The Inquisitr » proposition 8

Schwarzenegger Signs Two Historic Gay Rights Bills

AHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:15:20 +0000

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills on Monday that add further positive momentum to the gay rights struggle. California’s top lawmaker signed a bill that to gives the state a day to celebrate fallen politician Harvey Milk and another recognizing the rights and benefits of legally married same-sex couples.

Schwarzenegger attached the following statement to the same-sex couple law: “As required by Proposition 8, California will not recognize such couples as ‘married.’ However, Senate Bill 54 will provide the same legal protections that would otherwise be available to couples that enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships out-of-state. In short, this measure honors the will of the People in enacting Proposition 8 while providing important protections to those unions legally entered into in other states.”

The announcement of his signature on the Milk bill is one that came as a surprise to many since Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill last year. His office declined to say what prompted the change in his position.

Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. According to the bill, Milk garnered his place in history as being the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in a major U.S. city. However, in 1978 he was assassinated by a disgruntled former supervisor.

Gay Marriage Group Delays Fight Against Proposition 8

AHN — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:45:45 +0000

Washington, D.C. (AHN) – The decision of a top gay advocacy group to postpone its fight to repeal the ban on same-sex marriages in California until 2012 is opening up divisions in the LGBT community. Equality California on Wednesday said it won’t file a measure in next year’s state ballot because it will have more support from younger voters during the presidential election year, and that its “donors want a three-year education effort.”

“Changing the hearts and minds of Californians that do not currently support marriage for same-sex couples is slow-going but doable,” said EQCA Marriage Director Marc Solomon. “It takes commitment, time and significant numbers of volunteers to undo the lies the other side has been telling for decades and if we do this work at the level we need to we can have majority support by 2012.”

“Many of our key allies… feel that we need more time to build support without significantly damaging the important infrastructure our community has spent decades building and depends on,” he added. “Many of our community’s most generous donors want to ensure that their contributions to win back marriage are wisely invested to create the best opportunity to win… [they] have indicated support for a three-year education and political effort and are opposed to a 2010 campaign.”

Solomon said primarily older, unsupportive voters are expected to turn out in the gubernatorial election next year, while younger, more supportive voters will participate in 2012, giving them 4 percent additional support in the ballot.

The group, which led the unsuccessful campaign to overturn Proposition 8 last year, is actively seeking comments from supporters, a number of whom have expressed dismay in colorful language on the Equality California Website.

It will hold an online town hall on Thursday to discuss its announcement, which goes against the position of some gay advocacy groups.

The same day as EQCA disclosed its plan, the Courage Campaign said it had “smashed” its goal of raising $100,000 by Aug. 13. The group beat its deadline by two days, raising $135,998 that it said it would “immediately invest in research, polling and focus groups to repeal Prop 8.”

The fundraising began only last Wednesday, when Courage Campaign chairman Rick Jacobs issued an open letter to supporters.

“Frankly, too much attention has been placed on the political consequences of running an election in 2010 or 2012,” he wrote “The bottom line is that we must begin now to convince the people of California that civil marriage rights should be made available to all people, period. None of us should have to wait one more day to achieve equality at any level.

“And while I say that, I also don’t want to lose this critical battle,” Jacobs had said. “If we can make this community fundraising goal, we can move forward. If we can’t make this community fundraising goal, then we will have to accept that the movement is not ready to produce the funding and resources necessary to support a campaign to repeal Prop 8 in 2010. And we will have to wait until 2012 to bring marriage equality to the ballot again.”

ProtectMarriage.com, a coalition of California groups and religious leaders that support Proposition 8, made sure to emphasize the apparent disagreement between the two top gay rights groups.

“It is clear that [EQCA] do[es] not speak for a unified movement on their side of this debate,” executive director Ron Prentice. “The people have spoken twice on this issue, both times reaffirming traditional marriage. If asked to do so, they will indeed vote again to protect traditional marriage.”

“Based on ongoing conflict among the pro-homosexual marriage groups,” he added, “it is still unclear if or when this issue may appear before voters in California. But whether in 2010, 2012, or beyond, ProtectMarriage.com will be ready to defend marriage and emerge victorious again.”

Proposition 8 was passed on Nov. 4, 2008 overturning a California Supreme Court ruling in June the same year that gay couples had a constitutional right to be married, and amid broad opposition from civil rights and gay groups as well as officials including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Attorney General Jerry Brown.

In May, the California Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected by a 6-1 vote a constitutional challenged to Proposition 8, an initiative banning same-sex marriages in the state. But the court also unanimously declared the 18,000 gay marriages conducted last year legal.

The ruling was a victory for social conservatives nationwide, as several states at the time were moving to legalize gay marriages.

A total of six states now allow same-sex marriages, four of which adopted their statutes in the past four months.

In addition, Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriages, sued the federal government in July over the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which provides the federal definition of marriage as the legal union between a man and a woman.

The District of Columbia has also began recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries.

Obama administration draws ire by upholding the Defense of Marriage act

Kim LaCapria — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:12:12 +0000

In a move that many gay rights advocates feel is at best backpedalling, and at worst outright betrayal, the Department of Justice filed a brief Thursday upholding the controversial Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Discontent began in May, when information regarding the repeal of DOMA was removed from the White House website. The brief filed this week, which has greatly alarmed gay rights advocates, upholds the rights of individual states to legislate same-sex marriage. Most troubling to proponents of same-sex rights is this portion of the brief, which is, according to gay-rights group The Human Rights Campaign, “neither grounded in fact nor law.”

[DOMA amounts to] a cautious policy of federal neutrality towards a new form of marriage. DOMA maintains federal policies that have long sought to promote the traditional and uniformly-recognized form of marriage, recognizes the right of each State to expand the traditional definition if it so chooses, but declines to obligate federal taxpayers in other States to subsidize a form of marriage that their own states do not recognize.

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, in a statement, condemned the decision to determine the rights of millions of Americans based on fiscal policy.

“Same-sex couples and their families are not seeking subsidies. We pay taxes equally, contribute to our communities equally, support each other equally, pay equally into Social Security, and participate equally in our democracy. Equal protection is not a handout. It is our right as citizens.”

As long as the Defense of Marriage Act stands, legal same-sex unions will not be recognized in states that allow only for “opposite marriage.”

Proposition 8 Upheld in California – Gays Protesting across U.S.

Paul Short — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:25:45 +0000

The California Supreme Court has voted today to uphold the controversial Proposition 8 that prevents same sex marriage partners from having the same benefits as “Opposite” or male/female married couples.

Gay and Lesbian people in California and across the United States are stepping out tonight and gathering in strategic locations to protest the archaic bill and bolster their outrage at being denied what they believe should be their rights as married couples, regardless of whether their partners are the same sex or not.

Perez Hilton, one of the most prolific and powerful gay rights activists online has used his influence to help rally the troops on his blog by pointing to a site that is coordinating the efforts.

Perez and some of his celeb friends will be at this demonstration in West Hollywood tonight. PLEASE join us!

Time: 7:00 pm this evening, May 26th
Place: 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard
Santa Monica and San Vicente Blvd
West Hollywood

After the rally, some will be marching towards another demonstration at Hollywood & Highland at 9:30 PM.

There will be some speeches at the West Hollywood rally, and everyone is encouraged to wear white.

Bring signs, bullhorns, ribbons, chalk, anything you want to make noise.

But, most importantly, just show up!

[Photo: Adam Bouska]

Carrie Prejean’s Mother is…wait for it…..Gay

Duncan Riley — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:55:20 +0000

Now we known why Miss California Carrie Prejean hates gay people: she was spawned from one.

Star Magazine is said to have reported that Prejean’s mother Francine Coppola was previously in a lesbian relationship.

Ex-girlfriend Valerie Vetrano tells the magazine that “Yes, Francine and I dated.”

But the affair didn’t last long. “Francine explained how she was a Christian and that her loved ones would never accept her if she were gay” said a friend. “Valerie feels that if Francine had just been open about her sexuality with her family, Carrie would have a better understanding of what gay people have to go through. They just want equal rights.”

Despite the revelation, Miss California continues on her quest to save the world from those evil gay people who will destroy straight marriage. Lets hope her mother doesn’t bring any friends along on the campaign trail

(via Just Jared. Note we can’t link to Star because it’s georetarded.)

Reddit beats Funny or Die in the NOM ad satire stakes

Duncan Riley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:26:52 +0000

The “storm is coming” ad from the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage (NOM) gained widespread controversy when it was released, and rightly so.

In the ad, NOM makes claims based on existing discrimination laws and falsely applies them to gay marriage in an attempt to scare viewers over what might happen if gay marriage became legal. You’d think watching it that the end of the world was nigh, and bizarrely NOM claims that gay marriage is a threat to freedom.

The ad was ripe for a takeoff, and now we have two. Users on Reddit got together to dub the ad, changing gay marriage to inter-racial marriage to prove that discrimination against gay couples is really no different than past bans on inter-racial marriage. Funny or Die went for a more humorous take, with a range of actors poking fun of the storm message.

The two versions following. The Funny or Die take has its moments, but the Reddit version really cuts through; it’s so good that it was given a “Homo Hero” award from Lesbian and Gay Foundation in the UK.

Reddit version

Funny or Die version:

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

Court hears Proposition 8 Appeal. Early signs not good for Gay Marriage

Duncan Riley — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:17:40 +0000

The fight to overturn Proposition 8, the controversial measure that bans gay marriage in California made its way to court today.

Hundreds gathered outside a California Supreme Court in San Francisco to watch on a big screen as the seven justices heard arguments for and against the validity of the law.

Lawyers representing gay rights groups, couples and a number of local governments argued that the ban on gay marriage is a drastic change to the constitution that deprives a minority of fundamental rights, and as such Proposition 8 was not within the boundaries allowed by such initiatives.

Proposition 8 supporters, led in court by former Whitewater special prosecutor Kenneth M. Starr, told the court that a simple majority could limit rights up to and including free speech under a state constitution that gives citizens broad power to legislate through the ballot box. “The people do have the raw power to define rights,” said Starr. “The people are sovereign and they can do very unwise things, and things that tug at the equality principle.”

The attempt to throw out Proposition 8 looks in doubt, with Chief Justice Ronald George, previously a supporter of gay marriage saying that “there have been initiatives that have taken away rights from minorities by majority vote” and have been upheld by the courts. Justice Joyce Kennard, also previously a gay marriage supporter, said the challenge to Proposition 8 involved “a completely different issue” from the court’s ruling that the marriage laws violated gays’ and lesbians’ rights to be treated equally and wed the partner of their choice.

Google Files Amicus Brief Against Proposition 8

Duncan Riley — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:58:55 +0000

Google has joined Levi Strauss, The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and H5 in a joint Amicus Brief supporting a number of cases that are seeking to overturn California Proposition 8.

An Amicus Brief (Amicus curiae) is a friend of the court petition that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it.

Google said in a post that “denying employees basic rights isn’t right, and it isn’t good for businesses. We are committed to preserving fundamental rights for every one of the people who work hard to make Google a success.”

Interestingly though, the Amicus brief argues against Proposition 8 on some interesting grounds. Arguments include:

- Employers facing liability for failure to pay and withhold taxes if same sex marriages are found to be invalid
- Administrative costs and exposure to litigation over employee plans
- a “social and economic” cost on employers and employees

and a range of other tax and cost issues. The brief also argues that Proposition 8 would damage their ability to retain talented employees.

The full brief here (PDF).

Did The Mormon Church Go Too Far With Prop 8?

Duncan Riley — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:36:16 +0000

Activists have claimed since the passing of Proposition 8, the California ballot that made gay marriage illegal in that State, that money from the Mormon Church was the deciding factor in the vote passing.

The church claims to have only spent a few thousand dollars on the campaign, but ANP (via Donklephant) has uncovered evidence that may expose a hole in that claim. The IRS forbids religious organizations from “substantially” lobbying for political legislation, however the IRS does not define what “substantial” means.

This video from ANP explains it.

Prop 8 The Musical

Duncan Riley — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:01:05 +0000

FunnyorDie is back with a classic new take on Proposition 8 with Proposition 8 The Musical.

Featuring in the video is Jack Black as Jesus, Neil Patrick Harris, Allison Janney, Rashida Jones, John C. Reilly, Magaret Cho, Sarah Chalke, Maya Rudolph and more.

The crux of the video is to highlight the issues in the Bible between condemning what is wrong and right, with Black noting that its a sin to eat shellfish, and that the bible also says it’s ok to stone your wife.

Religious types probably wont like it, but production values are strong, and Neil Patrick Harris has a fine singing voice.

Prop 8 The Musical video as follows:

California Supreme Court to hear Proposition 8 challenges

Duncan Riley — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:49:52 +0000

The California Supreme Court has agreed to hear several legal challenges to Proposition 8.

The three lawsuits to be heard seek to nullify Proposition 8 on the grounds that it abridges the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group, and argue that voters did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change.

The ruling was not all good news for anti-Prop 8 protestors however, with the Court ruling against an order that would have permitted GLBT couples to marry until the cases were resolved.

The court directed California Attorney General Jerry Brown and pro-Proposition 8 supporters to submit their arguments for why the ballot initiative should not be nullified by December 19. Proposition 8 opponents must respond before January 5. Oral arguments for the challenges may be heard as soon as March 2009.

(in part: AFP)

Wanda Sykes comes out of the closet for Prop 8 protest

Duncan Riley — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:48:03 +0000

Comedian Wanda Sykes, best known for her role on the New Adventures of Old Christine has come out of the closet at a Prop 8 protest, saying the same-sex marriage ban has led to her be more outspoken about being gay.

“You know, I don’t really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn’t feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life. Everybody that knows me personally they know I’m gay. But that’s the way people should be able to live their lives” she said.

Sykes said Proposition 8 made her feel like she was attacked: “Now, I gotta get in their face,” she said. “I’m proud to be a woman. I’m proud to be a black woman, and I’m proud to be gay.”

“They pissed off the wrong group of people…They have galvanized a community. We are so together now and we all want the same thing and we shouldn’t have to settle for less. Instead of having gay marriage in California, no, we’re gonna have gay marriage across the country.”

Video as follows:

Spencer Speaks Out Against Prop 8 While Irritating People

Meieli Sawyer — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:25:29 +0000

Spencer Pratt is such a class act. When MTV ran into him on the set of How I Met Your Mother (more like Spencer probably went chasing after anyone with a microphone), he said that he totally supports gay marriage because of Heidi’s hair and makeup peeps. No “friends” or “family” here! Wow, how can he sound like such an amazing jerk?

“Like I’ve always said: Heidi’s hair and makeup people are some of my favorite homosexuals on the planet, and if they want to marry each other, I’m not about to be like, ‘Don’t.’”

At least Heidi piped up that she’s “very for equal rights.” She’s the lesser of the two evils, really.

Keith Olbermann speaks out against Proposition 8

Duncan Riley — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:07:33 +0000

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann used his show this evening to speak out against Proposition 8.

I’ll leave the description to AfterElton.com

It’s easily the most passionate, articulate, and moving comment I’ve seen in this whole Prop 8 mess, and it comes from a man who has zero personal investment in any kind of gay rights movement, which he makes clear early on. He’s just a man who believes in decency and in giving love a chance in a world where the odds against its survival are already great enough.

Here’s the full Keith Olbermann Prop 8 video:

Update: full transcript

Finally tonight as promised, a Special Comment on the passage, last week, of Proposition Eight in California, which rescinded the right of same-sex couples to marry, and tilted the balance on this issue, from coast to coast.

Some parameters, as preface. This isn’t about yelling, and this isn’t about politics, and this isn’t really just about Prop-8. And I don’t have a personal investment in this: I’m not gay, I had to strain to think of one member of even my very extended family who is, I have no personal stories of close friends or colleagues fighting the prejudice that still pervades their lives.

And yet to me this vote is horrible. Horrible. Because this isn’t about yelling, and this isn’t about politics.

This is about the… human heart, and if that sounds corny, so be it.

If you voted for this Proposition or support those who did or the sentiment they expressed, I have some questions, because, truly, I do not… understand. Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don’t want to deny you yours. They don’t want to take anything away from you. They want what you want — a chance to be a little less alone in the world.

Only now you are saying to them — no. You can’t have it on these terms. Maybe something similar. If they behave. If they don’t cause too much trouble. You’ll even give them all the same legal rights — even as you’re taking away the legal right, which they already had. A world around them, still anchored in love and marriage, and you are saying, no, you can’t marry. What if somebody passed a law that said you couldn’t marry?

I keep hearing this term “re-defining” marriage.

If this country hadn’t re-defined marriage, black people still couldn’t marry white people. Sixteen states had laws on the books which made that illegal… in 1967. 1967.

The parents of the President-Elect of the United States couldn’t have married in nearly one third of the states of the country their son grew up to lead. But it’s worse than that. If this country had not “re-defined” marriage, some black people still couldn’t marry…black people. It is one of the most overlooked and cruelest parts of our sad story of slavery. Marriages were not legally recognized, if the people were slaves. Since slaves were property, they could not legally be husband and wife, or mother and child. Their marriage vows were different: not “Until Death, Do You Part,” but “Until Death or Distance, Do You Part.” Marriages among slaves were not legally recognized.

You know, just like marriages today in California are not legally recognized, if the people are… gay.

And uncountable in our history are the number of men and women, forced by society into marrying the opposite sex, in sham marriages, or marriages of convenience, or just marriages of not knowing — centuries of men and women who have lived their lives in shame and unhappiness, and who have, through a lie to themselves or others, broken countless other lives, of spouses and children… All because we said a man couldn’t marry another man, or a woman couldn’t marry another woman. The sanctity of marriage. How many marriages like that have there been and how on earth do they increase the “sanctity” of marriage rather than render the term, meaningless?

What is this, to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don’t you, as human beings, have to embrace… that love? The world is barren enough.

It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us to go forward. Your marriage only stands a 50-50 chance of lasting, no matter how much you feel and how hard you work.

And here are people overjoyed at the prospect of just that chance, and that work, just for the hope of having that feeling. With so much hate in the world, with so much meaningless division, and people pitted against people for no good reason, this is what your religion tells you to do? With your experience of life and this world and all its sadnesses, this is what your conscience tells you to do?

With your knowledge that life, with endless vigor, seems to tilt the playing field on which we all live, in favor of unhappiness and hate… this is what your heart tells you to do? You want to sanctify marriage? You want to honor your God and the universal love you believe he represents? Then Spread happiness — this tiny, symbolic, semantical grain of happiness — share it with all those who seek it. Quote me anything from your religious leader or book of choice telling you to stand against this. And then tell me how you can believe both that statement and another statement, another one which reads only “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

—

You are asked now, by your country, and perhaps by your creator, to stand on one side or another. You are asked now to stand, not on a question of politics, not on a question of religion, not on a question of gay or straight. You are asked now to stand, on a question of…love. All you need do is stand, and let the tiny ember of love meet its own fate. You don’t have to help it, you don’t have it applaud it, you don’t have to fight for it. Just don’t put it out. Just don’t extinguish it. Because while it may at first look like that love is between two people you don’t know and you don’t understand and maybe you don’t even want to know…It is, in fact, the ember of your love, for your fellow **person…

Just because this is the only world we have. And the other guy counts, too.

This is the second time in ten days I find myself concluding by turning to, of all things, the closing plea for mercy by Clarence Darrow in a murder trial.

But what he said, fits what is really at the heart of this:

“I was reading last night of the aspiration of the old Persian poet, Omar-Khayyam,” he told the judge.

“It appealed to me as the highest that I can vision. I wish it was in my heart, and I wish it was in the hearts of all:

“So I be written in the Book of Love;

“I do not care about that Book above.

“Erase my name, or write it as you will,

“So I be written in the Book of Love.”

—

Good night, and good luck.

Proposition 8 protest turns nasty, African Americans targeted

Duncan Riley — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:48:44 +0000

Proposition 8 protests in California have taken a nasty turn, with protesters moving on from targeting the Mormon Church, to blaming African Americans.

Recent reports indicated that African Americans voted 70% yes on Proposition 8. From Rod McCullom via The Huffington Post

A number of Rod 2.0 and Jasmyne Cannick readers report being subjected to taunts, threats and racist abuse at last night’s marriage equality rally in Los Angeles.

Geoffrey, a student at UCLA and regular Rod 2.0 reader, joined the massive protest outside the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Westwood. Geoffrey was called the n-word at least twice.

It was like being at a klan rally except the klansmen were wearing Abercrombie polos and Birkenstocks. YOU NIGGER, one man shouted at men. If your people want to call me a FAGGOT, I will call you a nigger. Someone else said same thing to me on the next block near the temple…me and my friend were walking, he is also gay but Korean, and a young WeHo clone said after last night the niggers better not come to West Hollywood if they knew what was BEST for them.

Los Angeles resident and Rod 2.0 reader A. Ronald says he and his boyfriend, who are both black, were carrying NO ON PROP 8 signs and still subjected to racial abuse.

Three older men accosted my friend and shouted, “Black people did this, I hope you people are happy!” A young lesbian couple with mohawks and Obama buttons joined the shouting and said there were “very disappointed with black people” and “how could we” after the Obama victory. This was stupid for them to single us out because we were carrying those blue NO ON PROP 8 signs! I pointed that out and the one of the older men said it didn’t matter because “most black people hated gays” and he was “wrong” to think we had compassion. That was the most insulting thing I had ever heard. I guess he never thought we were gay.

While we may be able to sympathize with the cause of the protesters, resorting to racism is a step way too far, and may cause some to distance themselves from the anti-Proposition 8 campaign.

Drew Barrymore Protests Proposition 8

Meieli Sawyer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:57:28 +0000

This past weekend, Drew Barrymore took to the streets with fellow protesters on Prop 8 and swept through the streets, where she ended up getting hold of the microphone and telling the exhausted crowd “I will fight with you!” The protest had been 15,000 people strong earlier that night, starting at Silver Lake and ending up in West Hollywood about 8 and a half hours later.

I’m embarrassed, but I cried a little when I heard Drew speak to the crowd. I wonder what celebs will turn up during the National Protest Prop 8 protests on November 15th?

Utah boycott being organized by Proposition 8 opponents

Duncan Riley — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:08:12 +0000

Bloggers are calling for a complete boycott of the state of Utah over the Mormon Church’s support for Proposition 8.

According to some reports prior to the election, the Mormon Church directly, or via its members contributed to 40% of the yes campaign’s budget, and the church encouraged members to flood into California to spread the Yes case.

Utah is the headquarters for the Mormon Church and around two thirds of the state belong to the church. Utah’s tourism industry delivers $6 billion to the local economy, through ski fields, “red rock country” and the Sundance Film Festival.

The Church is naturally playing the hate card, saying that it is “disturbing” that the church is being singled out for exercising its right to speak up in a free election, and that “it is wrong to target the Church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process.” A Church spokesman went on to say that “no one on any side of the question should be vilified, intimidated, harassed or subject to erroneous information.”

See more details at Mormon’s stole our rights.

(img credit)

Courtney Love Blogs About Proposition 8

Meieli Sawyer — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:32:15 +0000

In an extremely confusing (and frightening) blog entry, Courtney Love spilled her feelings about Prop 8–but was she for or against it? I’ve read her post a couple times now, and I think she was actually on the right path until someone tried to explain voting to her. Prepare to have your head messed with:

“blown away
Current mood: bouncy

That prop 8 passsed! motherf[*]ckers! who voted against it!
it was confusing language in malibu there were kids reminding us to vote yes thatthe language was conbfusing and people were votingno when they meant yes or soemthin”

Anyone want to take a stab at deciphering this? Was Courtney actually trying to Vote No on Prop 8? Methinks someone should’ve just “Saved to Draft.”

I found the screenshot for you to enjoy.

Proposition 8 passes: gay marriage to be outlawed in California

Duncan Riley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:53:48 +0000

Voters in California have passed Proposition 8 by a narrow margin.

The proposition defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bans GLBT marriages, and invalidates existing marriages.

At 1:45am PST with 78% of precincts reporting, the yes vote had 52% of the vote, with a margin of over 300,000 votes. The vote has trended lower for yes throughout the evening as larger centers have been added to the tally, but the trend would appear not strong enough to change the result.

Opposition to Proposition 8 was strong in the tech community, with many leading companies financially backing the no campaign.

♫ Sing it with me: Who’s afraid of the Christian Right…Yahoo!…Yahoo!♫

Duncan Riley — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:18:11 +0000

Yahoo, to date silent on Proposition 8 despite both Google and Apple making public statements of opposition, still remains silent today, but it turns out they’re quietly backing the no campaign.

Proposition 8 is the ballot question facing Californian’s next week, who are being asked to define marriage as between a man and a women, in effect banning gay marriage, and invalidating the marriages of GLBT people who have already tied the knot.

Spotted by Louis Gray, Yahoo co-founders Jerry Yang and David Filo have each donated $15,000 to the No campaign, making them the largest donors to the no campaign in Sunnyvale.

Yahoo has linked to the no campaign before, but only through its GLBT portal; the company has made no statement on officially supporting one side or the other.

Although we have no evidence of Yahoo itself contributing to the No campaign, the identical donations from its founders, including CEO Yang can only be interpreted one way: the management at Yahoo support the no campaign, but are too gutless to say so publicly least they face calls for a boycott from the Christian Right, who have already targeted Google over the issue. Google can ignore a boycott from a vocal minority, but Yahoo, with its difficult financial and traffic situation would be more adversely affected from any boycott.

So ♫ Sing it with me: Who’s afraid of the Christian Right…Yahoo!…Yahoo!♫