Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded Wednesday to the furor that arose when he suggested a young woman use the term "peoplekind" instead of "mankind."
The Liberal Party leader made the comments last week when a woman affiliated with the World Mission Society Church of God asked him at a town hall to remove restrictions on volunteering with religious organizations.
"So, that’s why we came here today to ask you, to also look into the policies that religious charitable organizations have in our legislation so that it can also be changed because maternal love is the love that’s going to change the future of mankind—" the woman started.
"We like to say ‘peoplekind,' not necessarily ‘mankind,' because it’s more inclusive," Trudeau interrupted, to applause from the audience and the woman's approval.
"We can all learn from each other," he followed up.
The comments went viral on social media and was soon picked up by traditional media outlets as well, with critics accusing Trudeau of engaging in unnecessary political correctness. But in remarks to reporters, Trudeau explained he was trying to make a joke that fell flat.
"You all know that I don’t necessarily have the best of track records on jokes," he said.
"I made a dumb joke a few days ago that seems to have gone a little viral. It played well in the room and in context. Out of context, it doesn’t play so well," he continued.
"It’s a little reminder to me that I shouldn’t be making jokes even when I think they’re funny," he concluded.