Is Chris Pratt Homophobic? Allegations That His Church Is Anti-LGBTQIA+ Leaves Us With Questions
Chris Pratt, a Hollywood actor known for his roles in Guardians Of The Galaxy and Jurassic World, has been at the centre of controversy following allegations of his association with anti-LGBTQIA+ churches, reports Queerty.
The star’s religious beliefs have been recognised for several years, and his supposed involvement with institutions such as Hillsong Church and the Zoe Church in Los Angeles has raised questions about whether he supports their open stance against “the gay lifestyle”.
Let’s be clear, his faith is NOT the issue at all
Chris Pratt, like everyone else in the world, has every right to follow whichever faith that resonates with him. The controversies that have arisen from Pratt’s religious ties are born from people taking issue with the institutions he’s been alleged to associate with.
Hillsong Church has a noted history of being openly against LGBTQIA+ people and has been accused of practising conversion therapy. Zoe Church’s founder, Chad Veach, executive-produced a 2017 film that equated “sexual brokenness” with same-sex attraction. Pratt admits to attending Zoe Church on occasion yet denies ties to Hillsong, reports Queerty.
In an interview with Men’s Health magazine, Pratt elaborated about what having faith meant to him.
“Religion has been oppressive as fuck for a long time,” he says. “I didn’t know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I’m not a religious person. I think there’s a distinction between being religious — adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God — and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred.”
With the third and final instalment of Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy in cinemas now, Pratt is still very much in the limelight. His influence and celebrity mean he is under a microscope and it is important that he reiterate his support for LGBTQIA+ people when his choice of church has many queer fans and audiences believing he tacitly affirms a position against queerness.
