Presidential hopeful Ben Carson came under fire earlier this week when he stated his belief that being gay is a choice, and backing up his belief with a questionable statement.

Ben Carson Apologizes

When asked if he believed that being gay is a choice on CNN, Carson answered in the affirmative, saying, “Absolutely.” When asked to explain his belief, the former neurosurgeon stated, “Because a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight – and when they come out, they’re gay. So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question.”

On Wednesday, Carson took to Facebook to offer an apology for his word choice and for offending people.

“In a recent interview on CNN, I realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues,” Carson wrote. “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.”

As for his policy positions, Carson wrote, “I support human rights and Constitutional protections for gay people, and I have done so for many years. I support civil unions for gay couples, and I have done so for many years. I support the right of individual states to sanction gay marriage, and I support the right of individual states to deny gay marriage in their respective jurisdictions.”

In an attempt to turn the bad press into a positive for his presidential campaign, Carson went a step further by owning his naiveté in the world of politics. In other words, according to Carson, he’s not a polished politician accustomed to providing calculating answers and giving half-hearted apologies.

“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,” Carson said in conclusion. “As a human being my obligation is to learn from my mistakes and to treat all people with respect and dignity.”