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Finally! I finally have an explanation for why I’m Gay! Thanks to Republican Presidential candidate Ben Carson (who’s also a retired neurosurgeon) I now know that being gay has been a choice I apparently made while in prison as a child!

In an interview this morning, Ben Carson told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that prisons prove being gay is a choice.

It began when Cuomo asked Carson about his views on Same-Sex Marriage stating that people who are gay are fighting for equal rights like others who have been discriminated against. Carson responded saying, “It’s not the same situation because people have no control over their race, for instance.”

Cuomo followed up by asking, “You think they have control over their sexuality?”

Carson: Absolutely.

Cuomo: You think being gay is a choice?”

Carson: Absolutely. 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.

Nick Delmacy Watching the Interview: Hmmm. As a celebrated neurosurgeon, one would think Carson would understand that prison environments constitute as extenuating circumstances.

As ThinkProgress points out:

Carson’s comments belitte a major problem within the incarceration system: high rates of prison rape. Regardless of their sexuality, thousands of inmates are victimized by fellow prisoners and guards every year….Sex in prison is also a survival tactic, as many inmates engage in sexual activities to avoid brutal treatment behind bars. Just last week, the Marshall Project published a story about a 17-year-old boy who was repeatedly raped before he agreed to touch and kiss boys to avoid violent encounters in the future.

Facts and Data aside, these comments will surely help Ben Carson as he continues his 2016 Republican Presidential Primary Nomination. Most polls list him as a frontrunner. However, the tide is rapidly turning in regards to Gay Marriage.

While these statements may help him with the far right wing of the party, they may backfire when it comes to appealing to a larger segment of the population.