Ellen Page Calls Out Chris Pratt For Supporting 'Infamously Anti-LGBTQ' Church

Ellen Page spoke out against Chris Pratt’s “infamously anti-LGBTQ church”

Ellen Page is continuing her fierce, important fight against bigotry. The actress took to Twitter to call Chris Pratt out for attending a church that promotes anti-LGBTQ teachings. And he’s not alone. Turns out, some other A-list celebrities attend this very same church, which has been known for gay conversion therapy and discrimination.

Last week, Pratt appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and discussed the religious, 21-day “Daniel Fast” he was participating in through his church (“Daniel was a guy who only ate fruits, vegetables and grains,” the actor explained). Page tweeted out a link to Pratt’s talk show appearance and wrote: “Oh. K. Um. But his church is infamously anti lgbtq so maybe address that too?”

Pratt attends Hillsong, according to Variety, the same church that counts Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, and Justin Bieber as attendees. In 2015, New York branch leader Carl Lentz called homosexuality a sin and wouldn’t allow gay members of the church to take on a leadership role. Also that year, Brian Houston, Hillsong’s global senior pastor, released an uncomfortable statement about two gay members of the church.

“I wish to correct reports that Hillsong church has ‘an openly gay couple directing a choir’ at our New York City campus. Hillsong’s position on homosexuality and gay marriage has not changed and is consistent with Scripture,” he wrote. “..Several months ago when one of our choir directors made an unexpected public statement regarding his engagement to a man who sometimes sang in the choir, it was a complete surprise to us as well. It is my understanding that they have not been involved in an active leadership or ministry role since.”

He went on to hastily add that the church will still offer “grace and compassion” to the men and…sure they will. It should also be noted that Hillsong used to recommend conversion therapy to gay and questioning congregants, according to The Daily Beast.

Page doubled down on her statement with another tweet, explaining why she called Pratt out for his association with Hillsong.

“If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed,” she wrote. “Being anti LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop. Sending love to all.”

She also retweeted Leah Remini‏, who called out celebrities who are scientologists, a religion that allegedly also espouses anti-LGBTQ beliefs.

People took to Twitter to applaud Page for speaking out and using her platform to address such critical issues.

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1094346024632516608

When a Twitter user suggested that just because Pratt is a member of a discriminatory church, it doesn’t mean he’s against the LGBTQ community — Ellen was having none of it.

Sadly, not everyone responded positively to Page’s tweets and she had a powerful, important response for her critics.

“If lgbtq+ people are expressing their pain, their trauma, their experiences…maybe just try and listen?” Page wrote. “Open your heart, stop being defensive and have compassion. It’s a beautiful and life changing feeling, empathy. Much love truly to all.”