The Southern Poverty Law Center lost what little credibility it had when it put acclaimed pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson on its “extremist watch list,” claiming he’s “anti-LGBT.”

This is how the center described Carson on the list:

Ben Carson rapidly ascended as a far-right political star after publicly scolding President Obama, whom he sat a few feet away from, at a National Prayer Breakfast in February 2013. Carson’s reproach of Obama for his health care and tax policies went viral, unleashing a flood of adulation from right-wing media and hate groups.

Although the center makes a bald assertion that the potential 2016 presidential candidate is anti-gay, it offers no proof other than these former Carson quotes:

“Marriage is between a man and a woman. It’s a well-established pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA [North American Man/Boy Association, a group advocating pedophilia], be they people who believe in bestiality—it doesn’t matter what they are, they don’t get to change the definition.”

When interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox News March 26, 2013, Carson also said:

“[I]f we can redefine marriage as between two men or two women or any other way based on social pressures as opposed to between a man and a woman, we will continue to redefine it in any way that we wish, which is a slippery slope with a disastrous ending, as witnessed in the dramatic fall of the Roman Empire.”

Note that Carson didn’t claim he’s anti-LGBT. He’s proudly opposed to gay marriage because, as he said, it changes the well-established definition of marriage.

It’s also safe to assume that although the vast majority of the world’s population is against bestiality, a large percentage of those people — possibly most — love pets.

As further “proof” of Carson’s extremist qualifications, the center offered additional Carson quotes that had nothing to do with gay rights but with his disdain for big government, his love of God, his support for a simple flat-tax system and his likening socialized medicine to slavery.

Founded in 1971, the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center quickly gained respect as a champion for civil rights. Its hard-won reputation has since become tarnished, especially after famously listing the tea party movement as “extremist” on its “Hate Watch” list in 2010.

By adding Carson to the list, the center has gone from embarrassment to laughingstock.

H/T: Legal Insurrection