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Richard Décarie, a former political aide to Stephen Harper who hopes to lead the Conservatives, has drawn condemnation from prominent Tories after making controversial comments about LGBT people and issues.

In an interview on CTV’s Power Play, Décarie stated that he would defund abortion and opposes same-sex marriage.

Décarie, who is from Montreal, said that when talking to “real people on the street”, everyone is “mixed up” about marriage (which he defines as being between a man and a woman) due to the Liberals.

When host Evan Solomon tried to clarify what he meant by “real people” and pointed out that LGBT people are “real people”, Décarie responded by stating that he thinks “LGBTQ is a Liberal term” and said, “I don’t talk about people that way.”

Solomon then asked Décarie if he thinks being gay is a choice.

“I think it’s a choice and how people are behaving is one thing,” he answered. “I think government has a responsibility to encourage the traditional values that we have had for the past years. That’s the kind of so-con issues that I would bring as a leader.”

Solomon pointed out that Décarie was “offside” with his own party, as Conservatives, in addition to most Canadians, support same-sex marriage.

Décarie argued that the Conservative brand has become too similar to the Liberal party, and that the Conservative party needs to recognize social-conservative values.

However, his LGBT comments have sparked stern opposition from numerous Conservatives, including Ontario MP Eric Duncan, who is the party’s first openly gay MP; Carlton MP Pierre Poilievre; leadership candidates Durham MP Erin O’Toole and former minister Peter MacKay; Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu, the first female engineer elected to Parliament; Calgary MP Michelle Rempel; and Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan MP Garnett Genuis.

Genuis and Gladu also spoke about the comments with Solomon.

Former Conservative MP and social conservative Brad Trost and Stephen Harper's former communications director Kory Teneycke also debated the comments on CBC News Network's Power & Politics.

Décarie’s full interview is available at the CTV website.

Former party leader Andrew Scheer drew criticism for refusing to march in Pride parades and evaded questioning on CBC’s The National as to why he wouldn’t participate in them.

The Liberals circulated a video of Scheer in Parliament comparing same-sex marriage as marriage to counting a dog’s tail as one of its legs.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper also avoided marching in Pride parades in Canada.