ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society

Scores of people took to the streets nationwide this weekend in support of gay marriage and to protest passage of the California ballot measure that stripped gays of the right to marry. Andrew Sullivan’s The Dish, provided slews of pictures and descriptions of the demonstrations that stretched coast to coast. The San Francisco Chronicle noted that more that 4,000 people rallied in Manhattan and that protests took place not only across California, but in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Fargo, N.D. and many other cities. The newspaper also reported that about 20,000 gathered in San Diego and 12,000 in Los Angeles. The Chronicle noted that the rallies “were a bottom-up effort, with cities and communities across the country putting on their own events.” Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, was narrowly passed by Californians on Election Day.

The ballot measure was spurred by a California Supreme Court decision earlier this year granting marriage equality rights to gay and lesbian couples. The drive to place the anti-gay marriage ballot measure before voters was largely fueled by socially conservative lobbying groups, such as Focus on the Family, and the Mormon church. The New York Times reported over the weekend that toward the end of the campaign for Proposition 8, millions of dollars were funneled into the effort by Mormons. Michael R. Otterson, with the public affairs office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conceded that the church has worked on campaigns to limit reproductive rights, “But we don’t get involved to the degree that we did on this.” Otterson added that, “California is a huge state, often seen as a bellwether – this was seen as a very, very important test.” The Mormon church also issued a plea to congregations nationwide to support Proposition 8.

California couples, represented by civil liberties groups like the ACLU and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), have filed a legal action in the California Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the ballot measure.