Each week we will be profiling a political candidate to see where they stand on transgender issues. We have no interest in taking sides politically and will try to look at these candidates solely based on their intentions towards the transgender community.
This week: Republican Candidate Dr. Ben Carson
Benjamin Solomon “Ben” Carson, Sr. (born September 18, 1951) is a retired American neurosurgeon. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and a graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School, Carson is the author of numerous books on his medical career and political stances.
“It is not fair for them to make everybody else uncomfortable,” Carson said of transgender people. “It’s one of the things that I don’t particularly like about the [LGBT] movement.
Currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, Dr. Ben Carson has made some headlines recently regarding his thoughts on the transgender community. In an interview with Jorge Ramos of Fusion.net, Dr. Carson weighed in on the hotly debated transgender bathroom issue stating,“How about we have a transgender bathroom?” Carson told Ramos. “It is not fair for them to make everybody else uncomfortable,” Carson said of transgender people. He then goes on to say “It’s one of the things that I don’t particularly like about the [LGBT] movement. I think everybody has equal rights, but I’m not sure that anybody should have extra rights—extra rights when it comes to redefining everything for everybody else and imposing your view on everybody else.”
“How about we have a transgender bathroom?” Carson told Ramos. “It’s not fair for them to make everybody else uncomfortable.”
So what we can gather Dr. Carson’s view is that anyone can be whatever they want but others should not have to accept it. From his statements it appears Dr. Carson looks at transgender as a choice, a choice that others should not have to tolerate. He has also been quoted previously stating sexual orientation is a choice that is proven by what goes on in prison, claiming prisoners go in straight and come out homosexual. He later apologized for that statement. His words garnered the following response from the Human Rights Campaign:
“Ben Carson’s hateful comments are out of touch and all candidates should immediately make clear that they disavow his dangerously transphobic views,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. “Ben Carson can’t go a week without invoking reckless and irresponsible stereotypes about the LGBT community, and his suggestion that transgender people be required to use segregated bathrooms echoes an ugly past our country should never revisit.”
To sum it all up it appears Dr. Ben Carson does not truly understand what transgender is. This is alarming coming from someone in the medical profession. Based on the information we could find Dr. Carson would not do much to help the transgender community and may even cause harm to it given his current views and lack of understanding.
We have reached out to the Carson Campaign for a statement and we will provide an update if they choose to respond.
We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on Dr. Ben Carson related to the Transgender Universe?
