Broward GOP candidate sparks backlash over gay choice remarks

Rod Joseph, a Republican running in Broward’s 20th Congressional District, said gay people are not born that way, telling candidates and reporters that everyone is “born straight” and that “You cannot be born gay. That’s impossible biologically.” The remarks landed in a district that includes Wilton Manors, Victoria Park and Oakland Park, where LGBTQ residents are a visible part of neighborhood and civic life.

The backlash comes as District 20 has already been defined by race, representation and redistricting. At a June 17 forum hosted by the Urban League of Broward, candidates debated voting rights, property insurance affordability, climate change and healthcare in a seat that is roughly 42% Black. The district was long held by Black lawmakers after Alcee Hastings first won it in 1993, then reopened when Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned in April amid an ethics investigation and federal criminal indictment. Debbie Wasserman Schultz entered after her former district was fragmented under the new map, a move that angered many Black leaders and sharpened the fight over who should speak for Broward’s bluest congressional seat.

The comments also collided with Broward’s long-running LGBTQ politics. Wilton Manors remains one of South Florida’s most recognizable LGBTQ centers, and Florida Republicans have advanced legislation that critics say could restrict Pride celebrations and local government support for LGBTQ communities. In that setting, Joseph’s remarks are more than a campaign flourish: the American Psychological Association defines sexual orientation as an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says stigma and discrimination place LGBTQ youth at higher risk of poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, violence and other harms.

Joseph was not the only Republican on the stage. Brent Andersen and Lateresa “LA” Jones said they disagreed with his view of sexuality, underscoring how the issue could affect the race’s tone, turnout and endorsement math in neighborhoods where LGBTQ students, families and school communities are watching candidates closely. In Broward, where trust often turns on whether politicians understand the county’s diversity, the remarks gave District 20 another fault line.