Ladlad hits Pacquiao for anti-LGBT comment

MANILA, Philippines - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group Ladlad on Tuesday called on the public not to vote for senatorial aspirant and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao following his comment on same-sex marriage.

"Common sense lang. Makakita ka ba ng any animals na lalaki sa lalaki o babae sa babae? Mas mabuti pa 'yung hayop," Pacquiao said in an interview with Bilang Pilipino.

Ladlad Chair Danton Remoto said that Pacquiao's anti-LGBT statement was a shallow understanding of the issues that are important to the community.

"Ladlad supports the rights of people to have consensual, same-sex relationships that lead to domestic partnerships or even to same-sex marriage," Remoto said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Remoto noted that the rights of people to domestic partnerships or same-sex marriage can be found in the equal-rights provisions of the Constitution.

"Manny, tama na ang kabobohan," Remoto said.

Meanwhile, Filipina transgender model and Gender Proud founder Geena Rocero sees Pacquiao's statement as an opportunity to educate the public about the LGBT community.

"We have a chance to educate the public, a teachable moment and refute what Manny Pacquiao said about LGBTQ people... LGBTQs and Filipinos deserve to be dignified instead of dehumanization," Rocero said in a Facebook post.

Pacquiao is a senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay's United Nationalist Alliance. He ranked eighth in the latest Social Weather Stations senatorial survey.

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