GAY NEWS
The Last Stand: A Who's Who of Proposition 8
By L.K. Regan
Published Oct 31, 2008
Published Oct 31, 2008
There are only a few days left until the election (Tuesday! Don't forget!), and things in California are really heating up around Proposition 8, the ballot measure that would amend the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Proposition 8 has long since ceased to be an internal matter of California politics. From around the nation, funds, endorsements, advertisements and every other kind of pressure are flowing into California to try to influence the outcome of the vote. We've got a run-down for you of the who's who of Prop 8—and a final plea to join the fight.
Churches
Churches are playing a big role in the Prop 8 fight, on both sides. By far the largest contributions are being made by the Mormon Church (or LDS). In fact, the LDS leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah put out a plea to their entire membership in May of this year, asking for an all-out effort in support of Proposition 8. Since then, the website MormonsFor8.com reports, the LDS has funelled over $12 million in donations, large and small, to the "Yes on 8" movement. Such a coordinated mass action by a national church to influence the outcome of a statewide election is a sign of the degree to which opponents of gay marriage see what happens in California as a bellwether for the nation.
Churches within California have also tried to organize and motivate their members. On October 19, hundreds of churches held a live simulcast to get out the pro-8 vote. On the other side, the bishops of the California Episcopal Church, Unitarian Churches statewide, and some reform synagogues all oppose Prop 8. There have also been brave individual members of the religious community who have stood with gay couples in support of equal rights. Though the Catholic church vehemently opposes same-sex marriage, one Fresno priest, Father Geoffrey Farrow, was removed from his post after delivering a sermon opposing Prop 8. "I know these words of truth will cost me dearly," Farrow said. "But to withhold them...I would become an accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people not only of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well."
On a slightly different note, St. Paul the Apostle Church in Chino Hills, California reported the theft of 300 "Yes on 8" lawn-signs from its courtyard. We'd like to shake the hand of that enterprising thief.
Celebrities
California is home to Los Angeles, of course, so it's no surprise that celebrities have gotten into the Prop 8 fray, mostly on the side of supporting gay rights. Some of these have been very well-publicized: Ellen Degeneres, who married Portia DeRossi in August, made a television commercial opposing Prop 8 and backed it up by buying $100,000 worth of air time for it. One hundred grand seems to be the magic number for the big Prop 8 celebrity donors. Brad Pitt gave that amount to the "No on 8" campaign, as did Stephen Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw. Real World creator and producer Jonathan Murray gave $10,000, and other donors also handed over checks with multiple zeros—director Gus van Sant with $2,500 and Star Trek's George Takei (who got married to his long-term partner in September) with $2,600. Want to know if your favorite star is on the right side of things? A handy website is tracking celebrity contributions, and providing photos to put names with the faces.
Politicians
A long list of California politicians oppose Prop 8, including California's Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger (we've never quite gotten used to hearing that) and his wife, Maria Shriver. Both of California's U.S. senators, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, likewise oppose the ballot measure, as do 21 of California's 53 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Many state senators, mayors (including, of course, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, whose decision to start marrying same-sex couples in 2004 started California on the path to Tuesday's electoral showdown), and other local officials have also publicly opposed the measure. According to the "Yes on 8" campaign itself, no public official above the level of state senator has actually publicly endorsed the measure—though clearly many are remaining silent.
Corporations
Only a small handful of corporations have weighed in on Proposition 8, fearing the impact on their business. Recently, the "Yes on 8" campaign sent a letter to those businesses and business owners who donated to the "No on 8" campaign, threatening to "out" them if they did not make equal contributions in support of Proposition 8. So far, only the following companies have publicly announced their intent to oppose the ballot measure: Google, Levi Strauss, PG&E, Apple, Amgen, Sweet, Morgan Hotel Group, Clear Channel, and Salesforce.com.
Individual business figures are also stepping up to express their opposition. A full-page ad in today's San Jose Mercury News, a paper from the heart of Silicon Valley, condemns Prop 8 in the name of a who's who of high tech business leaders—Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, Adobe Systems founder and chairman Chuck Geschke, Google founder Sergey Brin and CEO Eric Schmidt, Cisco former CEO and chairman John Morgridge, eBay founder and chairman Pierre Omidyar, among a long list of others. As the ad says, "As Silicon Valley leaders, we are committed to equality and fairness. We are opposed to Proposition 8 because it would change our state constitution to take away rights from one group of people. It would set our state, and our country, back in the fight for fundamental fairness and equal rights." Let's hear it for high tech!
Current polling has the fate of Prop 8 too close to call. This weekend will involve a final advertising push, for which the "No on 8" campaign is asking for donations. If you have a few dollars to contribute, there's still time—and the stakes are high.
Churches
Churches are playing a big role in the Prop 8 fight, on both sides. By far the largest contributions are being made by the Mormon Church (or LDS). In fact, the LDS leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah put out a plea to their entire membership in May of this year, asking for an all-out effort in support of Proposition 8. Since then, the website MormonsFor8.com reports, the LDS has funelled over $12 million in donations, large and small, to the "Yes on 8" movement. Such a coordinated mass action by a national church to influence the outcome of a statewide election is a sign of the degree to which opponents of gay marriage see what happens in California as a bellwether for the nation.
Churches within California have also tried to organize and motivate their members. On October 19, hundreds of churches held a live simulcast to get out the pro-8 vote. On the other side, the bishops of the California Episcopal Church, Unitarian Churches statewide, and some reform synagogues all oppose Prop 8. There have also been brave individual members of the religious community who have stood with gay couples in support of equal rights. Though the Catholic church vehemently opposes same-sex marriage, one Fresno priest, Father Geoffrey Farrow, was removed from his post after delivering a sermon opposing Prop 8. "I know these words of truth will cost me dearly," Farrow said. "But to withhold them...I would become an accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people not only of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well."
On a slightly different note, St. Paul the Apostle Church in Chino Hills, California reported the theft of 300 "Yes on 8" lawn-signs from its courtyard. We'd like to shake the hand of that enterprising thief.
Celebrities
California is home to Los Angeles, of course, so it's no surprise that celebrities have gotten into the Prop 8 fray, mostly on the side of supporting gay rights. Some of these have been very well-publicized: Ellen Degeneres, who married Portia DeRossi in August, made a television commercial opposing Prop 8 and backed it up by buying $100,000 worth of air time for it. One hundred grand seems to be the magic number for the big Prop 8 celebrity donors. Brad Pitt gave that amount to the "No on 8" campaign, as did Stephen Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw. Real World creator and producer Jonathan Murray gave $10,000, and other donors also handed over checks with multiple zeros—director Gus van Sant with $2,500 and Star Trek's George Takei (who got married to his long-term partner in September) with $2,600. Want to know if your favorite star is on the right side of things? A handy website is tracking celebrity contributions, and providing photos to put names with the faces.
Politicians
A long list of California politicians oppose Prop 8, including California's Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger (we've never quite gotten used to hearing that) and his wife, Maria Shriver. Both of California's U.S. senators, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, likewise oppose the ballot measure, as do 21 of California's 53 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Many state senators, mayors (including, of course, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, whose decision to start marrying same-sex couples in 2004 started California on the path to Tuesday's electoral showdown), and other local officials have also publicly opposed the measure. According to the "Yes on 8" campaign itself, no public official above the level of state senator has actually publicly endorsed the measure—though clearly many are remaining silent.
Corporations
Only a small handful of corporations have weighed in on Proposition 8, fearing the impact on their business. Recently, the "Yes on 8" campaign sent a letter to those businesses and business owners who donated to the "No on 8" campaign, threatening to "out" them if they did not make equal contributions in support of Proposition 8. So far, only the following companies have publicly announced their intent to oppose the ballot measure: Google, Levi Strauss, PG&E, Apple, Amgen, Sweet, Morgan Hotel Group, Clear Channel, and Salesforce.com.
Individual business figures are also stepping up to express their opposition. A full-page ad in today's San Jose Mercury News, a paper from the heart of Silicon Valley, condemns Prop 8 in the name of a who's who of high tech business leaders—Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, Adobe Systems founder and chairman Chuck Geschke, Google founder Sergey Brin and CEO Eric Schmidt, Cisco former CEO and chairman John Morgridge, eBay founder and chairman Pierre Omidyar, among a long list of others. As the ad says, "As Silicon Valley leaders, we are committed to equality and fairness. We are opposed to Proposition 8 because it would change our state constitution to take away rights from one group of people. It would set our state, and our country, back in the fight for fundamental fairness and equal rights." Let's hear it for high tech!
Current polling has the fate of Prop 8 too close to call. This weekend will involve a final advertising push, for which the "No on 8" campaign is asking for donations. If you have a few dollars to contribute, there's still time—and the stakes are high.
zoom10963 wrote:
NoOnPro8.com now leads to http://www.protectmarriage.com/. What's with that?
Nov 07 10:45 PM
metta8 wrote:
The NoOnProp8.com web site is down again. I don't know if they are updating or if it is being attacked by the other side again. The Prop 8 supporters have tried ever dirty dishonest trick that they could think of.
Nov 02 7:18 AM