Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) argued in May that orphanages “are still a possibility” when asked about his opposition to gay couples adopting children, the Washington Blade reported Wednesday after recently obtaining a recording of the exchange.

In the recording, a high school student asks Smith why her gay sister, who’s discussed adoption, would be a less legitimate parent than a straight parent. Smith hems and haws before another student asks: “What makes them [straight couples waiting to adopt a child] more legitimate than her sister?”

“Well you know, in my opinion, a child needs every possibility of— You know, somebody mentioned orphanages before,” Smith said. “I mean, orphanages are still a possibility for some kids.”

The students told the Blade that elsewhere in the discussion, though it was not caught on tape, Smith said his position against gay adoption hadn’t changed since he voted to ban it in 1999.