In a video posted on Facebook Thursday evening, Shirley Caesar denied what many believed to be anti-gay remarks she made in another video that was edited and interpreted as support of homophobic comments made by fellow singer Kim Burrell.
“I know who I am. I would never say anything to harm anybody,” Caesar said during an interview with Bishop George Bloomer of North Carolina. “There’s no way I’m going to say something ugly about anybody. I don’t have time to. I’m in the fourth quarter of my life, and I’m doing everything I can to be the best humanitarian and best person that I can be.”
Earlier in the day, a video posted online showed Caesar speaking to a church congregation, seemingly coming to the defense of Burrell, who said that homosexuals were going to die in 2017 for their “perverted spirit.”
“You (Kim Burrell) should’ve said something 4 years ago when our President made that stuff alright!” Caesar said in addressing Burrell’s remarks. But while many interpreted her statement as anti-gay marriage, a full video of her remarks later revealed the gospel singer was actually doing the opposite.
“What I was saying was, why now? Why break up your life now to be bothered with something like that,” she said of Burrell. “That was then, this is now. Let’s go forward now with our lives. To every community…let’s go on with our lives. Time is too short.”
Caesar added: “The Bible says that ‘By this the shall all men know we’re his disciples, if you love one another.’ [Jesus] did not say whether they were a part of the LGBT or the NAACP. He just says love me.”
