The Salvation Army says this year's Thanksgiving Day halftime show will go forward with Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding after all.
In a response to a fan on Instagram, Goulding threatened to quit the show Tuesday if the charity didn't "very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community."
The Salvation Army replied and said they serve people based on need and not race, gender or sexual orientation, and included examples of where their organization has provided services to those in the LGBTQ community.
On Wednesday, the charity confirmed this year's show would move forward with Goulding and thanked her for bringing to light misconceptions about the organization.
"We'd like to thank Ellie Goulding and her fans for shedding light on misconceptions and encouraging others to learn the truth about The Salvation Army's mission to serve all, without discrimination. We applaud her for taking the time to learn about the services we provide to the LGBTQ community. Regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, we're committed to serving anyone in need. Every day, we provide services such as shelter for the transgender community and resources for homeless youth – 40 percent of whom identify as gay or transgender. Ellie's performance in the 23rd annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff during the Dallas Cowboys game Thanksgiving Day on CBS will kick off a season of giving that helps support these and many other programs and services throughout the country."
The annual Thanksgiving Day show is the kickoff to The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign, which helps provide shelter and meals for the homeless, Christmas toys for children, and social service programs to millions of people in need year-round.
Despite repeated attempts, there has been no comment from Goulding's camp and the response she posted on Instagram Tuesday has been removed.
The Dallas Cowboys had no comment on the story.
