An aspiring politician in the United States has offered a controversial explanation for his belief that people choose to be gay or lesbian, citing what he described as a lack of same-sex relationships among giraffes.
Rod Joseph, a Republican candidate in South Florida, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he believes people make a conscious choice to be attracted to the same sex.
“You cannot be born gay. That’s impossible biologically,” he said.
Joseph said sexuality is a preference rather than an inherent orientation. “From the Roman Empire to the present, it has always been a preference,” he said.
He also repeated a widely disputed claim that many gay people were sexually abused in their youth and that this contributed to their sexual orientation. He argued that the natural world does not support the existence of homosexuality across species.
“Look at the natural habitat. You never see a lion that mates with a male lion for life. You never see a male giraffe that mates with another male giraffe. Me saying I am a giraffe does not make it true,” he said.
However, scientific research has documented same-sex behaviour in numerous animal species, including lions and giraffes.
Joseph is one of four Republicans seeking their party’s nomination in the 20th Congressional District in Broward County. He told reporters that he had switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party because he did not want to support LGBTIQA+ communities.
In a social media post following the release of the interview Joseph defended his comments saying he was reflecting his Christian beliefs.
“My faith teaches me that every person is made in God’s image and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect — no exceptions. In interviews, I speak from that same faith when I talk about my personal beliefs on marriage and family. I understand not everyone shares my religious convictions, and I respect that.” he said.
Joseph also said if her was elected he would treat all people he represents equally.
