Gay row preacher’s legal bid after show axe

A CONTROVERSIAL US preacher is taking legal action against a Scottish venue after a prayer meeting was axed amid concerns about homophobia and hate speech.

Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, was due to appear at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro in May as part of an eight-day speaking tour.

But bosses at the 14,000 capacity arena scrapped the event after Glasgow City Council – the venue’s majority shareholder – called for it to be axed. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has now asked Glasgow Sheriff Court to grant an interim order forcing the venue to host the event.

A response justifying the cancellation will have to be lodged by Thursday.

Mr Graham, 67, a supporter of Donald Trump, describes homosexuality as a ‘sin’ and is in favour of ‘gay conversion therapy’.

He said: ‘This is ultimately about whether the Scottish Event Campus will discriminate against the religious beliefs of Christians. More than 330 churches in the Glasgow area alone support this outreach and their voices are being silenced.’

The Hydro is now the third arena to cancel after Sheffield Arena and the ACC Liverpool and the row has caused fierce debate within the Christian community.

The Free Church of Scotland has claimed it proves free speech is ‘unwelcome’, while Church of England bishops said the ‘grace of God’ was ‘being obscured’ and refused to endorse the speaker. Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said: ‘How [Mr Graham] expresses his views could breach the council’s statutory equalities duties.’

An open letter from some church leaders has urged a review of the decision. Many of its signatories were leaders of Destiny, a US-style Glasgow-based evangelical church.

The Free Church said: ‘Strangely, free speech is now unwelcome. We must conclude only some speech is free and only certain religious views may be freely held.’