“Let me say this loud and clear. We traffic in homosexuality at the peril of our spiritual welfare.” This was Billy Graham’s response to a woman’s confession to him for her love for another woman. Graham had previously said that being gay is a “sinister form of perversion that was contributing to the decay of civilization.”
Graham died recently at the age of 99 and was considered a founder of the evangelical coalition, also referred to as the “Christian right.” The preacher to presidents and the millions of followers that he garnered during his long career in evangelism won him respect, but similarly made him an enemy of the LGBTQ community.
In 1993, he told a crowd of 44,300 followers that he thought “AIDS is a judgment of God.” Billy Graham’s Evangelical Association advocates the “gay cure” on its website. He also used his influence to push anti-gay laws such as his support in a 2012 attempt in North Carolina to amend the constitution to define marriage as “between a man and a woman,” making a point that this is God’s definition.
Graham’s son, Franklin, also a right-winger, is an outspoken anti-gay activist. He claimed that there had been a “moral 9/11” in America due to gays and lesbians. When Russian President Vladimir Putin brought in anti-gay laws, Franklin showed his support. He even went so far as to claim that gays take people’s children and calling them “predators and perverts.”
As we study the attitudes of these two Christians, we soon realize that the hate towards the LGBTQ community is harsh, real, and knows no bounds. Pat Robertson, a televangelist in the U.S., also wreaks havoc on the LGBTQ community. Reacting to the massacre at the Orlando LGBTQ club, he claimed that liberal advocates have aligned themselves with radical Islamists and all are reaping what they sowed. He suggested that the two groups kill each other.
The late evangelist, Jerry Falwell, had lots to say as well. He suggested all gays be transported to an island and be left to whatever fate may befall them. When Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian in 1997, Falwell referred to her as Ellen Degenerate.
There are many other right-wing religious leaders who come out swinging and with hatred that is so deep-rooted, making it impossible to hope for change. Many evangelical groups go overseas to such places as Uganda and preach against sexual orientation and transgender issues, also providing finances as bribery. This ongoing practice is not only hurtful, demeaning and hateful, but makes positive inclusion for all impossible.
It is difficult to comprehend the reasons for such blatant discrimination by religious leaders. Is it not possible to accept and embrace each other’s uniqueness, resulting in a society that is on a journey of peace and equality? Do we not deserve equal treatment and do we not deserve the human right to be who we are?
This is only a sample of right-wing ideology. There are countless individuals and groups involved in these hateful attempts to “rid” society of so-called undesirables. Anita Bryant comes to mind as the front-runner for the likes of the Grahams, the Falwells, the Robertsons and others, such as fundamental Christian places of learning, as well as many church hierarchies. Bryant was an anti-gay crusader, who made a name for herself in the 1970s, and remains active in her attempt to spread pure hate of LGBTQ citizens.
Who will be next? Well, we are well aware of President Donald Trump’s ideas, and let’s not forget VP Mike Pence.
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Gerard Veldhoven is a longtime activist for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. His column appears Wednesdays in The News.
