US ‘death to gays’ preacher Steven Anderson banned from Australia
Faithful Word Baptist Church pastor Steven Anderson
US-based ‘death to gays’ preacher Steven Anderson has been banned from Australia, marking the 33rd country he is barred from entering.
The leader of Arizona’s fringe Faithful Word Baptist Church, who has called for the execution of gay people by stoning and openly celebrated the massacre at Orlando’s Pulse gay club, suffered another setback on his quest for a global expansion.
Anderson had planned on visiting Australia in November for a missionary trip to local baptist churches, but his visit was blocked by the country’s government.
In a YouTube video, he complained: “Basically, I’m banned from Australia. My ETA [visa] was denied by Australia. I’m not going to be permitted to enter the country.”
Steven Anderson plans New Zealand trip after Australia ban
However, the preacher says he now intends to visit New Zealand instead, adding: “I’m planning on flying out to New Zealand this November, basically the same dates… so I’m just gonna shift it over to New Zealand.”
He added: “I’d love to do a soul-winning and preaching event in Christchurch and Auckland, New Zealand.
“I’m hoping that many of the people that would have heard me in Australia will just hop over the water and participate [there instead].”
Controversial US pastor Steven Anderson reacts as he leaves the Botswana Department of immigration after being issued a deportation order by Botswana authorities, on September 20, 2016. (STR/AFP/Getty)
New Zealand has moved to clamp down on extremist hate speech in the wake of the suspected far-right terror attack in Christchurch, meaning the tally of countries Anderson is banned from may soon climb to 34.
Anti-LGBT preacher banned from 33 countries
The preacher has previously been banned from entering Canada, Botswana, Jamaica, South Africa, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
At the request of The Netherlands, he was also handed an exclusion from the Schengen area, the common European travel area consisting of 26 countries.
Anderson has more than 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, where he evangelises his anti-LGBT beliefs to a diehard following.
In June, Anderson attended a ‘Make America Straight Again’ conference in Orlando, Florida, on the anniversary of the Pulse massacre.
Confronting protesters outside the event, he shouted: “I wish that every homo would die,” and “Get AIDS and die.”
Speaking at the conference, Anderson said: “This should be obvious to every rational person, it doesn’t matter what angle we look at this from, homos are paedophiles.”
