Nike axes boxer Manny Pacquiao over homophobic comments on gay couples
Image: Manny Pacquiao (Photo source: Instagram)
US sports apparel聽company Nike has severed their contract with world champion聽boxer and Philippine senate candidate Manny Pacquiao over his comments last week that gay couples were 鈥渨orse than animals鈥�.
鈥淲e find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,鈥� .
聽 鈥淣ike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.鈥�
Pacquiao’s comments were made聽 and other senate candidates for their thoughts on same sex marriage.
鈥淚t’s just common sense,鈥� he said.
鈥淗ave you seen any animal having male-to-male or female-to-female relations?
鈥淚f you have male-to-male or female-to-female [relationships], then people are worse than animals.鈥�
Bob Arum 鈥� the聽chief executive of Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promotors Top Rank 鈥� called his comments “reprehensible” when .
鈥淚鈥檓 in favour of same-sex marriage. I鈥檓 in favour of gay rights. A lot of my friends are gays, particularly in California and Hollywood, so it鈥檚 very offensive to them and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 most concerned about,” Arum聽said.
Pacquiao’s comments also received some notable criticism online, with popular gay Filipino comedian and TV host Jose Marie Viceral 鈥� who goes by the stage name Vice Ganda 鈥� taking a stance on Twitter:
The LGBT is a group of people. We are humans. But not animals. Though we’re no saints we will pray for Manny Pacquiao.
鈥� jose marie viceral (@vicegandako)
Following backlash, Pacquiao re-affirmed his beliefs in an聽Instagram post, where he made reference to the Bible:
A photo posted by Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) on
However, in a second Instagram post, Pacquiao was more apologetic. Alongside a video message, he聽commented: 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals.鈥�
This isn’t the first time Pacquiao has made anti-gay remarks. In an the then-professional wrestler said:聽鈥淕od only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so (sic) are in love with each other.”
鈥淚t should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of sodom and gomorrah of old,” he said at the time.
Nike has terminated more contracts in the past four years than any other time in its history. Since 2012 the company has axed cyclist Lance Armstrong, American footballers Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, and sprinter Oscar Pistorius.
Pacquiao, who is wrapping up his term as a Congressman, is elections in May.
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He’s backing down a bit because he’s hoping to get Nike sponsorship back. I wonder what the bible says about the love of money!
Sucked in you stupid bigot! That is what you get for having a big anti-gay mouth! Well done Nike!