Dr. Ben Carson likes to think of himself as a kind of “live and let live” libertarian. And so presumably, when he compared gays to pedophiles and people who have sex with animals last year during a discussion on gay marriage, he was really just trying to articulate that he doesn’t like interfering with people who choose to love someone of the same sex, or molest a child, or f–k a horse – they just don’t get to “redefine” marriage for the rest of society. Makes total sense…

Appearing on Larry King’s show earlier this week, the right-wing neurosurgeon spoke about his libertarian political philosophy and why he doesn’t see marriage equality as a civil rights issue. He also shared his thoughts on the 2016 presidential election and whether he’ll enter the race.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…

Does Sen. Ted Cruz believe AIDS is God’s punishment for being gay?

Does Cruz believe that government should regulate homosexuality and that public schools are using anti-bullying laws to indoctriinate children into homosexuality?

Does Cruz believe that we need more hate and less tolerance in the world?

If not, perhaps Cruz should explain why he’s headlining a legislative conference in Dallas this weekend hosted by a group whose founder has said each and every one of those things.

Cruz, along with another potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate, Gov. Bobby Jindal, is scheduled to keynote the Wallbuilders ProFamily Legislators Conference, which “provides an opportunity for conservative pro-family State legislators from across the United States to come together for an insightful briefing session with leading experts in a variety of fields that touch many of the most crucial areas of public service.”

Wallbuilders is led by founder David Barton, who in addition to anti-LGBT extremism is best known for a total lack for credibility. From the Southern Poverty Law Center:

David Barton’s ascendant star as a self-taught “historian” and influential leader of the evangelical far right crashed in a storm of ridicule when the world’s largest Christian publisher recalled Barton’s 2012 book, The Jefferson Lies, for too many serious whoppers — the kind of gross factual mistakes that are a death knell for any real historian. …

Barton still retains some influence, but only in the most extreme and uneducated segments of the Christian Right. Virtually all serious conservatives have repudiated him, and his chances of making a comeback seem remote, to be kind, although he sounds just as glib and sure as himself as ever.

Apparently, “the most extreme and uneducated segments of the Christian Right” include two potential GOP presidential candidates.

Cruz made headlines this week when he called net neutrality “Obamacare for the Internet” and railed against government regulations to enforce it.

Maybe someone in the mainstream media should ask Cruz whether he believes, like Barton, that government should regulate homosexuality. 

After all, Grindr is probably nothing but Obamacare for Cruz’s iPhone.

Watch a promo for the upcoming hate summit, AFTER THE JUMP…

University of Massachusetts shooting guard Derrick Gordon made history last night becoming the first openly gay athlete to play in a NCAA Division I men’s basketball game, The New York Times reports:

Gordon finished with 17 points as UMass defeated Siena, 95-87, in front of a crowd of 8,187, the largest at Mullins Center to open a season since 1997.

“I went into it like a regular game,” he said. “I’ve been here before.”

Gordon came out as gay back in April in an Outsports profile. Since then, he’s amassed quite a following and is often seen sporting a Nike #BeTrue t-shirt. 

In a recent interview with the Boston Herald, Gordon discussed how much it meant to him to see NBA player Jason Collins come out as gay after the 2012-2013 season.

“Everything leads to the NBA for me, and I didn’t want my dreams to be shattered because of my sexuality,” Gordon said. “So when I saw him come out, that inspired me.

“I said, ‘If he’s in the NBA and he’s openly gay then maybe I can be the same way,’ ” Gordon said. “And when he played for Brooklyn, I saw a YouTube video of him coming into the game and the whole crowd stood up and applauded. It was, like, man, he has a lot of people supporting him. That did it for me.

Back in May, it was reported Gordon was dating CSI actor Gerrald McCullouch. 

Check out an interview Gordon did with MSNBC after his coming out, AFTER THE JUMP…

[Image via The Daily Collegian]

Johnny Depp, in what could be either be described as a drunken mishap or spot-on Jack Sparrow imitation, took to the stage last night at the 2014 Hollywood Film Awards and managed to steal the show with a rambling, incoherent speech while presenting Mike Myers with the Hollywood Documentary Award. 

“That’s the weirdest microphone I’ve ever seen in my life” 

Watch the incident, AFTER THE JUMP…(NSFW language)