When it comes to the hosts of the venerable morning talk show “The View,” Sherri Shepherd has certainly been one of the more controversial hosts for her conservative and sometimes dumbfounding quotes about sexuality, HIV/AIDS and literally the shape of the world. For years many people have seen Shepherd as homophobic because of her conservative beliefs, but if you ask her, she says she’s the farthest thing from it.
In a recent interview with Fusion, Shepherd discussed the misconceptions fans have about her and she explained that the main one is the idea that she’s anti-gay.
“I think people don’t know my heart,” she said. “I think people feel I’m very judgmental. I think people feel I’m very homophobic. If they knew me and knew my heart . You grow up being a Christian and you grow up believing homosexuality is a sin; you’re going to hell if you’re a homosexual. This is something that they teach in churches. So it’s something that I grew up believing.”
Despite her church upbringing, Shepherd says that she doesn’t judge anyone for their sexuality – well, at least not openly.
“I might not agree with your lifestyle but I love you,” she explained. “You may not agree with my lifestyle, but you love me . I don’t say it’s a choice. If you tell me, ‘Sherri, I was born gay.’ Okay. I’m not gonna argue with you because I can’t tell you how you feel and what’s going on inside. I’m trying to make it into heaven by the skin of my teeth. I don’t know who I’m gonna see. So if you tell me you’re born gay, I’m not gonna argue with you. And I absolutely respect you for that. I just ask that people respect how I feel. I respect how you feel and we can have a great dialogue.”
Well, it seems like in so many words, Shepherd still sees homosexuality as something problematic and sinful. Then again, it seems like she’s also learned that perhaps it’s better to love than to strictly apply the words of the Bible to others especially when she sees herself as equally guilty of sin. In any case, clearly she’s not going to end up on anyone’s LGBT ally list or win a pin or trophy for not telling someone she thinks they’re a sinner, but she’s certainly not as vocally anti-gay as these other celebs below. – nicholas robinson
