The Republican candidate for governor in New York is refusing to apologize for widely criticized anti-gay remarks. On Sunday, Carl Paladino delivered a speech claiming he thinks children shouldn’t be “brainwashed” into accepting homosexuality. Paladino’s campaign now says he was delivering remarks written by his hosts, a group of Hasidic Jewish leaders, in Brooklyn. But appearing on NBC’s Today Show, Paladino said he doesn’t regret his comments and added that he thinks gay pride parades are “disgusting.”

Carl Paladino: “Mr. Cuomo took his daughters to a Gay Pride parade. Is that normal? Would you do it? Would you take your children to a Gay Pride parade?”

Matt Lauer: “I think that you can probably expose your children to a lot of different things and —”

Paladino: “Really?”

Lauer: “—- help them decide and make their own decisions -—”

Paladino: “No, I don’t think it’s proper for them to go there and watch a couple of grown men grind against each other. I don’t think that’s proper. I think it’s disgusting.”

Paladino was later confronted by supporters of gay rights as he took part in a Colombus Day parade.