Joe “the Plumber” Wurzelbacher told Christianity Today that calling gay people “queer” “is not like a slur” because homosexuality is “strange and unusual.”

Speaking of his gay “friends,” he also said, “I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children.”

Yesterday, a local ABC affiliate in Toledo, OH asked Wurzelbacher about his comment. “Men kissing each other…it throws me off,” he explained.

“It’s not something I want around my family.” Later, while literally sitting in front of boxes containing numerous copies of his recently released book, Wurzelbacher said:

You gotta at least respect that I’m not sitting there trying to make a buck off my 15 minutes. Do I want to make some money? Absolutely but I’m going to do it the right way

Not seeming to recognize the irony, immediately after making this statement, he then signed a copy of his book

While acknowledging that he hasn’t made as much money as he thought from the book, he said he thinks he has about a year left in the spotlight

Watch it: