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• On November 4, 2008, 52% of California residents voted yes on Proposition 8, which changed California's state constitution to declare that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."Wall Street Journal: Polls Show California's Prop 8 Ahead(November 5, 2008) Attorney General's Office: Proposition 8 language

  On May 26, 2009, the California Supreme Court announced their decision to uphold Proposition 8. However, the roughly 18,000 same-sex marriages that were granted before Proposition 8 went into effect, will remain legal.USA Today: California Supreme Court upholds ban on gay marriages

• Fast Facts

  1. Also known as the "Marriage Protection Act"Press Telegram: Prop. 8 battle lines drawn (September 22, 2008)
  2. Supporters of Proposition 8 raised $28.4 million (as of October 28, 2008)LA Times: Proposition 8 - Tracking the Money (October 28, 2008)
  3. Groups against Proposition 8 raised $32.9 million (as of October 28, 2008)LA Times: Proposition 8 - Tracking the Money (October 28, 2008)
  4. Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg donated $200,000 to defeat the measureLA Times: Backers of California same-sex marriage ban are out-fundraising opponents (September 23, 2008)
  5. Apple Inc. donated $100,000 against the billNME: Apple Donates $100,000 To Save Gay Marriage (October 24, 2008)
  6. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen appeared at a rally supporting Proposition K as the character Bruno on November 2, 2008
  7. California attorney general, Jerry Brown, has stated that the thousands of same-sex marriages that were performed in the past few months would remain valid if the ban passesWall Street Journal: Polls Show California's Prop 8 Ahead(November 5, 2008)

• Twitter Fail

  On May 15, 2009, hundreds of Twitter users, including the Los Angeles Times, announced that Proposition 8 had been overturned. However, the messages cited a May 16, 2008, article which referenced the Supreme Court overturning the same-sex marriage ban. The California Supreme Court has yet to make a ruling in the pending 2009 case.Twitter: LA Times

• The Fate of Prop. 8

  The California State Supreme Court heard cases pertaining to the ban and determined that same-sex couples may not enter into marriages while cases are being heard.San Francisco Chronicle: State Supreme Court to hear challenges to Prop. 8 On December 19, 2008, California Attorney General Jerry Brown presented an 111-page brief to the state Supreme Court, asking them to void Prop 8.Los Angeles Times: Jerry Brown asks California Supreme Court to void gay-marriage ban (December 20, 2008)

  The decision was announced on May 26, 2009, to uphold the bill, but did allow the roughly 18,000 same-sex marriages conducted before the bill will remain legal.USA Today: California Supreme Court upholds ban on gay marriages

• Supporter Names and Information

  U.S. District Judge Morrison England denied a request to keep the names of Proposition 8 supporters private and on February 3, 2009, a list of donors appeared on the California Secretary of State website. The list includes the donor's name, zip code and amount contributed. Lawyers for the Protect Marriage Campaign are worried that the release of the list will put contributors in danger.NBC: Fearful Prop. 8... (February 3, 2009)

• History

  Homosexual couples were allowed to marry in California after a May 15, 2008, Supreme Court ruling overturned a ban on the practice. The previous ban, Proposition 22, was put in place in 2000 with 61% of the vote.LA Times: Citing Prop. 22, Gov. Rejects Gay Marriage Bill (September 8, 2005)

  Shortly after the results of the voting were announced, protests against the passage of Proposition 8 broke out across California and those opposed to the bill continued to demonstrate into mid-November.FOX News: Several Gay Marriage Ban Protesters Arrested... (November 6, 2008) LA Times: Prop. 8 opponents rally across California to protest... (November 15, 2008)

• Quote

  "No one can underestimate the impact of the largest state in the nation treating all of its citizens equally."—Lorri Jean, head of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and a leader of the campaign to protect gay marriage rights

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Gay Marriage | California Gay Marriage | How to Do Same Sex Marriage in California | Brad Pitt Gay Marriage | Iprotect | Bruno Gay Marriage Rally | California Propositions | Proposition 8 Lawsuits | Keith Olbermann Prop 8 | Gay Marriage Protests | Prop 8 The Musical | California Budget | 2M4M

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