Professional boxer Manny Pacquiao’s comments about gays have cost him a contract with Nike.
It may not be the only endorsement Pacquiao loses, even as he and promoter Bob Arum scramble to contain the damage done by a television interview in the Philippines in which the boxer said gay people “are worse than animals.”
What he’s saying is diametrically opposed to what I believe. I’m in favor of gay rights and same sex marriage. I’m apologetic personally to the gay movement in the United States.Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter
Nike issued a brief statement Wednesday saying it was severing its ties with the boxer over his comments about gays. The company said it no longer will have any business dealings with the boxer.
We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent. Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.Nike official statement
Pacquiao, a congressman who is now running for Senate in the Philippines, made the comments to a television station that was asking candidates about their views on same sex marriage.
“It’s just common sense,” Pacquiao said in the remarks posted online by the TV5 network. “Have you seen any animal having male-to-male or female-to-female relations?”
Animals, he said, were better because they recognize gender differences, and “if you have male-to-male or female-to-female (relationships), then people are worse than animals.”
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)