Westboro Baptist Church Files Motion to Ban Gay Marriage in Kan.

Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.

Members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church, headquartered in Kansas, have taken matters into their own hands when it comes to the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the "God Hates Fags" church wants to defend the ban in federal court and members of WBC have filed a 38-page document Sunday, asking to intervene as defendants in the ongoing lawsuit.

Their reason? The WBC argues that that Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, whose office has been arguing to keep Kansas' gay marriage ban, is not adequate to represent the church.

"The Kansas Attorney General (representing all defendants) is unable to adequately represent WBC because of the political pressure that flows from widespread disagreement with WBC and her ministry and religious message," the motion read.

In their motion, the members of WBC also say that the legalization of same-sex marriage will destroy Kansas.

"WBC desires to assert that it is constitutional folly to suggest that a sinful-based behavior union should be a union that is afforded civil rights and granted the imprimatur of respectability by a license from the government; and that in doing so the government violates its duty of religious neutrality; and puts itself in the position of imposing sin on the citizens, to the great detriment and harm of the health and welfare of the citizenry," the motion reads.'

The newspaper reports WBC's Jonathan Phelps "didn't appear optimistic when asked if Westboro's argument would prevail in court."

"I have no hope that there is a person in this nation in an official position that has the fear of God in him," Phelps said.

Though a judge ruled that Kansas' ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional, the state's Supreme Court stayed the ruling after one same-sex couple received a marriage license. The Kansas Supreme Court will hear the case on Nov. 6.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit earlier this month on behalf of same-sex couples in Wichita and Lecompton, Kan., after they were denied marriage licenses.


by Jason St. Amand , National News Editor

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