A Los Angeles area man, who wanted to marry his laptop as a protest against marriage equality, has sued Rep. Alan Lowenthal and three other members of Congress, demanding they remove the rainbow-colored pride flag displayed outside their congressional offices. Photo: Office of Congressman Alan Lowenthal.
LONG BEACH — A Los Angeles area man, who wanted to marry his laptop as a protest against marriage equality, has sued Rep. Alan Lowenthal and three other members of Congress, demanding they remove the rainbow-colored pride flag displayed outside their congressional offices.
In an emailed statement Thursday, Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), a long-time supporter of the LGBTQ community and the first member of Congress to display the pride flag outside his Washington D.C. office, pledged to continue “to fly the Pride Flag outside my office as a symbol of tolerance, love, and inclusivity to every visitor to Capitol Hill.”
‘LEGALLY INCOHERENT’
Lowenthal also denounced the lawsuit is “patently frivolous, at times legally incoherent, and seeks only to promote bigotry and hate over the message of love and diversity that the Pride Flag stands for.”
Lowenthal, who represents Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill and neighboring portions of Orange County, went on social media Tuesday and criticized the lawsuit, which his office received a copy of the same day.
LAWSUIT DEMANDS
Chris Sevier, who filed his suit March 23 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, demands the pride flags be removed from the congressional hallways, homosexuality be declared a religion and Obergefell v. Hodges — the case that led to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality in 2015 — be overturned.
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Also, Sevier wants the court to “force all of the states, and the Federal Government to only legally recognize actual marriage between ‘one man and one woman.”
Sevier also wants $1 in damages.
The lawsuit also names U.S. Reps. Susan Davis (D-San Diego), Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) and Don Beyer (D-Virginia) as defendants.
They are being represented by the House of Representatives Office of General Counsel. If the case is not dismissed by the judge on its merits, or lack thereof, the General Counsel will file a motion to dismiss, said Lowenthal spokesman, Keith Higginbotham.
FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS
Several months ago, Sevier filed suit in Utah and wanted the legal right to marry his laptop. Sevier’s argument followed his ridiculous logic: Since same-sex couples have the legal right to marry, he should have the right to marry his laptop.
He has filed similar suits in Florida, Kentucky and Texas.
Sevier’s lawsuit against Lowenthal and the other three members of Congress, isn’t the first time the pride flag has gained negative attention. Earlier this year, an unidentified man entered Lowenthal’s office, and complained that the flag was inappropriate before pulling it from its holder, throwing it to the ground and stepping on it.
As for Lowenthal, he will “continue to fight any effort to move us backwards as a nation and as a people.”
