‘Homophobic’ Graham gig is regrettable – Drakeford
FIRST MINISTER Mark Drakeford has said he “regrets” that a hate preacher will be able to perform in Wales.
He said despite the Welsh Government having a 50% stake in the International Convention Centre in Newport it does not have any say over who appears there.
Franklin Graham was originally booked to appear at the Newport venue in June 2020, but that event was cancelled by ICC Wales after a number of people, including Newport MS Jayne Bryant and LGBTQ+ charity Pride Cymru, raised concerns over his views.
At the time the venue said it had “been made aware of a number of views held and comments made by the Graham organisation which are incompatible with our own values of equality, diversity, and inclusivity”, prompting it to pull the event.
Adam Price, leader of Plaid Cymru, used a plenary session yesterday to ask the First Minister: “The Wales International Convention Centre is this month hosting the televangelist Franklin Graham, who has called gay men and women ‘the enemy who are here to devour a nation’ and even praised Vladimir Putin for his homophobic policies.
“Now Mr Graham may be entitled to his homophobic beliefs but he’s surely not entitled to be provided with a stage to air them at a convention centre that is 50% owned by the Welsh Government.
Does that not send out the wrong message from Wales, and one that says homophobia and hate are somehow still acceptable?”
Mr Drakeford said: “I regret the fact that the event to which Adam Price referred is going ahead but the decision is not one for the Welsh Government. We do not run that centre and it’s for those who are responsible for it to make those decisions.
“I’m sorry to see a person of those views given a platform to express them here in Wales and they absolutely do not reflect any that the Welsh Government would be prepared to endorse or sanction.”
Mr Graham said in a statement last night: “Those who falsely accuse me of hate have obviously never heard me preach. I’m not coming to Wales to speak against anyone, I’m coming to share a message of God’s love.
“While I certainly respect the rights of others to disagree with our religious beliefs, it is deeply concerning that public officials who are elected to represent their entire community would describe the traditional views that Christians have held for over 1,000 years in Wales as ‘hate’ and actually use their office to speak against us and discriminate against our religious beliefs.”