Mexican Politician Makes Controversial Anti-Gay Tweets

Manuel Espino, the former head of the center-right party of Mexico PAN, has been under fire lately for making controversial comments on Twitter concerning gay marriage and adoption, a recent new hot topic in Mexico.

Espino took to Twitter to express his opposition to gay marriage and gay couples adopting children: "For gay couples to pursue their rights and justice is one thing, but calling it a marriage is unnecessary. Adopting kids is absurd."

Then he followed up in response to opposition  and claims of homophobia with another tweet: "Homophobic? How is that... I recognize that every human being has a right to be gay, but that does not give them the right to adopt."

The former leader of PAN has been expelled for helping out candidates of the centrist party PRI in the states of  Veracruz and Durango. After some back and forth on Twitter Espino then claimed: "I respect gay people being what they are, they should respect the rights of children, and call their unions something else!"

He later lamented by saying that he has suffered so much intolerance for his views on Twitter. Twitter users were able to make Espino a Twitter trend in Mexico with many opposing his views and has unleashed an outcry in social media and calls for Espino to apologize.

But Espino remains defiant, saying that people's opinion should be respected. "I respect the fact that there are many people who oppose my views, but in a tolerant world all views should be respected with maturity,"  he later responds. Espino denies being homophobic or anti-gay by claiming that he has "many gay friends."

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