Mark Ruffalo Withdraws Support for Brazilian Candidate Over LGBT Views

Actor Mark Ruffalo took to his Tumblr Monday to alert his followers that he's withdrawing his support for Brazilian presidential candidate Marina Silva over her opposition to same-sex marriage, Bloomberg reports.

"The Normal Heart" star said he was no longer endorsing the politician and environmental activist after learning that her party had backtracked on full legal support for gay marriage. Ruffalo, who is a U.S. citizen, said he could not support someone who does not support full LGBT rights even if he agrees on their stance on environmental issues.

"I cannot, in good conscience, support a candidate who takes a hard right approach to issues such as gay marriage and reproductive rights, even if that candidate is willing to do the right thing on environmental issues," the actor wrote. "I have fought for marriage equality in my country and see it as a reflection of the quality of a candidate."

Bloomberg notes that Silva, who is running on the Brazilian Socialist Party ticket, is second in the polls and withdrew a passage in her government platform that supports marriage equality. According to her party, the passage was included by mistake during the editing process.

Silvia has since taken to Twitter, saying she supports "gay civil marriage and expresses this in her government program."

Ruffalo's announcement comes shortly after another presidential candidate, Levy Fidelix, came under fire after he said during a presidential debate that Brazil needs to stand up against the LGBT community and gay people who receive psychological help far away from the general population, the Associated Press reported.