Dominican Cardinal to Gay Ambassador: You're a Wife, So Go Do Housework

A Roman Catholic official in the Dominican Republic says the U.S. ambassador to the nation, who is gay, should "focus on housework, since he's the wife to a man."

Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo, the nation's capital and largest city, made the comment to reporters Tuesday night, the Associated Press reports. It came in response to Ambassador James "Wally" Brewster's recent statements accusing Dominican officials of widespread corruption. Brewster also said police threatened and attacked U.S. financiers who were attending a conference in the Caribbean country.

"That man needs to go back to his embassy," Lopez said of Brewster, according to the AP. "Let him focus on housework, since he's the wife to a man." The cardinal also said Brewster was promoting a so-called gay agenda.

This is not the first time Lopez has made homophobic statements about Brewster, who became ambassador to the Dominican Republic two years ago. When President Obama announced Brewster's nomination, Lopez objected and referred to Brewster as a "maricon," the equivalent of "faggot." Other Catholic officials said that appointing him ambassador showed a lack of respect for the values of the predominantly Catholic nation. Despite protests by antigay groups, the U.S. Senate confirmed Brewster's nomination unanimously.

Brewster, a former business consultant and fundraiser for the Democratic Party, is spouse to Bob Satawake. He is the seventh openly gay person to be appointed a U.S. ambassador. He did not immediately respond to the AP's request for comment.