Ben Carson To LGBT Military Service Members: ‘Why Do You Have To Go Around Flouting Your Sexuality?’

Ben Carson had harsh words for LGBT service members when speaking at a Veterans Town Hall Saturday.

Ben Carson is once again attacking LGBT people. The former GOP frontrunner, now in second place with a 20-point gap in a recent poll, spoke to military veterans on Saturday in Iowa and took time to denigrate the service of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and especially transgender service members.

“I mean, why do you have to go around flouting your sexuality? It’s not necessary, you don’t need to talk about that, we need to talk about how we eliminate the enemy,” Carson said at a Veterans and Military Town Hall (photo).

The retired neurosurgeon who has seen his poll numbers drop dramatically after a flurry of gaffes and ignorant remarks, went on to denigrate transgender people in the military.

“You know, we have too many important things to do,” Carson said at the town hall, which was hosted by the Concerned Veterans for America, a “Koch brothers-funded front group” that reportedly works to dismantle the VA and reduce veterans’ benefits.

“When our men and women are out there fighting the enemy, the last thing that we need to be doing is saying what would it be like if we introduced several transgender people into this platoon,” Carson said.

“You know, give me a break. Deal with the transgender thing somewhere else,” Carson implored. NBC News, which reported Carson’s remarks also noted “he prefers the old ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ military philosophy that ended in 2011.”

There are currently an estimated 15,500 transgender service members currently serving in the U.S. Military.

Carson also had harsh words for women serving in the military.

“All the success I’ve had in life is because of women, so I am never going to say ‘no’ to women, I’m not,” Carson said before noting he would be “very frightened” if standards were lowered to allow women into the same roles as men.

“If women can meet those standards, and they want to meet those standards and they want to do that, then I would never deny them,” Carson said.

“But, you know, what woman wants to go out on the front line in the dirt and the slime fighting — I mean if they want to do it and they’re capable, no problem.”

“If you can’t lift, you know, a 175-pound person on your shoulder and hoist them out of there, then if I’m out there, I don’t want you as my backup,” Carson insisted.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter this week announced by April 1 women will be allowed equal access as men to all combat jobs.

UPDATE: 2:13 PM EST –
As many on Twitter have noted, Dr. Carson likely meant flaunt, not flout.

 

 

Image via Concerned Veterans for America/Facebook