(source)

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has called for prohibiting queer people from taking part in the annual Santacruzan Festival that honors the cross. It seems that some parishes permit cross-dressing gay men to play female saints in the religious festival, and according to the Archbishop, this is highly insulting to the Virgin Mary. 

Yet, it seems he’s in no way against misogyny, since he believes that the roles should continue to be given to local beauty queens.

Also known as , the colorful processions are a major tourist draw in this predominantly Catholic country. “The procession is religious. [But] what the [parishes] do is organize a parade,” Rosales said over Church-run Radio Veritas. “That’s an insult to the Blessed Mother. Instead of pious young women, gay men are paraded, which makes [the procession] ridiculous.”
Rosales said he had taken the leaders of one parish to task for having gay cross-dressers participate in these processions. “I told them that’s not right because that’s a procession. You are destroying the purity of the devotion.”

Rosales stressed he was not discriminating against homosexuals but only wanted to preserve the solemnity of the processions.

Reached for comment, Jonas Bagas, secretary general of Lagablab (Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network), doubted Rosales’ remarks would stop the participation of homosexual men who count themselves as “Marian devotees.” “

There is nothing new about that position. It is expected and we have known that all along, yet these processions continue because we are also Marian devotees.”