Editor’s note: The following article includes offensive comments about the trans community.

Facebook posts from Student Government presidential candidate Benjamin Whittington reveal transphobic comments, which regard transgender identities as a “delusion” and “falsehood.”

Whittington told the Iowa State Daily Thursday he no longer agrees with the opinions referenced in his Facebook posts, saying he is not proud of his past statements and beliefs. Whittington said his opinions have changed a lot since he made the posts in July 2017.

“I used to be part of a lot of different organizations and support a lot of people that I don’t necessarily do now,” Whittington said. “Actually, I would say I don’t support those things now. From my support [for] Trump to a lot of other things, I’ve definitely grown — definitely in the past one to two years … I’m just going to say I fully apologize and disavow any statements from that time.”

Whittington said regardless of whether his statements were taken seriously or as a joke, he fully disavows his statements and apologizes for them. He said he supports transgender students.

“They know [I support them] because I have publicly said that I support these groups,” Whittington said. “They may not know the full transition for myself, and the journey that I’ve taken, but if any student feels uncomfortable by those statements they have an absolute right to be. I will fully explain that yes, it was a different time, I was a different Ben. I’ve grown and I’m a lot better.”

In his 2017 Facebook comments, Whittington referred to transgender identities as a “delusion” and “falsehood,” as well as “insane” in a “biological context.” Whittington also compared being transgender to claims of being “transracial” and having schizophrenia when discussing transgender people in the military.

“From that conversation I actually started to talk to [friends] more about those sort of things because while it seems in the comments and on the internet that I’m just trying to be the strong conservative standing my ground, I would directly [private message] those people and say ‘I don’t want you to necessarily think that I’m a bad person, but this is what I’ve heard from my side or my conferences,’” Whittington said.

In the original posts, Whittington had declared his confusion at what being transgender means, originally saying someone is not “a transgender” without receiving a gender reassignment surgery.

“I get being born with an incompatible gender but that doesn’t make you trans the transition from one gender to another is what makes someone a transgender,” he wrote.

When Whittington was presented with the information that a person can be transgender without undergoing a procedure in 2017, he responded with disbelief.

“How? If you havent made your transition then how can you be considered trans? Wouldnt you just have dysphoria at that point and just dress/act like your desired gender,” Whittington wrote in the Facebook thread.

Whittington said Thursday his running mate, Annaliessa Michelotti, junior in women’s and gender studies, educated him on transgender identities. Michelotti said she was bullied often for having two mothers, one of whom is transgender.

“The reason Ben and I became friends was because of stuff like this,” Michelotti said. “I went through his social media before we even talked, and I addressed all of this with him the first time we met. I was completely open to him, and I said, ‘Hey, my mom is transgender. My sister is transgender. This stuff really bothers me.’ He met my family; he learned a lot about something he didn’t know about.”

In his initial posts, Whittington also argued against transgender people serving in the military.

Whittington questioned the capability of people with gender dysphoria to serve in combat, asserting there were no trans people in leadership or in the special forces. However, it was pointed out by a fellow Facebook commenter that retired Navy Seal Kristin Beck is a woman who transitioned following her retirement from the military.

Whittington then misgendered the retired Navy Seal in his next comment.

“Is there evidence he had those feelings as a seal,” Whittington wrote.

Whittington’s reasoning revolved around his assertion that gender dysphoria is a “mental disorder” akin to schizophrenia or ADHD, comparing his own experiences with ADHD to someone with gender dysphoria.

“What’s the difference from deluding yourself into thinking you’re a movie star or god and being a completely different gender or sex than you were born into,” Whittington wrote. “They are both concerning behaviors that I wouldn’t be comfortable with in the military.”

Whittington said Thursday he no longer supports transgender people being excluded from military service.

“I’m sorry for these comments,” Whittington said. “They’re hurtful. I don’t stand by them, and I just want people to know that I have changed.”