NYC mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner issued an apology Thursday after the Washington Post reported Weiner’s response to a voter’s slur against his openly gay opponent, Christine Quinn.

While seeking signatures to secure a place on the ballot, Weiner asked an older woman if she was a registered Democrat. She answered yes, but that she will not be voting for Quinn, whom she referred to as “the dyke.”

According to the Post, Weiner responded, “I just need you to sign the petition to get me on the ballot.” When the candidate supposedly noticed the surprised reaction of a nearby reporter, he added, “And you really shouldn’t talk that way about people.”

Weiner was questioned about his reaction after a speech later Thursday afternoon. He said that he “immediately admonished” the woman for her speech and asked her “to not say anything further.” His campaign office also tweeted an apology:

Homophobia is vile and destructive and something I have fought against for the entirety of my career, including being a vocal supporter of gay marriage since 1998 and standing up on the floor of Congress for transgender Americans. I admonished the woman amid a large crowd on a street corner and by no means believe that anything about her comment was appropriate. If the impression is that I did, I apologize because behavior like this will absolutely not be tolerated in my administration.