Manny Pacquiao ignited a firestorm of controversy this week when he made incendiary comments about the LGBT community during a senatorial interview in the Philippines.
The boxing legend is gearing up for an election in May and a fight in April, two high-profile events that necessitate promotion of himself, and he isn’t holding back when it comes to his views.
“It’s just common sense. Have you seen any animal having male-to-male or female-to-female relations? If you have male-to-male or female-to-female (relationships), then people are worse than animals,” Manny said on Monday.
Gay marriage is currently against the law in the Philippines, but Pacquiao says he isn’t making it a personal battle. Rather, he says, he is upholding the words of the Bible. In a recent Instagram post, Pacquiao apologized for anyone he may have hurt with his comments.
“I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I’m praying for you,” he wrote.
Manny Pacquiao is projected to win the senate seat he’s campaigning for, but his most recent comments have upset many Filipinos, some of whom say they believe he should stick to the boxing ring.
“Outside the boxing ring, I don’t think Manny Pacquiao should be taken seriously. It struck me first as funny. I pity him. I would advise him to talk to more LGBT persons, meet them and not just reduce his concept of LGBT to the sexual act,” said Pastor Kakay Pamaran.
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