Philippine President Claims He "Cured" Himself of Being Gay
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told a crowd in Tokyo he had "cured" himself of being gay.
Duterte was addressing members of the Filipino community last Thursday when he accused a political opponent, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, of being gay. He said a gay man told him Trillanes was gay based on the way he moved, according to Philippines news outlet Rappler.
"Good thing Trillanes and I are similar. But I cured myself," he said.
Duterte with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
He added that he was "a bit gay" while with ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, reports CNN, and that he became straight when he met his current partner, Honeylet Avanceña.
"I became a man again! So beautiful women cured me," he continued. "I hated handsome men afterwards. I now prefer beautiful women."
He then invited women to come on stage and kiss him on the cheek to demonstrate his supposed staunch heterosexuality.
Female audience members kiss President Rodrigo Duterte on the cheek after some taunting from both Duterte and the audience.
A similar incident happened in June 2018, where Duterte kissed an OFW on the lips. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/uZmaX1lk4u
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) May 30, 2019
The president's statements on LGBTQ people have been conflicting over the years, making arguments both in favor of and against same-sex marriage and other rights for the community. In 2016, he called the U.S. ambassador to his country "a gay son of a bitch."
Speaking of contradictory, he wrapped up his comments on Thursday with what sounds like a suggestion he might still be gay.
"Duterte is gay. So I am gay, I don't care if I'm gay or not," he said.
The belief that someone's sexual orientation can be changed, often called conversion therapy, has been roundly denounced and debunked by experts and groups like the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Pan American Health Organization: Regional Office of the World Health Organization.
