Dr. Ben Carson to Remain John Hopkins Commencement Speaker Despite Comparing Homosexuality to Bestiality, Pedophilia

Johns Hopkins University will keep neurosurgeon Ben Carson as its commencement speaker despite his offer to withdraw after his controversial comments about same-sex marriage, the Washington Blade reports.

Carson sparked outrage when he appeared on Fox News March 26 and compared the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to bestiality and pedophilia.

A petition signed by a majority of the School of Medicine graduating class said Carson was an “inappropriate choice” for commencement speaker. Carson, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins who has become a conservative darling since a speech earlier this year criticizing President Barack Obama and gay marriage, said on MSNBC he was ready to withdraw as speaker, but the school said he was still scheduled.

The Blade, citing an anonymous source, said the school would make an announcement about Carson later this week. Johns Hopkins would neither confirm nor deny the report.

“We are engaged in active discussions with members of our community, including faculty members and students, to determine the best way forward with regard to our medical school graduation,” Johns Hopkins director of media relations Kim Hoppe told HuffPost in an email.

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