Ben Carson insists he’s not homophobic
Asked about affiliation with pro-gay Costco, Carson says the Constitution "protects everybody"
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Wednesday night insisted that his vehement opposition to same-sex marriage does not mean he is a homophobe.
During the GOP presidential debate, which aired on CNBC, Carson was asked about his affiliation with Costco, where he was a board member. Carson was asked about the conflict between Costco’s pro-LGBT employment policies and benefit packages — the company has earned a 90 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for the past two years — and his personal views on homosexuality and LGBT rights.
“I believe that the Constitution protects everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other aspect,” Carson said. “I also believe that marriage is between one man and one woman.”
Carson has previously blamed gay marriage for the fall of the Roman Empire, compared the institution to car seats for kids, has said that prisons prove homosexuality is a choice (something he later apologized for), and has objected to comparing the fight for LGBT rights and protections to the fight for civil rights.
“There is no reason that you can’t be perfectly fair to the gay community,” Carson said. “They shouldn’t automatically assume that because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman that you are a homophobe. And this is one of the myths that the Left perpetrates on our society. And this is how they frighten people, and get people to shut up.
“That’s what the P.C. culture is all about, and it’s destroying this nation,” he continued. “The fact of the matter is: we the American people are not each other’s enemies, it’s those people who are trying to divide us who are the enemies, and we need to make that very clear to everybody.”
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