronted with such violence against members of our community. I am personally beyond exhausted by the ignorance and bigotry living in some people. At times I want to punch and I want to slap a lot of people when I read and hear the shit that comes out their mouthes !!! I will rejoice when folks stop thinking they ARE GOD, Jesus’ assistant, picking and choosing what “sins” are acceptable in the Bible, and using the Bible as a whip! WE can’t afford anymore tearing down of our shared humanity. My advice: If your religion is causing you to spew out words of hate, judge, or look down on others because of who one loves then you need to change it. And fast. If the religion don’t make you are more loving or better person, ditch it. But what do I know. My hope is that we ALL go into this new year considering for one moment that we don’t have all the answers. My hope is that we become more understanding, less judgmental, more tolerate, and more patient with one another. Including me. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOtFCavgE7B/

 

The Hidden Figure’s actress wasn’t the only one who had words for Burrell. Monáe’s co-star Octavia Spencer took to Twitter to express her disdain for Burrell’s message too.

Chaka Kahn also chimed in:

As did Yolanda Adams:

And Questlove sent a flurry of tweets not only slamming Burrellbut the entire Christian community’s judgment on social issues: “I want Christians to focus on actually being Christ-like & compassionate to their fellow man. I’ve seen more sermonizing, coldness, hypocrisy, and utter disdain from the Christian community on every issue (justice/women’s issue/lgbtq). No one likes Nagging Hall Monitor. I want to see less ‘God’s Teacher’s Pet’ and less ‘SMH’ from Christians. And more compassion. That’s fair, no?”

Even Frank Ocean’s mother Katonya Breaux Riley took to Twitter to call out Burrell’s hypocrisy highlighting the fact that the singer sang background on her openly gay son’s last album.

Bloop!

As we recently reported, the 44-year-old told a crowd of onlookers that LGBT individuals were “perverted,” “delusional” and even touched on Pastor Eddie Long’s bout of illness being linked to his allegedly sexual trysts with gay men.

“That perverted homosexual spirit, is a spirit of delusion and confusion and has deceived many men and women,” she said in the clip. “The homosexual spirit is angry and comes up against ya, ‘You gotta love everybody.’ You cannot get instruction about holiness with that much emersion… You are perverted!”

While Burrell later took to Facebook Live to apologize, there are many who don’t believe that it was sincere or complete–just an explanation for hate and a lot of contradictions. Watch her “apology” here.

RELATED LINKS:

Kim Burrell Calls Gays ‘Perverted’ Then Apologizes On Facebook Live

Kirk Franklin Apologizes To Members Of The Gay Community That Have Been Disrespected By The Black Church

Will You Watch? BET Will Air Special Documentary On Being Gay In The Black Church

Janelle Monáe, Octavia Spencer, Chaka Kahn And Others Slam Kim Burrell’s Anti-Gay Sermon  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com