Well, a group of people have started burning shoes to demonstrate their hatred of queer people, so hopefully this doesn’t graduate into burning people.
The bonfire comes after boxer/politician Manny Pacquiao made an instagram post that called for gays to be put to death. (Seems like a nice guy! Definitely deserves to be in office!)
Nike used to pay Pacquiao for endorsements, but they cut him off after he made some anti-marriage-equality statements a few days before the death-to-gays post. Specifically, he said that same-sex couples shouldn’t be allowed to get married; and that homosexuality it wrong because it doesn’t exist in nature. Obviously he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but hey, since when did facts matter?
“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” said an anonymous source at Nike, so that’s nice. After they ended the relationship, Manny put out a video doubling down on his hate, reiterating that he doesn’t like queer people; and then he posted to instagram a Bible quote that says gay people should be put to death. If his relationship with Nike hadn’t been ended already, it certainly would have been then. Good luck finding someone new to pay you for wearing their shoes.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Anyway, now some homophobes have decided that they hate Nike, in addition to LGBTs, and that starting fires is a good way to express that.
“We don’t hate LGBT people, we hate their agenda,” says one guy in a video of the fire. (OK, but the fact that you think there’s an agenda kind of gives away that you hate them.)
Not too surprisingly, the video was uploaded by a religious official. His name’s Bishop Oriel M. Ballano, and relatively little is known about him. But we can probably guess how he feels about same-sex couples.
So let’s see here: we have one guy using religion to justify the idea that queers should be put to death; and we have another religious guy setting things on fire to symbolize his feelings about queers. Seems like they’ve set up some really awesome, supportive, safe conditions!
Leonard Woodrow
Is there no end to these ignorant, bigoted fools?
drivendervish
No, There is no end to ignorant bigots. They are created everyday as religious fanatics realize they can make more money by hating gay people than they can opposing abortion or discriminating against African-Americans, Latinos, etc.
And who better than a pastor or priest to twist the bible teachings into support for their hateful cause?
Nike will be fine but I’m afraid Manny Pacquiao is going to hell. Wait till he realizes that there is no actual hell other than what he has created for himself right here on Planet Earth out of his own stupidity.
Brian JC Kneeland
Gee – they learned nothing from his loss of the job! Nike still sold all those shoes!
Stephen Meeks
They’ll get over it.
XzamiIio
Oversensitive queens.
Hussain-TheCanadian
you guys should youtube: “EAT DA POO POO” – Those clowns at the bonfire could easily turn into something as dangerous as what you’ll see in the video.
Many will laugh as I did but remember, they are building laws based on this insanity.
1EqualityUSA
Nike comes off as hip. Backfired on these turd-blossoms. Swoosh!
1EqualityUSA
the boxer is one ugly duck inside and out, so Nike will be fine without him.
John Malin
Let’s call for a total boycott of all people and things from countries who support hatred, all religions that advocate hatred and Manny “Little Orang” Pacquiao in particular.
mmedesevigne
Wasn’t it Einstein who once said that the difference between genius and stupidity is that even genius has its limits?
seasailor
Hey Manny: Leviticus 19:28 “You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.” If you’re going to cherry pick the bible to suit your agenda then I will too. I’m tired of Christian hypocrisy. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the guy is a public figure and his views are broadcast globally. He made that decision to make his views publicly known and should suffer any negative backlash due to his blind ignorance. A woman wrote on Twitter recently that pond scum doesn’t compete in boxing competitions or run for government, therefore Manny Pacquiao is worse than pond scum. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
RJ Ofm
o.codone
@seasailor: Hey, whatta you say we flush the 2000 years of art, history, music, ritual and good works that Christianity has done just because we hate Manny Pacquiao. Oh, sure, brilliant mate, lets.
Are you conscious, or you’re trance typing or something? What?
Realitycheck
Good I hope they spent tons of cash to buy all those Nike sneakers!!!
Realitycheck
@o.codone: What good work? The crusades? The Spanish inquisition? Gay repression for 2000 years? Unlimited bigotry???
Not speaking against Hitler during WWII at a time when the vatican did have real power?
How many millions and millions of people have died because of Christianity???
And Jesus wasn’t even the son of god , he never claimed to be, he was elected so at the council of Nicea in 350AD under order of the roman emperor tired of internal church fights.
And the holy trinity was created to support that fallacy.
dustashed
I personally know that there were only a few people who participated in it and I know for a fact that a lot of the supposedly “Nike” shoes burned were just cheap China Knock-offs.
And it isn’t that they are against or hate gay people, they are just blinded by devotion to their idol. It will be fine.. I say this as a gay person who grew up in the place where this happened
potus8
Wow, sure hope his supporters aren’t poisoned by the fumes of burning rubber…………..
Daniel-Reader
He’s not doing a good job of inspiring others to continue to uphold human rights.
Kim Garvin
Hate of any kind is unacceptable.
It breeds contempt and inhumanity.
Douglas Schlitz
I would be happy to set their shoes on fire , as long as they are wearing them !
JessPH
Philippines? I bet those Nike products are FAKE.
LOL
Danny Micabane Aguaviva
Let them burn those shoes, those are “Fake” Nike’s anyways lol Love still wins!
1EqualityUSA
Walang H8.
Glücklich
Let’s hope there are further shoe bonfires, great big ones, and everyone stands real close to inhale those righteous, noxious fumes.
@dustashed:
I’ve heard that aside from hard-core Catholics, the Philippines are pretty laissez-faire when it comes to the gays.
My company has an office in Manila (Zuellig Bldg.). I’ve never been. I should go over there and terrorize the staff.
1EqualityUSA
Filipinos are not easily terrorized, as evidenced by the efforts in Corregidor and Bataan. The boxer’s just an asshole, appealing to the Catholic hierarchy to gain political support. The asshole doesn’t fall far from the tree.
martinbakman
The religious officials are burning sh!t????
I wish the media didn’t give a fvck about religion.
Greg C
@XzamiIio: Still an idiot, nice to know that you are consistent!
dustashed
@Glücklich: yeah you should go there so you can check it out for yourself. It really isn’t that bad, and it has gotten better as more and more LGBT people hold positions of power (ie managers, Team leaders, etc) you can find it’s quite common for straights and gay people having drinks together and nobody bats an eye.
But yes, I agree that it is more of a tolerance as opposed to an outright acceptance especially when it comes to marriage. I think it has also something to do with visibility, The country is overpopulated.. so even in the remotest towns, there will always be visible representation of the lgbt community
i43neile
He’s into a violent sport for money and fame, he shows up at work paid by the taxes of Filipinos for only 4 days and he’s a womanizer.
Unfortunately, he can absolve himself of these sins by claiming to have spoken to an imaginary friend.
TSK