U.S. President-elect Donald Trump selected fellow Republican Dr. Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During his confirmation hearing, Carson expressed his thoughts on whether the LGBT community should receive extra protections in the public housing sector.
"Of course, I would enforce all the laws of the land," Carson said, according to The Hill. "Of course, I think all Americans should be protected by the law."
"What I have said before is I don't think anyone should get 'extra rights,'" he added.
His statements are exactly the same ones he made back in 2014 during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). "Of course gay people should have the same rights as everyone else, but they don't get extra rights," Carson said at the time. "They don't get to redefine marriage."
The former neurosurgeon, a Seventh-Day Adventist, has upset a lot of people from the LGBT community because of his conservative views on marriage. He has even accused LGBT Americans of taking advantage of the political leadership's penchant for "political correctness."
But while gays and lesbians do not appreciate his appointment, Trump himself has high hopes on what Carson can do on the housing sector.
"Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities," Trump said in a statement released on Monday morning, according to the New York Times. "We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities."
"Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a presidency representing all Americans," he added. "He is a tough competitor and never gives up."
