“It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female. If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals.”
37-year-old boxer, Manny Pacquiao, provoked a storm of controversy after saying those words. Manny who is running for public office in the Philippines’ May election made the remark in a video posted on local TV5’s election site.
Manny Pacquiao on same-sex marriage
"Mas masahol pa sa hayop." Senatorial aspirant and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao had this to say when we asked him for his stand on same-sex marriage. #BilangPilipino
Posted by Bilang Pilipino on Monday, 15 February 2016
When criticisms started mounting over what he had said, Manny initially remained defiant and responded to the controversy via an Instagram post of an image of himself with his wife, quoting the Bible and writing: “I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desire of the flesh. I’m not condemning anyone, but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says.”
Following global condemnation of his remarks and the threat of withdrawal by his sponsors, Manny changed his tune and made a qualified apology.
Despite his apology, sponsors like Nike and Wonderful Pistachios withdrew their sponsorship from the sportsman. A Nike spokesman said Manny’s homophobic remarks were “abhorrent”.
Comments like Pacquiao’s are close to home. In 2010, the Senior Pastor of Lighthouse Evangelism, Rony Tan, equated gay men to paedophiles, and went on to compare gay people with those that practise bestiality.
“If you allow [homosexuality], next time people will want to get married to monkeys. And they will want rights. They’ll want to apply for HDB. With a donkey or a monkey or a dog and so on. It’s very pathetic.” – Pastor Rony Tan