Susanne Atanus, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky for her 9th district seat, has asked two federal courts to uphold state bans on gay marriage, On Top Magazine reported Sept. 18.
Atanus submitted a four-page handwritten letter to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Fransisco, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, to make her case.
In the letter, Atanus attempts to correlate homosexuality with climate change and disease, a connection she has drawn upon frequently over the course of her campaign.
Atanus wrote in her letter, "Homosexuality is sin and we are a nation under God and it is sinful to disobey God's word in the Bible. We have seen the consequences of sin that is harmful to all mankind: droughts, floods, severe winters, tornadoes, hurricanes and many diseases, ailments, sickness, cancers, bacterial infections, etc. Also plagues, arctic vortex, tsunamis, sink holes, mudslides."
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month heard arguments on marriage bans in Hawaii, Nevada and Idaho.
In January, Atanus reached out to Windy City Times to say that she is not looking to alienate LGBT voters, but added that gay marriage along with abortion was the cause of the Midwest's severe winter.
"Everybody knows that God controls weather," Atanus said. "God is super angry…Gay marriage is not appropriate, and it doesn't look right, and it breeds AIDS."
She has maintained that she is running on a platform ensuring "common sense economics for prosperity for all."
Republican leaders, meanwhile, have diligently tried to distance themselves from Atanus' views. Adam Robinson, chairman of the Chicago Republican Party, told Huffington Post that Atanus "is not in any way affiliated with any of our efforts in the Chicago GOP, nor have we ever supported, endorsed, or assisted her in any way at any time." Officials from both Cook County and Illinois state Republican Party organizations both have encouraged Atanus to drop out of the race as well.
In March, Schakowsky told the Daily Herald, "Republicans have nominated a troubled individual with a history of making inflammatory statements that have no place in the public discourse. This election cycle, I will be working to advance a progressive agenda and the ideals of the district by helping Democrats take back the House, and keeping Illinois a solid blue state."
On Top's article is at bit.ly/1pkud5X .
Windy City Times' Atanus profile is at: bit.ly/Lc244r .
Daily Herald's article is at: bit.ly/1oH67EV .