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A Republican candidate for Congress offered up his analysis of human sexuality and gender on Tuesday, in a group interview with South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel editorial board, alongside two other Republicans running to represent House District 20 in Broward County.

“You never see a giraffe, a male giraffe, that mate(s) with a giraffe,” Rod Joseph said. “Myself right now saying, ‘I am a giraffe,’ that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

Everyone is “born straight,” he offered.

The unusual assertion was made in answer to a question about U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) declaration at the beginning of Pride Month, “Homosexuality has no place in America.”

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[-] tal@lemmy.today 183 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

“You never see a giraffe, a male giraffe, that mate(s) with a giraffe,” Rod Joseph said.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals

Giraffes

Further information: Giraffe § Necking

Male giraffes have been observed to engage in remarkably high frequencies of homosexual behavior. After aggressive "necking", it is common for two male giraffes to caress and court each other, leading up to mounting and climax. Such interactions between males have been found to be more frequent than heterosexual coupling.[95]

[-] human@slrpnk.net 51 points 1 day ago

I would imagine most giraffes, male or otherwise, mate with giraffes.

[-] tal@lemmy.today 22 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt here as to meaning, as the second part of his statement is even more incoherent if not, given context. I'm assuming that he just misspoke.

“Myself right now saying, ‘I am a giraffe,’ that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

I don't see as how his giraffe-ness would have much bearing on homosexuality, otherwise.

[-] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 11 points 1 day ago

He's making an aside to denigrate otherkin because he doesn't know the difference between gay people and otherkin. After all, we're both queer.

[-] Zarobi@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago

I've never heard of otherkin before today. The more you know

[-] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 2 points 1 day ago

Oh, boomer conservatives heard about otherkin back in the 90s around the time of the elfinkind usenet forums and mailing lists. And they've been malding about us ever since. A lot of them encountered otherkin around the same time as trans people, and to them, transness is an extension of otherkinity.

Historically, otherkin communities have argued that self-identity is more important than the veil of material reality. Although today many neoliberal trans groups are realist and conform to reality, in the boomer conservative mind, the queer movement has always sought the downfall of mundane human reality. And I say: good. Fuck this socially hegemonic subjective consensus reality presented by the modernists as objective. I seek a future age in which humanity use reality's inherent subjectivity to manipulate reality, and thus become as gods. The rich are going to manipulate our subjectivities to support their capitalist reality either way. It's time for the working class to take this power back for ourselves.

[-] Zarobi@aussie.zone 2 points 1 day ago

Hell yeah. For some reason my soul is the shape of an amorphous cloud. Like a nebula, or a fart. It has its pros and cons, but it is what it is, I haven't figured out anyway to change it.

I never thought maybe others would have different shapes or forms, that's super interesting.

[-] Carighan@piefed.world 7 points 1 day ago
[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

Except with the occasional sick ostrich.

[-] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 1 points 17 hours ago

and probably some sexually repressed republicans.

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Unless they get raped by Republican politicians.

[-] tonytins@pawb.social 70 points 1 day ago

"Oh, no. Facts!" Rod Joseph shrieked in horror.

[-] mPony@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

This is why they want to dismantle Wikipedia, by the way.

[-] affenlehrer@feddit.org 16 points 1 day ago

I wonder where he got the giraffes example from. It feels to like it was chosen on purpose. Uneducated people won't fact check it and the fact checkers cause social media engagement.

[-] Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Not sure, but I would NOT be surprised if got this from a Hovind. The morons who say bananas disprove evolution and dinosaurs prove the flood. Gods , but I wish I was making that up

[-] Carighan@piefed.world 3 points 1 day ago

Probably just the first animal he thought of that he didn't see homosexual behavior of in videos before, seeing how common it is in documentaries about most felines or apes. It happens so much that it's difficult for the cameramen not to film. 😅

[-] ApeNo1@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago

Lions, Giraffes, Bonobos and Tigers, oh my!

[-] MolochHorridus@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

So what Joseph is basically doing is coming out of the closet saying “I’m straight as a giraffe.”

Kinda cute.

[-] Crewman@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 day ago

Giraffes, the gayest species.

this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
252 points (96.7% liked)

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