Cruz was grilling pork chops in front of a gathering of supporters and media cameras when Page approached him.
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“Well, what we’re seeing right now is Bible-believing Christians being persecuted for living according to their faith”, the Republican presidential hopeful replied.
“Do you know where gay people are being persecuted right now?”
Page’s movie credits include Juno and Inception.
When Page tried to get a word in again, Cruz pushed on, saying the real tragedy was ISIS murdering gays in Syria. This summer, when the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, it was decried by all the major GOP candidates, but Cruz seemed bent on outdoing his competitors with expressions of outrage.
He told her he would happily answer her questions, but he would not have a back-and-forth debate.
Cruz drew hundreds for his 20-minute appearance on the state fair soapbox, sponsored by the Des Moines Register.
“No one has the right to force someone else to abandon their faith and their conscience”, he said.
Actress Ellen Page confronting Sen.
Page noted that she finds that problematic, but says there is persecution everywhere, even if not to the same extent as in the Middle East.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cruz did not see it that way.
In the Senate, Ted Cruz voted against bills that would have created explicit, permanent federal protections against discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace and education.
“And on the left you hear complete silence about Iran hanging homosexuals”, he said.
“All over the world”, Page said.
Oh, and of course he had no idea that it was a Hollywood actress speaking to him.
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During his campaign, Cruz has consistently mentioned he would stand up for the religious liberty of Americans, including those who have closed their businesses after backlash due to religious beliefs.
