Among the numerous issues affecting voters in the 2024 presidential election cycle, Senator Ted Cruz points to parental rights as a long-standing issue where Republicans and Democrats find themselves at odds, as he campaigns for reelection against progressive Rep. Colin Allred (D) Senator Cruz warns that Rep. Allred is “radical and extreme” on parental rights.
“The Democrats are coming after the state of Texas,” Senator Cruz told Texas Politics.
During an exclusive interview with Texas Politics, the incumbent senator attempted to distinguish himself and his Democratic challenger, commenting that Rep. Allred’s political positions are “far out of step with the voters of Texas.”
“His record on allowing boys to play in girls’ sports like the rest of his record is radical and extreme,” Senator Cruz explained, adding that Rep. Allred “voted to allow boys to play against girls in girls’ sports.”
“He voted to allow boys in girl’s bathrooms and the girl’s changing room and the girl’s locker rooms without the girls having any rights not to be exposed to naked men in the locker rooms,” Senator Cruz further commented.
On March 23, 2023, Rep. Allred voted against H.R.5 - Parents Bill of Rights Act.
The measure requires schools notify legal guardians and parents "of their rights regarding the education of their children."
Two of those parental rights listed in the bill were to:
- know if their child's school operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities that permit an individual whose biological sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designed for individuals whose biological sex is female;
- know if their child's school allows an individual whose biological sex is male to use restrooms or changing rooms designated for individuals whose biological sex is female; and
Instead, the Texas senator believes that “women should be protected,” but he doesn’t believe Rep. Allred or the Biden-Harris Administration are interested in doing that.
“Just today, we had a hearing on a Biden-Harris judicial nominee who voted with Colin Allred in support of allowing boys in girls’ sports and boys in girls’ locker rooms.” “I asked the judicial nominee this morning if, as a judge, he would be willing to allow a man who identifies as a woman to be incarcerated in a woman’s prison,” Senator Cruz added.
Citing President Joe Biden’s (D) nomination of “radical” Judge Sarah Netburn earlier this year, Senator Cruz pointed to a similar concern regarding the issue.
Referencing a ruling from Netburn, Senator Cruz expressed that “a large man who committed multiple rapes decides that he identified as a woman, asked to be sentenced to a woman’s prison, and she said ‘sure’ and sentenced him to a woman’s prison in Fort Worth.”
“Do the woman have any rights in this proposition? Do the women in prison have a right not to have their cell mate be a six-foot two biological man who’s a serial rapist?” Senator Cruz questioned. “She couldn’t answer that.”
