Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Thursday addressed a comment he made at a Wednesday event that he would not have a problem if one of his daughters were gay and clarified that he still opposes same-sex marriage.
According to the New York Times, Cruz attended a Wednesday event hosted by prominent gay hoteliers and said, “If one of my daughters was gay, I would love them just as much.” Following reports on the comment, media outlets speculated that the statement signaled a change in tone for Cruz.
But in a statement Thursday evening, Cruz maintained his opposition to gay marriage and criticized the media for reading into his attendance at the Wednesday event.
“It speaks volumes that the New York Times considers it newsworthy that a Republican who believes marriage is between a man and a woman would meet with people who hold a different view,” Cruz said in the statement.
Crux explained that when asked at the event whether he supported gay marriage, he responded by reiterating his support for “traditional marriage.”
“One person further asked how Heidi and I would react if we found out one of our (4 and 7-year-old) daughters were gay. My reply: ‘We would love her with all our hearts. We love our daughters unconditionally,'” Cruz said in the statement.
“A conservative Republican who is willing to meet with individuals who do not agree on marriage and who loves his daughters unconditionally may not reflect the caricature of conservatives promoted by the left, but it’s hardly newsworthy,” he continued. “I know it’s been a long time since we’ve seen it, but this is what it means to truly be a ‘big tent Republican’ instead of a panderer.”
Cruz also introduced legislation this week that would create a Constitutional amendment protect states with gay marriage bans from lawsuits. A second bill introduced by Cruz would keep federal courts from weighing on on gay marriage bans until the Constitutional amendment is passed.
