Ben Carson: Gay rights aren’t civil rights because there were never separate water fountains
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has said he doesn’t believe gay rights are civil rights.
The former paediatric neurosurgeon previously said that being gay is a choice, which can proven due to sex between men in prisons.
He said: “Because 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.”
In an interview with Fox News host Bret Bair, he was asked why he thought his comments has provoked such a reaction, he said: “They saw that as the opportunity to finally knock this guy out and they thought they had done it. Stick a fork in him, he’s gone – they were jubilant.
“And the whole homosexuality thing – I would just summarise it by saying I would love for the gay community to answer this question for me – what position can a person take who has absolutely no animosity towards gay people, but believes in traditional marriage that would be satisfactory to them. I’m very happy to compromise, but I haven’t heard an answer yet.”
Asked if he regretted or had apologised for his words, he said: “I came out and said that was a boneheaded statement, and I shouldn’t have allowed my emotions to get into it.
“I was a little bit irritated that they were equating the whole issue with the Civil Rights movement. Because, quite frankly, I didn’t remember any times when there were signs up that says, you know, ‘everybody else here and gay people have to drink at this fountain’.”
Carson was put on The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Extremist Watch List for comparing homosexuality to bestiality and paedophilia.
