US ‘death to gays’ pastor banned from going to Jamaica
A US preacher who celebrated the deaths of gay people has been banned from preaching in Jamaica.
Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church is notorious for his incitements to anti-gay violence.
In a previous sermon, Anderson called for the execution of gay people by stoning, claiming: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. That, my friends, is the cure for AIDS. It was right there in the Bible all along.”
Anderson also openly celebrated the Orlando massacre at the Pulse gay club, telling his congregation: “The good news is that there’s 50 less paedophiles in this world, because, you know, these homosexuals are a bunch of disgusting perverts and paedophiles.
“That’s who was a victim here… just a disgusting homosexuals at a gay bar.”
Anderson, who was previously banned from entering South Africa on an evangelising trip, had this month planned to visit Jamaica.
Anderson was set to travel to Jamaica for a week-long “missions trip” on January 28.
In a YouTube video, he said: “I just bought my plane ticket for the Jamaica soul-winning trip! God bless you, see you in Jamaica, mon!”
However, this week the Jamaican government opted to ban the hate preacher from visiting – bending to pressure from activists.
The Jamaican Government confirmed he would not be allowed to enter.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of National Security told the Guardian: “The decision was made by the chief immigration officer because the pastor’s statements are not conducive to the current climate.”
Gay activist Jay John, who had led calls for the pastor to be banned, added: “I am glad that leadership was shown in protecting LGBTQ Jamaicans, women and other minority groups which Steven Anderson has attacked over the past
“This is a positive outcome in which I am very pleased.”
Speaking to the Jamaica Gleaner, Anderson revealed he was prevented from boarding the flight to Jamaica from Atlanta airport after a block was placed on him entering the country.
He added: “I was kind of surprised that Jamaica would ban me for my views on homosexuality.
“I am planning on just redirecting to a different Caribbean country and I am still going to go forward with my mission efforts this week, but I am just going to go to a different country.”
A petition calling for the visit to be blocked had previously attracted thousands of signatures.
It says: “These are the messages that Pastor Anderson is bringing to Jamaica. He approves of terrorism, the action that the Government of Jamaica condemned in response to the Orlando Massacre.
“Clearly the Pastor has no respect for humanity and his messages go against our democratic ideals and our motto, ‘Out of many, one people’.
“Pastor Anderson’s messages attack and demean women, seeing women as second-class citizens, unequal to men, discrediting them as holistic beings who are workers, academics and leaders.
“The Pastor refers to women as ‘home keepers and not office keepers’ and sees women who work as having loose morals.
“These assertions erase the achievements that the women’s movement in Botswana has made over the years.
“By calling for the killing of gay people, Pastor Anderson’s messages are homophobic and condone violence against fellow human beings and a group that is already marginalized.
“We the People, are asking the Jamaican Government to show leadership and stand as an example to fellow Caribbean countries to denounce terrorism and violence against marginalized groups.”
The Jamaican press had largely sided with Anderson.
The Jamaica Gleaner posted a one-sided and uncritical interview with Anderson in which he insists it is “a lie” to say he celebrated the Orlando shooting – despite video evidence of him praising it as “good news”.
He added: “I don’t think I am going to be banned, but it doesn’t surprise me that they are trying to get me banned, and maybe I will get banned, but I am at least going to go there and give it a shot.
“It’s not like what I am saying is radical; it is just that the whole world has gone crazy accepting this disgusting perversion, and I am one of the people that still have a normal biblical viewpoint.
“Over the years, there have been lots of persecutions. I have gotten tonnes of death threats.
We have booked different conference centres and have had them cancel on us. We have had hundreds of protesters outside of our church before. We have had Paypal not process our donations anymore.
“Six different companies refuse to process donations for our church. So we have had a lot of businesses that don’t want to do business with our church.”
He was also interviewed for 25 minutes on Jamaican radio station Power 106 FM, in which he claimed he was “just a preacher”.
