Kelly Clarkson fires back at openly gay 'Voice' contestant who accused her of being 'small-minded'

Kelly Clarkson is firing back at an eliminated "Voice" contestant who called her "small-minded." (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

An eliminated contestant on "The Voice" called out Kelly Clarkson for being "small-minded" on a since-deleted Instagram post, where she said the coach compared her to the Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge during the show's battle rounds.

“While I’m extremely honored to be in that category of talent I do believe that comment did us all a disservice and only threw us into a labeling trap,” competitor Molly Stevens wrote after her elimination last week, according to a screenshot of the post shared on social media. “It felt small minded to me and exactly what I feel we need to bring attention to the world.”

The singer continued, "I am a singer and songwriter who happens to be gay. And so is [Melissa Etheridge] and the [Indigo Girls]."

The post sparked a firestorm on social media, with die-hard Clarkson fans coming to the "American Idol" alum's defense, saying Stevens misinterpreted the comments. Clarkson took to Twitter herself to clarify her words, pointing out that Stevens "conveniently" failed to mention singer-songwriter Patty Griffin during her Instagram rant.

"Wow. This really bums me out. I need everyone 2 hear me & hear ALL OF THE WORDS I SAY," Clarkson tweeted on Tuesday. "I compared Molly to Melissa Etheridge, Patty Griffin (a name that was left out conveniently), & the Indigo Girls purely because of the rasp in her voice & that she’s an amazing storyteller."

Fans of Clarkson demanded an apology from Stevens.

"I think you need to apologize to @kelly_clarkson," one fan wrote. "She has Always supported the gay community. As a fan & a gay man I am offended! Sounds like a bit of a sore loser way to go about things!"

Stevens obliged, apologizing on Twitter Tuesday night for "any hurt I may have caused with my words."

"I compared Molly to Melissa Etheridge, Patty Griffin (a name that was left out conveniently), & the Indigo Girls purely because of the rasp in her voice & that she’s an amazing storyteller."

— Kelly Clarkson

"This was not my intention at all. For the people who know me well, you know my heart well too. I strive to live in truth and light. @kelly_clarkson I truly apologize for thinking differently. I look up to you," she added.

Clarkson has yet to respond to Stevens' apology. The original "American Idol" winner has shown her support for the LGBTQ community over the years, featuring a same-sex couple in her "Tie It Up" music video and interviewing with Pride Source, which dubbed the star a "gay icon."

"I don’t ever look at a fan as a gay fan or a lesbian fan or a straight fan – I don’t ever look at that. Fans are fans, and no matter what our lives are like, no matter what path we’re on, music is the one thing that connects us," Clarkson told the site in a March 2015 interview.