Levy Fidelix, a fringe presidential candidate in Brazil, used his time during a television debate to deliver a homophobic rant.

When Fidelix, a former journalist who is expected to receive less than 1 percent of the vote, was asked Sunday night why some politicians refuse to accept gay couples, he responded that gays “need psychological care” and were better kept “very far away from us, because here it is not acceptable.”

He joked that homosexuality could reduce Brazil's population of 200 million by half because “the excretory system” cannot reproduce.

Fidelix is the founder of the center-right Brazilian Labor Renewal Party and one of seven candidates vying to be Brazil's next president.

Beto de Jesus of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association condemned the candidate's remarks.

“It was so absurd and so grotesque. He is a parasite on Brazilian politics,” he said.

The story exploded on social media and led to one congressman announcing he was looking into the possibility of suing Fidelix for incitement to violence against gays.