Ben Carson Tells Lesbian It’s ‘A Long Conversation’ On Whether Or Not She Chose To Be Gay (Video)
Ben Carson was confronted by a woman in Staten Island who asked him if homosexuality is a choice.
While campaigning in New York City’s Staten Island Monday night, Ben Carson was approached by a woman intent on asking him about his beliefs on homosexuality.
“I have a quick question,” the young woman, who was wearing a tee shirt with a logo of a local LGBT community center. “Do you think I chose to be gay?,” she asked.
Carson has a long and ugly history of making both ignorant and offensive remarks about gay people, the LGBT community, same-sex marriage, and whether or not homosexuality is a choice.
“Did you choose to be gay?” Carson repeated back her question, seemingly not quite sure how to answer.
“Yes, do you think I chose to be gay?” she again asked.
“That’s a long conversation,” Carson responded.
“I think you’re full of s—,” the woman replied, cursing at the retired neurosurgeon. She then quickly offered a smile and walked away.
“OK,” Carson said, before focusing his attention on his supporters.
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Carson just hours before speaking with the woman sat down with ABC News’ Jake Tapper, and his new campaign manager and discussed gay people openly serving in the military, and the role of women in combat. Carson said he is open to banning gays from the armed forces, and open to revoking a recent Obama administration policy that allows women to be treated equally when applying for all jobs in the military, including combat.
Attempting to shore up a rapidly sinking campaign, Carson last week promoted retired Army Major General Robert Dees to head his campaign. Dees, literally a Christian warrior whose career spans decades of using religion as a tool to recruit for the military. He hold similar beliefs as his candidate on LGBT issues.
Last year, Carson claimed that being gay is “absolutely” a choice, and pointed to prisons as “proof.”
Speaking to CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Carson said, “a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight — and when they come out, they’re gay. So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question,” Carson offered. After extensive outrage, Carson was forced to apologize.
The Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson notes Carson, who opposes same-sex marriage, “has signed a pledge to back a U.S. constitutional amendment to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage and another pledge to push within his first 100 days of office passage of the First Amendment Defense Act, a religious freedom bill seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.”
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Image: Screenshot via ABC News
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