Ted Cruz’s father, a fire-and-brimstone preaching pastor, has joined forces with radical right-wing groups to try to repeal a Plano, Texas, non-discrimination ordinance.
Pastor Rafael Cruz, the Cuban-born father of Canadian-born U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, is working hard to repeal a Plano, Texas ordinance that bans discrimination against LGBT people. Plano’s Mayor Harry LaRosiliere says the ordinance merely says his city is “against discrimination, bullying and hate-mongering,” but the outspoken Cruz sees it differently.
“This is an attack on Judeo-Christian beliefs in America,” the elder Cruz told a crowd at a rally to get enough signatures to force a voter referendum on the non-discrimination law. “It’s time people of faith become involved in the political arena.”
Cruz is joining with other religious leaders, including the Houston Pastors’ Council, along with Plano Citizens United, and Liberty Institute, a Christian religion-based law firm specializing in filing lawsuits based on perceived religious persecution.Â
Liberty Institute’s general counsel, Jeff Matter, is looking to take the case to the Supreme Court, based on his interpretation of the infamous Hobby Lobby ruling.
“If enacted, this ordinance will be challenged under the U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” Matters had told the City Council previously, according to Courthouse News. “It violates the Hobby Lobby case that I’m sure you’re all familiar with. It violates individual business owners’ rights. Justice [Samuel] Alito rejected the notion that by engaging in business you lose those religious liberty rights. Similar laws in other parts of the countries have put bakeries out of businesses, shut down photographers, florists and wedding chapels. If passed, we will see people of faith in our own backyard subjected to criminalization. … Suffice it to say, if you pass it, we will sue you. We’ve done so five other times, we’ve won each one and we’ll win again.”
Anti-gay activists need to collect 3,822 valid signatures by January 20 to either repeal the law or place it on a May ballot.
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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr