(CNN) – Dr. Ben Carson, the conservative neurosurgeon who has rocketed into the political spotlight this year, withdrew from another speaking engagement Friday after stepping down as this year’s commencement speaker at Johns Hopkins medical school.
The LGBT caucus within the American Academy of Physicians Assistants, which had started a petition to protest Carson's upcoming May keynote speech at the organization's conference, said Carson had withdrawn his participation.
Outcry was sparked in March when Carson equated homosexuality with pedophilia and bestiality during a television interview centered on same-sex marriage.
"[Marriage] is a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA [pedophilia], be they people who believe in bestiality. It doesn't matter what they are. They don't get to change the definition," he said on Fox News.
“Dr. Carson's remarks perpetuate bias, discrimination, and stigma that are not representative of the ethics and values of the Physician Assistant profession,” the LGBT caucus of AAPA wrote in a statement Friday.
Earlier this week, Carson wrote a letter to the dean of Johns Hopkins medical school withdrawing from his commencement speakership, saying his appearance would be a distraction for graduates and their families.
But he also decried what he called an overemphasis on “political correctness,” saying he hoped in the future “we will start emphasizing rational discussion of differences so we can actually resolve problems and chart a course that is inclusive of everyone.”
Funny, I'll bet Dr. Carson doesn't see his commentary/beliefs as the problem. Wake up and smell the java doc, it's 2013.
You know, there's nothing wrong with being conservative, but this guy says the dumbest things for being a neurosurgeon.
Carson is the poster model for the newly rebranded Republican Party. Don't be fooled, the message is still the same.
Good, Now the GOP will be looking for their next speaker. That one is tarnished
Carson is as idiotic as Rick Santorum and Ken Cuccinelli.
No big surprise.
He showed promise, but said a stupid thing. With the current climate, very stupid.
The Democrats are a party of big government, and all their promising candidates come from government.
Republicans are a party of small government and private sector leadership, and all their most promising candidates should and will come from outside government.
I appreciated Dr. Carson's 15 minutes of fame, but they are now over.
Fortunately, it's a deep bench in the private sector that will come forward between now and 2016.
Democrats? We've already seen their bench. It's LOL OMG shockingly weak, meek and effete.
And they're probably going to nominate the Grandmother of Obamacare as their 2016 nominee, in a virtual medically assisted suicide of the party.
Perhaps Dr. Carson realized that the GOP only want to use him as a tool?
It's obvious now that the liberals are really afraid of Dr. Carson. Starting a smear campaign 4 years out is unprecedented.
The liberal slander machine is working well.
Dr. Carson's withrdawal to speak is a choice he made out of respect of the wishes of those he would be addressing. It is not to imply that he does not stand for principles that he believes in. The LGBT caucus wil not silence or diminish beliefs that do not agree with theirs. This is a free country, and we have freedom of speech.
Personally, I think this man should speak his mind.
The more he talks, the more this will convince voters to start voting the bedroom police out of office.
Bigots like this and hate they spread will only be contained when it stops being profitable. The same hold true for radio and TV. That is why Beck, Hannity and limbaugh have had so many advertisers pull ads. They are still making a ton of money spreading hate and fear but at some point people are going to wise up and see that the GOP / Tea Party main message is not freedom it is fear, discrimination and in some cases hate. How an african American Man can side with a party that welcomes members of the KKK and Arian Brotherhood makes no sense. How he can preach messages that will ultimately lead to more discrimination against not only his race but against gays, women and hispanics makes no sense. The only way it can make sense is if he is either stupid, which he is not. Or because they are paying him a lot of money to sell out fellow Americans.
i love this man he is just what this country needs we have gone down teoilet with Obama
He has become a target, for the Dem socialists, because he is a black man, who is a conservative.........something the Dem socialists can't stand...........because it exposes the truth about the fact, they are enslaving the black community, through politics..........just the same as they were enslaved in agriculture, hundreds of years ago.
How could a "neurosurgeon" be so uneducated? Maybe he is on some kind of strange neuro-pharmaceutical? Yale should take back his degree in Psychology or require him to attend current classes, update his knowledge base, and John Hopkins needs to keep him away from children, this man's credentials are not matching his rhetoric. I truly believe he needs some help. What went wrong? Is this a case of post traumatic stress from an occurrence in his own childhood?
So this is the GOP hopeful? He cant speak at an event when the pressure is on from an outside group? The GOP sure know how to pick them. Where's Sarah Palin, she will talk for a small fee when she gets back from bear hunting.
ahhhhh... the usual fascist tactics of the left and liberals, stop freedom of speech, attack a person's fundamental right of freedom of speech. Only THEN can they control ALL of the "information" the masses listens to. When communists were taking over countries, their first targets were ALWAYS the means of communication. No different to what is happening in this country, The left controls most of our media. It is why they hate Fox News, they cannot control it.
Getoverit
It's obvious now that the liberals are really afraid of Dr. Carson. Starting a smear campaign 4 years out is unprecedented
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You mean like McConnell v Judd in Kentucky??? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha