West Virginia Wingnuts Demand Special Legislative Session To Ban Gay Marriage

The Family Policy Council's West Virginia klavern is threatening the "wrath of the voters" if the legislature doesn't hold a special hate session to ban gay marriage.

As the general election approaches, a Christian evangelical group has issued an ultimatum to Gov. Joe Manchin: call a special session to pass a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, or face the wrath of voters. The Family Policy Council of West Virginia told the governor on Oct. 9 that he had until Wednesday to agree to call the Legislature into session. The conservative group cites polling it commissioned of around 500 registered voters that it says found 73 percent supported an amendment defining marriage as a "union of one man and one woman."

"The donors to this organization, as well as my board, are asking -- rather stridently -- that we release the poll to the public as soon as possible," Jeremy Dys, the group's president, said in a letter to the governor's office. "If he has determined that the timing is not right, the duty I have to our donors and the Board of Directors requires that I release this as soon as possible."

As in Florida, West Virginia already has a gay marriage ban on the books, but the Soldiers of Jeebus want discrimination enshrined in the constitution. They suggest holding a statewide vote next year when nobody is up for reelection, in order to provide cover for the state's hate-inclined pols to support them.