Gospel Singer Kim Burrell Defends 'Anti-Gay' Sermon As Backlash Spirals
Gospel singer and preacher Kim Burrell has defended her sermon at a Texas church where she referred to the "perverted homosexual spirit", after it was announced she would no longer be performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week.
Burrell said in a Facebook Live video: "I love you and God loves you but God hates the sin in you and me.
"I never said all gays were going to hell. I never said 'LGBT'... I said 'Sin'
"To every person who is dealing with the homosexual spirit, that has it, I love you and God loves you but God hates the sin in you and me. Anything that is against the nature of God.
"I make no excuses or apologies. My love is as pure as it comes."
Burrell was responding to criticism she received after a video recording surfaced of a sermon she gave at the Love & Liberty Fellowship church in Houston.
According to Associated Press, in the sermon, the singer said: "The perverted homosexual spirit, and the spirit of delusion and confusion, it has deceived many men and women."
Burrell had been due to perform on the Ellen DeGeneres Show with Pharrell on January 5.
DeGeneres, who is gay and an outspoken activist for LGBT rights, said on Twitter on Tuesday that Burrell would no longer be performing.
In an Instagram post earlier this week, Pharrell denounced hate speech, though did not explicitly connect the post to Burrell.
A photo posted by Pharrell Williams (@pharrell) on Dec 31, 2016 at 10:49am PST
Burrell is the founder and pastor of the Love & Liberty Fellowship church.