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Kanye West Joins Evangelical Summit Starring Antigay Hate Leaders

Kanye West

The musician will speak at Awaken 2020, which gives a platform to dangerous homophobes and transphobes.

Nbroverman
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Kanye West will be the big celebrity speaker at the Awaken 2020 event, a huge evangelical gathering set for Saturday at a Tempe, Ariz., football stadium.

While it's no surprise that West has embraced Christianity as of late, his Awaken 2020 appearance -- which will include his Sunday Service choir -- is raising many eyebrows, since it features a who's who of anti-LGBTQ preachers.

Most notable are Che Ahn, Lou Engle, and Cindy Jacobs. Right Wing Watch detailed the disturbing public stances of these individuals, of which nearly all are devoted Donald Trump acolytes (including West).

Ahn, a senior pastor at HRock Church, has long advocated against LGBTQ equality and does not believe in a separation of church (specifically Christianity) and state. Ahn previously called marriage equality illegitimate and equated it with racist U.S. laws.

Engle leads The Call, an organization that holds prayer rallies around the globe. Engle is against women's autonomy and LGBTQ rights; he advocated for Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill, a proposed piece of legislation that would have sentenced certain gays to life in prison or the death penalty, after saying he wouldn't. Engle has also called for God to "sweep away" Supreme Court justices who will uphold Roe v. Wade, like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

Jacobs, of Generals International, advocates against abortion rights and LGBTQ equality, even claiming God killed birds after "don't ask, don't tell" was repealed. Jacobs also claimed the Equality Act, proposed legislation that would ban anti-LGBTQ discrimination in housing and employment, would incite a civil war.

Other Awaken 2020 speakers include David Herzog and Guillermo Maldonado, the latter of which said Trump was part of God's plan to usher in America's end.

Story developing...

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Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.
Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.