The Tucker Carlson Show
Episode: Why Are You Gay? Milo Yiannopoulos Explains.
Date: December 4, 2025
Overview
This provocative episode features Tucker Carlson in conversation with former provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. Framed by Carlson around the viral Ugandan meme "Why are you gay?", the episode explores the question of why people are gay—what causes homosexuality, how it is discussed (or silenced) in Western culture, and Milo’s personal journey from being an openly gay conservative icon to embracing celibacy and "reintegration therapy." The discussion covers everything from media and political manipulation, societal and familial explanations for homosexuality, the politicization and commodification of gay identity, to deeply personal accounts of trauma, addiction, and the search for meaning.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Is “Why Are You Gay” a Forbidden Question? (00:28–04:30)
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Carlson opens by referencing the viral Ugandan TV moment, questioning why the phrase is funny and what it says about cultural taboos in the West.
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He notes that in America, asking why someone is gay is considered off-limits:
"It's kind of the key question. And it's kind of the question that no one in the United States is allowed to ask. ... If you were to ask the average American, why are people gay? They would probably say, well, they're born that way. And then if you followed up with, well, how exactly does that work? They would have no idea and tell you to shut up." (Tucker Carlson, 01:36)
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The Ugandan anti-homosexuality law is discussed; Carlson questions Western outrage, claiming the law targets “aggravated homosexuality” (i.e. rape, disease transmission) and accusing the West of hypocrisy and imperialism for financially punishing Uganda (05:00–10:45).
2. The Politicization of Homosexuality & Shifts in Social Norms (10:45–23:28)
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Carlson frames support for gay rights as an enforced “affirmative good” in the U.S., not mere tolerance:
"It's about being forced to say, this is an affirmative good, and if you disagree with that, then you are affirmatively bad, and we're gonna stoke a famine in your country to punish you." (Tucker Carlson, 11:15)
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References a (debated) story Joe Biden tells about his father witnessing a gay kiss in 1962 with perfect acceptance—a story both hosts deride as ahistorical and politically self-serving:
"The idea that Joe Biden's drunk used car salesman dad turned to him...and says, honey, honey, it's just love. It's okay. It's just love. Two guys making out...Totally normal. Is so transparently absurd." (Tucker Carlson, 20:14)
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Noting a dramatic reported increase (from 6% to 20% among young Americans in a decade) in people who claim a non-heterosexual identity, Carlson questions the “born this way” narrative and claims rapid shifts imply sociopolitical factors, not genetic ones (22:18–23:44).
3. The “Born This Way” Narrative & Its Political Origins (41:29–48:23)
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Milo claims the “born this way” argument was a strategic invention by activists in the 1980s:
"It was invented wholesale by the activists in the 1980s. And the second part of it was...don't talk about bodily functions...Just talk about love. Just talk about love." (Milo Yiannopoulos, 44:16)
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He suggests genuine, innate homosexuality is rare and that increases in gay or trans identification are socially and environmentally driven phenomena, not the result of immutable genetics.
4. Homosexuality as Trauma Response (45:24–52:08)
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Milo argues that, especially for men, homosexuality often emerges from familial or childhood trauma, particularly unstable relationships with father/mother or abuse:
"In almost every case, and certainly in every male case, it is a trauma response. It is not a sexuality...It is a set of behaviors that emerges in people with a number of very easily identifiable common etiologies." (Milo Yiannopoulos, 45:24)
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References to higher rates of homosexuality in Jewish and black communities are explained, according to Milo, by patterns like “overbearing moms and absent dads.”
5. Black & “Ungovernable” Resistance to “Woke” Sexual Politics (50:51–53:25)
- Both discuss black American communities’ resistance to gay and trans narratives, crediting “the ungovernability of black women” for stalling much of liberal sexual politics. Candace Owens is cited frequently as an exemplar.
6. Media Manipulation & “Mandatory Gayness” (53:25–56:39)
- Milo describes the media’s role in cementing the “born this way” idea and demonizing therapies or narratives that challenge it. He claims that conversion therapy bans render “mandatory gayness”—once you’re gay, “you can’t get out.”
7. The Addictive Nature of Gay Sex (57:09–59:47)
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Milo characterizes his past homosexual behavior as addictive, comparable to drug addiction:
"I realized my sex worked the same way. I believe that realized that when I was on a plane...like it would take hold of me." (Milo Yiannopoulos, 57:45)
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He refers to homosexual drives as demonic—with references to “Gorgoroth, the semen demon”—and contends this addiction is a sign of underlying trauma.
8. Milo’s Personal Trajectory: Family, Trauma, and Sexuality (60:36–66:13)
- Milo details his father’s criminal background, his stepfather’s invasiveness, and early sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. He claims these events shaped his sense of masculinity and sexuality (64:08–66:13).
9. Homosexuality, Power, and Public Life—Why So Many Closeted Gay Conservatives? (67:10–73:02)
- Carlson and Milo explore the prevalence of closeted homosexuals in conservative politics, theorizing that the desire for power/exertion over others is a response to feelings of personal powerlessness and sexual compulsion:
"They feel so powerless in their own lives...I don't even have control over me, but I'm damn well gonna have control over you." (Milo Yiannopoulos, 70:09)
10. The Fashion Industry, Hostility, and “Fagotization” of Culture (75:10–82:15)
- Milo contends that gay men in fashion deliberately push hostile, “ugly” aesthetics on women as a way to act out unresolved issues with their mothers.
- He laments what he sees as the loss of genuinely creative, free-spirited gay men, replaced by conformist “enforcers” for corporate liberalism (80:00–81:07).
11. Regret, Responsibility, and the "Mainstreaming" of Gay Identity on the Right (82:15–84:17)
- Milo expresses deep regret for having “mainstreamed” homosexuality in the Republican party, claiming it paved the way for aberrations like gay adoption and surrogacy, equating these to “buying” or “trafficking” children (83:02).
12. The “Performative” Nature of Politician Sexuality (86:23–93:08)
- Pete Buttigieg becomes a case study. Milo argues Buttigieg “became gay” for career gain, performing homosexuality rather than being innately gay.
13. Monogamy, Promiscuity, and Gay Relationships (93:25–98:12)
- They debate whether gay male relationships are ever monogamous. Milo asserts monogamy is merely “an aspiration,” while promiscuity is structurally built in.
14. Conversion Therapy, Reintegration, and Change (101:20–152:22)
- Milo details his own efforts to change his sexual behavior: after marrying a man, he pursued celibacy, using aversion techniques (self-inflicted pain) to rewire his brain.
- He describes new methods (“reintegration therapy”) and the work of Joseph Nicolosi Jr., where repeated exposure to stimuli and neutral/negative associations can reduce unwanted same-sex attraction (148:14–152:22).
"I kind of stumbled upon a crude version of what the enlightened...They don't call it conversion therapy anymore. They call it reintegrative therapy because it's reintegrating those shards and those broken bits...I was trying to rewire my brain." (Milo Yiannopoulos, 101:20; 102:29)
15. Life After “Leaving” Homosexuality—Changed Perspective & Emotional Engagement (126:33–133:03)
- Milo claims his life is noticeably improved: dogs no longer bark at him, he feels more emotionally connected to stories and people, and he cares more deeply about outcomes and the future.
- He attributes these changes to a closer relationship with God and the shedding of sexual compulsion.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On The Core “Why Are You Gay?” Question:
"Because it's kind of the key question. And it's kind of the question that no one in the United States is allowed to ask...If you were to ask the average American, why are people gay?...they would have no idea and tell you to shut up."
—Tucker Carlson (01:36)
On the “Born This Way” Narrative:
"It was invented wholesale by the activists in the 1980s...Never talk about any of those things because those things will repel women. And you need moms with gay sons to affirm their homosexuality...In almost every case, and certainly in every male case, it is a trauma response."
—Milo Yiannopoulos (44:16, 45:24)
On the Power Dynamic of Homosexuality in Politics:
"If you are a person who intuits that you have a lack of control of power of agency over your own drives...You're gonna want to exercise power elsewhere over others."
—Milo Yiannopoulos (70:51)
On Regret for Mainstreaming Gay Conservatism:
“It was me 10 years ago, mainstreaming homosexuality into the Republican Party as the great regret of my life, more so than anything I’ve done to my own soul...I was not intending to give birth to this huge generation of gay Republicans…”
—Milo Yiannopoulos (82:15, 155:04)
On the Experience of “Leaving” Homosexuality:
“When I woke up one day and I...looked over, I was like, oh, no, I don’t want to do this anymore. Like, hell is real. I don’t want to go there...I got myself as far as celibacy, which is where I’m coming in January, it’ll be five years.”
—Milo Yiannopoulos (100:57–103:39)
On the Cultural Shift:
“Everything has gone gay...Society is not becoming feminized. It's becoming fagot-traumatized...if you wanted to weaken a society to the point of collapse, fagotize it.”
—Milo Yiannopoulos (122:06–122:39)
On Therapy for Unwanted Same-Sex Attraction:
“There’s only two ways you can persuade the brain of things, which is emotional connection and repetition. Nothing else works.”
—Milo Yiannopoulos (147:05)
Important Segment Timestamps
- 00:28–04:30: Virality and analysis of “Why are you gay?” meme; American cultural taboos.
- 04:30–10:45: Uganda’s anti-gay law and Western responses.
- 13:20–20:14: Mocking Biden’s origin-tolerance story; change in cultural values.
- 22:18–23:44: Statistical changes in self-reported LGBTQ+ identity.
- 41:29–48:23: Historical/theoretical origin of the “born this way” political strategy.
- 45:24–52:08: Family/trauma as explanation for male homosexuality.
- 55:04–56:39: Conversion therapy bans and the “mandatory gayness” argument.
- 57:09–59:47: Homosexual sex described as an addiction/compulsion.
- 60:36–66:13: Milo’s personal background: father, stepfather, priest abuse.
- 67:10–73:02: The prevalence of closeted homosexuals among conservative elites.
- 82:15–84:17: Regret for mainstreaming gay Republicanism and discussion of adoption/surrogacy.
- 101:20–152:22: Milo’s efforts to become celibate; methodology and implications of reintegration therapy.
- 126:33–133:03: Reflections on emotional change, spirituality, and Milo’s personal growth.
- 155:04: Final regrets and sense of responsibility for mainstreaming gay conservatism.
Tone & Language
The conversation is frank, politically incorrect, and often irreverent—blending dark humor, personal storytelling, moral/religious argument, and cultural criticism. Both speakers employ provocative and sometimes offensive language to make their points, reflecting the tone of the original viral Ugandan meme that motivates the episode.