Proposition 8

Long Beach Play '8' is Public Theater's Coming Out Party

A new theater entity opens Friday in Long Beach and rarely has a producing organization exploded from the box with a more emotionally charged subject or with such a familiar cast. The entity is the Public Theatre of Long Beach. The play is 8, which dramatizes the courtroom battle that resulted in ... More >>

Federal Appeals Court Won't Touch California Gay Marriage Ruling

Because a majority of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' 26 judges declined to revisit a three-member panel's ruling striking down Prop 8, the court will not reconsider the decision to overturn California's same-sex marriage ban.Proponents of Prop 8 earlier indicated they would appeal next to th ... More >>

Student Claims OCC Professor Ken Hearlson Wrote "Gays are Racist" on White Board During Class

​Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage ban, was declared unconstitutional last week in a federal appeals court. But for one gay student, 18-year-old Ali Azarifar, the celebration quickly turned sour during a class at Orange Coast College.  Azarifar claims that political science p ... More >>

Let Them Eat (a Gay Wedding) Cake: Gay Activists Get Their Valentine's Day on at Orange County Courthouse

​Linda May said it took her a long time to bake the "domestic partnership" cake she displayed Tuesday outside the Orange County Courthouse at 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. in downtown Santa Ana.She said the cake is symbolic of the gay community's efforts to overturn laws against same-sex marriage. " ... More >>

[UPDATED With New Celebration Location:] Court Strikes Down Proposition 8; Celebration in Downtown Santa Ana Tonight!

UPDATED, FEB. 7, 4:30 P.M.:The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage.A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 that Proposition 8, which limits marriage to one man and one woman and was approved by voters in 2008, violates equal protection rights u ... More >>

Proposition 8 Ruling to Come Tuesday

​The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday is expected to release a decision on Proposition 8, the state's same-sex marriage ban approved by voters in 2008.U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who is now retired, ruled in 2010 that the ban violated federal equal protection rights for gay and les ... More >>

Quick Ruling for Gay Marriage in California Expected Despite Today's Prop 8 Ruling

​The California Supreme Court ruled today that gay marriage foes can fight the reversal of Prop 8.Because the offices of the governor and state attorney general refuse to defend the same-sex marriage ban, legal scholars such as UC Irvine School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky had opined that Prop 8 ... More >>

Decision Against Resuming Same-Sex Weddings Emboldens Prop. 8 Backers But Fails to Deter Foes

​Three federal judges ruled today that gay marriage cannot resume in California until state and federal appeals courts decide the fate of Proposition 8--something that may be more than a year away.Judges Stephen Reinhardt, Michael Daly Hawkins and N. Randy Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeal for t ... More >>

[UPDATED] Federal Government Will No Longer Defend Defense of Marriage Act

​UPDATE, FEB. 23, 4:18 P.M.: The couple who filed the first marriage equality case in California and later became petitioners to overturn Prop 8, Diane Olson and Robin Tyler, said today's decision by the Obama administration to stop defending the federal government's anti-gay marriage law is "a hu ... More >>

As State Supremes Vow to Rule on Prop 8 Backers' Standing, Tom Harman Tries to Make Matter Moot

Presumably non-gay State Sen. Tom Harman​The California Supreme Court yesterday agreed to analyze whether Proposition 8 proponents have standing to appeal a federal judge's ruling that lifted the ban on same-sex marriages in the Golden State--a legal detour that could delay an appellate decision o ... More >>

Proposition 8 Ruling: One Challenge Rejected, Another Bounced Back to State Supreme Court

​In at least a partial setback for the h8rs, the Los Angeles Times reports that a federal appeals court has rejected Imperial County's challenge to Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that California's Proposition 8 ballot initiative, which banned same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional.The 9th Circuit Co ... More >>

Maggie Gallagher: Prop 8 Reversal Would End Human Species

​Folks are passionate on both sides of the gay-marriage debate, but at the end of the day, however the courts ultimately rule on California's Prop 8, it's not the like the world is going to end the next day.Uh, check that . . .  Forgot to first run that blanket statement by Maggie Gallagher, ... More >>

Prop 8 is Illegal Because All California Ballot Propositions are Illegal: Appellate Lawyer

​An appellate lawyer has filed a brief before the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco that argues same-sex-marriage banning Prop 8 should be struck down because all ballot propositions are illegal.As Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) put it in ... And Justice for All, "You're out of order! You're out of or ... More >>

California Gay Marriages Banned Indefinitely

​So much for Prop 8 backers not having any standing.A three-judge federal appeals court put same-sex weddings in California on hold indefinitely moments ago while it considers the constitutionality of the state's gay marriage ban.

UPDATED: Prop 8 Judge: Same-Sex Weddings Can Resume ... on Wednesday

Law.UCI.eduChemerinsky​UPDATE: The dean of the UCI Law School does not see grounds for an appeal of the stay against gay weddings in California (see below) . . . U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker in San Francisco today lifted the stay on same-sex marriages in California--beginning ... More >>

First a Victory, Now a War

Same-sex marriage supporters and detractors react to Proposition 8 ruling, what happens next

Prop 8 Argued in Law & Order Court, Paddy's Pub (of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

​The legal war over Prop 8 is still fresh fodder for Sunday news snore fests, daily chat spat shows and late night laugh offs, so it was only a matter of time before California's controversial gay marriage initiative filtered its way into scripted television programming.But the two shows that will ... More >>

Jerry Brown: Gay Weddings Can Resume

​"With Prop 8 resoundingly rejected in federal court, there is no reason marriages can't resume now."Jerry Brown, who wants to be California's next governor (again) posted that on his Twitter page less than an hour ago.However, as the Golden State's current attorney general, he has done much more ... More >>

Surprise, Surprise: Prop 8 Backers Will Appeal

Photo by Mary Bell/OC Weekly​It was only a matter of time--fewer than 24 hours transpired--before Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's controversial ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional was appealed by Prop 8 backers."We will certainly appeal this disappointing decision.  Its ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Prop 8 Overturned

​UPDATE: More details on tonight's celebratory rally (see end of post) . . .In a landmark case, Proposition 8, the 2008 California voter initiative that outlawed gay marriage, was overturned. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco ruled that the voter initiative is unconstitution ... More >>

Prop 8: Twitter Reacts

​We took to Twitter to check out some of the reactions to the overturning of Proposition 8. Read through for some of the best and worst tweets out there.friedmanjon: Prop 8 is overturned! This is the best Shark Week ever! Jesus_M_Christ: A California judge overturned Prop 8? Sometimes you humans ... More >>

Closing Arguments in Prop. 8 Trial Begin Today

​Today marks the beginning of the closing arguments in the trial brought in San Francisco federal court against California's voter-approved same-sex marriage ban, Proposition 8.A few developments from recent weeks in the Prop. 8-watching world if you haven't been following along:

OC Republicans' Choice for First Lady Comes Out... Against Prop. 8

NOH8 CampaignTale of the tape​In the November 2008 election, 579,064 Orange County voters wanted John McCain to be president of the United States right now (versus 549,558 for Barack Obama). By extension, Cindy McCain was 50.2 percent of the electorate's choice for first lady (versus 47.6 percent ... More >>

Mormon Fight In Irvine this Weekend!

No, Mitt Romney and David Archuleta aren't going to be brawling in the Great Park. Even better: This Saturday will bring two prominent local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to debate how much government and religion should mingle. tracy out west / Flickr / Creative Commons ... More >>

Banning Divorce Picks Up Steam. Seriously

​As proponents of same-sex marriage in California argue amongst themselves whether to pursue a Prop 8 nullification initiative in 2010 or 2012, a "concerned Christian and political activist" is aiming for the earlier date for his measure to ban divorce in the Golden State. John Marcotte lasr fal ... More >>

Proposition 8 Is Keeping Same-Sex Couples From Marrying, But It Has United OC's Gay Community

Groups on Either Side of Prop. 8 Blast 2012 Same-Sex Marriage Initiative

Equality California's decision to hold off on pursuing a same-sex marriage voter initiative at least until 2012 is not being cheered by groups on either side of the Prop. 8 debate.Reports the San Francisco Chronicle:But the organization's decision appears to collide with other progressive groups fig ... More >>

Orange County LGBT Pride Festival "Revival" Starts Small

Sasha Baron Cohen's comedy has nothing to do with OC pride festivals. We just can't find photos from past fests. ​Orange County's first-ever gay and lesbian pride festival was held in Santa Ana's Centennial Park in 1988, when angry Christian conservatives showed up not because they'd finally come ... More >>

Anti-Prop 8/Pro-Gay Marriage Summit Deemed "a Disaster"

​Chris Prevatt of TheLiberalOC blogged and tweeted from a LGBT Leadership Summit in San Bernardino aimed at repealing Prop 8 and restoring marriage equality for all Californians. The gathering revealed a schism within the movement between activists who want to get a Prop 8 counter measure on the 2 ... More >>

LGBT Groups Seek to Intervene in Prop. 8 Challenge

This just in from the ACLU, which believes the action taken today will help a judge hearing a challenge of Prop. 8 understand the unequal rights inherent in the ballot initiative . . . SAN FRANCISCO -- Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the American Civil Liberties Union ... More >>

The Unhappy Marriage (Opposite Marriage?) of Art and Politics In the Proposition 8 Debate

OC Gay Groups Blast Supreme Court For Caving To Bigots, Call for Rally Tonight

Disappointed in today's ruling upholding Prop. 8's effort to block future gay marriages in California, the leadership of two Orange County gay organizations accused the California Supreme Court of "acting out of fear of political retribution" from religious right."Today is a sad day for equality," s ... More >>

Actually, Here's The Important Prop. 8 Decision Event To Attend

Thanks to Paul Cook-Giles for pointing out that I missed the real OC-connected news with regards to the upcoming California Supreme Court decision on a challenge to Proposition 8. While Gloria Allred's press conference is cool and all, you might be better served by going to OC Equality Coalition's " ... More >>

Supremes' Prop. 8 Oral Arguments Generate Vigils, Viewing Parties, Rallies

Okay, Prop. 8, supporters, be honest: Would you rather attend a party thrown by gays or straights? If you answered the latter, well, then, you haven't been to a party thrown by gays, have you? Think of all the collected knowledge of Martha Stewart, the Queer Eye guys and Chelsea Handler funneled int ... More >>

Prop. 8 Backers to Local, State Politicos: Butt Out and Get Back to Work!

Local and statewide proponents of Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban approved by voters last November, have a message for local and statewide politicians: stop trying to overturn the election results and get back to work fixing your cities and/or California.State senators and Assembly members ... More >>

Gay Marriage Rally in Front of OC Church Has a Twist This Time

Ho-hum, supporters of marriage equality are planning a big rally outside yet another Orange County church. Tell it to Rick Warren. Or Ted Haggard. Or Mormony McMormon. Maybe they'll get all fired up by signs stating, "No on Hate--No on Prop 8," "I Want to See My Daddies MARRIED!" and "Jesu ... More >>

Still More Fun From the Prop. 8 Imbroglio . . .

If it is even possible, there will be a greater concentration of gay and lesbian people in San Francisco on March 5, when the California Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the challenge of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. On the flipside, the day could also see a huge spike in intol ... More >>

You Really Can't Live a Day Without a Gay

The KTLA Morning News just ran a story about a campaign launched by West Hollywood's Sean Hertherington to have everyone "call in to work gay" today to demonstrate outrage over the passage of Prop. 8 and how, "You really can't live a day without a gay." The memo obviously did not reach Wo ... More >>

A Little Perspective

With all of the bickering about Prop 8 and same-sex marriage equality taking over the airwaves, internet and valuable print space, perhaps it's time we take a moment and think about how amazing it is that we are actually discussing equality in the terms of love. A story in today's New York Times hig ... More >>

Protest Prop 8 tonight and Sunday

Is your activist streak feeling unloved after watching footage of yesterday's protests in LA against the passage of Proposition 8? Well, here's your chance to vent (peacefully, people, peacefully...). Tonight (Friday), the Long Beach Gay & Lesbian Center is organizing a protest march down Broadway, ... More >>

UC Irvine Students Don't Give a Damn about Voting--Mostly

"Who wants stickers for No on Prop. 8?" yelled out Jon, a young Vietnamese student at UC Irvine before the start of a Orange County history course in which I was to lecture. His enthusiasm was heartening--up until then, Anteaters where the epitome of the ever-elusive youth vote. As I walked to the ... More >>

What The? Young OC Voters Go Against Mom and Pop

By Sandy Rose Any liberal voter living in Orange County wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that theirs is an uphill battle against the county’s McCainiac majority. But young people living and growing up in Orange County, who have long-endured the Republican bubble that has defined who we are, see ... More >>

The Prince and His Bridegroom

*Update: Garden Grove Unified is stricter with the book than earlier reported. See after the jump. The proposition that was once about the state constitution and a ban on same-sex marriage has been whittled down to an argument over schools, sex education and, most entertainingly, a little children' ... More >>

[¡Ask a Mexican!] Will Mexicans Queer the Deal on Prop. 8?

Rohrabacher: No Need to Make Gays "Comfortable" About Selves

The full quote from Dana Rohrabacher at an Oct. 21 debate at Orange Coast College, where our favorite far-out, far-right Republican congressman out of Surf City explained his support for the anti-same-sex-marriage initiative, Prop. 8: "I would suggest we not change the definition of marriage in or ... More >>

Martin Millard Not Just a Racialist, But a Homophobe

The man who fancies himself the savior of Costa Mesa had this concluding couplet in his rambling reasoning to support Proposition 8: "On the other hand, it could be argued that if it is true that, as many gays now assert, homosexuality is genetic, then allowing gay marriage (and the normalization o ... More >>

[Election 2008] Three Weddings and a Moose

But What About the Same-Sex Marriage Officiants?

It's time for everyone to stop, take a breath and think about the people who will really be screwed should Prop. 8 pass. These are, of course, the wedding officiators who perform same-sex marriages and have now gone public with their "fervent opposition" to the California voter initiative that would ... More >>

Gay Marriage Foes Find Latino Mouthpieces in OC

Where should a conspicuously anti-family, anti-civil rights, anti-gay marriage political “coalition” go when it's looking for Latinos to sound alarms and corral other Latinos to vote for their anti-gay marriage proposition in November? None other than Orange County, of course, where hatred does ... More >>

No on Prop 8 public service announcement

Weekly contributing writer Dave Barton and his friend Greg Adkins directed and edited this moving No on Prop 8 clip, currently making the rounds of YouTube and even the Daily Kos. The lines being read are from 1 Corinthians. And of course you already knew that Proposition 8 is the November religious ... More >>