Franklin Graham, the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, responded publicly to the recent Wells Fargo advertisement featuring a lesbian couple preparing to meet their adoptee child.
Franklin Graham, CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
"Have you ever asked yourself--how can we fight the tide of moral decay that is being crammed down our throats by big businesses, the media, and the gay and lesbian community?" Graham asked in a Facebook post on Friday.
"At the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we are moving our accounts from Wells Fargo to another bank," he added.
The advertisement shows the lesbian couple learning sign language before meeting their adoptee child whose hearing is impaired. During their first meeting, the couple says, "Hello beautiful. We're going to be your new mommies. I'm so happy!" CNN Money reports that this ad makes Wells Fargo the first to feature an LGBT couple in a national advertising campaign, though LGBT couples have been featured in other business campaigns before. Jamie Moldafsky, chief marketing officer for Wells Fargo, told CNN Money that "the company wanted its ads to reflect the diversity of all its customers."
Graham, who has been one of the most consistently outspoken evangelicals against same-sex marriages, showed his staunch opposition for the advertising method in the Facebook post, and encouraged Christians "stop doing business with those who promote sin and stand against Almighty God's laws and His standards," also mentioning Tiffany & Co., which recently advertised rings for gay couples.
"This is one way we as Christians can speak out"”we have the power of choice," Graham said. "Maybe if enough of us do this, it will get their attention."
Over 93,000 people liked, over 41,000 shared, and over 10,000 commented on Graham's post.
