Ben Carson said in an interview on Tuesday that he believes being gay is 'absolutely ' a choice . He supported this argument by saying , ' a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight - and when they come out , they ’ re gay ' He also stated that gay marriage should be decided on a state level , this on 2013 Alabama 's Supreme Court struck down a federal ruling . Carson has long been outspoken when it comes to his opinion on gay marriage , which he compared to bestiality and pedophilia in the same day . The backlash following these statements was so strong he was forced to withdraw as the commencement speaker at his alma mater Johns Hopkins . Carson launched an exploratory committee to run for president this week , becoming the first high-profile Republican candidate to likely enter the race .
Ben Carson said in an interview on Tuesday that he believes being gay is 'absolutely ' a choice . He supported this argument by saying , ' a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight - and when they come out , they ’ re gay ' He also stated that gay marriage should be decided on a state level , this on the same day Alabama 's Supreme Court struck down a federal ruling . Carson has long been outspoken when it comes to his opinion on gay marriage , which he compared to bestiality and pedophilia in 2013 . The backlash following these statements was so strong he was forced to withdraw as the commencement speaker at his alma mater Johns Hopkins . Carson launched an exploratory committee to run for president this week , becoming the first high-profile Republican candidate to likely enter the race .