Pacquiao Fights Anti-Gay Claims
 

Manny Pacquiao fights anti-gay allegations after L.A. mall bans boxer

World champ says he supports gays, although he doesn't believe in same-sex marriage

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: Thursday, May 17, 2012, 12:33 AM


http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopo..._635/image.jpg Reed Saxon/AP,,Boxer and politician Manny Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao says he loves and supports gays and lesbians, even though he does not approve of gay marriage.

The world champion boxer and Filipino congressman has been criticized ever since he gave an interview to the examiner.com website in which he opposed President Barack Obama’s support for gay marriage.

Pacquiao said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press that he doesn’t support gay marriage because of his Roman Catholic beliefs. But he said he has gay friends and relatives, and supports their rights.

“I’m not against the gay people,” Pacquiao said. “I’m not condemning them. ... I have a cousin (who is) gay. I have relatives (who are) gay. I have a lot of friends (who are) gay, so I’m not condemning gays. What I said is I’m not in favor of same-sex marriage. That’s the one thing I said to the guy.

“I told (the reporter) I’m against same-sex marriage,” Pacquiao added. “He said, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘It’s the law of God.’ That’s all I said.”
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RELATED: BOXER MANNY PACQUIAO COMES OUT AGAINST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

The examiner.com story contained a Bible passage calling for the death of “a man (who) lies with a man,” and Pacquiao said many readers erroneously believed he had quoted that verse.

He said he had not.

“My favorite verse in the Bible is ‘Love one another,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself,’” Pacquiao said. ‘It’s in the Bible: Do not judge. I’m not judging.”

Pacquiao was banned from a popular Hollywood shopping mall after the article was publicized Tuesday, and an online petition encouraging sponsor Nike to drop Pacquiao received 4,868 signatures before it was suspended Wednesday morning. The petition site, change.org, posted a note saying that the author of the original article had clarified that Pacquiao didn’t cite the Bible passage.

Pacquiao spoke to the AP next to his pool at his comfortable Los Angeles home, where the congressman lives while training for fights at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. The champion had the day off from training, spending the morning in medical exams before a big lunch and some relaxation.

Although Pacquiao is experiencing a newfound passion for his religion and has socially conservative views in line with many Filipinos’ beliefs, he was eager to clear his name after a 24-hour avalanche of criticism over the belief that the eight-division world champion boxer had denounced gay rights and even supported the killing of gay people.

The expansive Los Angeles mall knows as The Grove, where the syndicated entertainment-news show “Extra” films its episodes, wouldn’t allow Pacquiao to film a segment on its premises. Host Mario Lopez said The Grove had lifted its ban Wednesday, shortly after change.org suspended the petition to Nike, but his crew still planned to film its interview with Pacquiao at the fighter’s home instead.