Senior official lauds U.S. envoy, slams the Catholic Church

Santo Domingo.- HIV-Aids Council (CONAVIHSIDA) director Víctor Terrero on Wednesday said he fully supports the activities to celebrate Gay Pride Month promoted by U.S. ambassador James Brewster.

The show of support for the country’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community since the openly gay U.S. diplomat was assigned to the Dominican Republic has stoked widespread rebuke, especially of the Catholic and Protestant churches, which reject the practice.

The official stressed that every person has the right to do with his life what they feel.

The prominent physician, who has always supported LGBTs with medicine and prevention since appointed by president Danilo Medina, said president Barack Obama’s representative makes great contributions, provides aid, personnel training and funding through agencies such as USAID and others in Washington.

Interviewed on Santo Domingo TV channels 24, Terrero noted that the Catholic Church’s behavior in the pedophilia cases linked to priests in the Dominican Republic. "What I question with much indignation is that former (Vatican) envoy is free to walk the streets of Rome and nobody does anything, that if they are the misconduct I criticize."