Ben Carson On Prison Makes You Gay Comment: I'm Sorry

Ben Carson issued an apology Wednesday after he said homosexuality was a choice. Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, cited prison as a basis for his comment -- that people become gay after they entered the system. The possible 2016 presidential candidate attempted to clear up his comment in a social media post Wednesday night.

“A lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight -- and when they come out, they're gay,” Carson originally said during an interview on CNN. “So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question.”

After a major backlash, Carson took to Facebook to say he was sorry. “I realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues,” he said. “I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended.”

The post was liked by more than 28,000 people and garnered thousands of comments. He finished his lengthy post with one last apology. “I am not a politician and I answered a question without really thinking about it thoroughly. No excuses. I deeply regret my statement and I promise you, on this journey, I may err again, but unlike politicians when I make an error I will take full responsibility and never hide or parse words. As a human being my obligation is to learn from my mistakes and to treat all people with respect and dignity.”

Click here to read the post in its entirety.

Carson, 63, has criticized Obamacare and even said it was the worst thing “since slavery” in 2013.

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