Fact Check

Did Ted Cruz Blame Gay People for Mass Shootings?

The Texas senator supposedly asserted that no mass shootings took place when "gays stayed hidden."

Published Feb. 26, 2016

 (Shutterstock)
Image Via Shutterstock
Claim:
Ted Cruz said no mass shootings took place when "gays stayed hidden."

In February 2016, a quote purportedly from Republican senator Ted Cruz about a connection between being openly gay and the proliferation of mass shootings (and public nudity) started recirculating on social media, along with a message urging people not to support the presidential candidate:

However, while Cruz still openly opposed same-sex marriage, he never said this. A video of the senator's speech at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference made it clear that the above-displayed quote did not originate with the Texas senator:

The meme with the fake quote was originally posted by the entertainment Facebook group "Stop The World The Teabaggers Want Off" in February 2015.

This isn't the first time that this particular page has targeted Cruz.  It also claimed (falsely) that Cruz had said there was "no place for gays in America," and that businesses should exercise their right to turn openly gay customers away.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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