Cruz endorsed by virulently anti-LGBT CAAP pastor

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

Amid GOP endorsement controversy after controversy, a new one has arisen: Ted Cruz is accepting endorsements and support from anti-LGBT activist William Owens.

Owens runs the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP) and endorses the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which has been called a hate group.

In a statement released on Cruz’s campaign website, Owens said, “No one has a stronger record on the defense of marriage, and no one has a better grasp of the challenges facing our families and the solutions we need than Senator Ted Cruz. As President, Ted will create a healthy culture for families, defend innocent life, and promote widely shared economic growth.”

As a spokesperson, Owens is known to have labeled the Democratic Party as “a demonic party”, to have accused President Obama of trying to destroy Christianity and to have claimed that marriage equality would mean that “the whole gamut of the family is going to be destroyed and all areas of the social life will be destroyed” in a special hosted by the American Family Association.

In addition to that, he has pledged to commit civil disobedience to fight gay rights, calling it “our Civil Rights Movement” on Moody Radio. He also claimed to be involved in the actual Civil Rights Movement – a claim that has since been debunked – saying, “I didn’t march one inch, one foot, one yard, for a man to marry a man, and a woman to marry a woman.”

Absolutely no record of his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement was found when scouring the records of Nashville sit-ins and protests in his area.

He has alleged that “homosexuality spreads because somebody abused children,” compared homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia and has called gay adoption “absolutely disgraceful” on The Capitol Hill Show with Tea Party favorite Tim Constantine.

On the same show, Owens said that he is willing to die to stop gay rights.

In response to the statement given by Owens regarding his endorsement, Cruz said on his website, “I am honored to have the support of Reverend Owens. His eloquent and uncompromising defense of the family and of religion in public life is inspiring and will continue to be effective. We are excited to have him serve as a spokesperson to pastors and in the African-American community.”

The Gayly – 3/7/2016 @ 4:25 p.m. CST