this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
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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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[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Bet that dude jumps when someone else's Grindr notification goes off out in public.

[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

I had a new prank idea just now, I need to get the notification sound and play it in public.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 142 points 1 week ago (7 children)

“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.”

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]

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 53 points 1 week ago

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

[–] human@slrpnk.net 45 points 1 week ago (3 children)

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

[–] tal@lemmy.today 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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 9 points 1 week ago (3 children)

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.

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[–] Carighan@piefed.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Except with the occasional sick ostrich.

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[–] ApeNo1@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

Lions, Giraffes, Bonobos and Tigers, oh my!

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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.

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[–] MolochHorridus@piefed.social 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

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

Kinda cute.

[–] mPony@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

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

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[–] ssfckdt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 59 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Giraffes are famous for engaging in extensive same-sex behavior. Studies have documented that up to 94% of observed mating-like activity happens between males, often involving intense caressing, "necking" (rubbing necks), and mounting

[–] s@piefed.world 6 points 1 week ago

The giraffes are keeping all of the gay to themselves so humans can’t have any

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago

Of course they’re necking.

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 55 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Well, yes, I personally have never seen a male giraffe mate with another male giraffe. I've never seen a male and a female giraffe mate, either. In fact I've never seen a giraffe in the wild at all.

So I'm gonna take this one step further and say giraffes don't exist in the wild. Every giraffe that exists lives in zoos because that's the only place I, personally, have ever seen them. Any evidence to the contrary is fake news.

Am I Republicaning correctly?

[–] Notyou@sopuli.xyz 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Close. You have to make a bold claim that combines those 2 unrelated topics. Something like....."The fact that I have only seen gay giraffes exist while in captivity proves that being gay is unnatural. I'm 100% positive every giraffe outside of Zoos are banging the Lord's way."

[–] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I have never personally witnessed two Floridians having sex. Therefore we can conclude that Floridians don't procreate and thus Florida can only sustain its population by illegally importing hordes of immigrants. The American federal government should arrest the entire Floridian government to put an end to this.

[–] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

You are absolutely right!

[–] comador@lemmy.world 35 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Meanwhile, Grindr profile views and hookups peak every time there's a Republican held convention.

[–] SuiXi3D@fedia.io 13 points 1 week ago (3 children)

It’s only gay if the balls touch your chin.

[–] BozeKnoflook@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It doesn't count if it's just the tip!

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[–] aarch0x40@piefed.social 32 points 1 week ago (1 children)

BREAKING: U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) caught in public restroom having sex with another man

[–] MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk 27 points 1 week ago (1 children)

~~another man~~ male giraffe

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago

Wanna be mad? If you wanna be accurate, it's most likely a human child that was kidnapped and enslaved.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago (7 children)

I wish I knew how to get people to care about things that actually matter even 10% as much as they care about things that will never, ever affect their lives in any material way... and are also NONE OF THEIR GODDAMNED FUCKING BUSINESS.

Why do you care if someone likes dick?

[–] MojoMcJojo@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Because he likes dick, I guarantee it.

"You aren't born liking dick. You choose to like dick, just like I'm choosing not to like dick. I don't like dick, I don't like dick, I don't like dick, I don't, I don't, I don't"

[–] OryxAndCake@slrpnk.net 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

“You aren’t born liking dick. You choose to like dick, just like I’m choosing not to like dick. I don’t like dick, I don’t like dick, I don’t like dick, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t”

He says to himself while gargling balls in a public restroom.

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[–] PhoenixDog@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Why do you care if someone likes dick?

Because they do too but we're told it's bad.

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[–] emmanuel_car@fedia.io 23 points 1 week ago (4 children)

“You cannot be born gay. That’s impossible biologically,” he added, stating his sureness that sexuality is a preference, not a biological orientation.

In my limited experience, I have read plenty of anecdotes where someone has this point of view, only to later realise that they’re bisexual.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Even if it were true that people aren't queer by birth, that should make no difference to their rights.

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[–] Macchi_the_Slime@piefed.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's just like those homophobes that talk about how hard it is not to be gay. "Something something constant temptation to have sex with men" and all that. I can say with absolute certainty that I've never experienced that temptation. I think you might just be attracted to men my guy.

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[–] marine_mustang@sh.itjust.works 22 points 1 week ago

I mean, this is so on the nose, it has to be on purpose.

[–] impudentmortal@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago

How much animal porn is this guy watching that he thinks he's an expert on animal mating habits?

[–] Zier@fedia.io 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I love how all these conservatives have medical degrees and specialties. I had no idea that we had so many doctors in the US. Where is our free healthcare if we have such a surplus of 'expert' medical professionals???

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 week ago

Quite a lot of them are chiropractors, osteopaths and other para-medical "degree" holders. Not to mention the ones who have real medical degrees, but are certified by dodgy boards that they set up themselves, like Rand Paul.

[–] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 16 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Aren't giraffes known for being the most gay out of almost all animal species? Or am I thinking of another animal?

[–] mPony@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

They are, yes.

This is like saying Liberace proves gay people are all actually straight.

[–] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 week ago

https://slrpnk.net/post/40047735/23228566

There we go someone beat me to it lmao

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[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 week ago

Plenty of queer animals throughout the animal Kingdom.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sir, how many giraffes did you survey to come to this conclusion?

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[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

Republicans will claim that giraffes aren't gay and then shoot them anyway.

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Shouldn't there be some law or something to remove people in office who blatantly lie like this? Surely someone with this kind of attitude could not uphold democracy. They are a threat to national security.

Tell that to Proximo, dude.

Those giraffes you sold him, they won't mate. They just walk around, eating, and not mating. You sold him... queer giraffes. He wants his money back.

[–] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

In other news, unicorns are straight

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That dude definitely wants to fuck a giraffe.

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[–] x00z@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I wish I could just start a country and allow politicians to rule it but whenever one of them says anything about sexuality or immigrants it's just straight to the guillotine.

Well maybe we can just start doing that regardless of whether or not we start a new country first.

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