Manny Pacquiao made controversial remarks about the gay community and has angered many of his fans around the globe. He’s even been labelled an “ignorant, bigoted hypocrite”.
Manny described gays to be “worse than animals.” He said animals are better at identifying the opposite sex rather than humans.
“It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female,” Pacquiao told a broadcaster from TV5 in an interview. “If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals.”
He then continued with this statement on Instagram:
“I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desires of the flesh. Im not condemning anyone, but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says. The truth from the Bible is what changed me from my old ways. 1 Corinthians 6:9 “[9] Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men.” God Bless everyone I love you all.”
Clearly, his statement was widely criticised, and soon after, he apologised on Twitter. “Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. God Bless!” he wrote. Bible-bearing Pacquiao is currently in the running for a senate seat in the Philippines.
In the wake of this incident, Pacquiao’s statement has costed him a contract with Nike. A representative from Nike said, “Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.” The company also mentioned that they will no longer have any business dealings with the boxer.
