Manny Pacquiao is an eight-time world boxing champion and the second highest paid athlete in 2015, pulling in an estimated $160 million, according to Forbes. He is by far and away the most famous person in his native Philippines, indicative of him being elected into the Philippines’ House of Representatives. For being a good boxer. But the pitfalls of having money, power and respect is that one may believe that he is bulletproof.
Well the 37-year-old Pacquiao is finding out the hard way that even the World Boxing Council’s ‘Boxer of the Decade’ isn’t immune to backlash for saying moronic shit.
According to Yahoo News, Pacquiao apologized on Tuesday after widespread backlash in the Philippines for describing homosexuals as ‘worse than animals’ in an interview with television station TV5 earlier this week.
Pacquiao’s rationale for his statement:
“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.”
Gay marriage is outlawed in the Philippines because it is rejected by the Catholic Church, which makes up 80 percent of the country’s 100 million people, according to Yahoo. Pacquiao was likely trying to bolster his political support by riding the perceived anti-gay wave, but it was met with sweeping opposition.
Pacquiao took to Instagram to apologize for his statement. Kind of.
‘I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same-sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I’m praying for you.’
Do less, Manny.
[h/t Yahoo! News]