California and Beyond: The Battle Over Gay Marriage

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:59am

"Two weeks to go, and already the fight over the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California is the costliest campaign about a social issue in U.S. history. Spending by both sides has topped $50 million, and the figure is growing. Most of those dollars have poured in since May, when the California Supreme Court turned what had been a slow-moving ballot initiative into a white-hot controversy by issuing the most sweeping declaration of fundamental gay rights to be found in U.S. law. Not only must gays be allowed to marry, the Republican-dominated court said, but it also flatly outlawed nearly any kind of discrimination against them.



The full article

Updated On: 10/22/08 at 08:59 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 1:53pm

I don't quite know all the logistics and details involved with Prop 8 and how it relates to the entire shebang--California's Constitution, the US Constitution, the Cali ruling, the precedent of the Cali legislature voting in favor of equal marriage, the existing gay marriages (and what happens if Prop 8 passes) in conjunction with all of the out of state marriages--some recognized in their home state of Conn or Mass, possibly--ya never know.

But I have this feeling that if Prop 8 passes, hell will come unleashed and it will unravel somehow someway.

If I'm wrong, we are setback so many years in this fight. If I'm right, it could be the beginning of the end of the fight.

I dunno. I'm just trying to find plan b if this damn thing succeeds.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 5:49pm

^^ Me too. I just have a this gut feeling that if it passes, it will ignite the issue even more.

It's so hard for me to believe that a state budget must be passed by 2/3 majority vote by the legislature, but Constitutions can be amended by the will of the (largely-dumbass) people -- who are so obviously experts on Constitutional law -- by a simple majority.
Updated On: 10/23/08 at 05:49 PM