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Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was criticized after he made a feeble attempt at humor by mocking gender pronouns during a conservative student conference this past week.
During a speech he gave at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida over the weekend, Cruz said his pronouns are "kiss my a**" while claiming to take a stand against "woke college campuses" he has previously accused of being havens of so-called liberal indoctrination.
You can hear what Cruz said in the video below.
\u201c\u201cTough guy\u201d Ted Cruz feels more threatened by pronouns than by Donald Trump attacking his wife.\n\nTed Cruz is a coward. Just like Josh Hawley.\u201d— Gabe Sanchez \uea00 (@Gabe Sanchez \uea00) 1658609854
Cruz said:
"I talked to a student recently at one of our woke college campuses who said she is required in every class to introduce herself and to give her pronouns."
“Well, my name is Ted Cruz and my pronoun is ‘kiss my a**.’”
Preferred gender pronouns are the pronouns a person prefers be used when they are referred to, in order to indicate their gender identity.
It has become increasingly common for people to display their pronouns in the workplace or on social media profiles. Because pronouns are not indicative of a person's sexual orientation, not everyone who shares their pronouns necessarily identifies as LGBTQ+.
Straight, cisgender people often choose to share and display their pronouns to let others, especially LGBTQ+ individuals, know they are in a safe space, especially if their gender identity is often questioned or if they are regularly misgendered.
The use of gender pronouns in the workplace, for instance, help normalize and encourage discussions about gender in such a way that transgender and non-binary individuals can feel safe and included.
Cruz's actions opened him up to criticism and prompted many to turn his own words against him.
\u201cIt cost absolutely nothing to acknowledge a pronoun. Refusing to respect others is just mean. That\u2019s the backbone of this party\u2019s message. \u201d— Heather Gardner (@Heather Gardner) 1658618141
\u201cIt\u2019s time to remove the garbage in Congress\u2014it\u2019s stinking up the place. #VoteInNovember #BlueCrew https://t.co/Zpu9YmeJNs\u201d— Bob **Free Brittney Griner** (@Bob **Free Brittney Griner**) 1658672881
\u201cTed Cruz' pronouns should be\n\nI/Liked/An/Incest/Porn/Video/on/9/11\u201d— Dustin He/Him @JohnCena pls follow me! (@Dustin He/Him @JohnCena pls follow me!) 1658881681
\u201cRecognizing someone by their pronouns lessens their chance of comitting suicide....I guarnatee you Ted Cruz knows this and that's one reason he refuses to. Quit telling me how this party is pro-life. It is pro-control, and that's it.\u201d— David Carner (@David Carner) 1658618291
\u201cPeople like Ted Cruz acting so fragile about the concept of identifying one's pronouns as if every form we've ever filled out doesn't ask us to check the box for Ms. Mrs. Miss. Mr. or Other. \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Leigh Lewallen (@Leigh Lewallen) 1658849627
\u201cCelebrating ignorance. \ud83d\ude22\u201d— Gary Smith (@Gary Smith) 1658701712
\u201cI try to be respectful and listen to what people want but I'm having some trouble using Ted Cruz's new pronouns. Kiss my a** wants to have the pronouns "Kiss my a**" ... do you think it would be OK to shorten it to KMA? Would Kiss my a** be offended?\u201d— myrmepropagandist (@myrmepropagandist) 1658804924
\u201cNow we know Senator Ted Cruz's preferred pronouns are "kiss my a**", be sure to use them at every opportunity. Because "kiss my a**" will need pronouns when "kiss my a**" is gone from Congress. I hope soon. #TurnTexasBlue\u201d— Dr SJ Dodgson (@Dr SJ Dodgson) 1658941421
\u201cWhy are we being tortured by these a**holes?\u201d— maggie mammarelli (@maggie mammarelli) 1658642696
Cruz's disdain for gender pronouns was not the only thing people made fun of after his appearance at the Turning Point USA conference.
Cruz was mocked for making an overblown entrance, greeted by smoke cannons, loud music, and even a short light show.
The moment was later lampooned by late night television host Seth Meyers, who quipped that there has "never been a bigger gap between the drama of an entrance and the charisma of the person making the entrance."