Gay U.S. envoy sparks furor

SANTO DOMINGO — Religious groups in the Dominican Republic said Friday they are outraged by the nomination of a gay U.S. ambassador to the conservative Caribbean country.

James “Wally” Brewster would be the seventh U.S. ambassador in history to be openly gay, but opponents are asking the administration of Dominican President Danilo Medina to reject his nomination.

Rev. Cristobal Cardozo, leader of the Dominican Evangelical Fraternity, said he worried about the message that Brewster’s presence might send. “It’s an insult to good Dominican customs,” he said.

U. S. Embassy spokesman Daniel Foote said in a statement that Brewster was nominated because of his skills as an international businessman and his ideas on democracy and human rights.