Manny Pacquiao on Anti-Gay Backlash: ‘I’m Not Bothered’
Manny Pacquiao has already apologized for comparing gay people to animals – he’s not going to apologize again.
Last week, Pacquiao, currently running for a Senate seat in his native Philippines, was asked about his stance on same-sex marriage. Given that he’s a conservative Christian, it wasn’t a surprise to learn he’s opposed to it; but then he kept talking, and kicked up a firestorm when he said that same-sex couples are “worse than animals.” In the fallout from those remarks, Nike promptly ended their partnership with him and folks like former WWE star David Bautista called him out for being a “fucking idiot.”
Ask Pacquiao, though, and he’ll say all the criticism doesn’t phase him. Following a training session in General Santos City over the weekend, he stood by his faith and said the chatter basically goes in one ear and out the other.
“I’m not bothered,” said Pacquiao, via Boxing Scene. “That’s the world. I mean, Jesus lives in me, so I’m always happy. Says the Bible, every day has enough troubles of its own, so don’t be bothered about that.”
Speaking of things he should be bothered about, the Philippines elections committee has been asked to put an end to Pacquiao’s upcoming bout against Timothy Bradley, because fighting on a national stage would give him an unequal access to publicity leading up to the May elections. That’s why Walden Bello, a former politician who is also running for a seat in the Senate, wants Pacquiao’s fight postponed until after the elections. Otherwise, as Bello says, he should be disqualified from the race.
“He has all the rights to exercise his boxing profession after the elections,” says the petition. “But to schedule his boxing bout during the campaign period and close to the elections is obviously taking advantage of his personality and his profession, extending undue benefit to his candidacy.”
Between preparing for his final fight, responding to all the hate and this, Pacquiao certainly has a lot on his plate right now. Good thing he’s always happy.