U.S. Ambassador row turns ugly, Dominican gays slam Catholic “hypocrisy”

Santo Domingo.- The row over U.S. Ambassador-nominee James “Wally” Brewster turned ugly Friday, when Dominican Republic’s Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transsexual (GLBT) community slammed the Catholic Church’s “hypocrisy,” noting the numerous cases of priests convicted of pedophilia and others under investigation.

In a press conference, the heads of the GLBT demanded that Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez respect Brewster’s human and diplomatic rights, while rebuking his silence in the violations of 12 underage girls allegedly promoted by the deacon Rigoberto González Padia in the catholic orphanage Francisco Javier in San Rafael del Yuma in 2003, the country’s works ever pedophilia case.

The GLTC leaders also criticized the Catholic Church’s silence over the alleged sexual assaults by the Polish priest at the mountain town of Juncalito (central), and other confirmed and suspected sexual crimes by other prelates.

The GLBT, interviewed by CDN, announced a rally at 2m Sunday, to mark Gay Pride Day at La Avenida del Puerto (El Malecon) in Santo Domingo.