Arnold Schwarzenegger’s parents thought he was gay and tried to ‘cure’ him

Oct 01 2012
Written by Joseph McCormick

Film star-turned-politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has said that his parents thought he was gay when he was a teenager, and that they took him to a doctor in order to try to “cure” him.

Speaking on US talk show, 60 Minutes, Mr Schwarzenegger, 65, joked about the issue, and said:

”I don’t know if mum thought I was gay, or if she just thought there was something off. And ‘let’s catch it early'”, reported Contact Music.

He said his father “ran after me with a belt and beat me” but that his mother had taken him to a doctor, in an attempt to “cure” him, because she became concerned, and thought he was gay.

”She asked the doctor, ‘Can you help me? I don’t know if there’s something wrong with my son because his wall is full of naked men.

”All of Arnold’s friends have pictures of girls above their bed. And Arnold has no girls’.”

Mr Schwarzenegger, California’s former governor, recently spoke of performing two marriage ceremonies for gay couples during his eight years in office — although he was quick to point out that it doesn’t mean he was for “gay marriage”.

Back in August, Patrick Schwarzenegger, the 18-year-old son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, made a public service announcement in conjunction with the Born This Way Foundation and their current collaboration with Office Depot, which allows students to purchase specialty items with anti-bullying messages, as reported on Entertainment Tonight.

Mr Schwarzenegger’s stance on equal marriage changed dramatically throughout his political career. He vetoed two same-sex marriage bills, once in 2005 and again in 2007.

However, in 2008 Schwarzenegger changed his tune and supported the removal of Proposition 8, the legislation banning same-sex marriage in the state.