Ellie Goulding Will Perform at Thanksgiving Show After Question Over Salvation Army's LGBTQ Stance
Ellie Goulding will still perform during the Salvation Army-backed Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day halftime show after a question over the charity’s stance on LGBTQ rights.
The tradition of the halftime show signals the start of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, which aims to benefit those in need during the holiday season — a sentiment that Goulding, 32, said she was “honored” to be a part of when announcing news of her performance in early November.
Ahead of her performance — set to occur during the Cowboys game against the Buffalo Bills — Goulding even visited a Salvation Army soup kitchen and posted about her meaningful experience. However, comments on her Instagram about the organization’s LGBTQ views later made the singer re-evaluate her Thanksgiving Day act.
A post shared by elliegoulding (@elliegoulding) on Nov 12, 2019 at 6:30am PST
According to CNN, the Salvation Army reportedly stated in 2013 that while any person, regardless of sexual orientation, is accepted by the organization, they abide by the Bible in believing that gay Christians should embrace celibacy and not participate in same-sex marriage.
Goulding reportedly replied to comments on her social media post surrounding the topic.
RELATED: Ellie Goulding Marries Longtime Love Caspar Jopling at York Minster
“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,” the “Love Me Like You Do” the artist replied to one comment, according to CNN.
“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 continued. “Thank you for drawing my attention to this x.”
Despite what several commenters claimed about the organization’s stance on LGBTQ right, the Salvation Army website continues to boast its rules of acceptance.
“Any person who walks through our doors will receive assistance based on their need and our capacity to help,” the website reads. “Our mission is to the preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in His name without discrimination.”
Adding: “We provide the same benefits to opposite-sex and same-sex couples” and that the “Salvation Army is committed to serving the LGBTQ community.”
RELATED: Ellie Goulding Reveals She Came Close to Quitting Music But Now She Feels ‘Rejuvenated’
The Salvation Army did not immediately reply to PEOPLE’s request for comment but told Fox News in a statement on Thursday, “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. Regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, we’re committed to serving anyone in need.”
The spokesperson added that Goulding had confirmed her performance, which will “kick off a season of giving that helps support these and many other programs and services throughout the country.”
A rep for Goulding did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
