Susanne Atanus, who is vying for the
GOP nomination in the Ninth Congressional District of Illinois and
has blamed bad weather on gay marriage, is lobbying for gay votes.
Atanus late last month blamed natural
disasters, dementia and autism on same-sex marriage and abortion.
“God is angry,” Atanus said during
a meeting with the editorial board of the Daily Herald. “We
are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil
unions. Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it's in our
military, it will weaken our military. We need to respect God.”
Illinois GOP officials responded by
asking Atanus to withdraw from the race, calling her remarks
“offensive.”
In comments to Chicago gay weekly Windy
City Times, Atanus reiterated that “God is super angry.”
“Gay marriage is not appropriate, and
it doesn't look right, and it breeds AIDS,” Atanus stated.
Atanus said she believes the LGBT
community should support her candidacy because she backs medical
partner benefits for gay couples and gays will benefit from a
stronger economy.
“You can tell the community that I
called to reach out to them, that I need them, and they need me,”
Atanus said.