English performer Ellie Goulding (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
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Salvation Army answers critics after singer threatens to cancel performance unless Christian group bows to LGBTQ demands
November 15, 2019
A perfect response
The Salvation Army shut down English performer Ellie Goulding's threat to pull out of the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day halftime performance in Arlington, Texas.
What's a brief history?
On Tuesday, Goulding announced that she might have to reconsider her performance unless the Salvation Army — which has been promoted by the Cowboys' annual game since 1997 — made a donation or a pledge to the LGBTQ community.
The Cowboys, who play against the Buffalo Bills, will promote the Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show, which raises money for the charitable efforts of the Salvation Army.
Goulding said in a statement following left-wing pushback she received after agreeing to perform, "Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out [of the performance] unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community."
"I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know," she continued, "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."
What did the Salvation Army say in response?
On Wednesday, the organization released a statement revealing that Goulding would still be performing at the show and took the time to educate her and her fan base a little bit as well.
“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, who is the national commander of the Salvation Army, said according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“We applaud her for taking the time to learn about the services we provide to the LGBTQ community," Hudson continued. "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," the statement concluded.
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Sarah Taylor
Sarah is a former staff writer for TheBlaze, and a former managing editor and producer at TMZ. She resides in Delaware with her family. You can reach her via Twitter at @thesarahdtaylor.
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