On Tuesday, English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding warned that she will cancel her scheduled performance on Thanksgiving at halftime of the Dallas Cowboys football game unless the Salvation Army makes a “solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community.”
Earlier this week Goulding excitedly wrote on Instagram, “Ok this is going to be LIT (can I say that when I’m 32) I’m excited to announce I’ll be kicking off the @salvationarmyus Red Kettle Campaign at the @dallascowboys halftime show this Thanksgiving! I can also confirm that @the_kearnal_86 will hereby be launching his acting career. Tune in to CBS for the game and join us this holiday season in the #FightForGood.”
On Tuesday, she added on Instagram, “Ok so maybe hairnet not my strongest look but thank you @salvationarmyus for having us in New York. As you know, I have spent a lot of time in shelters in London, and this was my first time in NYC… The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need. I sat and spoke to several people who had come in from the bitter cold for some food (they serve to over 150 per day here), warmth and perhaps a chat with one of the volunteers.”
But after fans of hers convinced her that the Salvation Army was hostile to the LGBT movement, as FOX4 reported, Goudling wrote, “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. 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.”
A spokesperson for the Salvation Army told NBC5, “With an organization of our size and history, myths can perpetuate. An individual’s sexual or gender identity, religion, or lifestyle has no bearing on our willingness to provide service. We stand firmly behind our mission to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
The Salvation Army USA website states:
Almost one-third of transgender people have been rejected from an emergency shelter. The Salvation Army created a dorm in Las Vegas to offer safety and shelter to this group, which is statistically more vulnerable to assault … LGBTQ youth contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. With a presence in every zip code in the nation, we’re committed to providing spiritual and emotional care to those in need regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Pro Football Talk noted, “The Cowboys have hosted the Red Kettle Kickoff show since 1997, with the campaign raising more than $2.4 billion, according to the team’s media guide. The funds support Christmas toys for children in need as well as social service programs throughout the year.”
The Dallas Morning News provides more details about the Salvation Army’s fundraising campaign, which the organization has been conducting for nearly 130 years and raised over $140 million last year alone:
The campaign that the halftime show heralds, now in its 129th year, ends on Christmas Eve and is geared toward providing shelter and meals for people dealing with homelessness and hunger. It also supports Christmas toys for children, as well as other social service programs. Last year, the campaign, which the Salvation Army touts as “the largest and longest-running fundraiser of its kind,” brought in $142.7 million.