Each week we will be profiling a political candidate to see where they stand on transgender issues. We have no interest in taking sides politically and will try to look at these candidates solely based on their intentions towards the transgender community.
This week: Republican Candidate Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz was born December 22, 1970. He is the junior U.S. Senator from Texas and is currently a Republican candidate for the 2016 Presidential election.
We did not have to look far back in time to get Senator Cruz’ position on transgender issues. He was the subject of controversy based on a statement he made regarding the gunman at the recent Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting who killed 3 and wounded 9. “The media promptly wants to blame him on the pro-life movement when, at this point, there’s very little evidence to indicate that,” Cruz stated at a campaign stop in Newton, Iowa. He added that “it’s also been reported that he was registered as an independent and a woman and a transgendered leftist activist. If that’s what he is, I don’t think it’s fair to blame … the rhetoric on the left. This is a murderer.”
His campaign walked the statement back by saying he was sighting a report from a not so credible writer. So if we accept that, we still have the use of the term “transgendered”. It is this that has us concerned about his views as it indicates a lack of education regarding the transgender community.
Cruz is no stranger when it comes to being anti-LGBT. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Ted Cruz is against ENDA. He led the charge to deny Texas couples marriage equality. In the Senate, he has supported a constitutional amendment that would prevent the federal government from recognizing marriage equality. He has attacked Republicans for appearing in pride parades and suggested that he believes being gay is a “choice.”
“Look, these guys are so nutty that the federal government is going after school districts, trying to force them to let boys shower with little girls,”
In an interview with Steven Crowder regarding the transgender bathroom issue he stated “Look, these guys are so nutty that the federal government is going after school districts, trying to force them to let boys shower with little girls,” Cruz then went on to say “Now listen: I’m the father of two daughters, and the idea that the federal government is coming in saying that boys, with all the god-given equipment of boys, can be in the shower room with junior high girls — this is lunacy!”
Regarding transgender soldiers serving in the military Cruz claimed the military is “now focused on trying to promote transgendered [sic] soldiers,” decrying it as “some left-wing social experiment.”
What we do know is that Senator Cruz wants to overturn marriage equality and leave that decision to the states. He is for having Don’t Ask Don’t Tell as a military policy. He is against allowing transgender soldiers to serve.
So it is clear to us Senator Cruz may not be a friend to the transgender community. If anything he may just strip away much of what the community has achieved. It is also clear the Senator may not have an understanding of what transgender actually is. It has us concerned to say the least.
As always we reached out to the Cruz campaign for a comment an we will post the results if we receive a response.
