Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell recently spoke at a law enforcement retreat in North Carolina hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and now LGBT advocacy groups are calling for Revell to be removed from his post.
The groups are calling the BGEA “one of the nation’s most notorious anti-LGBTQ+ Christian right groups.”
“Chief Revell’s public leadership as Chief of Police at such an event furthers an atmosphere of discrimination, intimidation and harassment against the LGBTQIA+ and non-Christian population in Tallahassee,” according to the groups.
Among the groups calling for his job include: Tallahassee Community Action Committee, Florida Coalition for Transgender Liberation, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society, Tallahassee National Organization for Women, Florida Council of Churches, Planned Parenthood, Gender Odyssey at FSU, and Islamic Center of Tallahassee.
Revell responded by pushing back against the criticism noting he was off duty and he is entitled to his personal beliefs.
“I was off duty when I went and did that,” Revell said. “I am more than willing to have conversations with anybody about my record as police chief, about how I performed as police chief. I have my personal beliefs. I’m entitled to those just like anybody else is entitled to their beliefs, and what I do off duty is just that. It’s what I do off duty.”
Franklin Graham, President and CEO of the BGEA and son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, offered his support for Revell.
“He is an experienced and respected civic servant, and he was a great encouragement to dozens of other officers at the retreat,” Graham wrote. “It is a shame that certain groups are calling for his demotion or removal because he participated in this event and expressed his faith. I would ask those who are speaking against Chief Revell to respect his rights and freedoms—and give him the same consideration that they expect themselves.”
The organizations behind the effort to oust Revell said he does not have the right to discuss matters of faith as a police chief.
“He does not have the right to represent a government agency using his title and talking about spreading Christianity to police officials, officers, the police force,” said Barbara DeVane, a lobbyist for the Florida National Organization for Women. “That is the business of preachers and missionaries, not a chief of police.”
Revell has rejected any notion the BGEA or his time as police chief has seen anti-LGBT policies take shape.
“How I treat the citizens of this community and how I treat members of my police department will never, ever include any type of discrimination. If you want to know whether that is true or not, go ask the men and women of my department,” Revell said.
Graham posted similar sentiments on Twitter.
“These activist groups say that @BGEA is anti-LGBTQ—that is just not true,” Graham said. “We are not anti-anybody. We love people enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word. Sharing the hope and truth of God’s Word isn’t hateful, I think it is the most loving thing we can do.”
These activist groups say that @BGEA is anti-LGBTQ—that is just not true. We are not anti-anybody. We love people enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word. Sharing the hope and truth of God’s Word isn’t hateful, I think it is the most loving thing we can do.
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) October 29, 2021
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Lawrence Revell Tallahassee Police Chief” by The City of Tallahassee.
