We have noted several times before that there seems to be no activist who is too extreme to be embraced by Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, so we were not particularly surprised when the Texas senator recently announced that infamous demon-hunting, anti-gay exorcist/state legislator Gordon Klingenschmitt would be part of his Colorado leadership team.
"I am honored to have the support of so many courageous conservatives in Colorado," Cruz said in a press release celebrating the formation of "his Colorado Leadership Team with the endorsement of 25 current and former elected officials and key grassroots leaders," including Klingenschmitt.
Some might recognize Klingenschmitt from a Daily Show segment just last week in which his ignorance and bigotry were on full display, but for those unfamiliar with "Dr. Chaps," as he likes to be called, allow us to fill you in.
Back in 2006, Klingenschmitt was booted out of the Navy for wearing his uniform at a political rally, in violation of military regulations, though he claimed, of course, that he was the victim of anti-Christian persecution (and that God even sent a hurricane as a show of support for him), thus beginning his career as a Religious Right activist.
In 2014, Klingenschmitt won a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives and his tenure in office, unsurprisingly, has been marked by controversy. He was stripped of his seat on the House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee in his first year in office after claiming on his "Pray In Jesus Name" television program that a brutal attack on a pregnant woman in the state was due to the "curse of God upon America" for legal abortion:
He ultimately apologized for his remarks (while portraying himself as the victim) and eventually the controversy blew over enough to allow him to launch a bid for a seat in the state Senate.
Klingenschmitt is a viciously anti-gay theocrat who brags of having once tried to rid a woman of the "foul spirit of lesbianism" through an exorcism and believes that gay people "want your soul" and may sexually abuse their own children, which is why he says that they should face government discrimination since only people who are going to heaven are entitled to equal treatment by the government:
He has declared that judges who strike down gay marriage bans are "imposing the Devil's law upon people" and are deceiving people into hell, warning that these rulings will eventually be overturned by Jesus, who will send all gay people to hell:
Klingenschmitt has declared that the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy should never have been repealed since gay soldiers cannot serve effectively in combat because they are constantly "taking breaks on the combat field to change diapers all because their treacherous sin causes them to lose control of their bowels." He also proclaims that those who are not welcome in the church should not be entitled to use public restrooms.
Gays, he says, have something inhuman and demonic inside of them which causes them to persecute Christians and which is why he thinks that teaching kids about gay marriage is mental rape and advocates for Christians to print anti-gay Bible verses on the backs of gay people's wedding photos:
Klingenschmitt is a man who wrote a book arguing that President Obama is ruled by multiple "demonic spirits" and once even tried to exorcise the White House, claims that "Obamacare causes cancer," that the Bible commands people to own guns in order to "defend themselves against left wing crazies" and that the FCC is allowing demonic spirits to "molest and visually rape your children":
Klingenschmitt has repeatedly warned that allowing gays to serve in the Boy Scouts will lead to "more homosexual molestation of young boys," that gays need conversion therapy to "get the Devil out" and stated last year that a crane collapse in Mecca that killed over 100 Muslim worshipers was "the consequence of their sin" for "praying to Satan":
And Ted Cruz is so "honored" to have Klingenschmitt's support that he has placed him on his Colorado leadership team.
