February 16, 2004
LIBERTY COUNSEL ATTORNEYS BLANKET THE COUNTRY
Tomorrow, February 17, Liberty Counsel attorneys will be simultaneously in court in three corners of the country: Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lakeland, Florida, and San Francisco, California. We are blanketing the country defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.
LAKELAND, FLORIDA (Traditional Family)
Tomorrow between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon EST, I will present Oral Argument at a Florida state appellate court in the case of Kantaras v. Kantaras. Although we were not the attorneys at trial, we have now become lead counsel on appeal. After a three-week trial, a state court judge issued an 800-page opinion, stating that sex or gender is primarily determined in your mind, not your biology or physiology. Thus, the court ruled that Margo Kantaras, who changed her name to "Michael", should be considered male for purposes of marriage, even though she is biologically female. The reason stated by the judge is that Margo wants to be a male and believes that she is male. Thus, Margo had a hysterectomy and a total mastectomy, but still has her female sexual organs. She "married" Linda by misrepresenting to the County Clerk that she was male. At the time, Linda was not a Christian, but later became a Christian and realized the relationship was wrong. Margo/Michael then filed for "divorce", claiming she should have custody of Linda's two children. The judge ruled that gender is a state of mind, and therefore, if Margo/Michael wants to be male, she is male. Thus, the judge ruled the relationship did not violate Florida's ban on same-sex marriage. The judge also ruled that Linda had a problem, not Margo/Michael, because Linda’s Christian beliefs could not accept homosexuality or transsexualism. Thus, the judge literally removed the children from Linda and gave them to the transsexual, even though the children want to be with their mother, Linda. This is an extremely important case that has broad ramifications for same-sex marriage, transsexualism, and the objective rule of law. Please pray for this argument.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (Traditional Family)
Liberty Counsel Senior Litigation Counsel, Rena Lindevaldsen, will appear in a San Francisco state court tomorrow asking the court to issue an emergency injunction blocking Mayor Gavin Newsom’s attempt to issue same-sex marriage licenses. California law clearly states that marriage is between one man and one woman. The Mayor has no authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, yet he directed the County Clerk to do so and wants to preside over a marriage this week between two brides and two grooms. Please pray for this case, and for Rena’s protection, as she is walking into the so-called “belly of the beast” to defend traditional marriage and to confront the radical homosexual agenda.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN (Sanctity of Human Life & Religious Freedom)
Liberty Counsel Chief Attorney Erik Stanley will be in Green Bay, Wisconsin, tomorrow arguing on behalf of Mark Gabriel. Mr. Gabriel was peacefully demonstrating on a public sidewalk outside the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. He was carrying signs regarding Planned Parenthood’s abortion activities. His activities were peaceful and he did not block or impede sidewalk traffic. However, he was ticketed by police officers based upon the town’s sign ordinance. He has been told that if he brings the pro-life signs back to the sidewalk, he will be charged with violating the “law.” Tomorrow Erik will argue the final hearing, asking the court to strike down the ordinance as a violation of the First Amendment.
Mathew D. Staver, Esq.
Liberty Counsel
PO Box 540774
Orlando, FL 32854
800-671-1776
www.lc.org