Rep. Salmon's Gay Son Struggled With Reparative Therapy

The son of Republican Rep. Matt Salmon said he struggled with his sexual orientation for decades, and even underwent reparative therapy, before telling his parents that he just wanted to live his life as a gay man.

Salmon shared his struggles with reparative therapy, and his decision to vote in favor of a statewide marriage ban at age 18, while he was still reconciling his own sexual orientation. Eventually he told his father that he would drop therapy, and explained that he wanted the same relationship his parents had, but with a man instead of a woman. These days, he said, he and his father are very close.

"My father and I have a great relationship," he said on the local show, Sunday Square Off. "He's one of my close friends, we talk about all sorts of things, and we give each other advice."

Salmon also said he does not see his father as being antigay because of his lack of support on marriage equality, despite having an openly gay son.

"It's hard for me to see that people will jump to the conclusion that he's antigay or a bigot. My father is not a bigot at all."

The younger Salmon told KPNX News in Phoenix that he was in talks to appear on both The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC and Piers Morgan Live on CNN. However, MSNBC has refuted the claim, stating that a producer spoke with Salmon, but he was never booked for the show. According to Buzzfeed, a source close to the Piers Morgan show said Salmon's account was not accurate.

Watch the full interview below: