*Kirk Franklin has a new album to support, and what better way to get your undivided attention about it but to talk about the black church and LGBT issues while promoting his “Losing My Religion” project, his first studio album after a 4-year hiatus.
The “Stomp,” and “I Smile” hit-maker has sold over 10 million records, making him a respected force in the religious community, so when Kirk takes time out to apologize on behalf of the black church – known for not being the biggest supporter of the LGBT community – folks want to listen to the man.
“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,” he told The Grio. “We have not treated them like people. We’re talking about human beings, men and women that God has created.”
As BET notes, the nine-time Grammy winning artist, producer and songwriter explained the Bible was not written as an anti-gay work, but rather, the opposite: “The Bible is not a book that’s an attack on gay people,” he said. “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.”
Overall, Franklin wants the LGBT community to know that God’s love embraces all. “I mean, you want to talk about things that God gets at… pride and jealousy and envy and arrogance,” he said. “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.”
