ATLANTA, Georgia, February 12, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – The Reverend Franklin Graham rallied against gender ideology and same-sex “marriage” in Atlanta Wednesday, garnering pushback from LGBTQ advocates.
In another stop on his Decision America 2016 tour, the evangelist spoke before several thousand people at the Georgia State Capitol, while the state's lawmakers are in the process of considering some eight or more bills aiming to protect religious conscience.
Rev. Graham listed the sins of the nation, according to an Atlanta Journal Constitution report, among them, abortion and the “great sin” of same-sex “marriage,” and he called the push for transgender use of restrooms of the opposite sex “wicked.”
“Men belong in men's bathrooms, and women belong in women's bathrooms,” Rev. Graham said. “And we don't need men and predators going into women's bathrooms.”
His comments drew criticism from homosexual advocates.
“While Mr. Graham is entitled to express his opinion on same-sex marriage and transgender individuals, it is a shame that he uses his bully pulpit to condemn and dehumanize those who are different from him,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) southeast regional director Mark Moskowitz said in a statement.
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The ADL statement called Rev. Graham's comments “hateful,” and despite Rev. Graham having said that allowing bathroom access to the opposite sex was wicked, the ADL accused him of referring to transgender individuals as wicked, also decrying his terming homosexual “marriage” the “great sin.”
“The only reason why one would oppose civil rights safeguards in the religious freedom bill is to ensure that businesses can discrimination against the LGBT community,” it stated.
The Georgia Voice website called Rev. Graham an “anti-gay preacher” who “decried marriage equality and transgender rights.”
Transgender bathroom bills and policies have been advanced in school systems and municipalities across the U.S. and in Canada, causing controversy amid concern for privacy and safety should males be allowed access to female restroom and shower facilities.
Reverend Graham has been an ardent and clear proponent of Christian values, currently advocating on his national tour for Christians to register to become involved and vote.
In a recent CNS News interview, he urged evangelical Christians to get involved in the electoral process and “make their vote count,” saying the 2016 race is critically important because same-sex “marriage,” abortion, and now transgender laws are on the table, marking “just the beginning of a moral onslaught on the nation.”