SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Rev. Franklin Graham disappointed Seattle Police rescinded his invitation

May 3, 2021, 4:01 PM

franklin graham...

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Rev. Franklin Graham says he’s disappointed that the Seattle Police Department rescinded an invitation to his Law Enforcement Appreciation event in Bellevue next week.

KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson explained to Graham that Seattle Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez put immense pressure on the police department to rescind the invitation, saying that Graham’s event might offend the LGBTQ community.

Graham told Dori that the event is for all police officers, regardless of religion or sexual orientation, or the color of their skin. He said they’re moving forward with the event and they expect a good turnout.

“The men and women of law enforcement are under a tremendous amount of pressure … and they’re discouraged,” Graham said. “We’re just going to have a great dinner, time for fellowship with one another. … We want to let them know we love them and support them.”

Graham said he’s not anti-gay.

“We invite them,” he said. “We’re not fighting, we’re inviting.”

Graham’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner is on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Please follow our Community Guidelines

FILE - OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu attends a joint news conference with Russian Fore...

Associated Press

Turkey throws its former foreign minister’s name into the race for next UN chief

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey has officially nominated a former foreign minister and yearslong ambassador to the United Nations for the next U.N. secretary-general, state-run media reported Saturday. The next U.N. chief will succeed António Guterres, who has led the world body for almost 10 years. The organization is under pressure to reform as it finds […]

28 minutes ago

Associated Press

Shooting leaves 1 dead and 6 wounded at Solano Town Center in Fairfield, California police say

A shooting on Friday night at a mall in Fairfield has left one person dead and six wounded, California police said. Police said they responded to a shooting at around 8:30 p.m. inside Solano Town Center at the Spirit Halloween store. They said on Facebook that there were seven confirmed victims with gunshot wounds, one […]

2 hours ago

I Voted stickers are seen at an early voting polling place Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Nashville, Ten...

Associated Press

Meet the ‘socialist’ progressive Democrats likely on their way to Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s been a lot of talk this midterm election season about socialism, but only a handful of candidates running for Congress actually align with the far-left wing of the party or consider themselves part of the Democratic Socialists of America. Most of these candidates come from a few Democratic strongholds, and several […]

5 hours ago

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting Welcome Reception at...

Associated Press

G20 foreign ministers to end Atlanta meeting without consensus on key issues

ATLANTA (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of 20 largest world economies will wrap up two days of talks in Atlanta on Saturday without reaching consensus on several critical global security issues after divisions, notably over Russia’s war with Ukraine, overshadowed the start of the meeting. As a result, the group will not release […]

5 hours ago

This photo provided by KOSU shows Hodokii Johnson, Muscogee and descendant of the Cheyenne and Arap...

Associated Press

From salmonberry harvests to traditional tattoos, Native American culture is spotlighted in November

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Fawn Douglas puts an urban spin on traditional basketmaking. Instead of using desert plants, she tightly weaves heavy conduit wire to form the base of a basket she plans to display at the new Wai Gallery in Las Vegas. There, she and her partner, A.B. Wilkinson, showcase pieces from Indigenous artists […]

5 hours ago

Spokane County's Wildfire Heroes Recognized on National Stage in NYC....

Regan Gallo-Fenz

Spokane County’s wildfire heroes recognized on national stage in New York City

Firefighters and law enforcement officers from Spokane County were honored in New York City for their response to the Spokane Complex Fires.

10 hours ago

Rev. Franklin Graham disappointed Seattle Police rescinded his invitation