Anger over rabidly anti-gay US pastor’s planned visit to Ireland

Holocaust denier and fundamentalist American preacher Pastor Steven Anderson is set to speak in Dublin, on May 26

A United States pastor known for his hateful anti-LGBT speech has sparked outrage in Ireland ahead of a May 26 visit. Pastor Steven Anderson, who is not affiliated with any Christian church, was set to visit Ireland later this month but campaigns have now begun to have him banned from the country. 

Anderson, a Holocaust denier who applauded the Orlando massacre, has already been banned from the 26 EU countries in the Schengen Area, which does not include Ireland. 

Last week, the Netherlands added itself to the list of countries that have banned Anderson from entering. 

Several petitions have now appeared in Ireland calling on the Irish government to follow suit. 

Read more: Leading cleric slams gay Irish leader, says Irish church scandals “peripheral”

"U.S. pastor Steven Anderson is known for promoting anti-gay hate and violence. He celebrated the Orlando massacre saying that there were now '50 less pedophiles in this world,'[sic]" reads the campaign from All Out, a global LGBT+ rights organization that has teamed up with Irish groups LGBT Ireland and GCN. 

"Now he plans to come to Dublin to spread hate against LGBT+ people.

"Hate has no place in Ireland: Stop Steven Anderson from promoting his hate-mongering in Ireland by denying him entry to the country.

"Together we can get Charles Flanagan, the Minister of Justice, to block Steven Anderson from entering the country. If thousands around the world join in solidarity with our call, authorities won’t be able to ignore us.

"Sign now and help us keep Pastor Steven Anderson out of Ireland."

Based in Tempe in Arizona, Anderson, 38, "holds no college degree but has well over 140 chapters of the (King James) Bible memorized word-for-word, including approximately half of the New Testament.”

Read more: Meet the Kerry woman redefining the immigrant story for LGBTQ Irish in New York

A Department of Justice spokesman told the Irish Times: “The Department does not comment on individual cases. When a person from a non-visa required state presents at immigration, a decision to grant entry is made by an immigration officer and is subject to the entry requirements of the Immigration Act 2004.”

Do you agree with the petition? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, below.