News from the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance

Contents: Fall 2008

Prop 8 Outcome Mars Election Celebration in California

By the time the United States election polls closed on Nov. 4, the outcome of the presidential election was clear: the United States had elected the first African-American man ever to serve in the highest office of the land. But the night was young on the West Coast, and the stakes were still high on another matter.

In California, voters who might have been celebrating, bit their nails as the tally for Proposition 8 slowly came in. In a very close and hard-fought campaign, proponents of same-gender marriage agonized when it became clear that the referendum had passed. If taken to it’s ultimate conclusion, the item would change the state Constitution to outlaw same-gender marriage.

The battle is far from over:

• Protests have taken place and continue to emerge on the streets of California.
• More than 40 state legislators have filed a friend-of-the-court brief to support legal efforts to void the proposition. “The citizens of California rely on the Legislature and the courts to safeguard against unlawful discrimination by temporary, and often short-lived, majorities,” the group said in a prepared statement.
• Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told the gay and affirming community not to give up. He also predicted that the 18,000 gay and lesbian couples that already have wed would not see their marriages nullified by the initiative.

To learn more about how you can support the effort of the LGBTQ community in California, David Downing, southern California GLAD Alliance leader suggests, among other ideas:

MARCH -- Marches were held on Saturday, Nov. 15.  Check www.jointheimpact.com to to see if other actions are planned.

READ -- Go to www.eqca.org and read the latest news on the issue;

PRAY -- Pray for understanding, patience, and a peaceful solution to the issue;

WATCH -- Watch "Keith Olbermann on California's Prop 8." It is a 6.5-minute video of his Nov. 10, 2008 program. Click here to view this MSNBC video.