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CITY, ND – North Dakota District 24 state Republican Representative Dwight Kiefert of Valley City, North Dakota said in an interview with the FORUM that while he leans toward the belief that homosexuality is a mental illness. He said he is not sure because he is neither a doctor nor a psychiatrist.

According to an article in the FORUM, Kiefert said his FaceBook post on Friday, the day of the Supreme Court decision, was sarcastic and he wrote it when he was feeling disgusted.

Kiefert told KOVC radio that his post on FaceBook was taken out of context. He said he was trying to invite a discussion about whether or not there is medical proof that homosexuality is or is not a mental illness.

Kiefert said the Supreme Court’s decision was a slap in the face to North Dakotans, who in 2004 voted overwhelmingly for a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

A few local citizens and gay-rights activists across the nation have expressed their outrage over the suggestion or hint that gay people are mentally ill.