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Democratic presidential hopefuls visit homophobic Vegas preacher
Rev. Robert E. Fowler Sr.
Rev. Robert E. Fowler Sr.

Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) recently made campaign stops at Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Las Vegas, whose minister has said being gay is "enough to send you to hell."

Harris and Booker attended services at the church in early August, whereas Sanders held a town hall there in July. But now the presidential hopefuls are facing criticism over comments made by Rev. Robert E. Fowler Sr., Victory Missionary's pastor.

On a 2013 episode of KNPR's “State of Nevada,” he stated that "we [at Victory Missionary] don't believe that there's any one sin that's greater than anything else… Whether you commit adultery, whether you commit fornication, whether you're a child molester, you gossip, you lie, you cheat on your taxes, you don't pay your tithes, things of that nature… All of that is wrapped together as sin, along with homosexuality.”

Now as recently as August, he again expressed his feelings on the matter in an interview with Bay Area News Group.

"Homosexuality, adultery, fornication, those are all sexual sins addressed in scripture," he said. "Any sin, if you break the law in one area, you've broken it in all areas. If you mess up in one area, that's enough to send you to hell—so any sin is pretty bad for me."

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In statements to The Advocate, Harris, Booker and Sanders have since distanced themselves from Fowler.

"She does not share his views,” said a spokesperson for Harris. "Senator Harris' support and advocacy for LGBTQ equality has been unwavering throughout her career and will continue when elected President."

"Cory does not share these views,” reads a campaign statement. “Throughout his career, Cory has been a consistent fighter for the rights of LGBTQ people.”

"Senator Sanders has the longest history of any candidate fighting for LGBTQ+ equality and equal rights for all. Senator Sanders believes we must end discrimination in all forms and does not share these views,” reads Sanders’ campaign statement.

An interesting twist in this story is that openly gay Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg was also in Las Vegas around the same time as Harris and Booker. While campaigning, he said Nevadans had “a thumb on the scale” of the 2020 race.

“It doesn’t get more different from the current occupant of the Oval Office than a laid back, young, intellectual, gay, naval war veteran who’s the mayor of a Midwestern city,” the South Bend, Indiana mayor also shared.