Billy Graham's Son: Obama Could Learn from Putin's Homophobia

The heir to Billy Graham's evangelical throne, son Franklin Graham, is telling his flock that Vladimir Putin's state-sanctioned homophobia should serve as a lesson to President Obama.

Writing in his own Decision magazine, Graham called Obama's embrace of LGBT rights "shameful," and said he should follow in Putin's footsteps. The Russian leader signed a bill that criminalizes gay "propaganda" and his government does little to prevent antigay violence.

“Isn’t it sad, though, that America’s own morality has fallen so far that on this issue — protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda — Russia’s standard is higher than our own?," wrote Graham, who included some caveats, saying his support for Putin wasn't unequivocal. 

“In my opinion, Putin is right on [LGBT] issues,” Graham writes. “Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.”

Graham leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and often strikes a more polemic tone than his father did during the Reagan and Bush years. Read more here.