The United States recently nominated James "Wally" Brewster as the new ambassador in the Dominican Republic.
Brewster, a senior managing partner for SB&K Global in Chicago and a national LGBT co-chair for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is one of five openly gay men who Obama recently nominated.
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Right after his nomination became public, the Catholic church expressed their disagreement. Monsignor Pablo Cedano verbalized his concerns by saying that Brewster is "far from our cultural reality."
"I hope he does not arrive in the country because I know if he comes he is going to suffer and will have to leave," Cedano told reporters.
"I think this has been very low and a disrespect from the United States, the fact that they nominated a gay activist as the ambassador in the Dominican Republic," added the religious authority.
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Cardinal Nicolás De Jesús López Rodríguez even used an anti-gay slur to describe James "Wally" Brewster during a press conference.
"From the United States, we can expect anything," Rodriguez said. "No one is a stranger of my position regarding this subject. I do not agree at all with that lifestyle."
"They are interested in advancing their agenda, but they have to know there are many people in the world who are against that, both in Christian and non-Christian governments. Ask the Muslim world what they think about that, in addition to Christians and Evangelicals."
Rodríguez, the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, was later asked about Haiti's recent ban on Dominican poultry, and he said: "We jumped from faggots and lesbians then? We're jumping to chickens now?"
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The outrage in the Catholic and Evangelical community is so big, that they joined to write a letter asking Dominican President Danilo Medina to refuse to accept Brewster, if he is confirmed by the Senate.
Cristóbal Cardoza, an Evangelical Reverend also weighed in on the matter. He said that if Brewster accepts his position it's going to create a great controversy in the Dominican Republic. He said that it is an "insult to good Dominican customs" the fact that gay activist was even nominated to such an important position "in a country where gay relationships are not approved legally or morally."
However, the American Embassy in the Dominican Republic didn't stay quiet for a long time. Daniel Foote, a spokesman for the institution in Santo Domingo, came to Brewster's defense. "We don't have to agree with all opinions. When the Senate approves Brewster he's coming as an ambassador, not as a LGBT activist, and his first order of business and goal is to be an ambassador."
He highlighted that America respects the freedom of thought, diversity, freedom of expression and lifestyle of any individual, as one of the most important values. Foote added that he trusts that the Dominican Republic will give Brewster a chance to represent the United States to continue creating bonds between the two nations.
The spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy also said that Brewster, like any other ambassador, will represent human rights and democracy.
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