A Holocaust-denying and anti-gay pastor from Arizona has been denied entry into Jamaica after outcry from activists on the island.
Steven Anderson, from the Faithful World Baptist Church in Tempe, said that he was about to board a flight to Kingston when he was informed that he would not be allowed into Jamaica, the Guardian reported.
Anderson, who reportedly once prayed for the death of Barack Obama and called for homosexual people to be stoned to death, has previously been denied entry to the UK, South Africa, Canada and Botswana.
A spokesperson for Jamaica's Ministry of National Security said yesterday: 'The decision was made by the chief immigration officer because the pastor's statements are not conducive to the current climate.'
The University of the West Indies, where Anderson was scheduled to speak, also withdrew its invitation.
Activists hailed the decision as a potential sign of hope that pervasive homophobia in Jamaica could be shifting.
'This is a positive outcome in which I am very pleased,' said Jay John, an activist who launched an online petition signed by more than 39,000 people calling on the Jamaican government to bar Anderson.
'I am glad that leadership was shown in protecting LGBTQ Jamaicans, women and other minority groups which Steven Anderson has attacked over the past,' he added.
Maurice Tomlinson, a Jamaican lawyer and gay rights activist who migrated to Canada after he received death threats, said: 'This is a huge win for our Jamaican sovereignty, our constitutional protections and the safety and security of all Jamaicans.'
Anderson blamed the ban on pressure on Britain and America.
'I think the US or UK must have a lot of influence over Jamaica and that's probably where this is coming from,' he said.
Following the Pulse gay nightclub shooting in Orlando in June 2016, Anderson said that there were '50 less paedophiles in the world'.
