Yesterday I saw that Ben Carson, possibly one of the Republican candidates for president, said he thinks being gay is a choice because, I quote: “A lot of people go into prison straight and come out gay.” Really. It’s amazing to me what religious opponents to gay marriage so often think. And this guy is a medical doctor! First of all, what is “lots?” How many is he talking about? Is he citing some study? I’ve been in prison for 18 years and never seen that at all. Some guys come into prison already gay or bisexual, but I doubt that just being in prison will suddenly make you attracted to people of the same sex. And even if this were so, so what? It doesn’t mean that ALL homosexuals chose to be gay in that manner. This is so absurd. As a doctor, perhaps Carson should look up the scientific studies showing their ARE biological and neurological underpinnings to homosexuality. Instead, he goes with the nonsense popular to religious folks, equating homosexuality to some kind of disorder. Yet another example of what happens when people put ideology (especially religious ideology) ahead of the facts.
Daniel Turner
DOC #767569
The fact is that being convicted of a crime makes you confront yourself honestly. Ok…I did this. ..ok this is how I feel. Incarceration does not turn people gay, it turns people honest.