Many of us are frustrated with the decision California (and Arizona and Florida) made in this election. Why wasn’t Proposition 8 defeated? BBC weighs in on the subject, and The Nation provides an explanation. Although 61% of Californians gave their vote to Barack Obama, 52% voted for Proposition 8 (which limits marriage to unions between a man and a woman).
Voters were informed through ad campaigns that “without Prop 8, their churches would be forced to perform same-sex unions and be stripped of their tax-exempt status; that schools would teach their children to practice homosexuality; and…that a smiling Barack Obama had said, ‘I’m not in favor of gay marriage.’” In fact he is not, but Obama made it clear that he was not for Prop 8. Gay activists were simply outmaneuvered. But they won’t quit fighting – a new president is the dawn of a new day.