“#YourBodyYourChoice”: Texas Senator Ted Cruz backs NBA players hesitant about vaccine
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is rallying behind NBA players who have expressed hesitancy about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
In a tweet, he singled out four players: Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal and Jonathan Isaac
“I stand with Kyrie Irving. I stand with Andrew Wiggins. I stand with Bradley Beal. I stand with Jonathan Isaac,” Cruz tweeted.
Cruz also commended LeBron James, The Los Angeles Lakers star who said on Tuesday that he was vaccinated but would not use his platform to encourage others to receive the vaccine.
NBA players are not required to be vaccinated for the upcoming season, but they will be subject to more stringent protocols, such as daily testing. Unvaccinated players on teams whose cities require the vaccine in NBA stadiums would also be prohibited from playing in home games.
Irving plays for the Brooklyn Nets, in a city where vaccines are required in indoor public places. Rolling Stone reported that he recently began liking Instagram posts from a vaccine conspiracy theorist.
Beal, a Washington Wizard, said Monday that “I would ask the question to those who are getting vaccinated, ‘Why are you still getting COVID?’”
Cruz is fully vaccinated, and he said Thursday that he supports vaccination. But he opposes attempts to mandate the vaccine.
“It shouldn’t be some politician forcing you to get vaccinated, whether it’s the mayor of a city or an NBA team,” Cruz told the Star-Telegram. “Each of us should make our own health care decisions.”
Cruz’s tweet also include “#YourBodyYourChoice,” a phrase similar to one used by abortion advocates. Texas has been under scrutiny for enacting an effective ban on all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest.
The use of the hashtag prompted widespread condemnation on Twitter.
Cruz, an abortion opponent, defended the use of the hashtag on Thursday.
“The reason why Texas law today restricts abortion is to protect the body and the life of the unborn child,” Cruz said. “I very much believe in your body, your choice. If you want to do whatever you want to your body, knock yourself out. But you don’t have the right to harm somebody else’s body.”