Frank Ocean ’s mom, Katonya Breaux, has no time for blatant homophobia.
Breaux didn’t mince words when it came to Kim Burrell, the gospel singer who made headlines in recent days when a video in which she made blatantly anti-gay comments in a church sermon surfaced Dec. 30. Burrell, who has performed with artists like Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott and Harry Connick Jr., is featured on “Godspeed,” a song on Ocean’s 2016 album, “Blonde.”
But if Breaux were to have her way, that wouldn’t be the case for long. On New Year’s Day, the LGBTQ icon’s mom offered a cheeky, but pointed, suggestion on Twitter:
She continued:
Burrell, who is also a pastor at the Love & Liberty Fellowship Church in Houston, has been facing intense criticism after video of a sermon in which she blasted LGBTQ people as “perverted” in a sermon surfaced on YouTube Dec. 30.
“That perverted homosexual spirit, and the spirit of delusion and confusion, it has deceived many men and women. You as a man, you open your mouth and take a man’s penis in your face ― you are perverted,” Burrell says in the clip, which can be viewed below. “You are a woman and will shake your face in another woman’s breast, you are perverted.”
Needless to say, the fallout from the video was swift. Pharrell Williams, who collaborated with Burrell on “I See A Victory” for the “Hidden Figures” soundtrack, hinted at the controversy in a Dec. 31 tweet, noting, “There is no room in this world for any kind of prejudice.” On Tuesday, Ellen DeGeneres confirmed that her team had scrapped Burrell’s planned performance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” alongside Williams, which had been slated for Thursday.
No word from Ocean’s official camp just yet. But Breaux’s sentiments are a reminder that supportive, inclusive moms always know best.
For more ways to combat bigotry, check out our Queer Voices newsletter.
