August 22, 2015

Someone got an earful at the Iowa State Fair this week. Good for Ellen Page: Ellen Page vs. Ted Cruz on Gay Rights:

The Iowa State Fair got heated earlier today when the self-described ‘tiny Canadian’ grilled Ted Cruz about gay rights.

Actress and self-described “tiny Canadian” Ellen Page showed up at the Iowa State Fair today and confronted Sen. Ted Cruz about “the persecution of gays in the workplace and LGBT rights.”

When Page asked the Republican presidential candidate about people being gay or transgender, the senator reframed their mini-debate around religious liberty.

“Well, what we’re seeing right now, we’re seeing Bible-believing Christians being persecuted for living according to their faith,” Cruz said.

Their exchange also touched on the persecution of gays under ISIS, Iran, anti-gay violence in Jamaica, and whether or not a “gay florist” should be forced to cater to a wedding ceremony for two evangelicals. Read on...

Here's more from ABC:

Cruz and Page, both Canadian-born, spoke for over five minutes. Afterward, ABC News asked Cruz whether he knew it was Page and he said no. He described the conversation to us as being about religious liberty.

Friday night Cruz plans to hold a rally in Des Moines meant to call “attention to the religious persecution of Christian business owners and employees who have been sanctioned by their government because of their religious beliefs,” according to the Cruz campaign. Along with the senator, the event will feature appearances by other religious freedom advocates, including an Iowa couple who refused to host a gay wedding at a venue they owned.

Page is in Iowa on a project for VICE Media, her publicist told ABC News today, declining to provide details.

Page is set to star in the film “Freehold,” co-starring Julianne Moore, about a police officer and her partner's legal battle to get her pension benefits after she's diagnosed with cancer. Page came out as gay on Valentine's Day last year. On Twitter, Page has posted some tweets in the past about Cruz ranging from attacking Cruz on health care to tweeting she wants his coloring book.

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