Manny Pacquiao Banned from Mall After He Allegedly Said Homosexuals Should Be ‘Put to Death’
Last week, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao reacted to President Barack Obama’s recent acceptance of gay marriage by allegedly quoting Bible verses against homosexuality. As a result, a Los Angeles-area shopping mall has banned the the WBO welterweight champion.
While Pacquiao’s representatives claim his quotes in a National Conservative Examiner article were taken out of context, The Grove, an outdoor shopping mall near Los Angeles, has banned the boxer and canceled a scheduled interview of Pacquiao with ‘Extra’ and host Mario Lopez in advance of his June 9 fight with Timothy Bradley.
…(Pacquiao) is not welcome at The Grove and will not be interviewed here now or in the future. The Grove is a gathering place for all Angelenos and not a place for intolerance.”
Pacquiao allegedly quoted Leviticus 20:13, which calls homosexuality “detestable” and advocates that gays “must be put to death.” Pacquiao says he’s never read Leviticus, nor quoted that verse. “I’m not against gay people … I have a relative who is also gay. We can’t help it if they were born that way.”
Regardless of his position on gay marriage, Pacquiao may find this still-developing controversy an unwanted distraction as he prepares for his fight against Bradley.