A polygamous Montana trio recently applied for a second marriage license, according to the Associated Press. They plan legal action if their application is rejected.
Nathan Collier and his wife Victoria were legally married in 2000, and in 2007, he and Christine were married only in a religious ceremony to avoid bigamy charges.
Same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states, but bigamy, or having more than one marriage license at a time, is illegal nationwide.
The trio applied for a second marriage license for Nathan and Christine in Billings on Tuesday. Collier told the AP that they were “inspired” by the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage and that he “plans to sue if the application is denied.”
“It’s about marriage equality,” Collier told the AP. “You can’t have this without polygamy.”
At press time, Collier had yet to receive a response to their application from the state of Montana.
“The interview was almost comical; the clerks didn’t know how to respond and made multiple trips to the back room to discuss it with others,” Collier told BuzzFeed News.
Yellowstone County chief civil litigator Kevin Gillen told the AP he is reviewing the case and will send Collier a formal response.
“I think he deserves an answer,” Gillen said.
Collier said that he and his wives deserve “legitimacy.”
“I lead my family but I certainly do not rule my family,” he told BuzzFeed. “We are three loving adults working together for a common goal of raising our family and finding our own happiness in the process.”
Collier, a former Mormon, also told Buzzfeed he was excommunicated for practicing polygamy.
“I have no religious beliefs anymore and religion is not a factor,” he said.
