JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Citizens, not the courts, should decide whether the definition of marriage includes same-sex couples, the state of Alaska said in court papers filed Friday.

The state is defending in federal court an amendment to Alaska’s constitution that bans gay marriage. In May, five same-sex couples - four married outside of Alaska and one unmarried couple - sued to overturn the ban approved by voters in 1998, saying it violates their rights to due process and equal protection under the U.S. Constitution.

In a filing Friday, attorneys for the state said citizens have a fundame...