Ted Cruz And The Gays

Mati, Ian and Ted

Just in case Ted Cruz was embarrassed when it came out this week that he had held a fundraiser at the Central Park penthouse home of gay New York hoteliers Mati Weiderpass and Ian Reisner (where a 23-year-old man had OD-ed and died last fall), he was ready with some anti-LGBT legislation immediately after the event-- two bills in fact! Still eager for the evangelical/bigotry vote that is so crucial in GOP primary contests (especially in places like Iowa and South Carolina), Cruz is trying to establish a constitutional amendment that would shield states that define marriage as between one woman and one man from legal action.

An aide to Mr. Cruz, reached on Thursday, reiterated that the senator is opposed to same-sex marriage.

Mr. Cruz has honed his reputation as a grass-roots firebrand, and was strongly supportive of the Indiana religious exceptions law that was recently blasted as discriminatory by gay rights activists. When the law was attacked by major businesses like Walmart, he criticized the “Fortune 500’s radical gay marriage agenda.”

In Iowa a few weeks ago, Mr. Cruz said, “The Fortune 500 is running shamelessly to endorse the radical gay marriage agenda over religious liberty to say, ‘We will persecute a Christian pastor, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi. Any person of faith is subject to persecution if they dare disagree, if their religious faith parts way from their political commitment to gay marriage.’"

So the juxtaposition of Mr. Cruz being the guest of honor at a home owned by two of the most visible gay businessmen in New York City was striking. Mr. Cruz was on a fund-raising tour of New York City, although the dinner was not a fund-raiser.

Mr. Cruz also told the group that Peter Thiel, an openly gay investor, is a close friend of his, Mr. Sporn said. Mr. Thiel has been a generous contributor to Mr. Cruz’s campaigns.

The gays claim they invited Cruz and half a dozen conservative donors because they agree with him on national security issues, especially Israel. Cruz didn't talk about LGBT issues one way or the other at the event but he did say he'd still love his daughter even if she was a lesbian and that one of his best friends...

Reisner owns the Out NYC, a gay-oriented hotel on Manhattan’s West Side. He purchased the Pavilion nightclub, the Blue Whale and other commercial properties in Fire Island Pines, New York, in January for $10.1 million.

A Facebook page calling for a boycott of the Out NYC and the Fire Island businesses that Reisner owns has received more than 1,400 likes since the New York Times published its article earlier on Thursday. It contains a picture of the Weiderpass with Cruz that was taken during the Manhattan reception.

“The man in the picture next to Ted Cruz, one of the most vociferous anti-gay politicians in contemporary history, is Mati Weiderpass, the co-owner, along with Ian Reisner, of ~75% of Fire Island Pines’ commercial district as well as the Out NYC Hotel in Manhattan,” reads a post beneath the picture. “Weiderpass, an out gay man, held a “reception” this past weekend for Senator Cruz. The question, among so many others, is, WHY???!!!”

Reisner on Friday responded to the growing controversy over his decision to host Cruz at his apartment.

The gay hotelier wrote on his Facebook page that he was “given the opportunity to have a candid conversation with Senator Ted Crus on where he stood on issues including the state of Israel and national security.” He said these are “the only places where we share common ground." ...Cruz last month introduced a resolution that urged Congress to kill a D.C. bill that would protect LGBT students from discrimination in religious schools.

UPDATE: The Apology

Ian Reisner, who had also hosted a fundraiser for anti-gay sociopath Ron Johnson (R-WI), posted an apology for the Cruz event on his Facebook page Sunday evening:

I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake. I was ignorant, naive and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights. I've spent the past 24 hours reviewing videos of Cruz' statements on gay marriage and I am shocked and angry. I sincerely apologize for hurting the gay community and so many of our friends, family, allies, customers and employees. I will try my best to make up for my poor judgement. Again, I am deeply sorry.

Ted Cruz poses with a gay... in Manhattan

UPDATE: Ian Reisner Terrorizes Million Dollar Listing

Ian Reisner didn't come off all that well after his event with vicious homophobe Ted Cruz. Reisner issued a phony-baloney apology to the gay community. And today I saw him on a rerun of BRAVO's Million Dollar Listing, New York. That series doesn't have any pleasant people or heroes. Pretty much all the characters are DISGUSTING. But Reisner was more disgusting than anyone else ever. First scene was him trying to bully realtor Luis into having sex with him. It got worse as the real Ian Reisner revealed himself as a selfish, greed-obsessed rip-off artist. You wonder how gay people can be Republican? Ian Reisner was made to be a Republican. He's what Republicans are all about.