Ted Cruz once argued to ban sex toys. His college roommate just revealed why that was hypocritical.

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Back in 2004, Ted Cruz's solicitor general office fought to defend a ruling in Texas that found selling sex toys was not protected by the Constitution. In his brief, Cruz's office defended the obscenity law by saying that "any alleged right associated with obscene devices" is not "deeply rooted in the nation's history and traditions."

Then came the real whammy. The brief went even further, asserting that, "There is no substantive-due-process right to stimulate one's genitals for non-medical purposes unrelated to procreation or outside of an interpersonal relationship." In other words, as Mother Jones explains, Cruz effectively argued that "the pursuit of such happiness had no constitutional standing."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.