A politician in the US state of Utah has proposed a bill which would offer citizens the option to tick a box on their tax form to donate money towards preventing same-sex couples from marrying.

Republican Representative Merril Nelson of Grantsville proposed the bill which would include an option on tax forms to donate a portion of their income tax refund towards a ‘Marriage Defense Fund’.

The Salt Lake Tribune notes that the form already includes donations for groups such as a homeless trust fund and the Girl Scouts.

Representative Nelson says the suggested option is meant to serve as an alternative for same-sex marriage advocates who have complained that the state is using taxpayers’ money to fight against an equal marriage ruling by a US District Judge last month.

This new measure has also been criticised by supporters of marriage equality.


The US Supreme Court since put a stay on equal marriage in the US state, forbidding same-sex couples from being issued with marriage licences in the state during an appeal against a ruling to allow them.


Herbert has since accused US District Judge Robert Shelby of being an “activist”, and said his strike-down of the same-sex marriage ban was one step away from a “dictatorship”.

The Governor also defended his decision to spend over $300,000 of taxpayers’ money towards recruiting out-of-state counsel to help defend Amendment 3.