Fact Check: Did Speaker Mike Johnson Say He Did 'Extensive Studies of Homosexual Relationships' in College?

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Claim:

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said: "In university, I did extensive studies of homosexual relationships. Study after study, some were larger than others. My studies clearly show that, although they are more satisfying than hetero relationships, they are bad. Society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a fun lifestyle. If we change marriage for this happy minority, we will have to do it for every happy group."

Rating:

Rating: False
Rating: False

Context:

This is a satirically paraphrased quote based on statements Mike Johnson made about gay marriage in 2004. The actual quote read, in part, "homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural and, the studies clearly show, are ultimately harmful and costly for everyone. Society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a dangerous lifestyle. If we change marriage for this tiny, modern minority, we will have to do it for every deviant group."

 

In early November 2023, with U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson's election to the speaker job, a meme attributing a statement to the Louisiana Republican went viral on multiple social media platforms. The alleged quote, which could be read as Johnson having participated in homosexual relationships in college, conveyed that Johnson's opposition to gay marriage was due to its being "such a fun lifestyle."

"I did extensive studies of homosexual relationships," a portion of the alleged statement read. "My studies clearly show that, although they are more satisfying than hetero relationships, they are bad. Society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a fun lifestyle."

Based on shared language and structure, the meme quote appears to be a satirical paraphrase of a controversial statement Johnson made in a 2004 editorial in the Shreveport Times. These words were unearthed by CNN's KFILE on Oct. 27, 2023, following Johnson's election to speaker of the House.

At the time, Johnson was a lawyer for the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, which fought to block passage of gay marriage. The actual quote, with emphasis added below to indicate matching language between the meme and reality, compared homosexuals to ped*ph*les and other "deviant" groups:

Homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural and, the studies clearly show, are ultimately harmful and costly for everyone. Society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a dangerous lifestyle.

If we change marriage for this tiny, modern minority, we will have to do it for every deviant group. Polygamists, polyamorists, ped*ph*les, and others will be next in line to claim equal protection. They already are. There will be no legal basis to deny a bisexual the right to marry a partner of each sex, or a person to marry his pet.

Because the quote at issue has been altered, we rate claims that Johnson made the statement attributed to him in these memes as "False."

Sources:

Allison Gordon, Andrew Kaczynski. “Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Once Wrote in Support of the Criminalization of Gay Sex | CNN Politics.” CNN, 25 Oct. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/25/politics/mike-johnson-gay-sex-criminalization-kfile/index.html.

Bess, Levin. “Mike Johnson Said Same-Sex Marriage Would Lead to People Marrying Their Pets, Wanted to Sentence Abortion Doctors to ‘Hard Labor.’” Vanity Fair, 25 Oct. 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/10/mike-johnson-said-same-sex-marriage-would-lead-to-people-marrying-their-pets.

“How Many of You Had ‘Extensive Studies of Homosexual Relationships’ in College While Getting a Law Degree?  Anyone?” X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/rabbithole0000/status/1720843125747278172. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

Johnson, Mike. “Marriage Amendment Deserves Strong Support.” The Times, 12 Sept. 2004, p. 113. newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-kfile/134019997/.