Three years ago, gospel star Kim Burrell received backlash after going on a homophobic rant at the Love & Liberty Fellowship Church in Houston, Texas, during which she referred to LGBTQ people as “the perverted homosexual spirit."
The comments caused Burrell to be dropped from a scheduled performance with Pharrell on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, for a song from the film Hidden Figures. Her appearance was canceled. The comments would cause Pharrell to speak out, condemning “hate speech of any kind.”
See Burrell's rant below (CONTENT WARNING: Graphic Language and Hate Speech):

Burrell never publicly apologized for her hateful sermon, claiming that her words had been misrepresented by her “enemies.”

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“To every person that is dealing with the homosexual spirit, that has it, I love you because God loves you, but God hates the sin in you and me, anything that is against the nature of God," she said in response to the backlash, adding, "I make no excuses or apologies. My love is as pure as it comes."

Subsequently, she walked back her comments by saying she “never said all gays were going to hell.”

“I never said ‘LGBT’,” she explained. “I said ‘SIN.’”

Now, singer-actress Kierra Sheard is reflecting on the gospel star’s fall from grace and hopes people can forgive her. While promoting her latest album KIERRA and her Lifetime Clark Sisters biopic, Sheard explained why Burrell deserves forgiveness.

“The gay community is also looking for a way of equality and equality has to do with love and forgiveness. For us to move forward, it’s us having to learn a new way of communication,” Sheard told Hollywood Unlocked’s Jason Lee. “I do think [the LGBT community] should forgive her. Look around her; [they] support her with hair, makeup, wardrobe…so there must be some kind of love she has for them.”

Watch the clip below: