‘The Bachelor:’ I respect gay people, but they’re not a good example for kids

Update: 5:30 p.m. EST

Juan Pablo Galavis has posted an apology on his Facebook page, saying he respects gay people, has gay friends and misused the word “pervert” because English is his second language, after Spanish.

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Earlier report:

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ABC’s “The Bachelor” — Juan Pablo Galavis — says he’s not interested in seeing a gay version of the popular reality series because gay people are perverted and not a good example for kids.

Galavis was asked by TV Page on Friday whether or not it would be a “good idea” for the show to feature a gay or bisexual bachelor, to which he replied, “No… I respect [gay people] but, honestly, I don’t think it’s a good example for kids…”

In an interview with TV Page on Friday, Galavi said ought the hit ABC reality show featuring a gay or bisexual bachelor would be a “good idea,” Juan Pablo Galavis reportedly told The TV Page’s Sean Daly, “No… I respect [gay people] but, honestly, I don’t think it’s a good example for kids…”

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“Obviously people have their husband and wife and kids and that is how we are brought up. Now there is fathers having kids and all that, and it is hard for me to understand that too in the sense of a household having peoples… Two parents sleeping in the same bed and the kid going into bed… It is confusing in a sense,” he said.

“But I respect them because they want to have kids. They want to be parents. So it is a scale… Where do you put it on the scale? Where is the thin line to cross or not? You have to respect everybody’s desires and way of living. But it would be too hard for TV.”

Galavis added: “There’s this thing about gay people… it seems to me, and I don’t know if I’m mistaken or not… but they’re more ‘pervert’ in a sense. And to me the show would be too strong… too hard to watch.”

Galavis, 32, is a former Venezuelan soccer player, a single father and the show’s first Latino bachelor.

ABC had no immediate comment.