Singer Ellie Goulding, who is scheduled to perform at halftime during the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving football game, is now threatening to cancel unless the Salvation Army signals its support for gay marriage.
Goulding apparently decided to make this demand after some of her fans informed her that the Salvation Army–a Christian organization–supports the traditional stance on marriage.
The Cowboys will take on the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, and the accompanying “Red Kettle Kickoff” halftime show will help raise money for the Salvation Army’s charity missions.
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Pop star Ellie Goulding is threatening to cancel the Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show because of the Salvation Army. https://t.co/CSgO2S5AJq
— MRCTV.org (@mrctv) November 13, 2019
Threat Made
“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,” Goulding 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,” she added. “Thank you for drawing my attention to this.”
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The Salvation Army Responds
The Salvation Army responded to Goulding’s threat through a statement to the Dallas News, but the organization did not indicate whether their plans for the halftime show had changed.
“With an organization of our size and history, myths can perpetuate,” the response read. “An individual’s sexual or gender identity, religion, or lifestyle has no bearing on our willingness to provide service. We stand firmly behind our mission to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
More progressive bullying and anti-Christian bigotry. The @salvationarmy serves the poor and helpless around the world — but they aren't good enough for this celebrity prisspot. https://t.co/5TLgZt9pPO
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) November 13, 2019
In a statement to Dallas’s CBS affiliate, the Salvation Army said through a spokesman, “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.”
“We applaud her for taking the time to learn about the services we provide to the LGBTQ community,” the statement continued. “Regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, we’re committed to serving anyone in need.”
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‘Every day, we provide services… for homeless youth – 40 percent of whom identify as gay or transgender’
The organization made a point of noting that they work with LGBT Americans every day.
“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,” the statement noted. “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.”