Champion boxer Manny Pacquiao says gays and lesbians “worse than animals”

Champion boxer Manny Pacquiao says gays and lesbians “worse than animals”

MANNY Pacquiao has caused outrage in The Philippines and abroad after he described people in same-sex relationships as “worse than animals”.

The Filipino boxer — who is also a candidate for the Senate of the Phillipines — made the comment in a video released on the election site of TV5, a local station.

He later apologised.

“Do you see animals mating with the same sex?” the eight-time world champion says in the video.

“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.”

The comments have caused anger across The Philippines, a staunchly Catholic country and where Pacquiao has been a member of Congress since 2010.

Vice Ganda, a popular gay comedian in The Philippines, tweeted #PrayForMannyPacquiao to his 6.7 million Twitter followers.

The comments have also been condemned by rival boxer Floyd Mayweather, who served 87 days in jail for domestic assault in 2010 and was caught on film repeatedly calling Pacquiao a “faggot” the same year.

“We should let people live their lives the way they want to live their lives. To each his own,” Mayweather told TMZ.com.

Pacquiao initially responded to the controversy by affirming his position against marriage equality in an Instagram post.

 

But in a second Instagram post, Pacquiao was more apologetic. Alongside a video message, he commented: “I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals.”

 

In response, Ganda tweeted:

 

Late last year heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury sparked controversy when he compared homosexuality and abortion with paedophilia. He also claimed that a woman’s “best place is on her back”.

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