Kevin Swanson, a pastor that has previously advocated for the death penalty for homosexuals, has blamed Hurricane Harvey on LGBTQ rights.
He is a pastor on the Reformation Church of Elizabeth, Colorado, with a radio show called “Generations with Kevin Swanson”, where he stated that the deadly hurricane that devastated Houston is God’s judgment of the city (and other cities like it) because it has embraced “sexual perversion” and not repented for it.
By “sexual perversion”, Swanson was referring to Annise Parker, the city’s former and openly gay mayor. He also cited how Texas state legislature didn’t pass a bathroom bill “that would have prevented cross-dressing men from using the women’s restrooms” because “they wanted to encourage the abomination of men attempting to dress like women and women attempting to dress like men.”
The pastor also pointed out that the remnants of Hurricane Harvey are now heading towards New Orleans, as the city prepared its annual LGBTQ festival “Southern Decadence”. “Timing seems to be perfect,” Swanson said. He then argued that God is giving the city a “head’s up” before it hosts “the largest sexual perversion event in the country.”
Swanson went on, and warned that “…the entire state of Texas and the entire United States of America needs to take note of this and realize that there is a God in heaven, He brings His judgments and He calls nations to repentance, as He is doing right now.”
He continued by saying that anyone who doesn’t believe a major weather event is the work of a vengeful higher power is clearly not paying attention. Houston, Swanson said, was targeted by God for “persecuting pastors and churches.” Additionally, he warned, the city recently had “a very, very aggressively pro-homosexual mayor,” referring to Annise Parker.
Swanson is known for his outrageous claims, and has become somewhat of a meme for his ridiculous affirmations, such as the one he blurted out against the Disney movie Frozen, declaring that it’s a “Satanic push to turn kids gay.”
He has also stated in the past the there should be a death penalty for homosexuals because its says so in the Bible, and that Christians can attend same-sex weddings only to hold up signs calling for the couple to be put to death.
Unfortunately, Swanson isn’t the first nor only one that has managed to blame the devastation of Hurricane Harvey on the LGTBQ community, far-right Republican political commentator Ann Coulter turned to Twitter to profess that Hurricane Harvey was more likely a consequence of Houston electing a lesbian Mayor than of climate change.
I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than "climate change." https://t.co/K7d7mopY5Q
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) August 29, 2017
The death toll for Hurricane Harvey has risen to 60 victims, according to officials, along with thousands displaced from their homes, and millions of dollars in damages to the city of Houston.