LGBT+ P for Pedophilia campaigners want Franklin Graham’s UK tour cancelled by Staff writer for Christian Today
The eight-date tour gets underway in Glasgow on May 30 and will visit cities across mainly England, with one stop in Wales, before wrapping up at the 02 Arena in London on October 4.
Graham, an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage and staunch supporter of Donald Trump, said he would be bringing the “same powerful message” to the UK as his father, the late evangelist Billy Graham, who visited the country on a number of occasions.
But gay activists in Sheffield claim that he promotes homophobic views and are pushing for the cancellation of his tour date at the city’s FlyDSA Arena on June 6.
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A letter signed by 22 members of the city’s LGBTQ+ community has been sent to Sheffield City Trust, which runs the venue, saying that Graham should not be welcomed to the city.
“Franklin Graham has repeatedly publicly promoted his homophobic beliefs, including but not limited to branding homosexuality a sin,” they write, according to the Guardian.
“We believe that these statements far exceed freedom of speech and are direct hate speech and incitement to violence against LGBTQ+ communities and individuals, which should not be welcomed in our city or anywhere else.”
The trust has defended its decision to host Graham’s Sheffield tour date on the grounds of free speech.
David Grey, chairman of the trust, told the newspaper that he had met local faith groups and taken advice from South Yorkshire police over Graham’s visit, and supported the “right to free speech and freedom of expression whilst promoting equality and freedom from hatred and abuse”.
Last November, the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox, said he could not support Graham’s visit.
“Mr Graham’s rhetoric is repeatedly and unnecessarily inflammatory and in my opinion represents a risk to the social cohesion of our city,” he said.
“I gladly took part in Billy Graham’s Mission England in 1984 as a candidate for ordained ministry, and in his LiveLink Mission in 1989 as a curate.
“But to my sadness I detect a tailing off of humility and generosity in the Graham organisation since those days.”
However, other Christians have been supportive.
The Bishop of Birkenhead, Keith Sinclair, was happy to commend the tour, saying he hoped to see many “experience a new birth in the Holy Spirit”.
