LGBTs to Pacquiao: Tama na ang kabobohan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Senatorial aspirant and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao has come under fire for his controversial comments on same-sex relationships, which he described in an interview as "worse than an animal."

In a video posted by Bilang Pilipino, Pacquiao, an evangelical Christian, said no animal would engage in a same-sex relationship.

"Mas mabuti pa yung hayop, marunong kumilala kung lalaki-lalaki o babae-babae. Kung lalaki sa lalaki o babae sa babae, e mas masahol pa sa hayop ang tao," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao's comments were made in an interview with local TV network TV5.

In a follow-up interview, Pacquiao said he is not condemning all members of LGBTQs but same-sex marriages.

Hollywood-based celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has described Pacquiao's comments as "horrific and damaging, to say the least."

Professor Danton Remoto, chairman of Ladlad Party List, urged the public not to vote for Pacquiao in the May senatorial election.

"His anti-LGBT statement betray a shallow understanding of the issues that are important to us. Ladlad supports the rights of people to have consensual, same-sex relationships that lead to domestic partnerships or even to same-sex marriage. This is found in the equal-rights provisions of the Constitution, that mandates a level playing field for everybody, whether in the realm of economics or of love," he said in a statement.

He added: "Manny, tama na ang kabobohan."

Meanwhile, transgender model and advocate Geena Rocero took to Facebook to debunk Pacquiao's assertions that humans who engage in same-sex relationships are worse than animals.

"Statements and beliefs like this is what causes further discrimination, stigma, violence, isolation of LGBTQ people in the Philippines," Rocero said. "Sexual fluidity is well documented in the animal world. Please don't impose your religious beliefs in your job as a government official."

Rocero also posted links to articles that show homosexual behavior among animals.