Though it would’ve made for great television to have Ellen DeGeneres chat with Kim Burrell about her disgraceful homophobic sermon, where the gospel singer preached about the “perverted homosexual spirit,” Ellen isn’t about giving hate a platform.
“She said some very not nice things about homosexuals, so I didn’t feel that was good of me to have her on the show to give her a platform after she’s saying things about me,” Ellen said on the Thursday episode Burrell was scheduled to appear on. Pharrell, who appeared on the episode, echoed Ellen’s sentiments, telling the host that there wasn’t any room for “any kind of prejudice in 2017 and moving on.”
The producer said while he loved Burrell, much like he loves everyone else, “we all have to get used to everyone’s differences and understand that this is a big, gigantic, beautiful, colorful world and it only works with inclusion and empathy. It only works that way.” Adding, “Live and let live. Love and let love.”
Ellen added that people like Burrell are why she frequently says “be kind to one another.” It’s something she wholeheartedly believes in as someone who’s faced hate and discrimination for being gay. “I just don’t understand anyone who’s experienced that kind of oppression or anything like that — it only gives me more compassion. It gives me more empty. I don’t want anyone to feel hurt because they’re different.”
Watch the clip below.
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