Issues: Marriage Equality: Ballot Updates

Schwarzenegger says he would fight efforts to ban gay marriage
ASSOCIATED PRESS: April 11, 2008
SAN DIEGO — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says if an initiative to ban gay marriage qualifies for the November ballot, he's prepared to fight it. California's governor was in San Diego Friday speaking at the annual convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest gay Republican group. Read full article

Deceptive, Desctructive ballot measure for California ballot
Anti-LGBT activists claim they have gathered 1.1 million signatures to qualify the California Marriage Protection Act for the statewide November ballot. This ballot measure would amend the state constitution to permanently prevent the courts or the legislature from recognizing marriages for same sex couples, regardless of how the California Supreme Court may rule this Spring.

Now we wait for the Secretary of State will determine whether they have a sufficient level of valid signatures to allow them to fast track to the November ballot. If signatures have to be individually verified, then they will likely qualify for the next statewide ballot after November, probably in 2010.

Should this be left up to the voters?
In the United States, we don’t put equality and other fundamental rights to a vote. These are protected from the whims of political fortune by our state and federal constitutions, the creators of which recognized that some rights are "inalienable" and should be protected regardless of current popular opinion.

Nevertheless, the California initiative system allows any qualifying question to be placed before the voters. Now our job is to make sure it is defeated.

Who are the proponents of this measure?
The Marriage Protection Act is being financed by a combination of national anti-LGBT groups like Focus on the Family and the Knights of Columbus and California individuals, many of whom are from the San Diego area.

What can I do to keep this from becoming law?
A statewide campaign is ready to defeat this measure and The Center Advocacy Project’s Social Issues PAC is a part of this unprecedented coalition. There’s no time to waste, our rights and those of the next generation are at stake! Download How Can I Help Fight the Marriage Amendment.

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