Photo of Ellie Goulding
British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding is threatening to cancel her performance during halftime of the Cowboys-Bills football game this Thanksgiving because of its association with the Salvation Army.
Only five days ago, Goulding announced on Instagram that she would perform during the game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, which is a holiday tradition that has been taking place for five decades and is watched by millions of people across the country.
For more than two decades the show has also been the start of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, which in itself is in its 129th year and ends on Christmas Eve. It aims to provide shelter and meals for the homeless and the hungry while also providing Christmas toys for children and other social service programs. Last year, the campaign raised more than $140 million.
But the campaign’s association with Goulding’s performance has led to backlash.
Many of Goulding’s fans took to Instagram to condemn her because of positions that the Salvation Army has taken that many see as homophobic and anti-trans. This criticism has led Goulding to rethink the performance, which she expressed on Instagram.
“Upon researching this,” she wrote, “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. 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.”
In an email to the Dallas Morning News, David Hudson, who is the national commander of the Salvation Army, denied that his organization discriminates against gay or transgender people. Though he would not say whether the performance would go on.
Ellie Goulding was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for her single “Love Me Like You Do.”
The Salvation Army spends most of its operating capital on actually serving those in need. And that service goes way beyond feeding the homeless. As a Christian organization, they are non-discriminatory towards those they serve, but it’s doubtful they’re interested in promoting the LGBTQ lifestyle. So get over it. Take your music and go home, but sheesh, don’t try to extort the Salvation Army.
There IS such a thing as bad publicity and this pig — whom I’ve never heard of until today — just became a loathsome example.
Is there any possibility that this artist could just shut up and sing? If I don’t support her nonsense am I not allowed to listen to her art? Does she know the difference between artistry and social justice warrior totalitarianism?
Evidently she is no artist. She is just a scared little bunny doing what she is told to do by the totalitarians.
Shut. Up. And. Sing. No one, and I mean no one cares what you think about gender politics. No one.
She can just shut up, period, for all I care — and never mind the “sing” part. She’s not enriching my life in any way, shape or form, and just contributed to my growing resentment and contempt toward SJW’s and their leftist puppet-masters.
In short, from where I’m standing she’s another source of huge negativity and backwardness.
LGBTQ community: this isn’t about you! Salvation Army is about feeding hungry and poor people no matter who they are. If you’re gay, Salvation Army will feed you. Same with a straight hungry person. They don’t even ask. But Christianity isn’t going out of their way to make some LGBTQ+ emphasis, because that’s not their thing.
Being ignored doesn’t mean you’re being discriminated against. Sorry you’re not getting all the special attention and treatment you think you deserve (for… doing nothing)
No one knew who she was before this. Now, people do know about her. Amazingly effective PR.