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When vocal powerhouse/Jesus aficionado Mandisa was kicked off of America Idol last night, Fox's ratings monster continued a long-standing tradition of eliminating a plus-sized diva well before her time. Of course, this is hardly the end of the road for the singer: A fulfilling career of performing on gay cruise ships is hers if she should so choose. But since a report surfaced in The Advocate linking her to a prominent anti-gay writer, followed by a suspiciously worded introduction to an Idol performance in which she said, "This song goes out to everyone who wants to be free. Your addiction, lifestyle, or situation may be big, but God is bigger," many have been whispering that Mandisa may have alienated her core audience before she even built one. TMZ.com, clearly frustrated at not having the contestant around anymore to video-stalk as she tries on clothes at Ashley Stuart, uses the iffy tabloid algebra of "rumor/outcome=connection" to blame her downfall on her alleged anti-gay affiliations:

America's shocking decision to vote Mandisa off 'American Idol' Wednesday night was not a shock at all to those backstage. Sources connected with 'Idol' tell TMZ the buzz behind the scenes last night was Mandisa getting the boot had nothing to do with her performance — it was all about her openly anti-gay affiliations.

According to TMZ sources, lots of Hollywood types were backstage, including agents, PR flacks, managers and special guests. And the sentiment was clear; as one person put it, "Once you don't have the gays - forget about it."

Yes, we're entirely sure that that was exactly the scene backstage: Scores of Hollywood-types whispering, "The Gays did it! Pass it on!" urgently into each other's ears in a huge daisy-chain of showbiz consensus reaching. Meanwhile, EW.com has one of Mandisa's first post-elimination interviews, and they don't avoid the subject:

EW: One last question. A lot of your fans were upset that you listed Living Proof Ministries' Beth Moore — who says homosexuality is ''scary'' — as one of your idols on the American Idol website. Are people right to think you're anti-gay?

Mandisa: It breaks my heart to hear that's what people thought of me. I hate nobody. I absolutely live my life treating others the way I would want to be treated. I live my life being guided by love.

While it may "break her heart," nothing in her statement flat-out denies her ties to the ex-gay movement. By the same token, saying "I hate nobody" doesn't necessarily close a door on a follow-up sentiment along the lines of, "Especially not anyone who uses Jesus' love to turn their backs on a life of buttfucking and Broadway musicals."