Supporters of Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage in California, are running their first television ad.
The commercial features San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom making a celebratory speech. The state Supreme Court had just invalidated a law overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2000 that declared "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Following is a text of the ad and an analysis by Aurelio Rojas of The Bee's Capitol Bureau:
The ad
Newsom: This door's wide open now. It's going to happen whether you like it or not.
Narrator: Four judges ignored 4 million voters and imposed same-sex marriage on California. It's no longer about tolerance. Acceptance of gay marriage is now mandatory.
Richard Peterson (Pepperdine University law professor): That changes a lot of things – people sued over personal beliefs, churches could lose their tax exemptions, gay marriage taught in public schools.
Analysis
Newsom helped set off the legal fight over gay marriage four years ago when he decided San Francisco would issue same-sex marriage licenses. The 4,000 marriages that followed were nullified by the California Supreme Court pending legal review.
In May, the court – on a 4-3 ruling – struck down Proposition 22, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
The court cited a 60-year-old precedent that invalidated a ban on interracial marriage in California, "domestic partnership" laws that extend virtually all the rights of marriage to same-sex couples, and evolving social mores.
The ad contends the court ruling opens the way for people to be sued over personal beliefs, but California law already prohibits discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
As for churches losing their tax status, the Supreme Court ruling stated "no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples."
California law also prohibits public schools from teaching students anything about health and family issues against the will of their parents.
Call Aurelio Rojas, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5545.
