Ted Cruz

—Falsely claimed in a Senate hearing about the Equality Act that the bill is about mandating “biological males” to be allowed to compete in girls’ sports. The term “biological males” is inaccurate and offensive, as science has shown there is more than one gender than sex assigned at birth. The Equality Act does not specifically address transgender participation in school sports.

—Led efforts to support false claims about the 2020 presidential election and voted against the Electoral College counts in Arizona and Pennsylvania, hours after the deadly siege at the Capitol. Days later, cosponsored a bill to “protect women and girls” in sports. Cruz also voted against holding the impeachment trial to investigate the Capitol attack. 

—Endorsed Alabama Judge Roy Moore, a candidate for U.S. Senate known for his opposition to gay marriage. Moore was credibly accused of child predation and assault, Cruz stated that the landmark Supreme Court decision granting marriage equality was “even worse” than the Court decision in the 1850s that upheld slavery.

— Said he believes that “engaging in homosexual conduct is a choice, and I do not believe that unelected judges should force States to adopt gay marriage, against the wishes of the people. Marriage is a fundamental building block of our society, and I have a proven record of standing and fighting to protect traditional marriage between one man and one woman.”

—Said he supports marriage “between one man and one woman” but that “it’s a question for the states.”

—Reintroduced the State Marriage Defense Act in 2015, which would leave it up the states to define marriage.

—Criticized Dallas Republican Mayor Tom Leppert for the city’s Pride celebrations: “When a mayor of a city chooses twice to march in a parade celebrating gay Pride, that’s a statement and it’s not a statement I agree with.”

—Voted against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which extended protections to lesbians, gays, immigrants and Native Americans.

—Said in a 2015 speech: “There is a liberal fascism that is dedicated to going after believing Christians who follow the biblical teaching on marriage.”

—Urged states to ignore the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, saying states not named in the case are not bound by the ruling.

—Said of Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk jailed for defying a court order and refusing to issue marriage licenses to qualified same-sex applicants, “Today, judicial lawlessness crossed into judicial tyranny.” He went on to falsely claim that “for the first time ever, the government arrested a Christian woman for living according to her faith.” Cruz added: “I stand with Kim Davis. Unequivocally.”

—As a presidential candidate, signed a pledge to support the “First Amendment Defense Act,” which would prohibit the federal government from “taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”