Response to Ellie Goulding’s Salvation Army demand elicits strong reaction from other side
Update: This story has been updated to include a statement from the Salvation Army on the status of Ellie Goulding’s participation in the Dallas Cowboys’ Nov. 28 halftime show.
Who exactly is the more aggrieved party here?
English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding threatened to pull out of the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day television performance unless the Salvation Army makes a donation to the LGBTQ community.
The request comes after Goulding’s social media post on Instagram Tuesday elicited backlash from fans. Goulding posted an image of her helping out the Salvation Army in New York, which instigated accusations of trans and LGBTQ phobia by the international Christian charitable organization.
Goulding responded by releasing the following statement:
“Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community,” she wrote. “I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know, and my heart has always been in helping the homeless, but supporting an anti-LGBTQ charity is clearly not something I would ever intentionally do. Thank you for drawing my attention to this.”
Goulding’s demand could potentially alter her Nov. 28 halftime appearance of the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game against the Buffalo Bills at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys’ have helped promote the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign since 1997.
Goulding’s response to the backlash has in turn ignited a backlash from the other side of the issue, including dismissive social media posts from conservative pundits, including former Arkansas governor and television hosts Mike Huckabee and former presidential candidate Herman Cain.
The Salvation Army released a statement Wednesday afternoon confirming Goulding’s participation and thanking her and her fans for “shedding light on misconceptions” about the organization.
“We’d like to thank Ellie Goulding and her fans for shedding light on misconceptions and encouraging others to learn the truth about The Salvation Army’s mission to serve all, without discrimination,” Commissioner David Hudson, National Commander of the Salvation Army said. “We applaud her for taking the time to learn about the services we provide to the LGBTQ community. Regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, we’re committed to serving anyone in need. Every day, we provide services such as shelter for the transgender community and resources for homeless youth — 40 percent of whom identify as gay or transgender. Ellie’s performance in the 23rd annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff during the Dallas Cowboys game Thanksgiving Day on CBS will kick off a season of giving that helps support these and many other programs and services throughout the country.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 10:35 AM.
