Also see: CA’s Largest Gay Group Says Push For Marriage In 2010 “Will Fail,” Supports 2012 Campaign
4:57 PM: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said today he supports the recommendation of the largest gay civil rights group in California to wait until 2012 to pursue a ballot initiative that would legalize same-sex marriage.
San Francisco-based Equality California has vowed to try to overturn Proposition 8, an initiative approved by state voters last November that banned same-sex marriage, but announced today that it would wait until 2012, rather than 2010, to pursue a new initiative.
However, Courage Campaign, another statewide group that supports same-sex marriage rights, said today that it is still raising money to research putting a measure on the ballot in 2010.
Newsom said today he believes that a 2012 ballot initiative makes sense, considering the fragmented state of the same-sex marriage coalition.
“In a perfect world we’d go forward next year, but the reality is we’re not united,” Newsom said.
“Time is definitely our ally,” especially with thousands of younger, liberal Californians registering to vote, he said.
Marc Solomon, Equality California’s marriage director, said today that “2012 simply appears by the numbers to be a better year” because younger people tend to vote in larger numbers in presidential elections compared to gubernatorial elections.
Solomon said younger people support same-sex marriage in much higher numbers than older voters, and that waiting will also allow a larger number of young people to reach voting age.
Equality California estimates that support for gay marriage would be about 4 percent higher in 2012 than it would be in 2010, which Solomon said “is not a huge difference, but in a situation where the numbers are so close, it’s a meaningful difference.”
Proposition 8, approved by 52 percent of voters on Nov. 4, 2008, changed the California Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman.
Solomon said Equality California’s decision was based on a statewide organizing campaign launched earlier this year.
Courage Campaign, on the other hand, said today that it is still raising a substantial amount of money to consider putting the issue on the ballot in 2010.
Campaign founder Rick Jacobs had said the group was going to announce Thursday whether it has raised an initial $100,000 from members, to be matched by another $100,000 from partner organizations, for research on a possible 2010 initiative.
However, the organization reported on its Web site today that it already reached that goal by raising $135,998, including $77,905 in the past 24 hours.
The online activist group has 700,000 members, mostly Californians, who voted by an 83 percent majority in May to support a ballot measure in 2010.
Equality California executive director Geoff Kors said that although it advocates waiting until 2012 to put a measure on the ballot, the group would support a 2010 initiative push by another group.
“If people can raise the money and get the signatures, we’ll support it in 2010, but this is our view,” he said.
Equality California will continue soliciting feedback on the issue and will hold a virtual town hall on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. To join the town hall, visit www.livestream.com/equalitycalifornia.
3:10 PM: The largest gay civil rights group in California announced today that it will support putting a same-sex marriage measure on the ballot in 2012, rather than next year as some advocates have called for.
San Francisco-based Equality California has vowed to try to overturn Proposition 8, an initiative approved by state voters last November that banned same-sex marriage, but supporters had been split on whether to pursue a new initiative in 2010 or 2012.
Marc Solomon, Equality California’s marriage director, said that “2012 simply appears by the numbers to be a better year” because younger people tend to vote in presidential elections compared to gubernatorial elections.
Solomon said younger people support same-sex marriage in much higher numbers than older voters, and that waiting will also allow a larger number of young people to reach voting age.
Equality California estimates that support for gay marriage would be about 4 percent higher in 2012 than it would be in 2010, which Solomon said “is not a huge difference, but in a situation where the numbers are so close, it’s a meaningful difference.”
Proposition 8, approved by 52 percent of voters on Nov. 4, 2008, changed the California Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman.
Solomon said Equality California’s decision was based on “talking to people over the past few months and experience working for marriage equality over the years.”
Another statewide group that supports same-sex marriage rights, Courage Campaign, is due to announce Thursday whether it will keep open for a few more weeks the possibility of a 2010 ballot effort.
The online activist group has 700,000 members, mostly Californians, who voted by an 83 percent majority in May to support a ballot measure in 2010.
Courage Campaign founder Rick Jacobs said the group will announce Thursday whether it has raised an initial $100,000 from members, to be matched by another $100,000 from partner organizations, for research on a possible 2010 initiative.
Equality California executive director Geoff Kors said that although it advocates waiting until 2012 to put a measure on the ballot, the group would support a 2010 initiative push by another group.
“If people can raise the money and get the signatures, we’ll support it in 2010, but this is our view,” he said.
Equality California will continue soliciting feedback on the issue and will hold a virtual town hall on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. To join the town hall, visit www.livestream.com/equalitycalifornia.
