Indiana Lt. Gov. Beckwith Under Fire After Sharing Post from Church Calling for Death of Gay People

Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor, Micah Beckwith, ignited controversy and outrage this week after sharing a post from Sure Foundation Baptist Church, a small Indianapolis congregation whose lay preacher recently called for the death of gay people during a sermon tied to Pride Month. The post, shared on Beckwith’s official social media account, quickly drew condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocates, faith leaders, and members of the public across Indiana and the nation .

The incident traces back to a June 29 sermon at Sure Foundation Baptist Church, during which lay preacher Stephen Falco delivered a tirade laced with homophobic slurs and explicit references to biblical passages interpreted as calls for violence against LGBTQ+ people. “Why do I hate sodomites, why do I hate ? Because they attack children, they’re coming after your children, they are attacking them in schools today, and not only schools in public places, and they’re proud about it!” Falco said, according to local reporting by The Indianapolis Star .

Beckwith’s amplification of this message—by sharing the church’s post—triggered immediate backlash. The post has since been deleted, and Beckwith’s communications team moved quickly to distance the lieutenant governor from the church’s violent rhetoric. However, critics argue that the damage has been done, and that the incident is part of a troubling pattern of anti-LGBTQ+ statements from Beckwith.

This is not the first time Lieutenant Governor Beckwith has faced criticism for his views on LGBTQ+ issues. In late May, Beckwith made headlines for a social media post expressing “terror” over Pride Month, framing it as a threat to children and society. “PRIDE MONTH ALERT: The Rainbow Beast Is Coming For Your Kids!” Beckwith wrote. The post claimed, “Corporate America and government institutions are launching their annual siege on childhood innocence—and this year’s Pride Month agenda is more aggressive than ever,” and further described Pride as an effort to “reprogram society” through “state-corporate-pagan alliance” .

These repeated statements have prompted calls from LGBTQ+ organizations for Beckwith to apologize and to meet with members of the LGBTQ+ community to better understand the real-life impact of hateful rhetoric. “This is not just about one post or one sermon. It’s about a pattern of behavior and language that puts LGBTQ+ Hoosiers at risk,” said an Indiana-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group in a statement .

The controversy has reached beyond Indiana’s borders, with national LGBTQ+ organizations and political leaders weighing in. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, condemned both the church’s sermon and Beckwith’s apparent endorsement through his reposting. “Calls for violence against LGBTQ+ people, whether from the pulpit or from elected officials, are unacceptable and dangerous. Indiana’s leaders must do better,” the organization said in a statement .

Political analysts note that while Beckwith’s communications team has attempted to walk back the incident, the controversy raises urgent questions about the responsibility of public officials to avoid amplifying hate speech. “Even if the post was shared without full knowledge of its contents, elected officials must be held to a higher standard when it comes to the messages they promote—especially those that endanger marginalized communities,” said a political science professor at Indiana University .

For many LGBTQ+ Hoosiers and their allies, the incident is a stark reminder of the persistence of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in some quarters of American public life. Advocates are calling for renewed efforts to educate public officials, promote inclusive policies, and combat the spread of hate speech—online and offline.

Faith leaders from inclusive congregations in Indiana have also spoken out, emphasizing that such rhetoric does not represent the values of love and acceptance found in many religious traditions. “Using religion to justify violence and hatred is a perversion of faith,” said Reverend Angela Carter of Indianapolis’ All Souls Unitarian Church. “We stand with our LGBTQ+ neighbors and call on all public officials to do the same” .

As Indiana’s LGBTQ+ community continues to push for accountability, the incident has sparked broader conversations about the role of social media in spreading harmful ideologies, the responsibilities of public officials to uphold the dignity of all residents, and the urgent need for solidarity in the face of hate.

For those affected, the message is clear: words matter, and the fight for equality and safety remains as vital as ever.