Tag: Orlando Cruz

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News Round-Up: November 25, 2016

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Out boxer Orlando Cruz looks to become first gay World Champion boxer on Saturday.

• It’s that charitable time of year! Here’s a list of organizations that put your LGBT charity dollars to good use.

• A McDonald’s franchise in Arkansas, found in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for firing an HIV+ employee, ordered to pay over $100,000 settlement.

• The Secret Service may have to pay $3 million a year leasing two floors of Trump Tower in order to protect President-elect Trump and family. Taxpayers foot the bill, and Trump gets a financial windfall.

• A straight LGBT ally’s parents asked her to remove her Human Rights Campaign sticker from her car before driving to Thanksgiving dinner. The parents said they found the emblem “offensive.” She refused.

• President-elect Trump apparently hates this picture of him. I don’t see why. Expect to see it a LOT on The Randy Report.

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Openly gay pro-boxer Orlando Cruz in WBO featherweight title tonight

Openly gay professional boxer Orlando Cruz weighs in for his title bout wearing rainbow briefs

Orlando “Fenomeno” Cruz, the first openly gay pro boxer, has a shot at the WBO featherweight title Saturday in Las Vegas.

Orlando Cruz, who clearly pulls no punchs, made a statement as he weighed in for the bout wearing rainbow briefs and will wear rainbow trunks during the fight. Speaking to the Guardian about tonight’s featherweight world title match, Cruz had this to say:

Cruz understands how this fight will smudge the boundaries between the personal and professional. He even implies that Salido, as a Mexican, might be troubled by facing a gay fighter.

“My coming out made it harder for him. He will have it in his mind that he’s fighting a homosexual for the world title.” Is he suggesting Salido might be homophobic? “He’s professional with me but Mexicans often have something homophobic in them. It’s the machismo culture. He won’t want to lose to a gay man.

“Salido will be much more aggressive. He will want to make a statement because I’m gay. But he’ll fall into the trap by being macho. I’ll let him come at me, and I’ll show him then. The only language I will use is spoken by my fists. They will do my talking.”

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Out professional boxer Orlando Cruz wins 2nd match since coming out

Featherweight pro boxer Orlando Cruz has won his second match since coming out.

From Blabbeando:

During the fight he wore a multicolor boxing kilt with Puerto Rican flags on both sides. One of the flags was red, white and blue, the other flag’s stripes reflected the color of the rainbow as a sign of gay pride. This is the second fight he wins after becoming the first active professional boxer to ever come out as a gay man back in October.

As in the last fight, his mother was at the side of the boxing ring shouting encouragement throughout the fight. The venue was filled to capacity and attendees seemed to be overwhelmingly on Cruz’s side throughout the fight.

After the match, Cruz tweeted: “To my work team, Puerto Rico, the LGBT community, my people from Quintana and my family: Thanks for being there and being part of my life. I love you and carry you with me.”

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Orlando Cruz wins first boxing match since coming out

Openly gay boxer, Orlando Cruz, wins first match since coming out

As soon as he walked out to a cheering crowd displaying flags of his native Puerto Rico, boxing’s first openly gay fighter could finally breathe and do what he came to do, slugging his way to a victory by unanimous decision over Jorge Pazos.

“That was my moment, my opportunity, my event,” Cruz said Friday night after the bout, his mother Dominga Torres-Rivera seated beside him. “And I won.”

Cruz was touched by the support on display at the Kissimmee Civic Center outside of Orlando, the latest in a continual outpouring since his announcement two weeks ago that made him the first active male athlete in a major sport to come out.

“I was very happy that they respect me. That’s what I want – them to see me as a boxer, as an athlete and as a man in every sense of the word.”

More on Cruz at EdgeOnTheNet