Kirk Franklin Apologizes To Gay Community For Black Church’s Homophobia
“I want to apologize for all of the hurtful and painful things that have been said about people in the church that have been talented and gifted and musical, that we’ve used and we’ve embarrassed… and all this other horrible crap that we’ve done. We have not treated them like people. We’re talking about human beings, men and women that God has created.
“The Bible is not a book that’s an attack on gay people. It’s not a book written to attack gay people. It is horrible that we have made it where The Bible is a homophobic manual. That’s not what The Bible is. I mean you want to talk about things that God gets at… pride and jealousy and envy and arrogance. But what we also see is God sending his son to save us all, because we were all… straight, gay or whatever, lost and in need of a savior, and there’s room at the cross for all of us.”
— Grammy-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin in an interview with The Grio
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61 Comments
Diii'Okpara
November 16, 05:10Bee ni Ogbeni Kirk?
Max
November 16, 06:31??
Mitch
November 16, 06:33Very true.
Masked Man
November 16, 06:34Is there a new album to promote?
GOld
November 16, 06:39MM I see that shade.kontinu oh.
Kirk,thanks for saying that.It’s just put a smile on my face this morning.
Sinnex
November 16, 07:23Good for him
Dennis Macaulay
November 16, 07:44Is he going on tour? Or is it the memoir?
Anyway let me clap and applaud before aunty will come and give me the lecture about second chances!
Pink Panther
November 16, 08:11I’m overlooking you. *turning my face away like I just dont care*
Dennis Macaulay
November 16, 08:14My banana chocolate chip! You are looking away from me?
#Chestnut
November 16, 07:50Wow! This is beautiful! Might not be a tour-promo or a publicity stunt,u guys. Kirk isnt just a christian,but also a hollywood veteran who must have seen things over the years,that make him grow and understand better.
Dennis Macaulay
November 16, 07:51And my grand mother is from Bangladesh
Max
November 16, 08:44Odiegwu
Nefretiti
November 16, 08:01Kirk has battled with pornography in d past and up until a few years ago when he came out he was secretly nursing his own wounds. I feel he understands what the gay community feels and I don’t think its a publicity stunt …….besides he has more 2 oose than gain.
Keredim
November 16, 08:07? I’m coming out
I want the world to know
I gonna let it show?????
Ha la looo yaaaa??????
Pink Panther
November 16, 08:13Hahahahahahahahaa!!! Keredim, you’re messy.
Francis
November 16, 08:16Very very ?
Masked Man
November 16, 08:12I said it. There’s a new album titled ‘losing my religion’.
Iranu!!!!
Pink Panther
November 16, 08:13Is that what Oga Google told you?
Francis
November 16, 08:15??? Nna he has to do promotion na. Besides this is like the worst stunt ever if you ask me as he risks alienating his black homophobic fanbase
Francis
November 16, 08:13Doesn’t look like a publicity stunt to me sha. Seems sincere.
#Chestnut
November 16, 08:15Lol…y’all are just messy cynics. Abeg Kirk’s message is beautiful to me; it’s always refreshing to find a hetero who seems to understand that sexual orientation is NOT a choice.
Francis
November 16, 08:18Eeeerm I wouldn’t call him hetero sha. Ex-gay is better.
#Chestnut
November 16, 08:37“Donnie McClurkin” is d…ex-gay (wtf is an “ex-gay” though?)
Pink Panther
November 16, 08:45Think of it as an occupation. You know ex-gay… Ex-military… Ex-minister. 🙂
Max
November 16, 08:46Ex-gay?? ????
Are there ex-heteros too?
Francis
November 16, 13:17Una dey serious say una never hear of ex-gay movement? As far as i can remember , i have always known Kirk as a gay that has been fighting his homosexual desires so he can be on the straight path.
Keredim
November 16, 16:54Kirk Franklin or Donnie McClurkin?
Francis
November 16, 20:51Kirk. If not for Empire i wouldn’t even know say Donnie dey exist.
keredim
November 17, 00:12I never hear that one o!!!
But i will defer to you, as you are close to the Black American Christian inner caucus ?
Francis
November 17, 00:18? na you sabi. It’s just stuff you come across online when trying to reconcile your sexuality with your religion.
Nefretiti
November 16, 08:16Ok what if there is a new album ….it still doesn’t change d fact dat he said something encouraging . I won’t immediately bury him just because he was being 9ce. I like Kirk Franklin….he is cute*lol*dat aside I think he means well.
Pink Panther
November 16, 08:17Ok what if there is a new album ….it still doesn’t change d fact dat he said something encouraging .
Exactly this!
Tiercel de Claron.
November 16, 10:10Sincere or not,I’m just wondering what part of his statement our in-house cynics deem wrong or non-factual.
The Bible is not a homophobic manual,modern man made it so.Or is trying to.
Max
November 16, 10:48Leviticus 18:22- Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is an abomination.
Keredim
November 16, 11:23As you well know Max, the verses before & after the one you quoted also say other stuff which MODERN mankind ignore. ?
Also the New Testament kinda vitiates the intolerance of the Old Testament.
I think it’s time to move on from Leviticus and dwell on the positive parts of the bible and Koran. ?
Max
November 16, 12:33@Keredim, I was only trying to counter TDc’s statement about the bible not being homophobic
Tiercel de Claron.
November 16, 18:05Oh,Leviticus 20:13 too,you missed that one.Of the over 32,000 verses in the Bible,just those two verses plus maybe another one from Paul makes the Bible a homophobic manual?.
In that wise,it can be said the Bible is strongly heterophobic too.Leviticus 18:6-20,20:10-12,14,17-21 is totally against heteros too.Heck,their punishment is variously death by stoning,their blood being upon them,being cut of from among their people,no offspring to succeed them,etc.
I’m not even going to touch on the commands of the New Testament that’d vitiated these old laws.
Like I’d once stated,you sure need a brain reset.
Keredim
November 16, 18:32Nna odirogi egwu???
I tire o!!
Khaleesi
November 16, 12:27@Max, you didnt finish it! … it continues … they are to be put to death and their blood shall be upon them!!! if that isnt a hate-filled manual laden with malice, then tell me what is!!!
@Keredim, i thought it also says somewhere in the New Testament that the son of man came to preserve the old ways or some other similar line of crap … #Whatever #AbsolutelyNotInterested #ATonOfBullshit
Keredim
November 16, 12:53More or less what I responded to your comment below
Nefretiti
November 16, 08:22Was Kirk Franklin ever gay ? I think dat was Donnie Mcclurkin…..I think his vice was just porn.
Dennis Macaulay
November 16, 08:57What was his favorite porn site?
DawgPoundUsa?
Max
November 16, 09:02CocoBoys maybe ?
#TeamKizito
November 16, 09:16Or verytwinks.com
Nefretiti
November 16, 09:02Lol …..what does dat even mean .oh well I wouldn’t know I haven’t inspected his fone or laptop 2 see ,my interest is in his music.
ken
November 16, 09:41I was going to comment
Bt now I forgot what I wanted to say
Delle
November 16, 10:00Kirk Franklin called me yesterday and said this is exactly what he expected of you all. To diss his honest statement. So because of that, I refuse to partake in this party of SHADE!
*looks away in exasperation*
Dennis Macaulay
November 16, 10:11Ex-gay?
Is it an addiction?
*sigh*
Chizzie
November 16, 10:20People can always say nice things but thier actions determine if they really mean it. So let’s watch and see.
Dickson Clement
November 16, 10:43Oh! Please Kirk likes getting it in the butt! Porn is just a vice he is willing to share with the public!
Teflondon
November 16, 12:07i saw this and i was like finally an article that sheds light on the facts that not all Christians are ‘hateful religious bigots.’ hoping to read some sort of acknowledgements and appreciation of these facts in the comment section but what do i get?
Typical Nigerian Gay Men doing what they know best.
shade! Judge! Condemn!!
Smh
If i were an outsider to the community, My tots would be like ‘Can we ever please these people?’
Pink Panther
November 16, 13:01For once I actually agree with you. The cynicism that abounds here sometimes leaves me speechless sometimes.
Khaleesi
November 16, 12:22Thanks Mr. Kirk, however, its a little too late for the homophobes that roam and flourish in this part of the world. There’s nothing you nor anyone can say to convince them that the bible didnt set out to condemn gays, so therefore, i do NOT agree with you that the bible is not a hate manual, it so is!!!! – an ancient and highly potent one at that ***rolls eyes and yawns***
Keredim
November 16, 12:31Its not only a “hate” manual it also has lots of love in it too.
People use both sides, but it’s easier to use and harp on the negative.
Bottom line is there is absolutely no pressure to live by the “manual” and if you do, you choose which side of the “manual” you want to use and live by.
Pink Panther
November 16, 13:05You do realize, Khaleesi that there’s a difference between what IS and what people make something to be. The bible is as much an instrument of love. People simply use it to persecute others.
Dennis Macaulay
November 16, 12:26The way they use “S” on this blog, it may soon be extinct!
Keredim
November 16, 12:33#ewucopyright???
bruno
November 16, 13:00right step forward. i was pretty much disappointed and stopped listening to his music after previous homophobic statements he has made.
he is wrong about one thing though, the bible is indeed homophobic. both in the old and new testament. i know that very much. spent my teenage years letting those verses screw with my head.
Rev: Hot
November 16, 18:18say what you want, I think it was real brave for him to stand up and say what most Christian musicians won’t (and don’t say it’s publicity stunt because he’s losing fans by doing this)….. and like I’ve said before, God loves us all, a verse in the bible wont change that…
I’ll keep being myself, and keep worshipping God…. knowing fully well that He wouldn’t deliberately make me like this, and then say He hates me…
michael
November 16, 22:35well.. he is kinda hot. *not minding the odd looks*
Tobby
November 17, 21:27Ok cool