Republican candidate Vernon Jones of Georgia said Friday that Black people are more disadvantaged than gay people because, he said, being gay is a choice.

On Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast Friday, the congressional candidate stated he believes being gay is voluntary.

“Civil rights and gay rights, let me tell you, civil rights for Blacks, and gay rights for gays, are two different things,” Jones told Bannon.

Bannon chimed in, “They say it’s the same thing,” to which Jones disagreed.

“But it’s not he same thing,” he said. “I don’t know what you are unless you tell me what you are, if you’re gay. But when I walk in that room, you can tell that I’m Black. I’m Black from cradle to grave, let’s not get that confused.”

“They can actually change,” Jones added. “You can go from being straight, to being gay, to being transgender and all these other genders. But when you Black, I don’t have a choice.”

He concluded, “When did gays come over in ships?”

Jones made a name for himself nationally after he endorsed former President Donald Trump as a Democrat from Dekalb County ahead of the 2020 election. Trump endorsed Jones in the race earlier this year.

The Democrat-turned-Republican represents Georgia’s 91st district in the statehouse and is known for making headline-grabbing statements. Two months ago, Jones claimed he was simultaneously running campaigns for the U.S. House and for governor.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing election records, reported Jones used a Democratic ballot in the 2020 primary after expressing public support for Trump.