Ted Cruz Responds to Gay Man About Religious Freedom
The question came during a live event on "Good Morning America."
— -- Sen. Ted Cruz today invoked the protections included in the Constitution when a gay man asked the Republican presidential candidate about his work protecting the rights of gay voters.
Responding to a question from Todd Calongne, a married gay man who is a registered Republican and owner of a pizza parlor in New York City, Cruz said the Constitution protects the rights of all citizens equally.
"When it comes to religious liberty, religious liberty is something that protects all of us; it applies to Christians, it applies to Jews, it applies to Muslims, it applies to atheists," Cruz said during a “Good Morning America” town hall at ABC News' Times Square studios.
"That freedom ultimately protects each and every one of us."
When asked further about the Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage nationally and what would happen to gay people who are already married, Cruz said marriage laws should be settled on the state level rather than the federal level.
"If someone wants to change the marriage laws, I don't think it should be five unelected lawyers down in Washington," he said, referring to the five Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of allowing same-sex marriage.
"We would expect the people in New York to adopt different laws than perhaps in California or Texas or Florida," he said.