(CelebrityAccess) — A planned arena tour of the United Kingdom by U.S. evangelist Franklin Graham appears to be in doubt after every venue booked for the tour has canceled his scheduled appearance.
On Wednesday, Newcastle’s Utilita Arena became the final booked venue to drop Graham’s scheduled appearance, following cancellations at other arenas, including the Scottish Events Campus Glasgow, Liverpool’s ACC conference center, and Sheffield Arena, as well as arenas in Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Birmingham, and London.
“Over the past few days we have been made aware of a number of statements which we consider to be incompatible with our values. In light of this we can no longer reconcile the balance between freedom of speech and the divisive impact this event is having in our city. We have informed the organisers of the event that the booking will no longer be fulfilled. We are proud to represent all communities and will continue to move forward with our aim as a business to drive profile, major events and economic impact for Liverpool City Region,” a statement from ACC Liverpool said.
Graham, who is the son of the late evangelist preacher Billy Graham and the current president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has a long history of discriminatory remarks based on religion, including calling gay people “abominations” people, speaking out against trans rights, and suggesting that Islam is “evil.”
Graham has also called on U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, to repent for publicly “flaunting” his sin. President Trump, who has been married three times, has carried on multiple extramarital affairs, and who Graham openly supports, has so far managed to avoid similar scrutiny from Mr. Graham.
