Gospel singer Kim Burrell apologises to LGBTQ+ people after calling them ‘perverted’
Gospel singer Kim Burrell apologises to the LGBTQ+ community for past homophobic comments (Carol Lee Rose/Getty Images)
Gospel singer Kim Burrell has apologised to the LGBTQ+ community for calling homosexuality a ‘perversion’.
Burrell, who has collaborated with Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams, gave the LGBTQ+ community a “round of applause” at the Stellar Gospel Music Awards on Saturday (20 July), apologising for the comment she made in 2016.
Speaking on stage while accepting the Aretha Franklin Icon Award, Burrell said she wanted to use the moment to build bridges between her and queer people.
“I want to apologise to the LGBTQ community,” the singer said. “Let’s give them a great big round of applause. We want them to have strength and to sincerely know that we must all do the work to embrace all of God’s people and show his love to everyone.
“I hope this award and this moment can be the beginning of a bridge-building and listening to each other as we follow peace with all man.”
What did Kim Burrell say about LGBTQ+ people?
Burrell, who is also a pastor, was condemned by fans and artists she had worked with after the homophobic sermon, during which she warned gay people they would die the following year.
She also blamed gay men for the spread of the Aids virus.
“Anybody in this room who is filled with the homosexual spirit, pray God to free you. You’re playing with it in 2017, you’ll die from it,” she said at the time. “That perverted, homosexual spirit is a spirit of delusion and confusion.
“If you, as a man, will open your mouth and take a man’s penis in your face, you are perverted. If you are a woman and you shake your breasts in another woman’s face, you are perverted.”
When a video of the rant was seen soon after, she apologised, claiming she loved LGBTQ+ people because “God loves you”, but “God hates the sin”.
Following the incident, Ellen DeGeneres dropped her from a scheduled appearance on her show, Williams condemned her comments, she was dropped from a gospel awards ceremony and she lost her radio show.
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