More than 20,000 Christians have signed a petition calling for a boycott of pro-Trump evangelist Franklin Graham’s tour of the US-Mexico border, which is set to begin next month.
Faithful America, an organization of Christians supporting social justice causes while oppose “Christian nationalism” published a petition last November calling for a boycott of Graham’s “God Loves You Frontera Tour,” which is scheduled to begin Feb. 24 and visit several cities along the southern border, from Brownsville, Texas, to Chula Vista, California.
The organization is calling on venues hosting the tour to “oppose Graham’s anti-LGBTQ hatred and political violence,” writing that it is “essential that we show the public and the press that Graham’s ideology Graham’s right does not represent the entire population. Christianity.” The petition has already received more than 20,000 signatures and is currently aiming for 25,000 signatures.
“Despite the tour’s misleading name, Graham is a divisive figure who attempts to hide a series of deeply hateful messages behind his father’s Christian heritage. His message is not one of Christ-like love but of anti-democratic, anti-LGBTQ and partisan bigotry. and evil,” the petition reads.
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Graham responded to the petition in a statement to News week Friday, writing that it is “disappointing to learn that this so-called Christian group is opposing my upcoming visit and accusing me of being hateful.”
“I am not coming to any of these cities to speak against anyone, I am coming with a message of hope for everyone and I invite everyone to come. I will share extracts from the Bible, which tells the “God’s love for This is good news for everyone, and this is the message that I come to share during the Frontera Tour,” he wrote.
He added that he invites “everyone, including the LGBTQ community, to come hear for yourselves the Good News of God’s love.”
Karli Wallace Thompson, digital activist for Faithful America, said in a statement to News week On Friday, the tour was “rooted in hypocrisy,” criticizing Graham for spreading a “divisive, partisan, anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigration, conspiracy theory-laden Christian-nationalist MAGA message that flatly contradicts the inclusive teachings of Jesus Christ. “.
“Because of his track record, the more than 20,000 Christians who have signed our petition are deeply concerned that Graham’s border tour is stoking hatred and division at a time when tensions are already high. Venues must recognize the potential for Graham’s presence to spread division and even potentially incite political violence among MAGA supporters,” she wrote.
Wallace Thompson added that the petition is “proof that Graham’s views do not represent the whole of Christianity.”
Graham has been a major supporter of the former president Donald Trump, which enjoys broad support among evangelical Christians, a crucial part of the Republican Party’s base. After Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to President Joe BidenGraham wrote in a Facebook post that Trump would “go down in history as one of the great presidents.”
“He gave us a president who protected our religious freedoms; grateful for a president who defended the lives of the unborn, publicly opposing abortion and the blood libel he brought to our nation; grateful for a president who appointed conservative judges to the House of Representatives. Supreme Court and to our federal courts,” he wrote.
At the same time, the petition noted a number of his previous remarks against the LGBTQ+ community, including Facebook post in which he allegedly described them as “nasty and rebellious”, and praising the Russian president Vladimir Poutinewho has imposed some of the strictest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world, for his stance on these issues.
“Obviously he could be wrong about a lot of things, but he took a stand to protect the children of his country from the harmful effects of any gay and lesbian agenda,” Graham said in 2014 after Putin said Russia had to “cleanse” himself of homosexuality. , according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
The tour takes place while border towns grappling with an influx of migrants in recent months. There were more than 2.4 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal 2023, compared to about 1.7 million in 2021, according to Customs and Immigration and Customs Enforcement data. borders of the United States. Local leaders have raised concerns that new migrant arrivals are straining communities seeking to provide resources and shelter to new asylum seekers.
Graham, in a press release announcing the tour, said he was going to the border “because it is one of the most needy areas of our country right now, and people need hear a message of hope.
“Everyone along the border is overwhelmed: the churches, law enforcement, residents, those trying to help, and people coming into our country. There are a lot of hungry hearts and hurting people, so I came to the border to tell everyone about God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and how He can make a difference in our lives if we put our faith and trust in him,” he said.
Updated 1/26/24 at 11:32 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with Thompson’s comment.
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